Don't be afraid of the future

Don't be afraid of the future, because of the past. This past year may have been difficult and heartbreaking, but we are not without hope. The Lord will not abandon his children.

The Lord Jesus give the great commission in Matthew 28, Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE.

Throughout my life this had been my go to motivation and belief , sustaining me when nothing else made sense. The Lord Jesus is with us through his Holy Spirit. He will not leave us or forsake us.

Let this be your hope for the year ahead. Do not let fear cripple you - but believe in the words of the Lord Jesus and let it sustain you as we walk out of the old year into the new. 

Let go of the old - take hold of the new

 

Let go of the old, take hold of the new. A friend send me a message to let me know this saying was communistic propaganda back in the day. 

I thought about it, and circled back to my firm belief that everything belongs to the Lord. Paul wrote these words some 2000 years before the communistic party came along. Saying:'Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus'(Philippians 3:12-16).

For Paul the prize was not only earthly gain, but deeply tied to his relationship with Christ Jesus and the heavenly prize involved. He wanted to please the Lord by letting go of certain things and take hold of new things. 

Sometimes we need to let go of things. But by being wise and with godly discernment this decision needs to be made. What do I keep, and what to let go? What is part of God's plan and what is not? You may ask me how do one discern? Start with the question is it biblical or not? That may sift things. 

Then there are things that pass without human intervention, like a day, a month, a year, a season of life. We cannot hold on to these, but we can embrace the new. 

Lastly, I would say the motive behind everything will help with discernment - what motivates my decision - is it love? 

Do I want to please the Lord Jesus by letting go of some things and taking hold of new things? You decide. 

Since Christ... - by Christo Jovner

 

Salvation - Founded since Christ's birth! 

Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year! To me to celebrate Christmas, is to celebrate Christ!

We often - every year for that matter - celebrate our birthdays... We hear, and perhaps are part of, the anniversary of a school or a wedding. We often see on a business shop front or on their media space "Founded since...."

What all these celebrations have is common, is the decision to start something! We celebrate origins - we celebrate that someone decided to start a business, someone decided to start a school, a church, someone decided to marry, and to have children...

And so, God the Father decided to send Jesus to the earth, and when Christ was born, salvation originated. Salvation, the Savior of the world, was born. Salvation - that which was in God's heart from before the beginning of the world... 

Look what the Bible say:

Simeon said in Luk 2:29-30 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised...  my eyes have seen your salvation" Luke 2:29‭-‬30

Angels appeared to shepherds in the night and said: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:11 NIV

Zachariah said the following of his son, John the Baptist, he would "give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins," Luke 1:77 NIV

Of Jesus, he said: He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. Luke 1:69 NIV

Isaiah prophesied of Christ: he says: “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”Isaiah 49:6 NIV 

Today, let's celebrate Christmas with sure knowing that Christ was born and the He brought salvation to us! 

Salvation - founded since Jesus was born, but founded before the beginning of the world in God the Father's heart!

It is time - by Christo Jovner

 

Sing a song

One of my favourite times of the year is Christmas, because then we get to play Christmas music and we usually listen to it the whole month of December. Words mixed with a melody has the ability to reach places in our hearts that are often closed up. And all the more, if that melody has a catchy tune, we usually remember the words, and hence the message of a song.

David penned down a lot of songs that we read of in the Psalms, and through the ages these Psalms, and other pieces of Scripture, have been given melodies by various song writers.

When Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, they were overjoyed about what was happening to both of them, and Mary sang a song, which is referenced to the song that Hannah sang after she was pregnant with the prophet Samuel in Old Testament times (1 Sam 2:1-10). Mary sang the following in the words of The Passion Translation in Luk 2:46-50:

“My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God!

My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God! 

For he set his tender gaze upon me, his lowly servant girl.

And from here on, everyone will know that I have been favored and blessed.

The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me; holy is his name!

Mercy kisses all who fear him, from one generation to the next.”

Today, we also have so much to be thankful for! God has brought us through another year. We still have a place to lay down our head, we still have food on the table - we can celebrate a year’s life! We can also celebrate God’s goodness, merry, favour, provision and healing in our lives! We can celebrate the Author of Salvation himself - Jesus during this Christmas time!

It’s time to sing our own songs! 

Its time to put melody to our own testimony-stories! 

It’s time!

Jesus' childhood - by Christo Jovner

 

'Silent years' 

Not much is said of Jesus when he was a child. We read of the events around His birth and his family that fled to Epypt to escape the death of all male boys as was ordered by Herod. The next incident we read of was when He was 12, when He decided to linger in Jerusalem after their family when there for the annual Feast of Passover. After being confronted by His mother about his actions, Jesus answered "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business? (Luk 2:29) 

Luke make some closing remarks about Jesus' childhood in the following verses:

He was subject to them (his parents) and Jesus increased in wisdom and favour with God and men. (Luk 2:51-52) This is a fulfilled prophecy from the book of Isa 11:2-3 that says the Spirit of wisdom and understanding will rest upon him. 

After this incident, the Bible authors jump to write of his baptism and ministry.

Compared to all the miracles, signs and wonders Jesus did, those were supposedly more important to write about than Jesus growing up as a child. And yet, the formative years of a child is so important! 

Most of us have vivid memories of growing up as a child, whether good or bad. It is part of us and cannot be taken away.

We often make inner vows, sometimes unknowingly, due to these experiences we had as a child and it most definitely shape our lives and relationships with people. 

Today, as you read this, I pray that the Holy Spirit is working in your heart to bring a situation of your childhood to your remembrance - good or bad. I want to ask you give that to Him, to release your mother, or your father, brother or sister, or even a family member not of your household if it is a negative memory. By choosing to forgive and to speak a blessing over that person, will set you free! 

Don't let your childhood 'silent years' keep your now-life silent, but step out and live life to the fullest!

God cares about you, His favour is upon you, He has a hope and a future for you! You will become all you were created to be, in Jesus Name!