HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!
From Pastors Bud and Betty Miller
Dear Internet Friends:
We wish you a wonderful New Year in the Lord. Many people are wondering how any of us will be able to see happy and blessed times because of so much violence in our nations, climate disasters, drought and famine, conflicts and wars, along with so many unstable economic forecasts. So as Christians, what are we to do in the midst of the many trials and tribulations? As I was praying on this New Year’s day, the Lord brought to my heart and mind the scripture above from Lamentations and also this one:
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have Overcome the world.
From these two scriptures we see that — yes, we will experience tribulation of some sort in this world, but the assurance from the Words spoken by Jesus is that we are to be of good cheer, because He (Jesus) has overcome the world and offers us the promise of peace. While in Lamentations we read that every new day (not just New Year’s Day) we are offered mercy and compassion when we are in trouble or when we fail God. Even when we fail Him, He is ever faithful to forgive us when we come to Him and ask Him for forgiveness because He is compassionate and merciful. How wonderful it is to serve such a kind God.
He will help us to overcome the weakness and sin that besets us if we seek Him with our whole heart. There is nothing impossible for Him and nothing that He cannot fix, even if our lives are shattered into millions of pieces. He has proven Himself faithful to His own children down through the ages and He will not fail us as we approach the end of this age no matter how ominous things look. Jesus Christ is coming soon as we can see the signs now that are foretold in Matthew 24.
Word for 2013 – Get Back to the Basics
I felt the Lord impressed upon me what His people needed to do this coming year. I got the words – “Get back to the basics.” That might sound rather simplified, but we could all benefit by
- getting back to the basics of a strong prayer life
- time spent in studying the Bible
- and time spent in strengthening our relationships with one another.
Develop a Strong Prayer Life
This is the time to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord and we are going to need to be able to hear God and that is done by listening to Him in prayer (proximity has to do with hearing Him). In the natural, the closer you are to someone, the easier it is to hear what they are saying. The further away we are from someone, the harder it is to hear them. I personally do not want God to have to shout at me.
Read and Study the Bible
We must feed on the Word of God which is like eating organic, nutritious food for physical sustenance, as opposed to eating junk food. You can eat the junk of this world that comes through TV and the Internet and other contaminated sources and soon it will affect your spiritual health, just like the consuming of bad foods and drink in your diet will make you sick. Speaking of food, many people are hearing God to plant gardens and to store up some emergency food. We must individually listen as to what the Lord wants us to do. However, just in the natural, I personally think it would be prudent to have some emergency stores put up, in light of the judgments now coming in the world. Just remember the Lord has a plan for taking care of His people. We must listen and prepare as the Lord speaks to each of us. If you have no way to prepare, remember God fed millions of His people in the wilderness with manna so He has a way to take care of His people. Just stay close to Him if you cannot prepare in the natural so you can hear Him speak to you. He also multiplied food in the Bible. Let us not limit Him, but let us be wise.
Develop and Strengthen Your God Ordained Relationships
Spend quality time with your family and friends. We are going to need one another in the hard times just ahead. We need to strengthen our relationships in the love of God. We need to be where the Lord has spoken to us to be in regard to our job, our church and our geographic location. Do not be fearful to step out in faith and allow God to open a door for a move if that is what He is speaking to you to do. He will go ahead of you and make the way and give you favor.
Our call is to furnish people with the Word of God and teachings online at BibleResources.org so that they can become overcomers. Please pray for us as we continue to develop this website. We are now doing the preparation work for starting our online video ministry. We are behind our schedule in this task, but we are trusting the Lord to help us get this launched as soon as possible. We finally got all the equipment in and are now preparing the video chapel to get it all set up. We do appreciate your support and help. We do pray for all of our givers and prayer warriors daily.
May you hear God clearly and be graced to obey Him in all He tells you to do. We bless you in the coming New Year!
His grateful servants,
Christ Unlimited Ministries
BibleResources.org
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