Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 12/27

[bluidkiti]

If this is to be a Happy New Year, a year of usefulness, a year in which we shall live to make this earth better, it is because God will direct our pathway. How important then, to feel our dependence upon Him! --Matthew Simpson

As we grow older in life, years somehow seem to shorten and New Year's Day approaches with an ever increasing tempo. The more mature we get, the more we realize that time is only relative; how we live means more than how long we live. Haply also we do not live by years, but by days. In His wisdom God does not show us all that lies ahead. So we enter a new year to live it day by day. What is past is past. Today we start anew, and what we do today will make our life for tomorrow. Chin up, shoulders straight, eyes agleam, let us salute the New Year, and each day let us follow more faithfully, more courageously, more daringly the lead of our great Captain who bids us follow Him. --William Thomson Hanzsche

It is from within the heart, not just the mind, that we can know God's will for us. God speaks to all of us every day and God's voice is as loud as our willingness to listen. Mary Manin Morrissey

Never be afraid to entrust the unknown future to the all-knowing God." --unknown

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther

Look not back on yesterday
So full of failure and regret;
Look ahead and seek God's way--
All sin confessed you must forget.
- Dennis DeHaan

God can make all things new, even you. --unknown

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A New Year’s Devotion By Samuel
“After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.” (Job 42:16-17)
The book of Job ends on a note of contentment and peace. Job was probably about seventy when the book opens, so he is an old man. What a picture of peace, a contented man. God had greatly blessed him.
Before us stretches a new year, a new beginning. The old is past, put away forever. God invites us always to forget about all the distrust and fears, all the anxieties of the past, all the resentments we have been holding against others, all the grudges, all the criticisms–to put them away and begin again.
The question that hovers over us as we close this book (and I feel it deeply in my own heart) is, “On what basis am I going to live in this new year? Will it be on the old basis of it-all-depends-on-me, do-it-yourself goodness before God, trying my best to be pleasing to God and meaning it with all my heart but never realizing the depths of evil with which I have to deal?” Or will I accept the gift of God that is waiting for me every day, fresh from His hand, a gift of forgiveness, of righteousness already mine, of a relationship in which He is my dear Father and I am his cherished, beloved son, and in which I therefore have provided for me all I need, all day long, so that I may say no to evil and yes to truth and right?
Will it be on that basis? If it is, this will be a year in which my life will be characterized by peace, fragrance, and beauty. And so will yours. Or, if we insist on living it on the same old basis, we will find ourselves like these friends of Job, arousing the anger and the wrath of God. Though He is patient and merciful, our only escape will be to repent of our evil and rest upon the righteousness of our perfect substitute and return to God for the blessing that He is waiting to give. That is the choice before us, every one of us. How are we going to live in this new year?
Lord, thank You for this new year that lies before me. I choose You. I choose to depend on You, trust You, and accept from Your hand all that You would give me.

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New Beginnings Make New Endings By Cathy Irvin
I recently saw this quote, "No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending" (Unknown). I really began to think about that statement. The conclusion was that we don't start over; but we begin again right where we are, making things better in our lives.
As a believer in Christ, it is not about saying I will do this and I won't do that and then dropping the idea or falling short. It is more about asking the Lord to help us each day, to fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. This way our focus will be set on the things of heaven and not on all this earthly stuff.
If I were to make a New Year resolution, it would be to have a deeper commitment, a deeper love, and a deeper worship for the Lord. In the beginning of this past year, He spoke to me in that still small voice in prayer and said, "I am more than enough. I am more than enough in every area of your life." He also said to tell others the same thing.
This year I am determined to make Him my all and all. He wants our undivided attention in spite of the distractions and temptations that lie waiting around the corner. He has to be our main focus.
How we will end this year will be determined by how we started it. Did we want to get more "INTIMATE" with the lover of our soul? I looked up the word intimacy and the meaning is to be close, familiar, very personal and private.
Do you want a new ending this year? How do you want the ending of your life? If you're not a Christian, please know that this could be the best New Year of your life. Your life can be filled with hope and peace. To know what the ending will be is an extra bonus. Why should every year be the same as the one before with nothing really changing? After all, the New Year resolutions may or may not get accomplished.
If you are a Christian and you feel stagnate in your relationship with the Lord, then now is the time to rekindle the love affair with Him. He calls us to Himself and says, "Come away my beloved." Can you hear Him? He is tugging at your heart. The real ending in our life will be when Jesus says well done my good and faithful servant. That statement will be for someone who took the time to get to know Him, love Him, and that obediently followed Him.

