Each year multitudes of people may commitments to themselves, to others and even to God. Their New Year’s resolutions seem fixed in their minds and possibly in their hearts. The intentions are good, but the follow-through is not. Somewhere between the affirmation and the action something gets lost, and they return to the way things were before… comfortable and familiar.

This year, I want to challenge you to something different. I want to encourage you to use these days to diligently seek God for His vision for your life. What is it that God wants you to do or become? Then I want to encourage you to take some steps to make that a reality in your life. It will take more than a wish. It will take a proactive choice and a commitment to see that choice through.

One of the first steps you can take to making God’s vision a reality in your life is to consider your crowd. “My crowd?” you ask. Yes, you know, the crowd you permit to surround you and influence you. If you are going to give that vision life then you must ask yourself if you are surrounding yourself with people who will help get you to where you are going. Is your crowd supportive of your passion for God? Are they willing to challenge you when you try to stop pressing forward or if you choose a contrary path?

So often, we pay little attention to the impact of others on our lives and we miss their ability to inspire us, and sometimes discourage us. People naturally gravitate toward people who are like them. Have you ever noticed how it seems that the complainers all cluster together, each one fueling the others’ concerns. The negativity grows and the entire group becomes ever more entrenched in those destructive patterns.

The good news is that it works both ways. Surrounding yourself with positive people, those who have great faith and keep pressing on to win the prize, will begin to have an effect on you. The more you are with them, the more you too will begin to embrace an attitude of possibility and promise. Even a negative person can become a person of great vision if they allow God to work in their lives and surround themselves with positive people.

I am not suggesting that you abandon your friends or your family, but rather, that you allow yourself to soak in the attitude and spirit of people of great faith so that you can achieve God’s purpose in your life and so that you can be a positive influence in your other relationships.

Fulfilling your resolutions will require more that just the right crowd, but with the Spirit’s help, it is a powerful first step toward making God’s vision a reality in and through you.

Be blessed as you seek God and His kingdom in this new year.

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Those first seven days were so significant that they shaped the lives of people throughout history. The nation of Israel, followed the commands of God and made the seven day cycle a rhythm of life for the whole nation, working for six days and resting on the seventh. But the influence did not stop there, even though the various cultures of our modern day world have different calendars, almost all of them live by a seven day week. They were seven important days.

As significant as those first days were, there is one that was greater still – the eighth day. It was the day when God restored humanity and creation to its original design. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to show us who God is, and through His death and resurrection gave us new life. It was a new day. It was the Lord’s Day. It was the first day of a new beginning. As the Scripture tells us, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”

We are so blessed to be living in this new day. No longer must we be separated from God. No longer must we be victims of sin. Instead, we may live in the victory that only comes from Jesus Christ. He is the eighth day, the new beginning of creation.

As we enter into the beginning of this New Year, it is important to remember the power of new beginnings in Christ. Our lives are changed and God wants us to live in the power and freedom purchased for us by our Savior. We can know the victory of Jesus in our lives, our families, our work, and in every facet of who we are. Whatever we are facing, the King of kings and Lord of lords is ruler over it all. We belong to Him. It is His day, and we are living, truly living, in it.

Even more amazing is the truth that God did not just make the day new for us in Christ, but for everyone. He calls us to take the joy of our life in Him and the power of His transforming Spirit within us into all the world so that others may know His love and redemption. He gives us the opportunity to join with Him in leading others into the wonder and life-changing power of this new, eighth day.

May your new year be filled with all the fullness of Christ, and may others come to know the saving power of our Lord through your life and testimony, and the witness of our life together. Blessings and excitement to all as we begin this new stage in our journey. Happy Eighth Day!

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It is important to pause in these times of transition and celebrate the blessings of God in our lives. Now is when we pay attention to the wonder and beauty of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Now is when we appreciate the relationships of our lives and strength that we gain from them. Now is when we offer thanks for God’s provision and recognize how God brought us through another year.

