LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD JANUARY 2, 2025
Hello Dear Saints in every corner of the earth,
May God bless you individually, as a family, and as a
church family with the richest of His wonderful blessings in 2025! Many around
the world are saying, “What happened to 2024?”
Well, one thing we know for sure is, IT’S GONE! There is
no turning back, no wishing we had done certain things and not done other
things. That chapter of our lives is gone and likely, will only be recalled on
our day of Judgment. So, knowing we can not go back and change the past, not
even one tiny little second, WHAT DO WE DO IN 2025?
Some people make a list of “New Year’s Resolutions.”
Ambitious desires/intentioms etc to make needed changes in our lives. It is
always a good thing to recognize that we need to make certain changes in our
lives in order to be a better example of following Jesus Christ as we continue
to “Live in the Kingdom of God.”
It is always vital to remember that it is God’s Kingdom
we are living in and not our own. To truly recognize the fact that JESUS is the
King and we are His servants. To remember that Jesus states in Matthew 5:16
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, I GIVE UNTO YOU TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
For what purpose did Jesus say and do this? So we can go around singing, “This
little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” NO! So that the world
might see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. Did
our works in 2024 and previous years glorify God?
That might be one question to ask ourselves as we have
entered another “New Year.” A well known hymn that is very appropriate for
entering a new year is entitled, “Standing at the Portal.”
The story behind the hymn "Standing at the
Portal" is that Frances Ridley Havergal, the hymn's composer, found
comfort in the words of the hymn as she faced the uncertainty of each new
year.
Havergal was a prolific hymn-writer who struggled with
poor health throughout her life and died at the age of 43. The hymn is about
finding comfort in the words of God's voice, and the assurance that the Lord is
with us, strengthening and upholding us. She wrote the hymn on January 4, 1873.
Following are the first and last verses and the refrain. “Standing at
the portal of the opening year, words of comfort meet us hushing every fear,
spoken through the silence by God's loving voice, tender, strong and faithful,
making us rejoice.
God will not forsake us and will never fail; God's
eternal covenant ever will prevail.
Resting on this promise, what have we to fear? God is all-sufficient for the
coming year. [Refrain]
Refrain: Onward, then, and fear not, children of the
day, for God's word shall never, never pass away”.
Happy New Year!
God bless
Paul Gage
