Stepping Into A New Year :: By Holly Spate

Published on: January 10, 2023 by RR10

For many, the very thought of a new year evokes feelings of joy. It provides a boost to the heart, bringing a sense of fresh hope and a new perspective. For some, it provides a springboard… a chance to start over, to be better. It’s an opportunity to seek new adventures and improve oneself. A new year equals a new beginning… a beginning filled with possibility and surprises.

For others, a new year causes feelings of fear, anxiety and uneasiness. It’s not embraced with open arms but stepped into cautiously and reluctantly. The unknown is not a welcome invitation to many, and stepping into a new year can bring feelings of unwelcome stress.

No matter which feeling you may have as you step into 2023 (overly optimistic or cautiously anxious), there is a common truth for all that have chosen to put their hope and faith in Christ. This common truth brings peace, as it is good news! It is a reminder that there is no need to fear.

The good news for you as a believer in Christ is this…

A new year with Christ means another year with all He provides: hope, peace, love, joy, encouragement, direction, provision, forgiveness, new mercies.

A new year with Christ means another year of confidently knowing your heavenly Father has a plan and purpose for your days and your life.

A new year with Christ means you can trust, rely and lean on the very One who is the creator and author of your life.

A new year with Christ means more time to share His love, light and truth of salvation with others.

A new year with Christ means you can have full assurance that He is in full control and you need not fear.

A new year with Christ means you can be confident that your future is secure and your eternity bright.

A new year with Christ means you can always trust an unknown time to a known God.

As a child of God, you are not walking into 2023 alone…. He is with you, just like always. He’s walking beside you… guiding your steps, speaking to your heart, and keeping you safely in His care. He knows the future and has a plan for your life. Therefore, you have no need to be anxious.

Never forget… the very One who walks beside you today, who has walked beside you in the past, promises to take every step beside you. The King of Kings will never leave your side. As you walk into 2023, He is beside you… the Savior of the world is beside you. You may not know what the new year may bring, but you can have joy in knowing that you will be journeying with Jesus!

All believers can head into the new year with confidence and peace, resting in the knowledge that our Savior is good and He never changes… ever.

Hebrews 13:8 reminds of this truth, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Lamentations 3:21-25 states, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”

As we begin a new year, I’m reminded of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which states, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Because God’s Word is encouraging, powerful, and serves as a blueprint for how to live life, I felt led to leave you with some beautiful scriptures as you venture into another year.

I pray you will print these verses and keep them in a visible place as a daily reminder of encouragement as you remember Who is in control and Whose child you are!

Praying your 2023 draws you closer to Christ as you hold to His truths and keep His Word hidden in your heart.

His promises are true. His love is unconditional. His plans are perfect. He cares for you… you are His!

Keep looking up, planting, praying, praising, thanking, forgiving, hoping, loving, sharing, encouraging and trusting.

May God bless each of you. Happy New Year to All!

spate.holly@gmail.com

*Encouragement for 2023*

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8).

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165).

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3).

“I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:13).

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalm 118:6).

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).

“A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion” (Psalm 112:5).

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13).

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” Hebrews 12:11).

“And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people” (Leviticus 26:12).

“But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled” (1 Peter 3:14).

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12-13).

“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).

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Three Crosses on a Hill: A Study in Evangelism :: By Donald Whitchard

Published on: January 10, 2023 by RR10

Isaiah 53:5-6, Luke 23:39-46, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 5:6-11, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 64:6

Summary: When we preach about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins upon the cross, we forget that there were also two men crucified on crosses next to Him. Each man had the opportunity to look to Jesus for grace and mercy. Their response determined their eternal destiny.

The agony of the crucifixion and the final hours of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels, each written with their own unique perspective of what happened that dark day (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19). Each one tells of the jeering, mockery, contempt, and seething hatred toward the LORD coming from the spectators, the Roman soldiers, the hypocritical Pharisees whom He had openly condemned just a couple of days before (Matthew 23), and the two thieves that had been crucified along with Him, one to His left and one to His right. The dark forces of evil were on full display, both from the human and the hidden presence of the demons and Satan himself. They all reveled in the sight of watching their mortal enemy put to death and hopefully out of mind, forever shattering the plan of God to redeem His fallen creation, or so they believed.

