Dear Fellow Children of God,
We have celebrated Christmas and our attention, according
to the calendar, is now on the coming New Year.
People get excited about a new start.
Many are hopeful to leave behind the problems of 2016 and are optimistic
about the possibilities of a new year.
But, let’s talk some reality. How many of you watched young children open
gifts this past Christmas? With four
children and six grandchildren Kathy and I may have not have experienced quite
the excitement we saw in our offspring.
But I do believe we may have experienced as much joy as the younger
generation while watching them open their gifts. Yet, how many of the gifts received may
already have been opened, placed aside, and somewhat forgotten? There is an excitement in the new thing, or
the new experience. But how long does
that excitement last?
There is hope found as the calendar turns and a New Year
arrives. But, when the first crisis or
trial of the new year presents itself, what happens to that optimism and hope? We know that 2017 will have its share of
troubles. We are sinful people who live
in a fallen world. The evil of this
world and the trials of this life will always bring distress and difficulty to
our lives.
That is why God’s children are called to behavior that
may be more appropriate as we face a new year.
Time and again God speaks to us in the New Testament to call us to “perseverance”
and to “endurance.”
Hebrews 12:1-3 calls us to run the race of the coming
year with perseverance. “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out
for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” By keeping our attention on Jesus, and on the love of His sacrifice for us,
God helps us to persevere, to continue even as the trials of life present
themselves. In the midst of life’s disappointments
and failures the love of God given to us in Jesus does not fail. So because of Jesus we can continue living in
faith and integrity and in love. We can
persevere.
In Romans 15:4 we are
not only called to endure, but told where help for endurance may be found. “4 For
everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that
through endurance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Endurance is necessary as we face the
troubles of this world. God gives help
for endurance as we study and meditate on God’s wisdom and direction in
Scripture. And, as God gives endurance
through Scripture, we then have hope.
This is not hope founded on the unrealistic expectations of a new start
with no trouble. We have hope knowing
that God’s love does not fail and we can endure and persevere, no matter what
problems the new year brings.
A new year is upon us
and we can hope for better fortunes in 2017.
But, we have sure hope because Scripture tells us that God’s love does
not fail. So, we can face this coming
year with perseverance and endurance.
A Child of God, Finding Hope in God’s
love to Persevere and Endure in the Coming Year,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Report on Kathy: Many have asked how Kathy is doing after back
surgery on December 23. She still has some
pain from the surgery and the 8 new screws in her spine. However, the shooting pain in her back and
leg that made it difficult to reach above her head or to climb stairs is
gone. The numbness in her lower leg is
gone. She is thankful for all your
prayers and is hoping for improved health in the future.
P.P.S. I did go fishing on Tuesday with 4
grandchildren. They had to scoot before
I got pictures with them. But here are
the fish we caught. One of these belongs
to Emma and another to Henry. Must be
that they caught the big ones. https://goo.gl/photos/EQ8YerkzQTBqDnrk6
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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE
PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to
all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am regularly
adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this
e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this
e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for
this message.
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