The Old And The New???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #308

As we close out 2024 and prepare to start a new year of 2025, there are a lot of things to consider; many take this time to reassess their goals, progress, financial practices, parenting skills, and in the craziness of our world, often just trying to “get by”!  But I’d like to take a bit of a turn here and call us to examine our walk with Jesus Christ The Lord.  If you know Him, then it’s a call to pursue holiness as we align our walk with the Word of God.  If you don’t know Him, I invite you to come to know Him in repentance of your sin, and trusting/believing in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.  If you’re not familiar with Jesus, I would direct you to read the Gospel of John in the Bible.

Let’s look at the message to struggling believers in the book of Hebrews; the author calls them to study the faith of others in chapter 11 (often called the hall of faith), but he doesn’t stop there.  He goes on to call them to holy living, and that is what I want us to consider as we approach this new year.  (I encourage you to read through chapters 11 -13 for the big picture, for I’ll only share portions of those chapters in this limited space…)

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about

with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight,

and the sin which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience

the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus

the author and finisher of our faith;

who for the joy that was set before him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down at the right hand

of the throne of God.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction

of sinners against himself,

lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood,

striving against sin.

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation

which speaketh unto you as unto children,

My son, despise not thou

the chastening of the Lord,

nor faint

when thou art rebuked of him:”  Hebrews 12:1-5

Our challenge continues with an even greater call to obedience and the truth that God disciplines His own.  Discipline is an important part of child-raising—a part which many in our day have abandoned and we are paying an awfully high price for that choice.  But spiritual lack of discipline can be just as tragic, and the absence of it in a person’s life is a call to question one’s relationship with Jesus.  Let’s peruse what the scripture says.

“For whom the Lord loveth

he chasteneth,

and scourgeth

every son

whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening,

God dealeth with you as with sons;

for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement,

whereof all are partakers,

then are ye bastards,

and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh

which corrected us,

and we gave them reverence:

shall we not much rather be in subjection

unto the Father of spirits,

and live?

10 For they verily for a few days

chastened us after their own pleasure;

but he for our profit,

that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present

seemeth to be joyous,

but grievous:

nevertheless afterward

it yieldeth the peaceable fruit

of righteousness

unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down,

and the feeble knees;”  Hebrews 12:6-12

While I encourage you to ponder these things, I choose to end on a positive note, even as the author of Hebrews chose to do.  Remember whose you are, fix your eyes on the prize, Jesus, and run the race, knowing you are never alone!

“Let your conversation be without covetousness;

and be content with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee,

nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not fear what man

shall do unto me…

8 Jesus Christ

the same yesterday,

and to day,

and for ever.” Portions of Hebrews 13:5-

May the blessings of peace, joy, and contentment rule in the closing of the present year and follow you into the new year!

Amen and Amen!!!