PAST & THE FUTURE

January, the first month of the year, gets its name from the Roman god, Janus or Januarius, who was represented as having two heads & two pairs of eyes, each pair looking in the opposite direction from the other & each head facing a different direction from the other.

New Year is often stock-taking time with business men & it is good for the Christian, too, to take stock, to look back into the past & trace the good hand & kindness of the Lord amid much failure on his part & to look forward to a new year of opportunity, of privilege & responsibility.

Instead of just resolutions, he will make a full & fresh consecration of himself & all his powers to the Lord.

- (moreillustrations.com)

1 Cor 1:9 (EHV): “God is faithful, who called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

“As I look back over fifty years of ministry, I recall innumerable tests, trials and times of crushing pain. But through it all, the Lord has proven faithful, loving, and totally true to all His promises.” -  David Wilkerson.

PEACE TO THE PEOPLE WHO PLEASE HIM

What is the thought of Christmas? Giving.

What is the hope of Christmas? Living.

What is the joy of Christmas? Love.

No silver or gold is needed for giving,

If the heart is filled with Christmas love,

For the hope of the world is kindly living,

Learned from the joy of God above.

- Laura Hooker (moreillustrations.com)

“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Father's will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.” -  J.I. Packer.

Luke 2:14 (ERV): “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.”

GIFT OF MAN TO GOD!

“What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.”

- Christina Georgina Rossetti.

“Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man - His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God - when we present our bodies a living sacrifice.” -  Vance Havner.

John 1:11-12 (ICB): “He came to the world that was his own. But his own people did not accept him.  But some people did accept him. They believed in him. To them he gave the right to become children of God.”

MARY HAD THE LITTLE LAMB

Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth;

Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth.

(Micah 5:2)

Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall —

Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the Fall.

(Isa 7:14)

Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God;

Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod.

(Jn 6:38)

Mary had the little Lamb, crucified on the tree

The rejected Son of God, He died to set men free.

(1 Pet 1:18)

Mary had the little Lamb—men placed Him in the grave,

Thinking they were done with Him; to death He was no slave!

(Mat 28:6)

Mary had the little Lamb, ascended now is He;

All work on Earth is ended, our Advocate to be.

(Heb 4:14-16)

Mary had the little Lamb—mystery to behold!

From the Lamb of Calvary, a Lion will unfold.

(Rev 5: 5- 6)

When the Day Star comes again, of this be very sure:

It won’t be Lamb-like silence, but with the Lion’s roar.

(Rev 19:11-16)

- (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.com)

“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29 CEV)

YOUTH & MORALITY

Youngsters aren't what they used to be. They never are.

Each generation has its own outlook, its own problems & its own environment. Obvious as this may sound, parents tend to forget it.

One expert who studied over 1,000 autobiographies of college students writes:

"The youth of today has faced more moral alternatives by the time he is 20 years of age than his grandparents faced in a lifetime."

- Changing Times (moreillustrations.com)

“Every young man would do well to remember that all successful business stands on the foundation of morality.” -  Henry Ward Beecher.

Ecc 12:13-14 (GNT): “After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.  God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.”

WARNINGS OF DANGER

The road signs for motorists on all main highways are instructive for travelers.

Dangerous crossings or bends are indicated before the motorist comes to them & we are warned to 'Keep Death off the road', and to pursue a `Safety first' policy in preference to speeding.

Frequently too the warning is reinforced by a large hoarding containing the words - `You have been warned'.

God's Word is full of warnings to travelers to eternity, so that none can say they have not been warned.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“The saddest road to hell is the one that runs under the pulpit, past the Bible, and through the middle of warnings and invitations.” -  J.C. Ryle.

Pro 9:12 (TPT): “So it is to your advantage to be wise. But to ignore the counsel of wisdom is to invite trouble into your life.”

  

THE RICH

Christian leaders often discuss "how to save the masses," but it is harder to save the rich.
 
A thoughtful young lady of Fifth Avenue recently, exclaimed: "Who will save us who have abundance from selfish wealth & wasteful luxury?"
 
"How shall we evangelize the slums?" is discussed; but the harder proposition is "how to save the selfish suburbs."
 
- Selected (moreillustrations.com)
 
Jesus then said to his disciples, “I assure you: it will be very hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom of heaven. I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” – (Mat 19: 23-24 KJV)
 
“Nothing is more dangerous than to be blinded by prosperity.” -  John Calvin.

REWARDS

Have you become discouraged? Have you allowed something to keep you from being what you know you should be? Have you allowed depression or disaster to make you lose heart & to slacken your effort?

If so, remember the Word of the Lord: “Continue strong in your faith so no one will take away your crown." (Rev 3:11).

Be diligent; in season and out of season. Be faithful in the face of storm, as well as in times of sunshine, for if there is no battle, there will be no victory; no cross, no crown.

- Henry J. Westermeyer (moreillustrations.com)

Js 1:12 (CEV): “God will bless you, if you don’t give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.”

“Greatness in the kingdom of God is measured in terms of our obedience here.” -  John Stott.

TIME TO RECOVER

Back in the old country, there was a Pastor who invested his life savings in timber. When a forest fire broke out & his finances literally went up in smoke, the Pastor’s friends worried about how to break the devastating news to him.

They hemmed & hawed until the Pastor said, “You’re afraid to tell me about the fire, aren’t you?”

“You know?” they asked surprised.

“I found out about an hour ago.”

“And you’re not upset?” they asked.

“I was,” he answered, “I’m over it now.”

“It was only an hour ago!”

“Tell me,” said the Pastor, “Didn’t you once suffer a loss by fire? Why aren’t you upset about it?”

“My fire was 10 years ago.”

“OK, so for you, it took 10 years. For me, it took an hour. The point is we both got over it.”

The truth here is that it is not the passage of time itself that heals but it is the right perspective that brings healing faster.

- (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.com)

Pro 24:10 (GNT): “If you are weak in a crisis, you are weak indeed.”

“Each of us may be sure that if God sends us on stony paths He will provide us with strong shoes, and He will not send us on any journey for which He does not equip us well.” -  Alexander MacLaren.

1 CORINTHIANS 13 – CHRISTMAS VERSION

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights & shiny balls; but do not have love, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals & arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime; but do not have love, I’m just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home & give all that I have to charity; but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse. Love is kind, though harried & tired.

Love does not envy other’s home that has coordinated Christmas china & table linens. 


Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who cannot. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things & endures all things. Love never fails.

Toys will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust; but giving the gift of love will endure.

- (ministry127.com)

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” – Lord Jesus (John 14:15 GW).

CAST YOUR VOTES

Carl Geary died a month ago from a heart attack as he campaigned for the small country town. Despite his sudden death he still polled over three times as many votes as his rival in the election in Tracy City, Tennessee.

His widow, Susan Geary, was not surprised by the election results.

“The day he passed away, people were calling with condolences & saying, ‘We’re still voting for him,’” she said.

Geary was known for telling the truth & served on the city council. He received 285 votes to his rival’s 85.

“I knew he was deceased. I know that sounds stupid, but we wanted someone other than her [the current mayor],” said Chris Rogers, owner of the town’s Lunch Box restaurant. “If he were to run again next week I’d vote for him again.”

- (ministry127.com)

“Every Christian ought to vote in every election on every issue! Don't leave it to the worldly crowd. Vote without fail!” -  Shelton Smith.

“Always vote for a principle, though you vote alone, and you may cherish the sweet reflection that your vote is never lost.” -  John Quincy Adams.

Pro 16:33 (MSG): “Make your motions and cast your votes, but God has the final say.”