HAPPY NEW YEAR's EVE!
The end of the year. What a promising, yet sobering thought. As this last day of the year is on a Sunday I've taken the opportunity to force myself to objectively scan this past year. I was aiming to see what I'd done and had not done. Then in my praying and retrospect I came across a sermon I preached at the beginning of 2006. I decided the best way to find out what I was supposed to do last year is read my goals, and so I read.
I was uplifted and devastated all at the same time! I had forgotten what God had inspired me to preach and do last year! After reading the message in its entirety I realized that I had let people, and negative spiritual influences keep me from attaining my God given goals. And as I look at where I am today I see that instead of going forward it would seem I've gone back a ways.
Nevertheless, I am making this last day of 2006 a day of crossroads. A day in which I remember the past in order to ensure the future. I will not make the same mistakes twice! In reading my goal setting sermon I found at least one major area in which I didn't maintain myself.
One of the many things I set out to do was to maintain a personal intimate relationship with Jesus in order to foster personal evangelism. Which means in short that I wanted to get close to Jesus so I could lead more people to His side for their own personal salvation.
Because I took the time and made myself look back I identified areas that I need to change and work on. I believe that this is very important for all of us. It takes strength, character, courage and a willingness to face our own personal skeletons and demons.
It is impossible to make positive changes without first looking back and finding the problems and their roots. We must look backward and inward. We must be willing to face the music. We must not fear what we will find.
We all have things in our live that must change! Please make the next 24 hours worth while, and make those personal changes that will take you closer to Jesus. Don't let a habit, character flaw, a grudge, a hurt, jealousy, bitterness, hate, lifestyle keep you away from Jesus, and put you in Hell! Rather join me at the Crossroad of Change, and together we will change our lives so that Jesus can be apart of our lives.
Change is never easy, but it is always essential, important and impossible to escape. The problem with change is that you can do it willingly or eventually you will be forced to change. Changing willingly ensures that you can change for the good, and maintain control. But, when you are forced to change it is rarely for your good or benefit. Please make the right change today! Today is the day of salvation!
Yours for Positive Change in Jesus,
Pastor Fred
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