Points to Ponder
Living Word Bible Fellowship
The Truth shall set you free!
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Acts 16:31
Happy New Year!
I love the New Year. I find it is a time for looking back and looking forward. As I look back, I consider the past year and what has happened. I see the hand of God and where He has directed and blessed my life. Unlike many people today, those blessings are not always in the form of money. Yet God has kept His promise to meet all of our needs. I do not know how, but He has kept us from want this past year.
As I look ahead, I continue to keep my eyes focused on Jesus. It is imperative that we continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus. The best way is to continue to read the Bible. Jesus said that they would know we are His if we follow His commandments. How can we know what He commands unless we continue to read His “love letter” to us? There are many different plans out there for reading the Bible, and I would encourage anyone who wants to grow in their relationship with Jesus to read through the New Testament this year. One of the plans that I have will get you through the New Testament four times in a year and it takes about 20 minutes a day. There are also a number of “Bible in a Year” books being published, and I would say if you want to go that way, make sure you are using the King James Version.
Our focus needs to be on Jesus. He is the one who died for our sins, and He is the one who is coming to claim us, His Church. As each day, week, month and year goes by, keep thinking that it is one day closer to Jesus coming. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Service
Jeff
Contact Jeff via the following email: livingwordbf@bresnan.net
Happy 2010!
As the New Year starts, many of us will make the inevitable New Year’s resolutions! We will resolve to lose weight, eat healthier, and be a better parent or any number of things. Whether or not we succeed at keeping these resolutions depends on many factors or so we believe. The dictionary defines resolution as: 1. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something; 2. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc; and 3. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose. Back to our success at keeping our resolutions, according to the definitions we must be “firm” in our commitment and we have to take “action”! Those two things can be very difficult for anyone especially if we are standing firm and acting alone, if we have support it seems to be easier to succeed. Have you ever put all your “faith” in someone to keep their end of supporting you in an endeavor or holding you accountable to something? If there was success, that is very rare…most of the time, people, even those we are very close to will ultimately let us down. There is One we can put our “faith” in that will never let us down and that One is Jesus Christ! I encourage you this year to make resolutions that will enhance your life eternally! If you have never had a relationship with Christ, I pray that you will give your life to Christ this year. If you already have a relationship with Christ, I pray that you will resolve to know Him better and give Him more control in your life this year!
I’ve talked about “faith” in my note above. What does faith mean to us? I encourage you to read chapters 11 and 12 in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. The Bible says that faith is believing in things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. I believe there is at least one other factor that affects our failure or success when it comes to keeping New Year’s resolutions…at least those worth keeping and that is self-control. Our society today has tried to convince us that we are unable to control ourselves and that is totally false! Actually, there is some truth too! Absent of a relationship with Jesus it is extremely hard to have self-control but it can be painfully done. With Jesus in control of our lives, self-control is easier and should be a fruit that others observe in us because we have a relationship with Jesus. In verse 23 of Galatians 5, one of the “fruits of the spirit” is temperance which can also be defined as self-control. The “fruits of the spirit” are things that should naturally emulate from us if we have the Spirit of Christ living in us! The Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith, meekness and temperance (self-control).
As this New Year gets underway, if you listen to the news, you know they are predicting a bleak year for those trying to get back on their feet, those directly affected by unemployment and economic struggle. Whether you are in that group or not, your year does not have to follow the predictions. You can experience great success in a way you’ve never experienced before. Ponder your relationship with Christ and resolve to deepen it this year and you will find yourself happier and much more satisfied than ever thought possible!
I saw a sign outside a church the other day and it said: TGIF – Today God Is First! I challenge you to put God first everyday and see what happens! Happy 2010!
A servant of the King
Esther
To find out how to have a personal relationship with Christ click here
Contact Esther via the following email: livingwordbf@bresnan.net
