A New Year Message From My Dad

A cheats Blog..Dad sent this to me this morning and I thought it was a fantastic message worthy of greater reading.
Dad is also Manager of the Burning Heart...if you like this message I urge you to read Burning heart the link is to the right!
With Much love
Tina


New Year 2009

Dear Friends,

At the beginning of the New Year it is a good time to reflect on what the Lord has done, and to look forward to the works He would do in the coming year.

As we look back we can see how God has been with us and how He has moved things which looked impossible, and how He has gone before us to prepare the way. Also in looking back we see how the evil one has been thwarted in many areas, but also we see that he is striving to hinder our efforts to live wholly for God. There are many ways in which the evil one would divert us from the pathway that God has set before us. The one which is more easily seen in hindsight is the way in which he uses natural things, and things that are not directly sinful in themselves, to occupy our time which we should be spending with God or in the things of God. For myself I find my time being occupied with things that, from a purely natural viewpoint, are quite legitimate yet they take away time from what I want to be doing for the Lord. That leads me to being somewhat irritable when I really have no need to be. The flesh easily rises when we are not taking the time we need to be spending with the Lord.

This leads me to the situation in the world at large. The recession and credit crunch take up a lot of our time and thinking. We have seen how many people and businesses have been overwhelmed by the financial changes that have overtaken us. Many Christian organizations have found that expenses have risen, and donations have fallen at the same time. Despite all this, we need to look at what we have promised to God, and keep our vows. God has shown in His word that He will not forsake us nor leave us in any situation. He will provide for all our needs, by His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. If we have promised, then we should pay, God will not be any man’s debtor! As we look at Israel, (at the time of writing,) we see how the nation has at last responded to the attacks which have been continuing for years. There is no point in analysing the worldly reasoning for the situation, but we have to remember that the Nation of Israel is still the Apple of God’s eye, and that God will still give protection to His people, even in the time when He is dealing with the Nation in judgment. In the world at large, anti-Semitism is rearing its head again, and the world’s view of the conflict with the Arabs in Gaza is strongly coloured by the false belief that Israel is an occupying force. (I could enlarge on this, but it is not the time.) Islam takes advantage of anything that it can turn to its use and will also use weakness in any land that will be to its advantage. In this coming year we will see Islam using its gains to put pressure on the government in this land to restrict the preaching of the Gospel. Witnessing in the streets will be one of the targets, then the preaching of the Word in our own churches. Other elements that are ungodly will seek to make it an offence to teach the Gospel to under 18’s. More and more of the scriptures will be held to be offensive to one group or another, and various Magistrates and Judges will concur, so that we will be restricted more and more.

We do really need to learn to rest in the Lord alway! The times are soon coming when we will see the persecution that Jesus Himself promised! The time of Jesus return is nearer and we will see the evil one stirring up man against man more and more, and unbelievers against saints even more so. The thing which causes me more concern is what Jesus Himself said, “because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” We are beginning to see the results of wickedness around us, and because of the basis of education, our youngsters have not learnt the need for steadfast, constant attitudes. Reactions change with situations, the steadfastness of character of old has not been carried forward. We need to demonstrate the faithfulness of Jesus to our youngsters, we need to demonstrate the steadfastness that Jesus expects of us to the younger generation. The writer to the Hebrews tells us, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10;23-25. The Psalmists had a good insight into the mind of God, ‘Be still, and know that I am God,’ ‘ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths.’

As we walk on with God in the coming year let us remember to walk in the good works that God has prepared for us to walk in, to His glory! We need to seek to be being filled with the Holy Spirit, for it is only as the Spirit speaks though us that men will be convinced of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. We also need to show out the love that flowed from Jesus. We need to love one another as Jesus loved us, so that men can se the difference that Jesus makes; we also need to love our neighbours, reminding them of the love that Jesus had for them, in coming to die for them. We also need to show out that sin offends God. Sin is a word that the evil one equates with delights in this world, yet sin caused God to turn His back on Jesus when He bore our sins behind His Father back. The Sacrifice for our sin was prepared before the world was made, so it’s no wonder that God hates sin!

In our preaching we need to stress that God sees us in one of two places; we are either in Christ Jesus, no longer in condemnation, or else still in our sin, condemned already, because we have not believes on the only begotten Son of God! I would ask you to seriously consider just were you stand as you read this. Too many people rely on the Blood of Jesus to cleanse them, and have not repented from their sins and continue in sin. Again the writer of Hebrews reminds us “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,” Heb 10:26. Peter on the day of Pentecost emphasised repentance, so did John the Baptist, and most important of all, the first words of Jesus ministry was “REPENT! For the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” In first Thessalonians 1;3 we read that the Thessalonian saints showed a “work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” which is shown as, “ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus,” (verses 9 & 10.) We do truly need to turn to God from idols! We also need to sanctify in our hearts Christ Jesus as Lord. He should be Lord in all things and at all times. In these days we need to keep close to the Lord and to each other, for we will soon see that as persecution rises, some will lose heart, and turn away from the Lord.

One other point, keep your eyes on Israel; she is the apple of God’s eye’ but He cannot allow her to continue to ignore Him. Despite all the Names showing out God’s relationship to Israel, He must restore the honour due His Holy Name in Israel. In my reading of the scriptures I see that the Land will be left desolate, and most of the people will suffer greatly, and very, very, few will be left in the Land. The Restoration of Israel will come when Jesus as the Messiah brings back the Diaspora, with a new heart. “After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people”. Jeremiah 31;33. How God will frame the coming days we do not know, but as I see the situations developing throughout the world I am sure that Jesus will soon come to call us home. Are you ready to meet Him, or will you be ashamed from before when He appears?

With Love in our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus,

Merton.
(Tina’s Dad.)