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When the End Goal Seems too Hard by Lysa TerKeurst
"…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance…" 2 Peter 1:5a-6a (NIV)
No matter what your struggle has been, victory is possible today. However, most of us don't think that's true. The problem is we tend to measure long term success while downplaying the absolute victory found in small successes.
Yesterday a friend of mine called to say she'd read my blog and, as a result, she walked away from indulging in a bag of M&Ms. That's a victorious small success. Now, I can't say that her scale will stand up and clap and reward her with much lower numbers today. But, if she builds upon this small success - choice by choice, day by day - she will see positive changes.
As the New Year approaches, many of us make some kind of healthy eating commitment. But even if that's not your resolution, this principle applies to other struggles as well.
If I choose not to snap at my child and instead respond with tenderness, that's a victorious small success.
If I choose to pause before responding to the rude sales clerk, thus giving her a smile instead of perpetuating her smirk, that's a victorious small success.
If I choose to give my husband the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping to the conclusion he meant to hurt my feelings, that's a victorious small success.
I like the way our key verse puts it. In 2 Peter 1:5-6, we are reminded to "add" some things to our faith. Two of those additions are self-control and perseverance. For me, I have to decide to practice the self-control and perseverance that is mine since God's Spirit lives in me.
Think of it like a muscle. We have muscles as a part of our body. But we must add activity to those muscles to make them effective and strong. Our muscles will work for us if we exercise them. Self-control and perseverance will work for us as we practice these over and over. Start with the small victories and bigger victories will come.
Sometimes victory seems so far away because we measure it by the end goal. And end goals can seem overwhelmingly huge, daunting, and just plain hard to reach. Instead, if we start measuring our victories by the smaller choices we make each day, victory won't seem so impossible.
Big things are built one brick at a time.
Victories are achieved one choice at a time.
A life well lived is chosen one day at a time.
Dear Lord, I know that with You, victory is indeed possible. Day by day and choice by choice. Help me to believe this truth today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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New Year's Riskolutions
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders." 3 So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites...
25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. 26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there...
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." Numbers 13 (selected verses)
New Year's Resolutions- who ever invented them anyway? For most people, they are just another way to make grand promises that will not be kept.
Dear Diary, This year, I promise that I will:
Journal everyday
Lose weight
Stop smoking
Get in shape
Read my Bible and pray
Is that because we set our goals too high? Or could it be that we never really wanted to keep those promises in the first place? No matter, the point being that most New Year's resolutions bite the dust inside a month.
The ancient Israelites had a New Year's opportunity of sorts. God opened the way for them to take possession of the Promised Land and make His name great in the world. A once in a lifetime opportunity for a new start in a fresh land to grow a godly nation. Unfortunately, Israel made a different resolution:
That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them,
"If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"
And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." (Num 14:1-4)
To them, this "New Year" opportunity was too scary, too risky, and altogether impossible. So they resolved to stay in their little world and miss out on God's amazing promised land.
Bottom line: God is not asking for resolutions, He wants "riskolutions". Going into the Promised Land would be difficult and risky, but the results would be well worth the cost. Staying in the desert would be easier and safer, but the results would be zero impact for God's glory.
I propose that you offer God not a New Year's resolution, but a "riskolution". Resolutions fade with time and are forgotten, riskolutions grow with God's power and make an eternal impact. Take advantage of this New Year's opportunity to offer your life as a living sacrifice to be used for His glory. Declare unashamedly to Him today that you will serve Him, even if there are giants in the Promised Land.
Questions:
1. Are you willing to step out in faith this year to serve God? Why or why not?
2. What are the "giants" in your land that make you afraid of stepping out in faith?
3. What people in your life need to trust Christ? Are you willing to make a New Year's "riskolution" and share the saving message of Christ with them? Author Unknown