As we look over the past year, we recall how we served God and grew in the knowledge and love of him. Here is where we thank God for the insight and vision given to us and for the ability to overcome. Here is the time when we can celebrate our successes and rejoice in the victories of our lives.

This is also the time when we remember the challenges and, dare I say, mistakes, of the past year. This is when we look honestly at where we can grow and what we can learn from the places where things did not work out. This is the time when we offer all of our past to God and learn the lessons he desires we learn.

While we look back, it is easy to be caught in our past. From idealizing our younger years to feeling bound by past mistakes, we can feel the grip of what has already happened and miss the liberation that is ours in Jesus Christ. It is important to remember where we came from and the experiences that shaped us into who we are today, but we can only truly appreciate the past when we understand that God holds our future. As he spoke through Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you… plans for good to give to you a future and a hope.”

God has a wonderful future for each of us. He knows how to take our successes, our failures, our wounds and our dreams and weave them together into something beautiful. Ge wants to fulfill the desires of our heart while we fulfill our destiny with him. We need to put our trust in God and, glancing back toward our past, return our gaze forward to focus on what lies ahead on our exciting journey with Jesus.

I pray that you will celebrate all that this New Year brings and the great joy that comes from walking with God as you do. I pray that you will give God your past and let him give you your future. Trust in God and he will direct your paths.

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We enjoy our celebrations, but we do not want to miss them, or the space between them in a mad rush to get to the next one. There is something special about taking the time to fully enjoy the celebration that is before us, before moving on to something new. The frantic pace of business and culture makes savoring these moments more difficult and it has even made its way into the church.

November 28th, we enter the season of Advent, a season of preparation and expectation. It is the time when we anticipate the celebration of our Savior’s birth and look forward to his return. It is a season meant to increase our sense of wonder and our excitement over what is yet to come. In four simple, yet special weeks, we prepare ourselves, our families and our community for the joy of Christmas. Meanwhile, the world around us is already celebrating Christmas. The baby is already in the manger surrounded by shepherds and the wise men have already come. By the time Christmas arrives, the celebration is nearly over, when it should be just beginning.

We cannot stop the world from celebrating too soon, but we can be sure to take our time. We can be patient, allowing the expectation to build, and like Mary, ponder these things in our heart. This Advent season, I encourage you not to rush too quickly to Christmas, but enjoy this time of preparation and anticipation. It is only four weeks and will be gone before you know it. So before I wish you Merry Christmas, I say to you, “Have a blessed Advent!” It is a great season – don’t miss it.

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The sons of Issachar understood the times. What a powerful declaration. Not only did they have a grasp on the season in which they lived, but they also knew what Israel ought to do. Talk about the power of wisdom and revelation of the Lord. God downloaded necessary skill and knowledge to those who would steward it for the good of the whole nation of Israel.

This is such a powerful word for us in this season. God is downloading revelation to His people so that they can impart wisdom and understanding to the world around them. Many people are lost, and in this season, they know that they are. Multitudes are looking for understanding and direction. It is a wonderful opportunity for the church of Jesus Christ to shine. When we hear from heaven we can speak something important to the world around us.

People don’t need more empty human reason, even from Christians. They need to hear a word from the Lord and God is offering us a multitude of opportunities to speak His word to the world.

It is such an awesome season to be alive and to be in ministry. It is not easy, but what a wonderful time to have the King of Kings walking through the chaos of the world with you. What a great time to declare by word and action that there is peace to be found in Jesus Christ. I am so excited about what God is doing.

All around me, there is the same struggles that are around others. There are still issues and concerns. There is still political unrest, poverty and fear, but if you look deeper you can see that a new thing is happening. God is raising up His church and revival is being birthed in our midst. God is so good!

I hope that the excitement is contagious. Keep looking to Jesus to transform your circumstances. This is a season of extreme favor. I believe it, not just because He wants to bless us, but because God wants to provide us with all that we need to accomplish His purposes for this time. So it is my prayer that you and I will understand our times and know what needs to be done.

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