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 that these same forces were totally ignorant of the fact that what they saw as the convenient murder of Jesus was, in fact, the preordained plan of God all along (Genesis 3:15; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:2; Revelation 13:8). Jesus told His captors that “their hour had come” in order that “the Scriptures might be fulfilled” (Luke 22:53), referring to everything that had been predicted and the events leading up to it (Matthew 26:55-56; Mark 14:48-49; John 18:1-9). The crucifixion of Jesus was no accident or something that caught God Almighty off guard. Nothing does, period.

Jesus’ act of sacrifice was not only the foreordained plan of redemption for our sins (John 19:30) but is itself the entire reason for evangelism. Jesus’ own work in personal and public evangelism was taught to His disciples as the example to follow, and they did so when assigned to go tell everyone in the nearby towns and villages about Him (Luke 9:1-6). Jesus was a continuous “soul-winner,” even while He was in both physical and spiritual agony upon the cross. Scripture tells us that at no time did the Lord Jesus ever cry out in anger or rage against those who had taken part in putting Him to death (Luke 6:11, 19:14; John 7:7, 15:18, 25, 19:6). Instead, He asked God the Father to forgive the people for their ignorance in the midst of their contempt for Him (Luke 23:34).

Take a moment to stop and think about this. The Lord Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, allowed His creation to put Him to death. The sheer hatred that fallen humanity has for the Creator is reason enough for Him to have refused to go to the cross and instead obliterate the entirety of creation out of existence and begin again if He had so desired (Romans 1:18-22, 5:6-11), yet He did not. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 32), and while He has and will punish both individuals and nations for their rebellion and sin, He also shows incredible mercy and grace to this world, even though we do not deserve it. The composure and attitude Jesus showed were noticed by these two thieves that had been sentenced to die along with Him.

Each one’s reaction showed the influence Jesus had upon them as they stared off into eternity. The thief on the left had the chance to make peace with God, while the thief on the right took the chance to get right with God in the few moments he had left in this world. The Gospels describe these men as “thieves,” but the severity of their crimes was far worse. They had not been merely caught with someone else’s possessions but more than likely were members of the zealot movement that was prominent throughout Judea. For years, the zealots had fought for an independent nation of Israel and the revival of the Davidic kingdom, free from all foreign influences and governments. Their hatred of the pagan Romans was such that they conspired to murder Roman soldiers, citizens, and anyone who aided Rome.

One of the twelve apostles had been a member of this faction until called by Jesus to follow Him. The fact that Matthew, a former tax collector for Rome, and Simon, who had been one of these zealots against Rome, were both now apostles of Jesus instead of adversaries at each other’s throats was a testimony to His power and ability to transform minds and hearts of all who followed Him. The two thieves had a companion named Barabbas who had been sentenced to die with them but at the last moment had been set free by the decree of Pontius Pilate and the cry of the people for Jesus to be crucified instead (Matthew 27:16-17, 20, 26; Mark 15:7; Luke 23:18; John 18:40). Barabbas faded from the story and became a part of oblivion, never aware of or caring about the One who had taken his place for death that day.

Death by crucifixion was reserved for anyone or any group who dared to rebel against Caesar and was a visible reminder of the price one paid for crimes against the Empire. It was one of the most barbaric and horrendous methods of capital punishment in the ancient world, and medical experts have examined and described the slow and painful death that its victims faced. These two criminals had been sentenced for theft, murder, and rebellion against Caesar and received their due punishment.

