New Years 2025

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Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai: “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5). He urged them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their fading spirituality in light of what God had told them. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. A great time for us to “Consider our ways.” To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God:

1. What’s one thing you can do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? Over and over again in God’s word, our great job is joy in Him:

Rejoice in the Lord always. (Phil. 4:4)   Delight yourself in the Lord. (Psalm 37:4)

Be glad in the Lord. (Ps. 32:11)             In your presence there is fullness of joy. (Ps. 16:11)

Our enjoyment of God comes primarily through the means of grace he has given us. He has promised to bless us most directly and consistently through means such as his word, prayer, and the church. One specific suggestion I’d offer would be to include some meditation on Scripture along with your daily reading, which most of you probably do. We started as a couple memorizing a few Psalms together. We’ve enjoyed learning them and saying them aloud each morning or when traveling together.

2. What’s an impossible prayer you can pray? There are more than a dozen “but God” statements in Scripture, such as in Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Situations that were humanly impossible were transformed by “but God”. What’s an impossible prayer, a “but God” prayer you can pray for the coming year?

3. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year? Would it be a personal spiritual discipline (that is, one you practice alone), or an interpersonal spiritual discipline (one you practice with other believers)? Once you decide, determine the next step to take and when you will take it.

4. What’s the single biggest time-waster in your life, and how can you redeem the time? Social media? TV? Video games? Sports? Hobbies? It’s easy for any of these (or something else) to take too much of our hearts and time. Is repentance required?  Actively replacing the wasters in your life with something better helps us in “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).

5. What’s the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church? The New Testament actually says seven times that the church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23). We mustn’t minimize the importance of our service to Jesus through his body. How can your church be stronger this year because of you? Serving? Giving? Praying?

6. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year? Praying frequently and fervently for someone’s salvation makes us more sensitive to opportunities to share the gospel. Will you commit to praying for at least one person’s salvation every day this new year?

7. What’s the most important way, by God’s grace, you will try to make this year different from last? Pray and ask God for his guidance in this.

8. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

For some, it might be as simple as designating a time exclusively for prayer. For others, it might be learning the simple, biblical practice of praying the Bible. If we don’t form the habit of praying the Scriptures, our prayers will likely degenerate into vain repetitions that eventually revolve entirely around our immediate private concerns, rather than God’s larger purposes. Most of the Psalms are prayers, and of course, Jesus, Paul, the prophets and many others in the Bible have given us prayers. One pastor I know uses the acronym IOUS from the Psalms to guide in praying the Scriptures (preface your prayers with these IOU’S):

I, Incline my heart to your testimonies (Ps. 119:36).
                             

O, Open my eyes to see wonderful things (Ps. 119:18).
                                

U, Unite my heart to fear your name (Ps 86:11). 
                                  

S, Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love (Ps. 90:14). 

9. What single thing can you plan to do this year that will matter most in ten years? In eternity? Impacting your soul, your family, your church?

Short-term deadlines tend to dominate our attention. Busyness and fatigue often limit our vision to just getting through the day. But we mustn’t allow ourselves to be distracted and neglect those things that would have enormous long-term impact on our soul, our family, or our church.

My friends, the value of these questions or others, is in the simple fact that they bring an issue or commitment into focus. For example, just by making a goal to encourage one person this year is more likely to help you remember to encourage that person than if you hadn’t set that goal. Reviewing these questions frequently during the new year can help us keep centered and not get entangled in the growing number of distractions escalating each year. The phrase “Consider Your Ways,” keeps ringing in my ears. The Bible states “the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance” (Prov. 21:5). That’s powerful! Plans matter! But in all that we plan and do, we must also remember our dependence on our King, who said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

 My friends…Consider your New Year… “Consider Your Ways.” (Haggai 1:5)

Let us Pray:

1) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Is. 43:18-19

Father, may our children let go of the past and perceive new things, ideas, and gifting that you lay before them. Thank you that you guide them and strengthen them as they go forth.

2) “And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Rev. 21:5  

Thank you, Father, that you make all things new as our children go forth in 2025.

3) “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lam. 3:22-23 

Thank you, Father, that your love for our children never ceases and your mercies for them never end. Thank you for your great faithfulness.

4) “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” Phil. 3:13 

Thank you, Father, that the past will not become a snare to our children’s future. Thank you that they will press through any obstacles that come their way and complete the work you give them to do. May they finish strong!

5) “Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19 

Father, as our children begin Year 2025 convict their hearts to repentance for any sin that might separate them from you, that they may be refreshed and renewed by your Spirit.

