Well here we go, another New Year begins. In a few days, all of the visible preparations that were made for the celebration of this Christmas and this New Year will be put away. The Christmas tree that was decorated with care a few weeks ago will now be disassembled and, depending on the sort of tree, it will be either put back in the box or taken outside and discarded. The manger scenes that were placed in their special places will be taken down and stored for another year, the strings of lights that so beautifully decorated our homes and our church will be turned off and taken down. Another holiday season is in the books. As this season passes, it reminds us of the unchangeable fact that we are now another year closer to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the day that all of us will stand in judgment in front of our Creator. As sure as this fact is, I wonder how many of us really take this as seriously as we should. I wonder if it might do us some good to perhaps evaluate ourselves on how we spent our God-Given gift of time this past year. Did we spend good quality time with our Lord, or did we find other ways of using it? Perhaps this will help show us how serious we are taking this coming event.
There are several questions I believe we could ask ourselves that would help us see where we stand. Question #1. Am I nearer to God now than I was at this time last year?” In the book of James, (4:8) it tells us to “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands you sinners and purify your hearts…” We must be honest with ourselves now, or this evaluation will not be worth much. Have we been faithful enough in our hearing of God’s Word to cause our lives to be drawn closer to God’s Will? Have we taken the time to read our Bibles and study the word so we even know what God’s Will is for us?
Question #2. Have we been steadfast in worshiping and talking to God in prayer, has our degree of prayerfulness increased over this past year, have we spent enough of our valuable time in taking our problems to our Father and LAYING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AT HIS FEET? In Matthew, it tells us to go into our room close the door and pray to our Father who is unseen. Then the Father Who sees what is done in secret, will reward us. Have we spent adequate time in God-Pleasing worship? Have we attended services to please God or please ourselves?
Question #3. Has our relationship and love for one another increased this year? Are we any closer to one another than we were a year ago or have we grown farther apart in our fellowship and caring for each other? Over this past year, we have brought several new members into the body of Christ here at Our Saviour. I wonder if we have spent enough time with these new members to know their names, to know their families, to know what accomplishments they have made or to know what trials they have faced. In Thessalonians 4, Paul tells us that we have been taught by God to love each other and to love one another more and more.
Question #4. Have we done all that we could in spreading the word of God in the world? As Christians we have a certain responsibility toward others in the world and our neighbors, to be a positive influence on those who do not yet know God, to demonstrate a better way, to turn away from the darkness of this world and turn towards the light, so the light of Christ can be seen in our lives. Or are we like most neighbors, living next to each other but not really knowing each other?
Question #5. Have we spent enough time serving God? Each of us has very special gifts, gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. I wonder how many of us have found our niche when it comes to serving God. Are we serving God because we want to, or because we feel we have to? Have we taken an active part in any of the ministries here at our church?
Well that concludes my little survey. If you answered these few questions with honesty, how serious do you feel you are when it comes to your preparation for the second coming of Christ? How serious are you when it comes to having a closer walk with God? If the world would end in the next minute would you feel confident that you have done all you could to prepare for the moment you see God face to face?
In Genesis 1:27 it says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.” Sometimes I think that when sin came into this world we might have lost some of that image, and I wonder sometimes, when God and I meet face to face, when He looks past my eyes and into my heart and soul, will He see a reflection of Himself? Will there be enough there to see His Image, His Image in me? As I continue to think, I am reminded that, YES!, there is an image of God in me and it was placed there by Jesus Christ Himself, not through any worthiness on my part but by His Grace and His never-ending Love for me by dying on the cross. Christ has made that image of God in me clear again!!!
On January 14th, this congregation will be setting out on a spiritual journey, a 40 day spiritual journey that will include weekend services, Bible verses and small group studies on the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. In this book Mr. Warren discusses the 5 different God-Given purposes that we have been placed on this earth for. As you may know, the number 40 is often used in the Bible. Moses spent 40 days listening to God in the wilderness. Noah spent 40 days in the ark trusting God while the rains came and the floods raged. Jesus spent forty days fasting and praying. I wonder, how will you use your forty days? Time is a precious commodity that is given to us by God. It is truly like a vapor, it needs to be redeemed carefully. So if you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to become involved in this spiritual journey. Sign up for a small group study, commit to attending all the worship services during the 40 Days of Purpose, take time to find out what God’s Will is for you. Because by doing so, you will become a blessing not only to your church and your community but to God as well. For all the Glory is His. Amen.
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