Bible Advice for a New Year

It is here. A new year is a fresh start. It provides a clean slate to write your story. Here are some biblical ways of doing so to consider as you begin.  Of highest importance is knowing for sure you have a vital real relationship with Jesus Christ through the simple plan of the Gospel.  If you are unsure of your relationship with God, we would invite you to contact us to talk in person. In the meantime, click here to help understand more about your relationship with God.

Here are 7 practical ways to begin this new year of life in a biblical way.

1.       Begin With an Over-all  Renewed Commitment to the Priority of God in Your Life

Some things to think about as you consider the place of priority God has held in your life and how you might improve.

·         What do I spend my time doing each week? Remember, time is life and life is time. How you spend your time is how you are spending your life.  Sure there is time to relax, watch the game

·         What do I look forward to doing most in a week?  Does your answer have much to do with God or your service to him?

o   Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…(Matthew 6:33)

o   If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col 3:1-2)

o   Create and pray for the opportunities to serve in ways you enjoy.  The way you serve him will be according to the spiritual gifts and opportunities he has given you.

2.       Begin with a Renewed Commitment to the Priority of Prayer

It is interesting how large a portion of Sacred Writ is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read, “Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;” and just as we are about to close the volume, the “Amen” of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob-there a Daniel who prayed three times a day-and a David who with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see Elias; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands, and myriads of promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of prayer? – Charles Spurgeon

 “God’s acquaintance is not made hurriedly.  He does not bestow his gifts on the casual or hasty comer and goer.  To be MUCH alone with God is the secret of knowing Him and of having influence with Him.” E.M. Bounds

 “We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power.  We have a great deal of activity but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results.  The power of God is lacking in our lives and in our work.  We have not because we ask not.  It was a master stroke of the Devil when he got the church and the ministry so generally to lay aside the mighty weapon of prayer/ The Devil is not afraid of machinery, he is only afraid of God, and machinery without prayer is machinery without God. When due to lack of teaching or spiritual insight, we trust in our own diligence and effort to influence the world and the flesh, and work more than pray, the presence and power of God are not seen in our work as we wish.” R. A. Torrey

3.       Begin with A Renewed Commitment to the Word of God, The Bible.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Col 3:16)

 “Sanctify them through Thy Word, Thy Word is Truth.” (John 17:17)

Whatsoever things be TRUE….THINK on these things… (Phil. 4:8)

We ARE what we THINK on a regular basis. Meditate on the Bible every day.

·  Read the Word – Don’t get discouraged if you miss a day or a week or a month….

· Listen to the Word preached – take notes, MP3, online sermons….  www.oneplace.com

·  Memorize the Word

·  Consider it in daily actions – remember that as a Christian it is “written on your heart.” What does that mean to you?

4.       Begin Without the Nagging Paralyzing Effect of Fear, Dread and Worry

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. (Isa 41:10)

Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… Peter 1:13

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2Co 10:5)

Remember:

Great Faith is not an irrational leap. It is a reasonable trust in the revealed truth about God. It is a process of thinking. John MacArthur

Faith is primarily thinking.  The trouble with a man of “little faith” is that he doesn’t think.  He allows circumstances to beat him up.  Faith is not purely mystical.  Christian faith is essentially thinking (by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit) on the truths of God’s Word. “Look at the bird, the grass, the lilies, –consider them…think about it and draw your deductions based on logic.  Faith is a man determined to think on truth when circumstances tell him not to. Lloyd-Jones

The essence of “little faith” is that a man’s thoughts are controlled by circumstance and not by the man girding up the loins of his mind and bringing them captive to the truth.  The man of “little faith” is the man who is not allowing the Spirit to fill him with the truth of the Word of God, but is being filled with his own thoughts of fear, worry and suspicion based on circumstances.  He then does not think, but goes round and round in circles.   Worry is not “thinking too much” it is not thinking enough about the Biblical truth that you know.  It is not letting the Word of Christ “dwell in you richly” and being “filled with the Word of God by the Holy Spirit” Faith is not optimism, wishful thinking, or dreaming.  It is a reasoned response to the revealed truth of the Bible with or without emotion.  Lloyd-Jones

5.       Begin Without Conviction from Sins of the Past Which You Have Confessed and Forsaken.

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Pro 28:13)  If you haven’t confessed and forsaken your sin.  Do so today. Would you rather have a year of failure or a year of mercy?

6.       Begin with A Renewed Commitment to Spiritual Disciplines in the Pursuit of Godliness.

God makes us Godly!!!    We “put ourselves in the way.”  Remember:

·         Discipline brings Freedom to reach your goals

·         Discipline is based on principle and commitment -not feeling

·         Discipline without direction is drudgery. – Donald Whitney

 Examples of areas to develop disciplined routines for godliness.

A great resource for ideas in the book, Spiritual Discipline by Donald Whitney.

·         Bible intake          

·         Service

·         Confession to God

·         Prayer

·         Searching/solitude

·         Praise

·         Devotions

·         Accountability

·         Evangelism

7.       Begin with The End in Mind.

It may be hard to do, but think about how you want this new year to end next December.  What will you want the year to have been like?  What do you want to have accomplished, how to you want to be better? Different? This means you’ll need to set and accomplish goals.  Here are some ideas on how to do so.

Quick steps to getting where you want to go…

·         Review your roles (What roles do you play?  Mom, Dad, Employee, Christian, Husband, Wife…?

·         Realistic reflection in each area of how you can and should improve.

·         Righteous reach forward (God ordained Goals).  Set goals for each role.

·         Reinvented routine. Determine to change your life’s routines in order to reach your goals.

·         Revitalized rigor. Get excited and motivated by envisioning how your life and the lives of those around you will improve as you reach your goals.

If you do not have a church you feel at home in or that teaches the Bible in a truthful practical way, we invite you to visit us some Sunday.