Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion." --- Psalm 2:1-6
We went through it again during Christmas 2008 with controversy just about everywhere over the subject of Christmas -- can you really use the term "Merry Christmas" in a public setting? It's pretty much off limits in the public school systems across the nation. And there are the idiotic court decisions handed down by judges who have a dangerous vacuum existing between their ears in regard to the legality of displaying nativity scenes in certain places, etc! They say it all has something to do with a misleading phrase, "separation of church and state," plus other professed "intellectual" nonsense.
It's no secret that there is a fervent resistance to and a hatred for anything that provides a reminder of Jesus Christ, and this stuff is growing like a fast spreading deadly cancer.
But here's the one thing they can't change and even the most ignorant of that crowd of judges probably wouldn't want to try to change it in any way by yet another stupid decision -- it's a daily reminder of that very controversial Person known as Jesus Christ!
Even an atheist when he opens his check book to write a check and places the date on it -- for example, January 12, 2009 -- what does that date mean? Literally it means January 12, 2009 A.D. -- in the year of our Lord!
Granted that some try to get around this by using the term Current Era (C.E.) but that doesn't change the significance of what happened that caused the calendar to take this shape in terms of days, months and years! Like it or not, the agreement is rather widespread with the vast majority using what is known as the Gregorian calendar -- and if you go back to 0 on the calendar, you come to why that is the dividing point and you end up with a measurement in time using "B. C. (Before Christ was born)" or A. D. "Anno Domini (after Christ was born). Any way you slice it, Jesus Christ comes into the picture. You can use your B.C.E. or C.E. initials if you want, but that will not take Him out of the picture at all -- He is still the dividing point in the centuries of time -- He is the Alpha and the Omega -- the beginning and the end -- the first and the last!
Wikipedia had the following comments about the calendar:
Anno Domini (Medieval Latin: In the year of (the/Our) Lord), abbreviated as AD or A.D., is a designation used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. More fully, years may be also specified as Anno Domini Nostri Iesu (Jesu) Christi ("In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ").
The calendar era that it numbers is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus. Before Christ, abbreviated as BC or B.C., is used in the English language to denote years before the start of this epoch.
Though the Anno Domini dating system was devised in 525, it was not until the 8th century that the system began to be adopted in Western Europe. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, even popes continued to date documents according to regnal years, and usage of AD only gradually became more common in Europe from the 11th to the 14th centuries. In 1422, Portugal became the last Western European country to adopt the Anno Domini system.
Year numbering using the Anno Domini system (or its alternative Common Era (CE) designation) is the most widespread numbering system in the world today, including numbering of decades, centuries, and millennia. It is a de facto standard as used by international agencies such as the United Nations and the Universal Postal Union. Its preeminence is a consequence of the European colonisation of the other continents, thus spreading the Gregorian calendar.
Does God smile at all these feeble attempts to keep any reference to Him and His Son far removed from public consciousness? There is one reference at least to the fact that He laughs a bit at the sheer ignorance exhibited by nations and their leaders when it comes to failure to honor and obey Him as He expects. And this leads us on to the fact that He is going to directly intervene in human affairs on this planet at some point in the future.
This can mean only one thing -- it is imperative for the leaders of nations and the citizens they claim to be leading to set their houses in order -- it will not be pleasant if they fail to do so! At this moment in human history it is obvious that most choose to identify with the ways and world view of the generation living at the time of a man named Noah. It is likely that they also did not want any reference made to the living God Who created a majestic universe for His pleasure and purposes in spite of the fact that Noah is described in the apostle Peter's writings as a "preacher of righteousness" and he was at that for many, many years.
So when you look at a calendar to reference some date, make an entry in your check book, or do some writing in a daily journal, remember the reason behind why that date is the way it is -- and smile a little bit as you remember also that even the most hard core bunch of atheists can't do a thing about changing it, and who knows, maybe our God is smiling a bit with you!
Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. --- Psalm 2:10-12
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" --- Revelation 11:15
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