One thief had been crucified on the left of Jesus, and one on the right. They mocked and ridiculed the Lord even while they writhed in their own agonies. The thief on the left sarcastically called out for Jesus to save Himself and then get them off of their crosses. If He was the Promised Messiah, He had the Divine power to not only free them but lead their fellow Zealots to overthrow Rome and free Israel from foreign rule forever. If He were the Messiah, He could bring wounded and dead soldiers back to health and life, providing them with everything needed to achieve their goals. To this unrepentant and unbelieving thief, Jesus was nothing more than a means to an end, much like the attitude of the crowds whom He had fed and now saw Him not as the Living Bread from heaven but as a perpetual meal ticket from God, sent to fulfill their desires by force if necessary (John 6:22-40).

The Sovereign LORD bows to no one’s demands or decrees of splendor. We are to obey Him, period (Deuteronomy 26:16, 32:46; 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 119:166; Isaiah 50:10; Jeremiah 7:23; Matthew 7:21-23; Acts 5:29; 2 John 1:6). There is no room for our opinion, feelings, discussion, or dissension on the subject.

This unbelieving criminal, instead of embracing Christ as his only hope, rejected Him. In doing so, he went to a real, literal, horrid hell, where there is no hope, love, concern, peace, care, or repentance, but only remorse and bitterness (Mark 9:43-43; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15). He was close to Jesus in proximity but chose to walk away from Him eternally.

This thief’s rejection of salvation through Jesus Christ is a lesson in the necessity of evangelism. The Bible says that we are sinners heading to hell for our rebellion and wickedness, and before any transformation of a heart takes place, that hard truth has to hit people squarely in their soul, and too few take the hint. When a follower of Christ tells another person that they need to get “saved,” they had better be prepared to give the right answer if that person asks, “Saved from what?”

Jesus offered this thief freedom from an eternity not only “separated from Him” but freedom from a very real hell that few preachers and, I dare say, few believers will stand up and boldly proclaim. Gospel preaching and the work of evangelism are out of balance if we do not present the reality of hell as well as the promise of heaven. Not everyone will listen, like the thief on the left, but he and everyone throughout history are without excuse before God for what they do with His offer of grace and mercy (Romans 1:18-20).

What of the thief on the right? Jesus’ example of evangelism in the midst of agony had an effect on him as well, but instead of dying in his sin, he chose to die to his sin. He knew that his crimes and other sins had placed him on that cross. He possessed no excuses nor any claim of self-righteousness that would free him (Isaiah 53:5-6, 64:6; Romans 3:23). He rebuked the other thief for his contemptuous remarks against the LORD, asking if the man even feared God. He declared that they were both getting what they deserved but that Jesus was innocent of any crimes or wrongdoing and did not deserve to be put to death.

It is here where this repentant thief turns to Jesus and asks, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” No long prayer came from his lips, but the words he said liberated his soul from the edge of hell. Jesus turned to him and said, “Truly I tell you, this day you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). The thief had seen Jesus for Who He claimed to be and put his faith In Him as a result. Here is an example of the child-like faith He asks of anyone who would come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30). We see Him as not just a man on a cross as the unbelieving thief did, but as the One whose death on the cross made it possible for the repentant thief and everyone else to enter the kingdom of heaven.

This scene was part of an Easter message presented by the noted Scottish pastor Alister Begg. In his sermon, the repentant thief had just died and appeared in the portals of heaven. An angel approached him and asked him his name, which he gave. Another angel asked the man how he got there. He replied, “I don’t know. One moment I closed my eyes, and the next, I’m here!” He was then asked by what means did he enter heaven. Was he familiar with the Law of Moses? Was he aware of substitutionary atonement? Was he familiar with the doctrines of grace or had any knowledge of Scripture? Did he know anything about God at all? This former thief said, “Look, I can’t answer all of your questions. The only thing I’m sure of is that the Man on the middle cross said I could come in.”

Here is where they rejoiced. The evangelism displayed by the Lord Jesus on the cross brought another lost lamb into the fold that day (Luke 15:7, 10).

We are all condemned to the cross of death. Like these thieves who were at His side all those ages ago, you have the same choice, either to turn away and reject His mercy or turn to Him just as you are and embrace His mercy. Lost lamb, no matter what, the Great Shepherd will take you as you are and bring you into that same Paradise that so many others have entered. How awesome is that? Just ask the former thief when you meet him.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com