Blessed Advent Hope

This time of the year mainstream churches enter a liturgical schedule called the Advent. For four weeks Christians focus their lives around one thing – commemorating and celebrating the first coming of Jesus, arrival of the Messiah – the Advent.
Church sanctuaries are decorated in purple – color of penitence and fasting, as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Scripture readings will reflect the emphasis on the Second Advent, themes of accountability for faithfulness, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life.
This season has a double focus – on past and future. This is the season that symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a church congregation, as we affirm that Christ has come, that He is changing our lives and the world today, and that He will come again in power. Living in "between the times" we are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. First of all we are stewards of relationships, as Jesus commanded us to "love the Lord our God with all our heart" and to "love our neighbor as yourself."
We, the Adventist believers, have this event even in our name. For us it represents our hope in the Second Advent. And we celebrate it not only on weekends, not only in public places, but in privacy of our homes, in intimacy of our personal devotional time. That is why this first week of December we are going to take our time out and stop for prayer, coming together, reflecting on the Blessed Hope and the journey we are on.
This weekend most preachers in Sunday-keeping churches will speak about hope. We are Adventists. We believe in “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), the hope of the soon return of Jesus.
We are Adventists. Our hearts beat with eager anticipation. Soon worry, want, and war will be over. Soon suffering, sorrow, and sickness will be no more. Soon disease, disaster, and death will be vanquished. Soon pollution, pestilence, and pain will be defeated. Soon He will come.
We are Seventh-day Adventists, worshipping the Creator God, restoring the worship as God intended – by building relationships with him and each other, especially on the Day of Rest in the world that knows no rest, rushing wickedly day and night. Take time and review your relationships. Forgive, and seek forgiveness. That we would be able to say together: “Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.”