Happy Year of New   Celebrating and shooting fireworks with the family!

Well Happy New Year!!!   Or better yet, Happy Year of New!!!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

We’ve just celebrated Christmas.  I’m rejoicing over the fact that God sent His Son for everyone including me and you.  He came to BE with us two thousand years ago.  He came to BE with us today.  He will continue to BE with us forever.   Oh yeah, you have to BE in Christ as well.  To Be or not to Be, that is the question.

By choosing to be in Christ, you have made the decision to live your life because of, for, and with Jesus.  It’s a spiritual thing, so it’s not easily understood.  It’s more of a Being in life than it is a doing of life.  That’s why I love this scripture.  It gives me meaning to what I’m being and doing while here on this Earth.  Accepting the Christian way of life allows you to see/live/be using God as your compass.  As a Christian you view people more from the inside than what they show on the outside.  You view your hard times and difficult journeys with the knowledge that Christ is right there with you.  You have hope.  You have joy.  You have a realization that EVERYTHING that you face both good and bad is to be experienced from a totally different point of view.  A NEW view.  It’s not like the world looks at things.  It’s not like how you looked at things even in your past.  This new view of life and how you see yourself is from God.  It’s a way of life that has been designed by God Himself.  A way of life that ultimately gives the Glory of your life, (yes you have a glory of your own), to honor and give glory to God up above.

There are copycats out there that want you to do as they do.   Positive thinking, meditation, sacrificial living, religious activities, etc., etc., but friends aren’t these all things activities that you DO?  They may be fine and dandy, but I want MORE out of life.  I WANT MORE!!!  I want to BE what God has created me to BE!  I want to be that new creature that gets to live/see/BE my own life.  I choose to use God as my Compass.

A friend, (shout out to Gary!), gave me a compass as a gift this Christmas.  That made my day!!  This compass will remind me to keep on course, the true course.  God Himself gives us a gift of all things becoming new.  All Things!!!  That just made my year!

So how can you truly live? Live by not just doing as a Christian, but BEING a Christian.  How?  This age old hymn says it best:

When we walk with the Lord in the Light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!

while we do His good will, He abides/lives with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to BE happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

See Ya!

Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher, celebrating the year of NEW!