General Sunday School Coordinator
For many, the New Year is a time for starting over, "turning over a new leaf," or "returning" to former landmarks.
I can remember when, as a child, I would get a new pack of notebook paper, the first inclination was to draw or mark up the first sheet. It felt so good to guide my pencil across the paper—much like putting the first footprints in new-fallen snow.
The year 2017 will be a second chance for some. And who could fault a person who makes resolutions to be better this time around. But it takes more than a positive attitude—more than regrets over last year or self-recrimination for failing to do God’s will. Only a faith in God can restore, renew and strengthen a person’s resolve. Only God can give a turn-around.
Turning over a new page only entices one to scrawl all over it. And tromping around in the snow just invites more tromping.
Matthew Henry said, "It’s not enough for us to cease to do evil—we must learn to do well." We must embrace the Word—act upon it.
Shall we make a list of negative resolutions for the beginning of a new year? The "quits" and "do nots" will guide a person for a little while, but the resolve soon weakens and the things we didn’t want to do are reactivated. Our resolutions should be reminders. Memories fill the storehouse of one’s life experiences. We learn and we are reminded of things that have been the fabric of our lives and form the basis for later decisions. Throughout life, we accumulate reminders which keep us going in the right direction.
There is a song that goes: "Roll back the curtains of memory now and then; Show me where you brought me from and where I could have been. Remember I’m human and humans forget; So remind me, remind me, dear Lord."
The Israelites were human, also, and, like us, they would forget. But God had instructed them to set up reminders along the way.
In Joshua 24:26, Joshua "took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD." This was a witness to the covenant between God and Israel. God did not want Israel to forget the milestones in its history.
After crossing Jordan, they were told why to place markers: "That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever" (Joshua 4:6, 7).
On my trip to the Middle East, I noticed piles of stones still being used as markers. As we drove up the King’s Highway, I would see pillars standing silhouetted against the sky, probably marking someone’s journey. In that country of sameness, I would think it would be hard to find directions if there weren’t some kind of marker for guidance.
It’s hard, too, to find direction in our spiritual journey. The markers are reminders of where we came from, what we were and where we’re going—"Remind me, dear Lord ..." Embrace the vision!
The Christian who is living and walking in the Spirit will not only cease to do evil, he will manifest godly fruit. It goes beyond a New Year’s resolution. You can’t just pretend "fruit of the Spirit"—it comes from a life submitted to Jesus Christ.
What kind of reminders do you have in your life? What answers will you give your children? The Church is responsible for these things and we must be serious in all our doing. Considering all this, wouldn’t the best resolution be: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Gal. 5:14).
"Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee" (Luke 8:39). These were the words of Jesus to the man of Gadara who had lived among the tombs because of the devils which possessed his soul, mind and body. Jesus and His disciples had crossed over the Jordan to the land of the Gadarenes to one of the cities of the Decapolis—now Umm Qais.
The tormented man had no hope—he had no rest, no joy, no place and no peace. He didn’t know that the Son of God would be his visitor that day and then everything would change. He didn’t know that this day would be the beginning of a new life. He didn’t know that this group of men who landed on the shore of Gadara meant the difference in life and death.
After Jesus had stilled the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, the group faced this man who had been ostracized from society. But Jesus changed things for this outcast—He delivered him from the devils which then went into swine nearby. The pigs, according to Scripture, ran off the cliffs into the water and drowned.
Sunday is the first day—not only of 2017, but it is the first day of the rest of our lives. New Year’s resolutions won’t make that much difference in the coming months. Those who knew their God at the ending of 2016 will no doubt continue their journey with Christ.
But this day can be the beginning of a new life just as the man who lived among the tombs. His transformation, however, didn’t come about with resolutions, only by the power of Christ. Unpleasant circumstances had forced the man to live in fear and uncertainty. No longer could he enjoy the security and assurance of "home." No longer could he have the normalcy of life.
But Jesus changed the direction of this madman in the graveyard. He touched him and told him to "go home" and share what Jesus had done for him.
At "home," there is warmth; At "home," the table is set; At "home," there is a place for you.
How foolish it is to "live among the tombs." If you will only open the door to Christ, the will of God in your life will bring instant and joyous welcome. We must embrace His plans.
Testify to the great things God has done in your life and anticipate with joy things to come.
A parade which was to feature the president was announced several weeks prior to the event. When he heard the announcement, an older man decided he must be at the parade. He had never seen the president in his life and this would be his only opportunity. The parade was set to start at 11 a.m., so the anxious man went at 9 a.m. to get a good place to view the festivities and waited patiently.
Finally the parade began. Since it had been announced the president would be toward the end of the parade, his car was preceded with bands, floats, horses and so forth. The man became more excited the closer the anticipated car got to him. The parade had passed in front of him for almost an hour when the last band before the president’s car marched down the street.
They were good musicians and had great majorettes. They were so good and it was so exciting that the man’s attention was captured and he leaned forward to watch them out of sight as they turned the corner. And as he turned back, all he got to see was the rear of the president’s car as it went on down the street and it, too, turned the corner. He had missed him!
In our approach to the New Year, have we lost the vision of what is foretold by the prophets? Are we looking forward to the future of the Church? Are we embracing the vision? Or is our vision hindered by other things?
We can be like the man who looked forward to the parade, but in the excitement and enjoyment of the extras surrounding the event, he missed the main person he wanted to see.
The writer of Hebrews describes Christ as the brightness of His glory—the express image of the Father—sitting on the right hand of the "Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:3).
Through the ages, God has spoken to man through various ways in the different times. He has always provided a way to have access to the throne. Through His Word, we learn of him.
Christ took on man’s humanity and not the nature of the angels. To neglect "so great salvation" is the sin that condemns to death.
As we enter in 2017, we must be careful to remember what it’s all about—lest, in all the excitement, we will miss the purpose of our being. We must embrace all that God has for us as we walk in faith in these last days.
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