New Year-New Post-New You

-
Happy 2009

Blogsters, I assume, are expected to post something personal or reflective, inspirational or encouraging for the new year. Not wanting to discount the opportunity and later regret that I had not posted something of value, I present the following with hope for a blessed future for you all.

So what's new?

What may be new to you may not be new to me. After all new is in the eye of the beholder. There is something about the concept of "new" that excites and energizes. Kids love to get new toys, new clothes, even new school supplies. Grownups also seek out new clothes, new cars, new tools, new homes, careers etc...

So what is it about "new" that gets kids and grownups excited?

How long does new last? Do some things stay new longer than others?
It seems we get bored with new things very quickly. Are they really new things or just freshly produced cleaned up same old things with a shine? Is there anything really new under the sun?

The all wise teacher Solomon, had it right when he wrote these words.

Whatever has happened before will happen [again]. Whatever has been done before will be done [again]. There is nothing new under the sun. Can you say that anything is new? It has already been here long before us.

(Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 Gods Word Translation 1995)


Examining the wisdom of our current age we see ideologues and philosophers,the media shapers of culture grasping at any philosophy or doctrine that rejects all absolutes. Yet the same high priest of moral ambiguity decry the inevitable consequences by asking where have we gone wrong?

All options and isms have been tried before and failed miserably. Pluralism under Roman rule, Socialism, Communism, Marxism, Stalinism, Gnosticism, Paganism, Nazism, each and every failed cultural social religious and economic philosophy is rehashed repackaged and takes its turn in another attempt at resolving our dilemmas.
Expect a rehash and repackaging of sorts from the Obama administration. Pragmatic pluralism will not work in a nation founded upon absolutes. These absolutes demand limits to pluralism and our culture appears to lack the will to maintain either.

Do you long for something new in your life that will outlast and remain new always?
Something new that will inspire and encourage you to take hold of life with the understanding of what is needed to make your world a better place.

Here are some NEW things that you may want to consider this NEW year!
You will have to work these out on your own.

NEW mercies every morning - Lamentations 3:21-25

A NEW spirit within you - Ezekiel 11:19

A NEW heart - Ezekiel 36:26

A NEW covenant - Mark 14:24

A NEW commandment - John 13:34

A NEW nature - 2 Corinthians 5:17

A NEW knowledge - Colossians 3:10

A NEW way - Hebrews 10:20

A NEW song -Revelation 5:9

A NEW heaven and earth -Rev 21:1


These are all NEW things that are promised to those who seek them. Before you make and break this New Years Resolution take a look at the words of the Only Wise God the one who created you. Only there will you find hope!


"The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one thing in mind:
the LORD's mercy. We were not completely wiped out. His compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is great. My soul can say, 'The LORD is my lot in life. That is why I find hope in him.'The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from him. His mercies are new every morning"

(Lamentations 3:21-25, God's Word Translation 1995)

Comments

michela said…
some really awesome truths that you've pointed out. let's rest in the hope of Christ's promises and not fall prey to a spirit of foreboding. let's expect great things from God this new year!
January 9, 2009 at 3:29 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves

-
There is a threatening cry of frustration coming from the extreme religious right against President Obama and his liberal socialist agenda. Tony Norman of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette writes in a recent article, “Earlier this year, the Rev. Wiley Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, Calif., instructed his followers to pray for Obama's death. Presidential candidate Alan Keyes' former running mate called down curses on Mr. Obama, based on prayers of vengeance from the Psalms. In Tempe, Ariz., Pastor Steven Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church called for Mr. Obama's death on the eve of his visit to Phoenix earlier this year." Some of the so called “Christian faithful”, having no foundation from which to pursue opposing or reforming the policies of the political behemoth of liberalism, have resorted to speaking threatening words which could certainly be classified by some as hate speech. True followers of Christ should be quick to rebuke those who r
Read more

I’m OK, are you?

-
I recently approached a vehicle and was soon contemplating the prominently displayed bumper sticker that read “Born OK the first time”. That’s strange I thought, apparently this person either believes he is immortal or is OK with what this mortal life has to offer including death. "OK" is a very subjective term. I can think of a few murderous kings and leaders who thought they were OK too. By the way, fortunately for us the villains I had in mind are now dead. But somehow we never quite have a shortage of them. In reality none of us will escape death. The moment we are born we begin our journey to the grave. Perhaps this "Born OK" person is OK with that and expects nothing more from his existence, in a senseless reality. But what if there is something more? What if there is something that makes sense, which gives us hope? What if there is something that fills the deep longing in our hearts, something that restores us and commands death to release us? Has this pers
Read more

What do you mean?

-
In the last post I wrote about restrictions of speech. The debate on this idea continues. There are legitimate restrictions on speech and there are not. I do not intend to judge either in this post but wish to point out that restrictions placed upon speech are the result of the influence of a cultural moral conscience. The current post-modern trend sets up a vaporous type of obstacle to free speech by applying pragmatic moral relativity in the realm of language and reason. Words mean things, words contain information describing or defining things, words form ideas and explain ever larger concepts and realities. Noah Webster placed such a great importance upon the accurate dissemination of the meaning of words that he spent most of his lifetime studying their origin and creating an incredible volume of definitions in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. He recognized that a standard of meaning had to be maintained in order to have civilized and reasonable discourse. &qu
Read more