Starting Anew

We are here, at the end of 2015.

When Paul was reaching the end of his life and earthy ministry, he wrote these words to Timothy, 

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)

If you were to sum up 2015, did you "fight the good fight"?

Amid all the New Year's Eve celebrations and traditions, let's take some time to reflect on 2015.  When did  we fight the good fight?  When did we shrink back?

The beauty is that we have another year, we can now  put 2015 behind us, and start anew. 

How we look back on 2016 will be determined by all the choices we make, from this point and moving forward.

May the Lord guide us all to the right ones.

--

"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave"
Mother Teresa

New Year

The passing of a year marks putting things behind us.  It's a tangible moment when we are in one year, and after a second we are in the new year, never to repeat the old one again.  That's why New Year's resolutions are so popular, it's a great marker for changes for good.

Reading Psalm 32 which begins, 

"Oh, what joy for those

    whose disobedience is forgiven,

    whose sin is put out of sight!

2 Yes, what joy for those

    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,

    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

3 When I refused to confess my sin,

    my body wasted away,

    and I groaned all day long.

4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.

    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you

    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.

I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord."

    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone."  (NIV)

Just like the new year, our lives change in an instant when we give them over to the Lord.

Do you have anything that is weighing you down?  Something that you know it's time to put behind you?  There is no need to wait until New Year's Eve. 

He is here, now, ready to forgive and set us free to walk newly in Him.

--

"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave"
Mother Teresa

Talk

What do we spend our time thinking and talking about?

Everyone seems to be talking about the new Star Wars movie, and with good reason.  These movies have been in our pop culture for as long as we can remember.  I still remember seeing the first one (ok, for you fans, IV A New Hope) back in 1977... in the theater!

So to have a new installment of the series, with Han Solo and the Falcon, etc, that's fun to talk about.  Harmless topic of conversation.

But then there are controversial topics that go well beyond questioning whether or not Han Solo fired his gun at Greedo first.  These topics can actually divide the body of Christ and hinder the preaching of the Gospel.

Reading 1 Timothy today, 

"As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer  or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God's work—which is by faith.  The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm." 1 Tim 1:3-7 (NIV)

I wonder if, the next time we engage in a "hot topic" of conversation,  we are sure this is something the Lord would have us spend our time talking about?  Or is it meaningless talk that should be avoided?

Old Year, New Year

Counting down to the end of another year.

That's one way of looking at it, isn't it?  2015 is coming to an end.  For some of us this was a good year, for some of us it was a difficult year.  Probably for most it was a mixture of both.

But another way of looking at the same number of days is, we are counting days to the beginning of a new year, 2016.  What will this new year bring?  Only the Lord really knows. 

But it can be a new beginning.

At Freedom, every Sunday we stand outside in a circle before the service.  Well, I'm not sure we've ever made it look like a real circle!  But you get the idea. The thought is, before we go into worship the Lord, we leave whatever is weighing us down in that circle.  We move forward.

I think a change in year requires the same attitude.  I'm not much for new year's resolutions, but I do think a time to prayerfully reflect is a healthy thing to do. 

Perhaps using these final days of 2015 to (with the Lord's help) leave behind things that we need to let go of?  It's hard to take hold of something new, when our hands are full of something old.

This is also a good time to think of all the things in 2015 we have to be grateful for. 

As the writer of Hebrews tells us, 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Heb 12-1-2 (NIV)

Flavor of our Lives

Growing up, a Christmas tradition in my house was to make gravy.  Other people may call what we make spaghetti  sauce.  But, my family is Sicilian and when a sauce has meat in it, for a Sicilian it's gravy.  Since we cook our sauce all day long with pork, meatballs and sausage in it, it is gravy.

Being one of five Italian boys, I and my brothers all learned to make my mother's recipe.  It's been in the family for generations.

I remember once I didn't use pork.  I forget why, maybe I forgot to get some at the store.  I think I figured since the pork pretty much disappears into the gravy, it wasn't all that important.

But It simply wasn't the same color or flavor without it, in fact it was acidic.  I had to add sugar to try and balance it out.

 Take away one ingredient and the result was inferior to how my mother made it.  I never left out the pork again.

Jesus said,  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matt 7:24- 27 (NIV)

We don't get to pick and choose what parts of the Bible we will obey, and what parts we consider optional.  As soon as we decide what words of Jesus we will listen to and which ones we won't, we have stepped into his place as Lord of our lives.

Our lives' flavor is no longer the same - if we miss that one part our foundation is no longer on a rock, we're on sand.

The Christmas Gift That Matters

"For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

    there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne

    and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

    with justice and righteousness

    from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

    will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6 -7 (NIV)

Today Christmas is celebrated all over the world, in many different ways with many different family traditions.  One common theme is that gifts are exchanged.

I like that part..

As we read in Isaiah, "a son is given," Jesus Christ is the gift of God.  A gift that never spoils or fades; a gift we can never tire of.  He does more than brighten one day, he changes our lives. 

A "gift exchange" with Jesus means we lay at his feet everything that is wrong and he gives us an abundant life in return.

"Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,

  and the young men and the old shall be merry.

I will turn their mourning into joy;

I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,

 and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,

declares the Lord."

Jer 31-13-15 (ESV)

Merry Christmas to you all!

Peacemakers

The Christmas Holiday is almost on us.  Many of us will be getting together with family, and hopefully that's a good thing!

But we live in the real world.  So let's face it, when families get together it's not always like the Hallmark commercials.  Families carry strong emotions and baggage at times.  When we get together, sparks can fly.

When Jesus was born the angels sang these words.

 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."  Luke 2:14 (NIV)

Years later Jesus would teach, "Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:8 (NIV)

Most of us will not be able to directly influence world peace, however we can be agents of peace in the lives of those we gather with this Christmas. 

If we see conflict, will we seek to help bring understanding and resolution?  Will  we be quiet and do nothing?  Or do we fan the flames?

This reminds me of a prayer by Francis of Assisi.

"O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek to be consoled, as to console. To be understood, as to understand. To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life."  - Francis of Assisi 

Let us be the peacemakers Jesus intended us to be this Christmas, and thereby honor his name!