ADVENT MESSAGE 2017 FROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
Published on December 19, 2017
‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.’ Romans 5:6
It does not seem possible that another year has passed and we are in Advent once again, with Christmas almost here! Advent is, of course, the time when we are waiting, expecting, hoping, anticipating the coming of Jesus.
This Advent it has struck me anew that it was only when the ‘time was right’ that God came down to earth in the person of Jesus. His people had been waiting for centuries and then God stepped in and what a difference it made! History changed. The time was right, the waiting was over and God was at work in a special way!
Those first century bystanders, were changed by their experience of ‘Emmanuel’ and it was then that the anticipation, excitement, hopes and dreams came to fruition. When the shepherds saw the baby they were so impacted that they left ‘full of joy and praising God.’ For the wise-men, their journey to Bethlehem resulted in a new perception and understanding. We are told they returned ‘a different way,’ as they left Bethlehem and they were no doubt ‘different’ spiritually too because of their encounter with the Christ Child. When Mary saw her new born son, the Saviour of the world, it caused her to meditate ‘on all these things.’
Let’s take time, over this Christmas period, to ‘treasure these things in our heart’ Then we, like the wise men, may return from the Christmas experience ‘a different way’ with new understanding and enthused, like the shepherds, ready to make known His story – after all that’s what GB is all about!
2018 is a special year for GB as we celebrate our 125th birthday. We are going to celebrate because we have a great story to tell, but it is not our (GB’s) story. It is the story of God at work in the lives of so many. But beyond this my challenge to you is this…… in the long story of GB’s ministry what is 2018 the ‘right time’ for us to do with God? Let’s anticipate, expect, hope, dream what He may wish to accomplish through GB in the year ahead and let’s tune in to Him so that our ministry may continue to be FRUITFUL & OVERFLOWING.
Christmas blessings to you all!
Vivienne
International President