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New Years resolutions that God endorses by Gini Crawford
Every year, probably since I was a teenager, I have determined to do better in the New Year. You know - to do something or not do something, or to do something more or to do something less. It’s the same good New Year’s routine we can all fall into, because we desire to change for the better!
I remember one year when my kids were 3, 6, and 8, I decided I should be running every weekday morning (a 3 mile loop). As parents of young children find out - it’s the kids who should decide your New Years resolutions. This is because it is their lives that seem to rule the family schedule. So needless to say that New Years improvement idea flopped.
Another New Years resolution I used to make quite often but don’t any more, is to get super organized and stay that way. Now, I don’t mind getting things organized. I actually enjoy it. However the problem was, I would get things nicely organized but I didn’t keep them that way. Now, this should have been OK if I had any sense at all, because things were getting neater and cleaner. Yet, I have this personality where I hate to leave a thing undone, which is good most the time except when it causes me to mentally stew about something undone. This obsessing ended up killing the peace God offers. Can you relate?
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
Yet, I have grown older and wiser in the Lord and I don’t bother with those compulsive New Years resolutions anymore, if I can help it. I now try to do what God tells me to do in Ecclesiastes 5:18, which is to relax and enjoy the life He has given! Remembering this life is but a vapor and things staying cleaned are less than that.
What sort of New Years resolutions would God want you to make? What kind would He endorse? To answer those questions quickly - any New Years resolution that sees eye to eye with His Word (His will) is the type God wants you to make. In the rest of this devotion I will answer those questions with some down to earth humor and of course Biblical insights.
God doesn’t mind at all if you want to – start a play group to get to know your neighbors better, walk 2 miles a day, limit your internet, go back to college, learn to play the harpsichord, read all of C. S. Lewis’s books, take a scrap book class, paint your house that purple color you have always loved, buy a hammock so you will relax more, travel to a place that doesn’t have bathroom facilities, play on a tennis team, save and buy that sports car you could never have until your 5 kids grew up, eat more veggies and so on. Yet, we need to remember, physical stuff has some worth but godliness or godly living has value for our present life as well as for our life in eternity. I would say that’s a wow principle concerning godly living! What do you think? So let’s make New Years resolutions that count towards godly living first!
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance and for this we labor and strive... 1 Timothy 4:8-10a (NIV)
We need to also keep in mind our true problems as Christians stem from an obstinate heart towards God, not a lack of self-improvement. This is because those problems are sins.
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17 NASB®
Just a little reminder, as Christians we are never separated from God because of sin! This is because Jesus’ death on the cross erased our sins as if we had never committed them. His death literally cleansed us from any and every sin we have and will commit. However sin is a very serious problem because it affects our relationship with God! Sin disrupts our rapport with God similar to when a teenager is disobedient towards her parent. I am sure parents with rebellious teenagers can relate to what God takes from us (me included), when we are determined to do our own thing.
Sin also makes you very immature and unfruitful for God. Many in the church in Corinth that Paul writes to in 1 and 2 Corinthians still had worldly thinking and behavior. They were Christians because they had believed in Jesus Christ but they were not very spiritual.
Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NLT)
I think Paul was trying to shame them into some life-changing New Years resolutions with that comment! What do you think?
They were called infants in Christ, because they weren’t concerned about a life of sanctification. Sanctification calls for a change of attitude and action from our old way of life to God’s. And it’s pretty clear they didn’t seem to want to bother. It just makes sense as a Christian, when you make New Years resolutions you need to make them from what God wants changed instead of what you want.
Below are four life applications to help you make New Years resolutions that promote godly living and change.
1. Make getting familiar with God’s Word a priority this year. Yet, don’t just be a listener of it but a doer!
So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:21-25 (NLT)
Remember, it is God’s Word that instructs you in what is important to God, so you will know what the best resolutions are for this New Year of your life.
An idea on how to get truly familiar with God’s Word: Buy a Bible you can easily write in. The type that has room in the margins to write, and ink doesn’t bleed through to the other page. Prayerfully ask God each day as you read a verse, or a chapter, or the whole book, what does He want you to learn from it and apply to your life? Write the insights that the Holy Spirit has given you in the margins. A thought - A few years back I started going through the Bible with a friend. We divide each book sensibly thinking of our time and then get together after we have personally studied the passage to discuss it. Sometimes it is just chapters and other times it is the whole book. This keeps us disciplined so we will be doing our resolution to read through the Bible.
2. The second thing follows the first, which is to rely on or trust in God and His Word, so the Holy Spirit can guide and empower you to do His will this year.
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Ephesians 3:16 (NLT)
An idea on how to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through His Word: As you go about your year, mentally ask the Holy Spirit to use His Word to guide you moment by moment. I know some of you are thinking, “For heaven sakes, He lives within me, isn’t He already guiding me?” You are right; the Holy Spirit indwells all Christians. Yet, not all Christians let the Spirit control them. Since God gave us all a free will, even as Christians we can tell the Spirit within us “I’ll do that, not You!” This means our sinful nature is in control. If I don’t constantly keep the mindset, “I need God to guide me,” my sinful nature can cause havoc throughout any given year. What’s your sinful nature been up to?
You, my brothers (and sisters), were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love…So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want…The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit… Galatians 5:13-25 (NIV)
3. Ask God to make prayer as natural as breathing is to you this year.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Eph. 6:18 (NIV)
You need to remember communication with God or anyone has two components which are listening and responding. You listen to God by allowing Him to speak through His Word. You respond to God by talking to Him. How do you make praying as natural as breathing? Well, it doesn’t mean you need to go about your day trying to say stuff that sounds spiritual to God. God doesn’t want your relationship with Him to be surface and phony. His heart’s desire is for you to consistently talk with Him, and to do it with honesty and openness, as you would with a trusted friend. He also wants you to desire to talk with Him, as you would someone you love.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
An idea on how to become more comfortable with praying: Make a special date with God this year, by planning to spend a half a day in prayer. On my website under the section prayer resources - is a booklet on, “how to spend a half of day in prayer”. It can be easily copied. The booklet is just a guide to give you a general structure for your time of prayer. It also will give you some insights into daily prayer.
4. Make this a year where you will agree with God about your sins (confession), instead of fighting Him by disagreeing with Him.
As Christians, we will sin because we still have our sinful nature, but we have a choice now. (Before salvation we didn’t.) When you are tempted to sin, don’t take that sin or any sin lightly; remember what sin does and what Jesus Christ had to do to take care of that sin! When the Holy Spirit is telling you through God’s Word that something is sin, don’t do it. If you have gone on and done the sin, then heaven sakes, confess it or agree with God about it. Confessing your sins is the grandest and easiest way God could give you to be so quickly close to Him again!
… Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart. For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth. Psalms 26:1-3 (NLT)
If you won’t agree with God about your sin, you are saying to God, “I don’t believe you are correct about me being in sin. I don’t want to be close to You. I want to walk alone in darkness away from You.” Sounds irreverent and crazy and it is!
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:5-10 (NLT)
An idea on how to agree with God about your sins: Make a New Years resolution that you will beseech God daily to search your heart and mind for any sin, if you don’t already do it. Read Psalm 139:23-24 and memorize it.
Dear sisters and brothers, this New Year let’s pray for each other to live for our God and Savior…keeping our eyes on the joys of eternity! Because of Him, Gini
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)

