What a year it's been! Certainly one to be remembered ... or preferably one chosen to be forgotten forever!

Oh well, it certainly is a good job we do not know the future holds. However, those of us who have the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Saviour know Who holds the future!

Nothing takes Him by surprise, and that includes everything that seemed to hit us blindsided at the beginning of this past year.

It looks like all that we once knew as normal before Covid will in all probability never return! Too much has happened. For some, irretrievable loss in either employment or sadly losing loved ones.

Everyone is governed in some measure by fear, and there is a horrible feeling of hopelessness in every walk of life. But this is when and where a practical living relationship with the beloved Lord Jesus makes all the difference.

Those of us who His people by faith and by His grace have an anchor of hope that others do not have. Even though we all have to pass through the same trials as everyone else, we know that we have not been left all alone without rhyme or reason in this chaotic environment in which we have to live.

I get the feeling that we are being permitted to endure Covid hardships to enable us ...

to let go of this world and look for something better

Christians know that this place is not our home and that we are 'just passing through', but sometimes we find ourselves holding on to something that makes our eternal destiny less attractive. And all the while, as we see everything collapsing into disarray all around us, and as we see 'the spirit of lawlessness abound' I'm sure that it is becoming apparent that this really is not our home!

In fact, anyone who is reading this, be you a Christian or not ...

this sad old world is not your home either!

Wouldn't you like to escape? Would you like to have something so much better to look forward to?

Having something to look forward to, and Somebody wonderful to meet in Person in a very short while thrills the heart of God's people. And the more we get to know Him now, the brighter our certain future becomes.

He has made promises you know! And when He makes a promise He always keeps it because He cannot lie. He is always faithful to His Word, and because this is so, we can place the full weight of our faith and complete trust in Him and His promises.

For all of God's people the promise of the coming or our beloved Lord and Saviour is not only a ray of hope to brighten our future, but it is what the Bible calls, our 'blessed hope'. But I might add to this that this is our only hope.

Not in a negative sense but in the most positive way.

We don't need any other type of hope when we have the promise that Jesus Himself will come for us, and take us to the place He has been preparing in His Father's house since He left long ago.

This is what he promised -

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also."
John 14: 1-3.

'Where I am, there ye may be also.' What better prospect could God's people ever have other than to be with Him, where He is? This is something that can be more fully appreciated the more we get to know Him, as I said earlier.

For everyone who is unprepared, and carrying a burden of sin around all the time, did you know that you can be free from that burden and from the very thing that separates you from the love of God?

Our sin is the reason why He came. He came to deliver us from its chains of guilt and from its consequences. It meant that He had to come and live on earth just like us and become acquainted with all our infirmities, yet without the ability to sin Himself!

This perfect Man was on a mission.
He didn't come to stay but He also was 'just passing through'.

He was here only for a few short years to live His perfect life and ultimately to go to the cross as our Substitute and suffer, bleed and die in the place of lost and guilty sinners like you and me.

All of us as individuals are the sinners for whom Christ died to save. He has done His part to the satisfaction of God His Father, and was risen from among the dead, living now in the power of an endless life.

Now it is turn to do your part, and turn from the sin that keeps you away from the living and loving God, and keeps you in a hopeless and fearful state, and trust in Him with all your heart. Completely surrender to Him and see what He will do!

What better way to begin a brand New Year? He who not only holds the future, faithfully holds each of His trusting people in His nail scarred hand. He will never let His people down but all who trust in Him are secure forever.

In fact, according to the Lord Jesus, we are doubly secure -

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all;
and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."
John 10: 28-30.

Seeing as it is that we are doubly secure, let us make sure we seek to give to Him every reason to feel that we were worth the price He paid to make us His own.

And now that we have so much to look forward to, we have everything to live for, even though there may be tough times ahead. As long as we remember that we are only 'just passing through', and our home awaits us, we will have the ability to press on with those things that have greater value and not be wasting time in fruitless pursuits.

2021

May you be richly blessed in this coming New Year

Something special just released!

I can honestly say that without the Lord this song video would not have been possible.
It is a little different to the type of video I usually create
because of a recent bereavement in the family.
I trust that it will be a blessing to you at such a time as this.
♥

Here's a simple explanation on how to make sure you are ready for heaven  - and therefore ready to face 2021!
It's as simple as 'ABC'

~~~~~