Are You Ready For The New Year?
Good Morning Friends,
Some people want it and others want to avoid it.
I have found from experience that confronting people with this future without love, will get a response that is not pleasant. The basic problem is that we deceive ourselves to the truth. But the preparation is over. For the last weeks we have been preparing for Christmas like we prepare for a hurricane and the day has come and gone but the experience lingers. We spent time fixing up the outside of our house. We dragged out boxes from the attic. We did last minute shopping in crowded stores. We watched special programming on television. We were surrounded by family. We called all our relatives. We bought more food than normally. We took off days from work and sang Christmas Carols and played bell music. And we even contemplated the reality of a tree being inside our home and a Christ child in a manger. But now the preparing is over for now we are on the eve of a new day and a new beginning. Are You Ready For The New Year?
Scripture: Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth.
1 John 2:18-21 (NRSV)
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:31-32 (NRSV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (NRSV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
John 1:1-18 (NRSV)
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:2-7 (NRSV)
Message: What we need in the new year is truth, but often it is hard to swallow.
So here is the truth in three parts…First there is the ongoing grace of the Father to send the Son of God to permit us to be sanctified. And there no short cut to sanctification. It takes time and amazing grace. Thankfully the Gospel message is one of freedom from lies…. good news of the release of the slaves from sin…the truth about life…the truth about God…. the truth about grace received because of our faith… the truth about time. Why so many stay locked up or even go back to the prison of sin is a mystery. For too many submitting to grace is difficult and victory eludes them. Friends, grace is recognizing the way of Jesus is the very thing that allows us into the presence of the Father. Second the joy of life is revealed in the truth of the Word made flesh. You see, a person is only as good as his word. Thankfully we follow a man…. a God… whose word never lies. Thankfully by God’s grace, in the presence of the Holy Spirit…in this gift from Christ we discover that all we do that is of any good is done though the Word manifested with the Holy Spirit working in and though us….only then is the truth in us…only then can we truly be telling the truth….the truth about Jesus and his love…about Christ and His gift. And thirdly, in the truth of Christ we are more than conquerors experienced in the love of the Holy Spirit. In Christ’s Spirit we can learn to love and to live right now. In Christ’s Spirit we can experience the power of the Word made flesh in us. In the Holy Spirit we can experience a love that can never be taken from us. Friends, the truth is based on the presence of Jesus, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the love of the Father. It all sounds so easy to choose the path of love and obedience, but the path is only made perfect when in the relationship of the Trinity manifested in the threefold love of God, others and self. That is the truth we all must prepare for and lean into in 2019. So, share the message that God has given us an incredible gift…that by faith, in Christ, we can become children of love, born neither of natural descent, nor of human decision or will of man, but born of God. Share the message that when we accept Christ, we are ushered into the reality that we are part of Christ’s family and have been given permission to join in the heavenly celebration of beginnings and endings. On this New Year’s Eve day somehow let the incomprehensible God becomes intelligible, somehow let all the preparation bring meaning into this celebration of the beginnings and endings in our lives with truth, grace and power.
Pray we are bearers of the truth more than enforcers of the faith. Pray we keep our eyes on the truth. Pray the truth affirms us and prompts us to affirm the truth we see in others. Pray we believe that God is real despite the world’s subversion of the truth. Pray that we pass on the truth with great patience and proper instruction. Pray that we continually be filled with the Holy Spirit… replenished with the truth.
Pray that we reject the myths that make us miserable. Pray that we commit to seek the truth. Pray that we commit to live the truth. Pray that we commit to believe the truth. Pray that we allow the Holy Spirit to apply the truths of Scripture in our daily walk with Jesus. Pray we embrace the truth as love. Pray that we know the truth. Pray that we accept the truth. Pray that we believe the truth. Pray that God implement each of His truths into our lives. Pray we fight for the truth to be in us. Pray the truth of love overflow in our lives and surrounds, protects and preserves us with the hope of new life. Pray that the truth transforms us. Pray we rejoice in the truth.
Pray we realize that Jesus is the truth.
Pray we know just how special it is that we remove any obstacles in our life that hinders others from knowing the truth. Pray we realize the truth of grace but also the consequences of trying to live above God’s law of love.
Pray that in the year to come and forever more we dwell in the center of the divine love of God the Father, the embodiment of grace in our Savior and the sustaining transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 