2011

As we come to the beginning of a new year, we often wish we could turn over a new leaf or have a fresh start. No doubt about it, there have been certain things we have said or done in this past year that we now regret.

Maybe you need a fresh start in this coming year. Here is a great opportunity to claim one. We don't know what the new year is going to bring. We don't know what problems we are going to encounter. We don't know what changes are going to come. We don't know what blessings the Lord has in store for us. But whatever the new year holds, we don't have to be afraid because Jesus Christ is going to be waiting there for us.

I like the words of that wonderful woman of God, Corrie ten Boom, who said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

God is in control of your future. He is ready to bless you in 2011.

Happy New Year

WHAT'S NEXT, JESUS?

"Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do." Matthew 7:21 (TEV)

Being a disciple of Jesus doesn't mean simply agreeing with Jesus or even heading in the same general direction as Jesus. We're not called to follow Jesus in the abstract. It is not like we're negotiating a contract, where we come to an agreement in principle. Think of it like this: you can agree smoking is hazardous to your health, but it means nothing until you stop smoking.

The call of Jesus is to Christ himself. We are called into a relationship. We follow and obey the person, the only begotten son, the author and perfector of our faith.

Jesus calls us to a level of intimacy that can only be sustained by his constant presence in our lives. Discipleship without Jesus is no discipleship at all. We may not understand all that discipleship involves or all that it will cost us, but Jesus calls us to take the first step, and, through that obedience, we develop the additional faith necessary to take the next step.

His call is a command for you to comprehensively and absolutely walk away from the way you do life now so you can follow him down an exclusive path through the narrow gate that leads to the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus wants you to know him and, through that relationship, He will empower you to live an extraordinary life, full of grace and truth. He calls you to a miraculous life, one that requires edge-of-your-seat faith to follow him, where you find yourself asking in joy, "What's next, Jesus? What are you going to do through me today?"

I WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE

One of my oldest friends is Dr. W. Michael Wilson. He is the Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Associate Dean for Applied Ministries at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. Of all the qualities Mike possesses, the one I most admire is his consistency to build up people. I always feel better after talking with Mike. He is truly a people-builder. Come to think of it, I want to be like Mike.

There's a price tag for being a people-builder: It requires unselfishness.

The writer of Hebrews wrote, "In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good." (Hebrews 10:24, TLB)

At some point, the Romans confused the word "cristos" with "crestos." Cristos means Christ; Crestos, in Latin, means kindness. In a roundabout way, that confusion can teach us something: Christians should be the kindest of all people.

Let me suggest an objective to you--be a people-builder not just for this holiday season, but for the rest of your life. Begin by writing down the name of one person you want to help build up, then stop and pray.

Ask God to show you that person's strengths. We always build on our strengths, not on our weaknesses. Write down whatever strengths you've seen in him or her in the past.

Then tell that person, "I've been thinking about you because I really care about you. I wanted to share with you- from my viewpoint- the strengths I see in your life because those strengths determine what God wants us to do in our lives."

Imagine the impact you could have if you would commit yourself to being a people-builder like Mike. If you determine to bring out the best in everyone you know, it will go a long way in helping people to become what God made them to be.