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Wishing You a Happy New Year
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4-7, NIV).
"A legend tells the story of a fisherman called Aaron. Aaron lived on the banks of a river. Walking home with his eyes half-closed one evening after a hard day's work, he was dreaming of what he could do if he were rich. As he walked his foot struck against a leather pouch filled with what seemed to him to be small stones.
"Absentmindedly he picked up the pouch and began throwing the pebbles into the water. 'When I am a rich man,' he said to himself, 'I'll have a large house.' And he threw another pebble into the river. He threw another one and thought, 'My wife and I will have servants and rich food, and many fine things.' And this went on until just one stone was left. As Aaron held it in his hand, a ray of light caught it and made it sparkle. He then realized that it was a valuable gem. He had been throwing away the real riches in his hand, while he dreamed of unreal riches in the future."
As we start a fresh New Year, let us remember all the riches we have in Christ Jesus, and all the blessings from God that we do have and not overlook these because of all the things we don't have—many of which for many of us we don't even need in order to live a contented and happy life.
As Charles Dickens once said, "Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."
Contentment and happiness come from within and not from circumstances without. They come from changing the things we can and need to change, from accepting and learning to live with the things we cannot change—and having the wisdom to know the difference. They come from the attitude of one's heart and mind, and learning to trust God in everything.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for all the blessings that I have in Christ Jesus and the manifold blessings I receive at your hand every day. Open the eyes of my understanding so that I can see these, thank you for them, and rejoice always in them. I commit and trust my life and way to you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen." --Daily Encounter

