december 30 you came back

 “You came back.  I’m surprised to see you.”  A lady visited our church.   She was interested in joining our church but wanted to get one thing  straight.  It was pertaining to politics.  Apparently in her previous  church she got into a heated discussion with her Sunday School teacher  about President Trump.  This visitor could not stand him.  The teacher  of the class was pro trump.  The next Sunday after the heated exchange  when this lady returned to the class she was greeted with...”You came  back.  I’m surprised to see you.”  So our visitor asked me if I get  political in my sermons.  How do I answer that?  I told her I believe  the Bible teaches that life begins at conception so I preach against  abortion.  I believe the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin so I  preach against that.  I preach what I am convicted to preach.  So  whereas I try to not get political I do get Biblical.  Shame on me if I  don’t.  She fell in love with our church and joined it and was very  faithful until the Lord called her home even though we didn’t see eye to  eye politically.  “You came back.  I’m surprised to see you.”  I don’t  know what to say.  I am slow to condemn a Christian teacher.  Just let  me say that the Lord’s church should be a place of encouragement.  We  should say things that lift up one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11   Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as  also ye do. How can I comfort someone and edify (build up) someone who  disagrees with me?  First I love them in the Lord even though we have  our differences.  Jesus loved me when I loved the world and was wrong in  my beliefs.  Second I encourage them to read their Bible and pray and  seek the Lord’s face and join in with the meeting of the saints. Hebrews  10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the  manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as  ye see the day approaching. Friends we need the Lords’ church.  We need  each other.  Bob Johnson the preacher who licensed me to preach  said...”I have never met another Baptist preacher that I agree with  100%”.  I was astonished.  Surely all Baptist preachers see eye to eye.   Nope.  Not so.  How does the Lord put up with us?  We must work hard to  set aside our petty differences comforting and building up each other  in the Lord and assembling together to lock arms and march forward for  Jesus. And so much more in the days in which we live. 

 Party!   How will you celebrate New Years Eve?  Drinking with friends?   Dance the new year in?  A New Years service at your church?  Talk about  going from one end of the spectrum to the other.  How about going to bed  as usual and hope the fireworks and barking dogs don’t wake you up?   Whether you live it up or sleep it in tomorrow begins a new year.   Perhaps you wonder where this year has gone.  Time seems to pass so  quickly the older I get.  Has this been a good year?  Surely some joy  and laughter.  Surely also some sickness and grief.  The pendulum of  time swings back and forth.  Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a  season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2  A time to be  born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that  which is planted; 3  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break  down, and a time to build up; 4  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a  time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5  A time to cast away stones, and a  time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to  refrain from embracing; 6  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to  keep, and a time to cast away; 7  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a  time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8  A time to love, and a time  to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. As surely as season  follows season good and bad happen to all of us.  It is important that  we don’t give up while in a bad season.  Christians have the assurance  that Jesus watches over us and promises to work all things together for  good to those who love Him and follow Him.  Romans 8:28  And we know  that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them  who are the called according to his purpose. Are you walking according  to His purpose?  If not now is a good time to reflect and pray and seek  His guidance.  We have gone astray.  Yet we are still here.  He has not  given up on us yet.  Jesus has a plan for your life.  Wasted years  cannot be regained.  However, we can make course corrections and learn  from our mistakes.  May this new year be a year we are more dedicated to  our Lord than ever before.  Learn from the past.  Pray for the future.   Seek the Lord first and live the Christian adventure.  The bad with the  good.  It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.