A couple of weeks ago we sang a song in church that I don’t think I have sung since I was a child at the First Baptist Church of Clovis.

“The Old Rugged Cross”

Not only did a flood of memories wash over me, but the words themselves spoke truth back into me.

The singing of that old hymn reminded me that as we head into another new year and look ahead and dream of a world of possibilities, we should not forget the past.

Yes, we need to hope.

Hope for new opportunities.
Hope of reconciled relationships.
Hope of better health.
Hope of Christ’s second coming.
Hope.

But we also need to hang on to the past. So many times we want to jettison the past and look only to the future, but as Isaiah 46:9 says “Remember the former things of old.”

​Not to our past mistakes or our past sins, regrets, or shame that we have left at the foot of the cross, but we are to remember the things that God has done in His power, wisdom, goodness, wrath or mercy (Bible Study Tools).

I love the picture attached to this blog, for, in literature, a child always represents hope for the future, and in this photo, the young girl is looking at pictures of her family’s past history. 

If we are part of the family of God, we should be excited about the new year and all that God can and will do with it, but we should also look back over the past year and remember all that God has done.

Happy New Year.

(If it has been a while since you have heard “The Old Rugged Cross” here it is.)

I love Christmas. Everything about it. The lights. The decorations. The carols. The gifts. The cold weather. And, of course, God’s greatest gift—the birth of His son, the redeemer ( though it is extremely doubtful that he was born in December, and on the night of Jesus’s birth the only lights were the stars in the sky and the only carolers the angels).

But I have come to see that my enjoyment of the season is largely in part because I have an intact family to enjoy it with. I have a warm home and enough to eat. Not everyone has these. And in recent weeks I have become increasingly more aware of the brokenness and loss in the world.

Broken families
Broken hearts
Loss of homes
Loss of finances
Loss of health 
Prodigal children
Ambivalent parents

At a time of year when many families are coming together in the warmth of a home, are watching classic Christmas movies, sharing meals and opening gifts, many others are in the cold —physically, emotionally, spiritually. 

And then I was reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 4:18 when he quoted Isaiah 61:1-3.

Jesus came to this earth to  . . .

—heal the brokenhearted
—proclaim liberty to the captive
—open the prison to those who are bound
—comfort all who mourn
—give them beauty for ashes
— and the oil of joy for mourning

Yes, we know that the ultimate healing and liberty and comfort comes through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and we were all at one time held prisoners to sin and living a life leading to death, BUT . . .

There are still people out there today either spiritually, physically, or emotionally brokenhearted, mourning loss, or a prisoner to something.

Some are our friends and some are those who—like the shepherds—live on the fringes of our society.

Let us remember them this Christmas season, in our prayers definitely, but also in some very tangible way. A phone call, a card, an invitation, a needed gift, a warm blanket, a pair of gloves, a meal gift card, a smile, or a hug. And as we share these gifts may we also share the greatest gift of all —HOPE—through Jesus.

​Let’s show the love of Christ this Christmas to those who need it most in a very real way.

I hosted a luncheon last Saturday for the ladies in my Bible study. We had two new retirees we wanted to honor. I don’t entertain a lot, and it’s never fancy. This event featured vegetarian chili. And guess what? They liked it. So much so that a few even asked for the recipe. 

It’s one thing for people to compliment your cooking. It’s a totally different level when they want to have the recipe, isn’t it? 


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That means that not only did they enjoy the experience, they wanted to duplicate it. They wanted to share it with others.
Isn’t that exactly what we as Christians should be aspiring to? We want our lives to exemplify Christ so much that people don’t just compliment us for the way we live, or handle adversity, or help others, but they ask for the recipe. They want what we have.

And do you have the recipe? 

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

​What better season to share the hope that we have in Jesus. And it is as simple as that. As the old hymn states: “My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

I have wanted to be a lot of people. Mostly fictional characters whose lives seem either really exciting or blissfully simple and peaceful. 

Then there are Biblical characters who have attributes I aspire to have: the faithfulness of Daniel, the bravery of Esther, the heart of David, the submissiveness of Mary.

BUT . . .


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There is ONE character I have decided I would not want to be—Ezekiel. Have you read Ezekiel? Well, if you haven’t, let me tell you, his life seems to be one big object lesson.

First of all, Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll containing God’s words to show his receptiveness to God’s word in contrast to Israel's rebellion, and then he is to go tell Israel what God said, but— spoiler alert—they aren’t going to listen to him.

Later he is told to take a clay tablet (to represent the city of Jerusalem) and then create a model wall, mound, and camps. Then Ezekiel is to lay on his left side for 390 days (how long each day is not disclosed but still). Then he is to lay on his right side for 40 days (again amount of time not specified). This is to represent the siege of Jerusalem.

Next, he is to shave his head and beard, divide it into threes—burn one third, then strike the sword around the next third, and then scatter the final third to the wind—to show the citizens of Jerusalem what will become of them because of their rebellion.

Up next? A lot of prophecy to both Israel and the nations around them, all beginning with “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” A lot of it is NOT good. 

But Ezekiel also sees the “eventual restoration and renewal, based on God’s faithfulness to the promises of all the covenants made with His people since the Abrahamic covenant.” (Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible p. 1333)

Why do I mention all this? 

Because by the time I finished Ezekiel, I realized that in many respects, we are all called to be Ezekiels. Our lives are to be object lessons of God's faithfulness to us and our faithfulness to God. We have the Bible which is the book of “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” We have the opportunity to share its words, both its warnings if we choose to reject God and its glorious ending if we heed His Words.

I have also learned something else. I want to be an Ezekiel—a person who “withstands great opposition in order to obey the demands God places on [my] life.” (p. 1332)