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
I am calling to those whose hearts are spiritually hungry--those who desire a closer relationship with Me, says the Lord. Come to Me; come up higher. Set your face like flint to see My face, not deviating from the way into My presence. Refuse to allow distractions to take you away from your First Love. If you truly are in love with Me, you will not stray. Be single-hearted and single-focused. Psalm 107:5-9 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Persistently and methodically press through obstacles that have prevented you from moving forward in smooth progression. This will require patience and even extraordinary effort in some ways, but the end result will be worth your time and energy. Certainly, your resilience will be tested, but I am your help in times of trouble, says the Lord. Ask for My help, rely on Me, and trust Me. Psalms 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Take the time necessary to re-establish yourself in faith and to position yourself spiritually to be moved by My Spirit. The winds of adversity will continue to blow across the land. But, if you will stand in the place of protection through righteous obedience, you will come through unscathed. Let Me lead you in the right way, says the Lord. I am your compass! John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

You are about to enter a season of triumph when the harrowing experiences of the past can be put solidly behind you. Take this time to calm and quiet your thoughts and emotions and establish peace in your heart. Your well-being depends greatly on your desire and ability to do this, says the Lord. Diligently seek Me, for this is a time when you can truly be done with the past and move by faith into your new beginning. Psalms 34:14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

This is a time of reflection. Think and consider where you are. This time of reflection will take you deeper into My plans and purposes for you and will reveal the places where you got off course. You will see yourself more clearly in relationship to Me and your level of dedication in establishing My kingdom in your place on the earth. You can now make decisions that will have far-reaching consequences, says the Lord. Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.

In a vision I found myself in an old house that was in need of repair. I heard the bells of destiny and was suddenly engulfed in a whirlwind of the Spirit of God that removed the structure of the house from around me. There I stood in midair with the things of the earth that weighed me down removed from me. The light of God was all around me and above and beneath me. I felt light as air; without hindrance. I was aware of a unity with God that manifested without any effort on my part. It was beautiful, exhilarating, refreshing and revitalizing. My youth was restored. And, I heard the voice of the Lord: "Beloved, I see and know your struggles and the weariness you have experienced. But, I tell you truly that a time of restoration and healing is upon you. Relax and receive all that I have for you." Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

December 26, 2013: I call you, beloved, to ignite a passion to live in My kingdom and to move in the flow of My Spirit without compromise. This will require a concentrated and fundamental effort to make that dedication a priority and to put everything else as secondary to My purposes. But, doing this is the only way to grow spiritually and experience personal, vital relationship with Me, says the Lord. Draw near! Acts 17:28 "For in Him we live and move and have our being."

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Listen to the sound of the season and you will find My presence. Seek Me and acknowledge the fact that I am with you in a greater and mightier way than ever. Listen for My voice. Listen for the sound of the trumpet. This is the season of hearing. Listen and hear, and then you shall know what I am doing. Never ever forget that I am always with you. You will have a greater understanding of My presence than you have had before, says the Lord.

