BIBLE MEDITATION: "...which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast...even Jesus." Hebrews 6:19-20
ENCOURAGING WORD: A New Year is like an ocean. There will be untested winds and waves. We'll meet ships we never knew, and we'll have all kinds of opportunities as we sail into an uncharted sea, in our quest to discover the good life. This year, we must be careful that we do not drift into an aimless life. The worst thing that could happen to us this coming year is that we just let this year happen to us rather than charting a course and getting into God's appointed harbor. More than likely, you won't decide to drift. It'll just happen. You'll be coasting along at a good clip, and then before you know it, you're drifting away, that is, unless you have an anchor.
The anchor that you need is the Word of God. Unless you are in the Word of God daily, you will most likely drift away from your spiritual walk. The world is full of distractions that can pull us away and if we do not have a good solid foundation in the true Word of God...we will drift. The Bible speaks of the apostasy (“falling away from true Biblical doctrine”) in the end days and that is exactly what we are seeing happening today at an alarming rate. American Christians are departing from the true Word of God. The Bible indicates that there will be a great apostasy during the end times. The “great apostasy” is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3; “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, (which is referring to The day of the Lord) except there comes a falling away first, (The Apostasy) and that man of sin (Satan) be revealed, the son of perdition;” The King James Version calls it the “falling away,” while the New International Version and English Standard Version call it “the rebellion.” And that’s what an apostasy is: a rebellion, an abandonment of the truth. The end times will include a full-scale rejection of God’s revelation, a further “falling away” of an already fallen world. You see it every day, especially in the social media. You can't even watch a commercial these days that don’t under mind the Word of God. As a young man growing up in the 60’s and the 70’s, I never imagined the rubbish that is on the television today. Programs that were rated R and even X back then are seen on every channel available. And then we wonder what is happening to our children.
As we enter a New Year, make it a point to set aside a certain time of the day to spend with Jesus. You will be so glad you did. You can't battle the forces of evil by yourself, you need Jesus in your life to combat the ever-growing evil that exists in this world. If you don’t battle the spirits of evil with the right gear, you will be overtaken by the world. The Bible tells us what we need to do to fend off the wiles of Satan. We read this in Ephesians 6: 13-17; “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand, stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Do yourself a big favor, do not leave your house this year without your full armor.
Let me put it in terms everybody will understand, if you were a pro football player, would you even think of going out on the field without your equipment, and all you need for your protection. Dumb question of course but going out into the world without God’s full armor is much more dangerous. In football you can only hurt the body, in this world, you can lose your soul. We read in Matthew 10:28; “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him (God) who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
ACTION POINT: Take a few minutes to reflect on this past year. What were some things you did right... what are some things you will do differently this next year? You have only one life to live and then eternity. Eternity could start at any moment, please prepare for that moment. It is certain that thousands of people will enter their eternal dwelling place in the upcoming year. For those that choose Jesus Christ, they will be forever with Him in paradise, for those that reject His provision for sin, will find themselves in a completely different dwelling, one I do not find pleasure in speaking of, so please receive Jesus Christ today and join Gods family of born-again believers that will spend eternity with Him. “Written To the glory of God." Amen!
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