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First day of Advent

Today is the first day of Advent - the fourth Sunday before Christmas that marks the beginning of a time of waiting and expecting. It is only appropriate that it follows right after Thanksgiving which leads us to enter into this period of time with thankfulness.

At church today, we sang:

Jesus paid it all;
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow

Think about it. The two biggest problem all humans have to deal with are sin and death. And Jesus has taken care of both. Talk about freedom. Jesus has broken the chain of death and our slavery to sin.

2 Corinthians 5 says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

This is the scripture which led me to Christ and I was being reminded of this once again today. Talk about a new life. When we were young, my sister once asked God for a new sister, a replacement. Last time I heard, she was pretty happy with the “new” sister God has granted her.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Galatians 2:20

There are a lot of “I” and “me” in that verse. But all power and glory is found at the end of the verse: “…in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Only He has the power to “melt the heart of stone” and washed me white as snow.
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