Be Creative

Consider Paul's advice about life, and let it guide you in the year to come.

"Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life." - Galatians 6:1-5 – The Message

This year be creative - be a better you through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible. Take all these things and apply them to your life. 

Amen?

God Wins

A friend of mine was sharing about a great Youth ministry he led a few years ago. He told me their success was achieved by concentrating on two things: service for the Lord and Outreach (witnessing). The willingness of the students and leaders to get out of their comfort zones enabled them to grow both spiritually and numerically. They were able to grow because they were following the words of Jesus 2000 years ago when He was asked about the greatest commandment. Jesus said to love God with all you have, and your neighbors (the world) as yourself.

Loving God is serving Him, and you cannot show love any better than to tell someone about that love shown through Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. And whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. The truth and message never changes – only the methodology of accomplishing it changes.

In the last year at Hopewell we have tried to implement these truths to reality in individuals, families, community, and around the world. We have seen some accept salvation through Christ for the first time, and witnessed many lives transformed in living more for Him. According to the Great Commission the church is to make and grow disciples. As we enter into a new year let us focus on doing church Jesus’ way, regardless of the cost. I know that change is hard, but the reward is great. God wins in 2019!

Amen?

Resolute

This year, as God’s people, as His church, let’s make this one simple resolution - we’re going to make a change for the better.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

 

1. DEVELOP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK TOWARD LIFE Paul was positive about life because he realized that life is a very precious gift God has given us. It must sadden the Lord that oftentimes we take this gift He has given, & don’t treasure it for the precious thing that it is.

2. DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH
I would rather be trying something great for God & fail than be playing it safe & succeed.

3. DISPLAY A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS
The church must be a place where we all can come & be accepted & loved& encouraged & built up - a place where there are people to help us carry our burdens & everyone feels welcome.

Amen?

God's Work

In the Scripture today we see the boy Jesus at the Temple. It is a story most parents can relate to. The Mom and Dad were separated, and each one thought Jesus was with the other! They found him days later in the Temple! They were rightly upset, but His answer astounded them.

 ⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, t

hey were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”  ⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.  ⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. - Luke 2:41-52

“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Wow! They didn’t see that coming; did they? I think people would be surprised by that answer from us as well, but aren’t we to be constantly about God’s work?

I want to encourage you to think like that this coming year. Ask the question every day, “What does God want me to do today?” It’s good to be at work when God is your boss! Amen?

Predictions

THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2019

1. The Bible will still have the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

I use these same predictions every year, because I know they're true.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows - James 1:17

Always remember that God never changes! Amen?

Following Directions

One to two years after Jesus' birth. Joseph was given direction by angel in a dream. 

    When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

   So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” - Matthew 2:13-18

Life is full of pain, but sometimes it can be avoided. Obedience to God’s law, and willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit can save us a lot of anguish. So, as we get ready for another year let’s decide to do it God’s way and not our way. See what happens. It will change your life. Amen?

Moving Forward

Most of us set goals or resolutions for ourselves for the new year. Starting off with a "clean slate" is the best way to obey God's Word. God offers forgiveness through Jesus Christ and "cleanses us from all unrighteousness".  Accept His forgiveness and consider applying the teaching and wisdom from the following verses.

Luke 5:30-32 - But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

John 8:1-11 - But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

1 Corinthians 6:11 - And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 - But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Always apply the Word to your new year's resolutions. Amen?