Ray on Monday - FACING THE NEW YEAR

There’s an unknown territory stretching before us. What lies ahead is a mystery to all except God. In most instances He doesn’t let us in on what awaits although He has promised us His company. For some this creates mixed emotions for it requires us to trust Him without seeing Him.

How will we face our tomorrows in this new year, especially if the last one was not to our choosing?

Hostile to God? (Remember He has the final word).

Will we bribe Him with vain although sincere promises?

Are we into bargaining with Him? (I’ll give you this if you give me that).

Trust? (I may not know where I’m going but I know the One who is going with me – unseen but faithful to His word).

Do we have a faith capable of handling the possible ‘monsters’ which inhabit the territory we must traverse?

What may they be:-

Global warming, Financial Meltdown, Grief, Atheistic aggression, Terrorism, Apostasy, Aging and health problem or Society’s moral collapse?

There are many passages we could consider as we wait for the Lord’s return or our going to be with Him. I would like to simply refer you to 1 Thessalonians as we consider how we should face the unknown. This congregation was facing a hard time with an uncertain future. How then should they live? Paul’s instructions become beneficial for us.

1 Thess.4:1. A guiding principle for those who wear the name of Christ should be to please Him. This must be the atmosphere of our heart. () Unfortunately we will not always live up to it but unless that desire is there our Christian life and witness will never amount to anything. Thank God for His forgiveness and power to make a new start with His grace.

1 Thess.4:3 Such a passion will dictate how we treat our bodies and respect others, especially within a marital relationship. There is much talk about true marriage today. The best answer is for Christian couples to display it and thereby reveal the sham of ungodly counterfeits. We will not always convince those who refuse to acknowledge God’s way in Christ Jesus for us. However we should so live that the non-Christians will have a grudging respect for our lifestyle. Hypocrisy isn’t limited to Christians, but in the critical eyes of non-Christians it is more pronounced in them.

1 Thess.3:13 Benediction.. As you face this unknown year ‘May (God) strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.’