Happy New Year          

 

Dear friends, the Lord has done it again. He has kept us alive to witness another year – the year 2002. How quickly the last year went by. And just think of it, we’re almost at the end of the first quarter of the New Year.

 

It is no wonder the Bible says that 1000 years are like one day, and one day, like 1000 years in God’s sight.

 

Father’s Business

Beloved, you’d recall that when Jesus was born, the devil knew what the consequences would be for his dominion; hence he tried to kill Jesus after His birth. The consequence was that many innocent children 2 years and under lost their lives.

 

The point is this, the mere fact that the Lord spared your life at birth, and has kept you alive until now suggests you have some unfinished business in this world. Not only have you been kept alive, but also, you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. This makes your case even more significant.

 

Right from when He was young, Jesus lived in His prepared destiny. At the age of 12 when He went with his parents for the feast at Jerusalem, He was found reasoning with the scribes and elders in the Temple, whilst His parents sought Him. When they found Him and asked why He had tarried behind, He asked, “did you not know I must be about my Father’s business? I came not to do my will, but the will of Him that sent me.” Dear friends, are we living in the consciousness of the will of Our Father in Heaven?

 

God’s Agenda

The point is that many of us are into various professions and vocations. There’s nothing wrong with that. Many of the

 

Disciples of Jesus were professionals. Luke was a physician; Saul, who persecuted the Christians and later became Paul, was a tent-maker. As Christians, being in a job of whatever sort does not excuse us from fulfilling the purpose for which we have been saved – which is to go after the lost. We have been saved to go and save others, to go and snatch them from the jaws of the lion, as it were.

 

No matter what our occupations are, we have been placed there for a purpose – to be Christ’s Ambassadors, representing His heavenly kingdom in those places. We are to serve and carry out our daily duties, with eternity in view. The reason being that we are only here for a short while. Hence, Jesus declared, “I must work the works of Him that sent me whilst it is yet day, for no man can work when night comes.” What a difference it would make if we can be as committed to the cause of Christ as we are to our jobs or businesses.

 

Beloved, the point is this: the only item on God’s eternal agenda is THE SOULS OF MEN! It is not His will that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance and be saved!

 

A Fresh Opportunity

Unfortunately, the devil has made the celebration of the birth of Christ a commercial activity. It’s the time of year that many businesses look forward to. They make so much money – Christmas and New Year are occasions for celebration. Whilst we rejoice that Christ came into the world, we must not forget why He came – to die for the sins of the world. Hence, He is called “The Saviour”.

 

The New Year is always an occasion for thanksgiving when we realise that not many live to witness a new year. Some that we know pass away and never live to celebrate another year. But here you are, alive and well, you have a lot to be thankful for. The mercies of God are never to be taken for granted. This year gives you a fresh opportunity to make a renewed commitment to serve the Lord faithfully. Here is your opportunity to begin to make a fresh investment into God’s Kingdom. The point is it doesn’t matter how much we have in our bank accounts; we would not take anything with us when we leave this world. The only things we can present to God when we stand before Him on that Day are the souls of men we have won for Him.

 

Goal Setting

How many people came to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour through you in 2001? Have you got target souls for 2002? Businesses set goals so why can’t we? Remember that if you do not set a target, you will be fighting as one “beating the air”. Again, it is not enough to set goals, we must have an action plan which will lead to the implementation of our goals. How do you intend to target souls this year? It’s not too late to start. Prayer fully ask the Lord to lay some people on your heart, to give you a real burden to see them saved. Beloved, without a heart of compassion, we cannot reach out to the lost. When Jesus looked up at the multitudes, He saw them as sheep having no shepherds. He was always moved with compassion. May the Lord help us to see the world through His eyes, and to understand the reality of Hell. The point is we haven’t got much time. Echoes of the Millennium are still sounding loud and clear, reminding us that the time is short.

 

Seek the Lost

There are many around us who are lost. They’re looking for someone to show them the way. Are we going to pass them by? Jesus gave the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ to show us what He expects of us. We are not to pass them by.

 

Surely, we have family members, friends, work mates, neighbours and others who are not saved. How often do we intercede for them, crying out to God to save them? May the Lord deliver us from coldness of heart that makes us indifferent to the dying world around us.

 

Father God, touch our hearts with the fresh fire of your love. Amen!!!