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Poem For The New Year
God grant us this year a wider view,
So we see others' faults through the eyes of You;
Teach us to judge not with hasty tongue,
Neither the adult ... nor the young.
Give us patience and grace to endure
And a stronger faith so we feel secure;
And instead of remembering, help us forget
The irritations that caused us to fret.
Freely forgiving for some offense
And finding each day a rich recompense,
In offering a friendly, helping hand
And trying in all ways to understand,
That all of us whoever we are ...
Are trying to reach "an unreachable star."
For the great and small ... the good and bad,
The young and old ... the sad and glad,
Are asking today, "Is life worth living?"
And the answer is only in "loving" and "giving."
For only "Love" can make us kind
And Kindness of Heart brings Peace of Mind,
And by giving love we can start this year
To lift the clouds of hate and fear.
--Helen Steiner Rice

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EACH NEW DAY - Author Unknown
Greet each new year
Without any fear.
Jesus will guide you,
Walking beside you.
Greet each new day
In the joyful way.
Jesus is dearer
And one day nearer.
Greet each new face
Full of God's free grace.
Tell them that Jesus
Yearns to receive us.
So greet each new day,
The victory way.
You keep abiding;
God keeps providing.
Updated December 21,2002
--FEAR NOT

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NEW YEAR
The New Year stands just before us.
We will decide what to do each day.
God will direct our footsteps.
He will be with us all the way.
Our desires should be to please Him.
He invites us to let Him lead.
He can see far into the future.
His plan is for Him to intercede.
He sets a pattern before us.
He opens and closes each door.
He wants complete obedience.
He has told us all that before.
If we really want joy and peace,
We need to stay close by His side.
His grace will always be sufficient.
In our hearts, He will abide.
The days will be complete
If we start each one in His care.
May our lives shine with His glory.
We must stay in His Word with prayer.
We dedicate this New Year to Him.
May He find us faithful each day.
May we strive to be more Christ-like
And plan to please Him in every way.
Evelyn D. Putnam

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Another Year for Thee by Dale Crowley
Another year is dawning!
Dear Master, let it be,
In working or in waiting,
Another year with Thee!
Another year of leaning
Upon Thy loving breast,
Of even deeper trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace;
Another year of gladness,
In the shining of Thy face.
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise;
Another year of proving
Thy presence "all the days."
Another year of service,
Of witness to Thy love;
Another year of training
For holier work above.
Another year is dawning!
Dear Master, let it be,
On earth, or else in heaven,
Another year for Thee!

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11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. Psalm 20:4

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Psalm 51:10, 12

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

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"He hath made every thing beautiful in His time:" ~Ecclesiastes 3:11~
A New Year - A New Beginning by Annie
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-4~
God only promises us today. We don't know what is ahead of us. But God knows. He doesn't always show us what is in store for us or even if we will have a tomorrow. So we should live our lives as if each day is the last. How terrible it would be to live your whole life and in the end be full of regret. What a privilege we have as Christians. We don't have to trust in ourselves or our New Year Resolutions. There really is no such thing as LUCK. For God is a God of order and plan. He knows us better that we know ourselves. He even knew us before we were born. (Psalm 139). We can trust in the Lord. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive." ~Jeremiah 29:11-14~
The words in the above verse are so very comforting. The Lord "KNOWS" the plans He has for us. He is Omnipotent and Omnipresent. The study of the Character of God is such a awesome Bible study. Just that He KNOWS. I also am reminded of the verse when Abraham asked who He was and God answered "I am that I am". He is and we are. Isn't that so profound and yet amazing at the same time.
When I look at the vastness of the universe that the Lord God created I am overwhelmed with His love for me. What comfort, what peace and yes what joy. To think that He would have sent His son to die just for me and you.
We can daily go to God and ask for forgiveness and He wipes the slate clean.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ~1 John 1:9~
The above verse is written to believers. What a wonderful promise we have.
Isn't this the way to start your NEW YEAR?
With your sins confessed and forgiven. The word of God also says that:
"For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." ~Psalm 103:11-12~
Always remember that the Lord God is FAITHFUL and JUST, but most importantly GOD IS LOVE. Notice here that God IS Love. The word IS is a verb an action word.
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." ~Psalm 68:19~
This year lets TRUST the Lord to lead and guide us.
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." ~Psalm 32:8~
My prayer and hope for you this new year 2010 is that you are encouraged you to live by faith. Remember that the Word of God tells us that "faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen". Take these words and memorize them and ponder them in your heart!
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." ~Hebrews 11:1~
What do you have faith in? Who do you have faith in?
Remember the song........ "....my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and righteousness. I need no other argument I need no other plea it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me."
Let's start this New Year fresh. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal savior........ let me invite you to become a Christian.
It's as easy as ABC to give your heart to the Lord.
All you have to do is:
Admit you are a sinner. Romans 3:23
Believe Jesus died on the cross for you. Acts 16:31
Confess your sin to God and turn from it. Romans 10:9
If you are a Christian..........it is time for you to decide. Will you turn the control of your life over to the Lord? Will you let Him guide and direct you?
What does God expect from us or What does God want us to do? "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" ~Micah 6:8~

