We have all been blessed with a new year. We can look forward to it or face it with dread. It really is up to us. Some people grab the bull by the horns and take opportunities head on or some watch them pass them by. 

"Often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." ~ Helen Keller

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." ~ Winston Churchill

One of the things people say at this time of year is that they’d like to make resolutions and a ‘fresh start’. We have an opportunity to make a fresh start or if we’re not careful, we can drag all the stuff from the previous years into it. Maybe we have developed bad habits or have been in a desert place, spiritually speaking. We can become completely consumed with wrong thinking or the belief that nothing will get better or change. We make ‘new year’s resolutions’ or things we are resolved to do. We have the choice to dwell on the past or press forward in Christ to all that He wants for us. We truly have more choices than we realise. It is up to us to choose how we live in 2024. We are responsible for our attitudes and behaviour.

Luke 2:1-7

Every 14 years, Rome took a census and each male had to return to the city of their birth to record his name, property, family and occupation. Because of the crowds that had to come for the census, there was no room for Mary and Joseph (and soon to be baby Jesus). While tradition says that the inn was a sort of hotel, we don’t know that for sure. We know that their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 80 miles over as many days as a week.  Bethlehem means ‘House of Bread’ and the true bread came down from heaven as the manna had done all those years ago in the wilderness.

In any case, Jesus was born in some sort of barn-type place for animals. It seems to have been a stall or trough for feeding cattle. After Jesus was born, Mary His mother wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger. Later that same night, shepherds from nearby fields found Him just as the angels told them they would.

Have you ever had something really important to tell someone? Maybe the exciting news about expecting a child? Maybe about a promotion at work? How would you announce news so profound that it almost sounds unbelievable? How best would you communicate that news? What if it was never meant to be a secret? It was meant to be shared and shouted from the rooftops. The message you carried would radically change lives for the better. Would you remain silent?

John, the disciple that Jesus loved, had the task of documenting, in his account, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Here is the long-awaited Messiah, in Israel, asking this young man to follow Him. He has met the most amazing Man to ever live, in the moment that God, the Creator of all, became a Man, in the flesh. Where do you start to write about this encounter, this Man, this Messiah that everyone in your country has waited hundreds, if not thousands of years for? This One Whom Isaiah had prophesied would come, is right here, right now. 

You would probably start at the beginning. Usually that is a good place to start. John draws some parallels in his account like Genesis does starting at the beginning.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 

This past week, we celebrated Thanksgiving (in America.) All those years ago, Pilgrims (Puritans) set out from Plymouth, England to find a place to worship God freely. After barely surviving the open seas and the harsh winter, they had a feast after their first harvest with the Native Americans who helped them, notably, Squanto. It was a time to give thanks to God for His providence in keeping them for all those months. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a wonderful time to reflect on the provision of God and to be thankful for all He has done in our lives over the past year. 

We all have much to be thankful for. May we have an attitude of gratitude. Our attitude is how we act, think, or reflects our state of mind. It also is how we carry ourselves. We often hear the expression ‘bad attitude.’ Whether good or bad, our attitude matters! Our gratitude is the state of being thankful, or thankfulness. Thus our attitude should be that of gratitude! Our conduct and interaction with people should be from a kind, humble, loving heart full of gratitude!

Daniel Chapter 3 tells us about the fiery trial of the three Jewish men. They were faced with an ultimatum. Bow and worship or die.

As far as they were concerned, they either would die in a furnace or God would intervene and rescue them. What they did know was that no matter what, they were not going to bow down to that image, the king or any other false god. They knew the true and living God. Even a 90-foot tall god of gold was fake compared to the real and living God. We need to know how to differentiate the real so that we’re not fooled, intimidated or enticed by the fake. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Our knees should only bow to Him, not to any other.

How we see things matters. We can have a great perspective but be unable to focus. Likewise, we can have great focus but a lousy perspective. How should we live as followers of Christ? Listen today to be encouraged by the message.

In our turbulent world, we desperately need peace. As followers of Christ, we can have His peace working in our lives, even through the storms. Listen today for an encouraging message.

Today we are looking at rest. The bible speaks a lot about rest. Rest is mentioned from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus, while on earth, experienced everything the same as us. He was weary, hungry and thirsty. Jesus took time to rest. We all need time to rest and reset.  As our Creator and the One Who made us, He gives us a weekly sabbath, He wants the land to rest, and for us to rely upon Him. God rested on the seventh day. We may not observe the Sabbath today but we should take 1 day to rest and do nothing or something fun. 

Rest; to stop doing a particular activity or stop being active for a period of time in order to relax and get back your strength: to lie or lean on something, or to put something on something else so that its weight is supported: to remain in a particular state or place: a period of silence between musical notes -like taking a breath. Sometimes we just need a breath, especially from God.

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Pastor Gordon Allan shares this message encourage us that our prayers are powerful and effective, because we are the righteousness of God!

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Every builder must follow these two rules:

Build on the right foundation as it determines the height, size, shape and strength of what the structure is. If we are wise, we will build upon the Rock, that way when storms rise and the wind howls against us, we will stand firm! 

 Build with the right materials. The materials used for construction matter! Bridges and skyscrapers need much sturdier materials than a doghouse. You must use the correct materials. There are countless examples of builders using inferior materials that have had catastrophic consequences. In zones where there are earthquakes, the materials and structure is much different than in other places. Precautions need to be taken so that the building can endure should a disaster happen.