We thank you and praise you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

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“O Little Town of Bethlehem” paints the picture of a sleepy, unassuming town that serves as the setting for the unprecedented act of God entering the world as a human being. There was no doubt many people living in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth had no idea that an anointed young woman was birthing a divine child that night. Although we look back on Christ’s birth as an indescribably important moment in history, for the people living in Bethlehem at the time, most were completely unaware of what had taken place. And yet Bethlehem, “above thy deep and dreamless sleep” is very much the kind of setting where the Gospel takes place. Not with resounding ovation, but in quiet, simple, even normal actions.

In the same way that many people didn’t notice the birth of Jesus, the vast majority of our prayers and actions made in the advancement of God’s Kingdom will go unnoticed. Few will see the compassion we show to a hurting friend, or the silent prayers offered for a distressed stranger, or the encouragement given on behalf of another. God could have heralded the entrance of his Son into this world with a cadenza of horns and angelic figures. Instead, only a few shepherds were given audience to the angel’s invitation. The simplicity and humility of Christ’s birth is in and of itself an example of how God often works in our world. And yet, what makes those things extraordinary is the presence of God with us. Emmanuel, God with us, makes everything infinitely important and divinely blessed.

Bethlehem was and is just a small town — a small town steeped in ancient history. In the first century, we recall Bethlehem as the birthplace of the mighty giant killer, King David. David essentially put that town on the map 1,000 years earlier, and now, on a very special day that little village on top of a quiet hill was to pull off an amazing feat. Dusty scrolls left by ancient prophets told of such a thing (Micah 5:2).

“But you, O Bethlehem, who are too little to be among the clans of rJudah from you shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

But that night in Bethlehem, as the song implies, there is only silence. All is now hushed and quiet, and the hope of a king only a prophetic memory muffled by the priorities of life: raising wheat, raising sheep, raising children, and paying taxes. This night the town finally sleeps, though crowded. The hustle and bustle of census travelers, who returned home to be counted, have now ceased their travels.

“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.”

So quiet and still and peaceful is the town.  But let’s imagine for a moment a slower pace and a quieter place, no cell phones, no loud radios, no horns, and no surround sound. No jets, no traffic, no trains, and no ambulances racing down streets. In perfect stillness, we witness a silent invasion, like a storm of feathered snowflakes silently falling to the ground, carpeting the dirty world in radiant holiness.

And so, we slow our pace to His pace, and we read the holy story once again, a little more slowly now. We don’t skim. We watch the baby King of Bethlehem enter into a barn-like stable to gently rest in a worn-out feeding trough. In the quietness of night, the new King enters into the hay and manure of a broken world in desperate need of fixing. This is the Christ child, who will one day die in daylight that becomes darkness. But right now, he rests in mother Mary’s arms on a dark night that becomes starlit, as stars and angels pierce the silence. 

This same Christ enters lives like he entered this stable. He enters the mess of sin, and it catches us off guard. You’re surprised? Unaware? You’re not ready for Him? It all seems so sudden. We must be ready— not taken unaware, like the little town of Bethlehem.

When Christ arrives, we may be tempted to first warm up the stable with space heaters. But don’t! We may want to sweep out the soiled hay and mouse droppings. Don’t!  Don’t roll out a comfort mattress or fluff a pair of feather pillows. Don’t disinfect the walls and floor with an aerosol fog of Lysol. Don’t set out a crib with stuffed animals, cotton onesies and baby powder. Don’t fill the bathtub with warm water and soft suds. When the Savior comes, there’s no time to clean up the mess of sin. He comes, not to place fancy wrapped boxes around a decorated Christmas tree. No. The Holy One arrives unexpectedly in the middle of our busy and imperfect lives.

It is with this thought that we are prepared to sing the final verse (the fifth stanza) of the famous hymn, Emmanuel. 

O holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin, and enter in,

Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels, 

The glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel.

This is the message of Christmas. Here, this Christmas Day, we praise Jesus who broke into the stillness of a little town to descend to sinful humanity. And we implore Him,  “Lord Jesus, break into our lives and cast out the sin that we are powerless to wash away. Silence our thoughts and still our lips that we may hear you. Soften our hearts and humble us to seek your face in all that we do. Guide us by your light and strengthen us to obey you…

”O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray.”

Please join me in prayer for our children and grandchildren:

“This is eternal life, that our children and grandchildren may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”. John 17:3

“More than that, may our children count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom they have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that they may gain Christ,” Philippians 3:8

“And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given our children understanding so that they may know Him who is true; and they are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20

“but may our children grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

Mary Did You Know?

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Imagine what was going through Mary’s mind as the angel Gabriel told her she was going to give birth to the Messiah. How she responded is a lesson for us all.

