Happy New Year! A Fresh Start...

The New Year is almost here!  A chance to START OVER and begin anew!

The Apostle Paul states in Philippians verse 13-14, “but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

In order to move forward - we must remain unencumbered. No baggage allowed!   

Satan will do his best to remind us of the past, but we need to remind him of his future!

Here are a few Bible verses that can encourage us as we prepare to forge ahead:

Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”  

Romans 8:1 declares, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, go give you a future and a hope."

Psalm 25:4-5 says, "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day."

Isaiah 54:17 states, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord."

Thomas Kinkade - Millennium Sunrise

Frances Ridley Havergal wrote the hymn Another Year Is Dawning in 1860 as a celebration of New Year’s Eve and looking forward in faith to God’s blessings.  Enjoy!

Another Year Is Dawning

Another year is dawning: Dear Father, let it be,

In working or in waiting, Another year with Thee;

Another year of progress, Another year of praise,

Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, Of faithfulness and grace;

Another year of gladness, In the shining of Thy face;

Another year of leaning, Upon Thy loving breast;

Another year of trusting, Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, Of witness for Thy love;

Another year of training, For holier work above.

Another year is dawning: Dear Father, let it be,

On earth or else in heaven, Another year for Thee.

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”.  It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion.  It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together.  Visit

http://www.spirituallyunevenmarriage.com

Happy New Year! A Fresh Start...

Hope of the Resurrection: The Living Dead

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25)

Webster’s definition of resurrection is this: the rising of Christ from the dead; the rising again to life of all the human dead before the final judgment.

Death has finality. It means an abrupt ending of one’s life. A certain step into eternity.

What does the Resurrection mean to you?

Here is a familiar passage from Luke 24:46-49 –

Then [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endured with power from on high.”

Oswald Chambers sums it up this way:

Our Lord’s Resurrection destiny is to bring “many sons unto glory.” We are never in the relationship to God that the Son of God is in; but we are brought by the Son into the relation of sonship. – My Utmost for His Highest

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become children of the Most High God. We are adopted into the family of God. His love prepared the way for us to be reconciled to Him. I John 3:1-2 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

One day we will have a glorious resurrection body, but we can also now know the joy of His resurrection and walk in the newness of life. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I would know Him in the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).

Once we have buried the old sin nature and taken on the new man in Christ, we will begin to live in the realm of the supernatural saint. Paul tells us in Romans 6:5, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” The resurrection life consists of total reliance on the nature of the resurrected Christ.

Paul again stresses the importance of Christ’s resurrection in I Corinthians 15:13-14; 16-19, “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain and your faith is also vain… For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

Lastly, Christ’s resurrection gives us the opportunity of witnessing to others and sharing how the gospel has an eternal impact on souls. Peter exhorts us, saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time… But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” (I Peter 1:3-5; 15)

The final stanza in the hymn Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain, joyfully proclaims Christ as King Immortal. The ancient music and words was composed by John of Damascus in the eighth century. It was later translated from Greek into English by the prolific scholar John Mason Neale in the 1800’s for the modern church.

                                                              

 “Alleluia!” now we cry

To our King immortal,

Who, triumphant, burst the bars

Of the tomb’s dark portal;

“Alleluia” with the Son,

God the Father praising;

“Alleluia!” yet again

To the Spirit raising.

 

 

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”. It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion. It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together.

http://www.Godmissionpossible.com 

Hope of the Resurrection: The Living Dead

Christ's Death, Burial and Resurrection

In the hymn “Christ Arose”, Robert Lowry expresses the hope conveyed during this Easter season in the rousing chorus as it explodes with joy:

Up from the grave He arose,

With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

  And He lives forever with His saints to reign,

  He arose!  He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Our Lord Jesus left the confines of this earth and stepped into the heavenly realm on Resurrection Sunday, three days after dying on a wooden cross for humanity’s sins on Mount Calvary.  This is precisely why Christians celebrate the Easter Season. 

We know from Scripture that Jesus made several appearances after His resurrection, but what significance does this event hold for you and me today? 