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A New Year Prayer
Holy Father, God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows. We praise You for Your unequaled greatness. Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead. Help us in Your new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more. To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them. To teach others to love by loving them. Knowing, when Love came to the stable in Bethlehem, He came for us. So that Love could be with us, and we could know You. That we could share Love with others. Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise, in the chriping of sparrows in our backyards, in the stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children. Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs, so that we may know You better and better. We rejoice in the world You loved into being. Thank You for another new year and for new chances every day. We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others. Forgive us for falling short this past year. We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown new year knowing You will go with us. We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what's ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want. I say it again, we rejoice! In Jesus name, Amen. Author Unknown

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Prayer for the New Year
O God of new beginnings and wonderful surprises, thank you for the gift of a new year. May it be a time of grace for me, a time to grow in faith and love, a time to renew my commitment to following Your Son, Jesus. May it be a year of blessing for me, a time to cherish my family and friends, a time to renew my efforts at work, a time to embrace my faith more fully. Walk with me, please, in every day and every hour of this new year, that the light of Christ might shine through me, in spite of my weaknesses and failings. Above all, may I remember this year that I am a pilgrim on the sacred path to You. Amen --Author Unknown

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Read Through The Bible
2 Chronicles 2
Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple
1 Then Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal house for himself. 2 Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them. 3 Then Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. 5 And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him? 7 Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 8 Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful. 10 And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil. 11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon: Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them. 12 Hiram also said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself! 13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram my master craftsman 14 (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father. 15 Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants. 16 And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem. 17 Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18 And he made seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

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A Prayer for the New Year
Come, Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Risen Christ, be with us today and always. Be our Light, our Guide, and our Comforter. Be our Strength, our Courage, and our Sanctifier. May this new year be a time of deep spiritual growth for us, A time of welcoming your graces and gifts, A time for forgiving freely and unconditionally, A time for growing in virtue and goodness. Come, Holy Spirit. Be with us today and always. Amen.

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A NEW YEAR'S PRAYER by Emily Boeve
Another year is ending, quickly coming to a close.
I want to thank You Father,
For taking me down the paths, You chose.
The road wasn't always smooth,
And a lot of times it went uphill.
But You always cleared the way for me,
As long as I stayed in Your will.
Sometimes, I faltered, as I walked along life's way.
Yet You were there to give me strength,
To see me through each day.
When I was ill, Your healing power came through.
Oh, my God, my Father, How I love You.
So, as this year closes and another year begins...
Father please forgive me, of my daily sins.
Let me walk bravely, on that rough and uphill road.
Let me be aware of Your strength,
That's always there to lighten my load.
When I'm in doubt, Father, calm my fears.
And if I should cry, please kiss away my tears.
If I falter, as I walk along life's way,
Dear God, give me strength,
To see me through each day.
As this night and this year ends...
And my heart is still,
My prayer for each day of the new year,
Is to walk steadfastly, in Your will.
Amen

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.