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David. (Luke 1:30-32)

Have you ever received a promise or a prophecy, only to have to wait for it to come to fruition? Perhaps you had been told you would have a prosperous ministry, but still seem to be plodding along at square one. Or perhaps you were unable to find employment for a long time. It can be very difficult to wait. Imagine being Mary, who as a young teen was told she would carry the Son of God in her womb. In addition, imagine her being told that this baby would be the Savior of the world. What do you think Mary thought? How did she hold up under all this information? What was going through her mind when she changed his diapers? Taught him to eat solid foods? Helped him learn how to dress? Guided him through childhood to adulthood? Do you think she constantly had in the forefront of her mind, “This is the Son of God!” Or did that thought slowly move to the background when Jesus seemed to be a normal baby and grew up as a regular child? Jesus’ public ministry didn’t start until he was 30 years old. Think about it. For 30 years, Mary held the knowledge that Jesus was the Messiah. Could you imagine holding on to an unrealized truth for so long? Did she have any idea what kind of ministry life Jesus would have? The healings? The prophecy? The teachings? The opposition? The suffering? I, for one, don’t believe that Mary knew the details about Jesus’ life beforehand, and that on some level, she was just as surprised by Jesus’ ministry as anyone. But then, that’s just my thoughts on the subject.

In John 16:12, where Jesus says: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.” As most of you know, God usually only gives us a piece of the big picture at a time. He may give a promise or a prophecy, but often he doesn’t give us the details of how, or even when, it will unfold. What if the angel had told Mary, “You are to give birth to the Son of God, and after thirty years, he’ll start his public ministry. At that point, your son will be opposed by the leaders of this country for three years, then he’ll be brutally beaten, crucified, and all will abandon Him.” How could Mary or any human possibly bear that knowledge? 

I must confess I have been guilty of getting frustrated with God because something I believed didn’t seem to be happening. But Mary made the choice to trust in God. She responded to the angel by saying in Luke 1:38, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” She had the right perspective (I am a servant of the Lord) and the right heart (let it be according to your word.) We can learn a lot from Mary. If God is calling us, then He will lead and provide everything necessary. We just need to have the faith to follow Him.

The lyrics of “Mary, Did You Know?” stir our hearts with some of the deepest mysteries of Christmas. We think of Mary, a young, vulnerable woman called into the most extraordinary human work in all of history… giving birth to God Incarnate. We are reminded that the baby to whom Mary gave birth would walk on water, heal the sick, and save us. We are astounded once more by the fact that Mary’s baby boy is the “Lord of all creation” and, in fact, “the great I AM.” This is a mystery beyond our comprehension, though it stands at the center of Christian faith. As the Gospel of John puts it, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (1:14) This Word became human in Jesus, the son of Mary. So, Mary did you know? Why Yes, in part, Yes. Mary knew her child would be the Messiah, as we now know that God became man. But that sort of knowledge does not leave us without questions. As Mary rocked her baby to sleep, night after night, did she not wonder what it would all mean, how her child’s Messiahship (a made-up word ) would play out in the future?

Even when we know the Biblical answers, we still ponder the questions, and it’s a good exercise to do so. Regardless of how much Mary did or did not perfectly understand, we can be sure that she asked many questions of God, the Father, as she cradled God, the Son. As we think back to the manger scene, think about the power, authority and majesty she cradled in her arms. Those little lips were the same lips that had spoken the world into existence. Think on all contained in this young child lying quietly against his mother’s breast. Imagine a young mother lulling a fussy baby to sleep, hot tears streaming down his pink cheeks, and thinking this tiny being is God incarnate, the Savior of us all! In fact, wasn’t He the very one who had given life to his mother, Mary?  Extraordinary!

Luke 2:19 says, “Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” We could easily assume that Mary had plenty of questions among those ponderings. The question “Mary, did you know?” opens our thoughts for contemplation, curiosity, and wonder. It’s as though we are peering over Mary’s shoulder as she rocks baby Jesus, the Christ, to sleep. It’s allowing us to witness the humility of God and yet, the vastness of power contained in those tiny fingers grasping for the comfort of his mother’s hand. After all, who would know this wonder, this strangeness, and this beauty better than the woman in whose womb the Son of God grew?

The mystery woven into Mary’s calling as Jesus’s mother has tempted some to attribute divine status to her and worship her. It was a temptation even when Jesus was walking the earth. In Luke 11:27 a woman in a crowd shouted to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”

Jesus knew the woman’s line of reasoning was dangerous. So he responded to her: 

 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke11:27-28) Do you see the guarding grace in Jesus’s response? In a single sentence he was protecting Mary’s true blessedness and protecting us from idolatry. Mary’s true blessing is not in bearing the Son, it’s in believing the Son. Being the mother of Jesus was a great blessing, but it was nowhere near the blessing of having her sins paid for by the fruit of her womb. So as we ponder Mary’s experience this Christmas, let us join her relative, Elizabeth, and say of her: “blessed is she who believed the fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45) Because God’s greatest blessing is given to those who believe him and obey Him.