B.C or A.D.?

The church during the Christmas season is so beautiful and special as we come together to celebrate God's greatest gift to the world... His Son, Jesus Christ. Every year the church celebrates and remembers three distinct events that changed the course of time and all humanity:
The church at the birth of Christ
The church at the cross of Christ
The church at the resurrection of Christ

The birth of Christ split time in half between B.C. and A.D.. B.C. is used to label time "before Christ's" birth. A.D. (anno Domini) or more fully (anno Domini nostril Jesu Christi) "in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ" marks the time after the birth of Christ. The purpose of the B.C./A.D. dating system (developed around 500 A.D. and formally adopted around 800A.D.) was to make the birth of Jesus Christ the dividing point of world history. Jesus Christ is the separation between the "old" and the "new."

Every human heart is divided between B.C. and A.D.. We are either living before accepting Christ (B.C.) or after accepting Christ as our personal Savior and Lord (A.D.). We are reminded in Philippians 2:10-11, "That at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
All eternity is determined by Jesus Christ!

So, are you living in B.C. or A.D.?

From the Heart,
Pastor BR Johnson

Disaster Relief

Last week I had the blessing of a lifetime as I served with Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief in Sumter, South Carolina. I led a chaplain group of six that knocked on over 500 doors and spoke to 244 people. One blessing was be used to lead an 80yr old woman to the Lord!
We train for disaster work praying that we will never need to be called. When a disaster hits, the time to train is past. So we spend the necessary time preparing ourselves to serve when people are devastated. We are able to bring hope in the midst of the crises.
What a blessing to serve with a small group that consisted of a retired truck driver, an electrical engineer that works on the International Space Station, a retired middle school counselor, a school bus driver, and a clinical counselor. Wow what a team! We had not met one another until this week of deployment but God melded our hearts together as we walked the streets sharing Christ!
If you have ever considered serving in disaster relief, I strongly encourage you to get involved. It is missions in crises. One of our group members said it was like being in a revival all week. Serving in disaster relief will remind you of how blessed you really are.
While I pray that there are no more disasters to respond to, I know we are ready when the call comes. The bags are packed and the prayers have been spoken. God will give you a divine appointment in which you can be the hands and feet of Jesus!

From the Heart,
Pastor BR