John Chapter 20 records Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week, that being Sunday. Mary Magdalene had come to the tomb early, while it was still cloaked in darkness.  She saw that the stone in front of the tomb had been rolled away.  Upon hearing her report, Peter and John ran to the tomb and discovered “the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself” (vs. 7).  After they departed, Mary stood outside weeping, peering inside the tomb.  She conversed with two angels and explained that someone had taken away the body [of her Lord] and turning, she saw a man she perceived to be the gardener.  Jesus lovingly and compassionately spoke to her, “Mary!”  He assured her that He was; “ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.” 

In Luke 24:13-32, we have the account of Christ appearing on the road to Emmaus.  Two followers of Jesus were traveling and conversing about all of the events of the past few days concerning Jesus of Nazareth.  Unbeknown to them, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.  They told Him all of the hopes and dreams of many in Jerusalem who thought the prophet would accomplish in order to redeem their beloved Israel.  They even mentioned it had been three days since it happened, and that certain women had discovered His tomb empty.  Then in verses 25-26 Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”

Later, in Luke 24:33-48, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of His disciples as they gathered in Jerusalem to pray saying, “Peace to you.”  He showed them that He is flesh, not spirit, and proceeded to instruct them about His fulfilling what was written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Himself.  Even those who doubted His appearing finally proclaimed who He was.  Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!”   

Now turn to John chapter 21.  Jesus appears to seven of the disciples after a long night of fishing.  They caught nothing.  But in the morning, Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”  After an answer of “No”, He then said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”   The disciples dragged the net, full of large fish to the shore, and after eating breakfast they knew it was Him, though they were afraid to question Him.  Then in chapter 21:15-23 we witness the personal conversation between Jesus and Peter.  Jesus is tenderly restoring Peter to Himself by asking Peter three times if he loved Him.  Jesus tells him, “Feed My lambs”, “Tend My sheep”, and “Feed My sheep”.   Jesus is preparing Peter for the work ahead as leader of the church after He has departed.   Then He tells Peter to set his sight on Him and “Follow Me.”  Peter asks about the other disciple, and Jesus tells him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me.” 

So what do we glean from the Lord’s visitations to His followers after He was raised?  How do we apply those same lessons and revelations to our lives?  We discover that we experience the very same things as did the earliest disciples.   Jesus is still:
  
Giving a gentle touch and reassurance, as He did with Mary at the tomb;

Expounding truth and wisdom to us, like He did on the road to Emmaus 
Stilling fear and uneasiness, as He did for the disciples in the upper room;

Blessing and bestowing a commission to us, as He did for his followers;

Providing for and encouraging His children, as He did for His disciples; 
Restoring and leading you and me, as He did for one of His dearest disciples.

Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection gives us reason for celebration as we rejoice in the Lamb’s blood, marvel at the Father’s acceptance, and glory in our eternal salvation secured by Heaven’s cherished and earth’s gift from above…

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”.  It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion.  It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together. 

http://www.godmissionpossible.com/

You can visit Faithful Bloggers at  http://faithfulbloggers.com/

Christ's Death, Burial and Resurrection

A New Year - A New Way

"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  (John 8:12)

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16)


As this year rapidly winds down, I have a sense from the Lord that I need to approach the new year in a fresh, new way...  Past methods and habits won't make the kind of Kingdom impact that I would want for this new and exciting time ahead.  God is in the business of new beginnings, new paths and new results.  Yesterday's manna is just that!  It's old!  God provided a new batch every morning, and we need to go pick it up!  We need a fresh touch from God for today!  Stale, old bread is good for croutons, but not for the spirit man. 

Business as usual won't cut it.  We need to embark on a journey in 2010 that will "blaze new trails" and stir up the pot of complacency.  We've got to reach ahead with the idea that the time in front of us has to count for something bigger than ourselves.  We've needed a swift kick in the pants to jump-start us, and move us into a new direction.

I'm going to make it my goal to do just that!  I'll aim for something, focus my energies on it, and propel myself   in the direction of making a difference in my part of the world for God.   How about you?

A New Year - A New Way