Greetings to you all in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord and Savior. The New Year has arrived and we should be thankful to be alive. New Year certainly brings lots of excitement, but also challenges, and we cannot forget those of our loved ones who left us last year to be with Jesus.
I extend my wishes that the New Year be filled with faith, hope, love, joy, good health and prosperity. It is in God that we hope. Deuteronomy 7: 9 reads: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is the faithful God who keeps his covenant and love with those who love him and keep his statute for a thousand generations.” An amplified version would read, “All our hope is in God’s faithfulness and he will keep his promises to his people: pardon them, deliver them, cleanse them, and when that time comes, give them rest in his kingdom.”
Looking back at the year in review we have remained faithful to the proclamation of God’s word; we have not veered off the narrow path. Our love for God remains unmovable, our passion for evangelism remains strong, our Bible study has been maintained by a faithful few who come together on Thursday evenings, and our Saturday morning prayer meeting remains steady. God has been the ever-constant provider for our church and we have never been without our basic necessities to do ministry.
One often overlooked blessing of a new year is that it presents many wonderful opportunities to avoid the sins and mistakes of the old year. The vision for a new year should involve new beginnings as well as continuation of that which worked well for the local church and the kingdom of God. The church needs unmatched great zeal manifested through evangelism, Christian education, preaching and teaching. The big questions are, “How does your life’s schedule fit into all of this?” “What needs to change for you in order to become a faithful servant of Jesus during 2018?” “Where in your life do you sense a need for change and growth?”
My first appeal for you is to allow God to change you (2 Cor. 5:17). We’re all a work in progress and we all grow in Christ at different rates. My prayer is that our individual change will manifest itself in our love for Jesus, church attendance, evangelistic efforts, financial giving, and a commitment to the weekly programs of our church.
The second is a request for you to become change agents. Let’s not become complacent with who and what were are presently. We do have a long way to go. Let me ask you to reach out to your family members, co-workers, neighbors, and friend through Facebook, WhatsApp, Texting, Viber, Hike, Line, Snapchat, WeChat or any other social media platforms at your disposal with weekly invitations to attend an event at our church. Share with them what is presently happening in worship, starting with heartfelt singing and a message from God’s word every Sunday. The verse of the hymn below is my prayer for 2018 and I strongly urge you to make it your prayer too.
Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to Thee,
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my will, and make it Thine; It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall thy royal throne.
Yours truly, Rev. Dr. Peter E. Grinion, Pastor