REmain in me

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK 
I begin this year with a few questions.

Covid was the dominant feature of 2020. What will be the dominant feature of 2021?
While we all hold out hope that with the new vaccines Covid will soon become a thing of the past, what if it doesn’t?

Do we face 2021 with boundless optimism, or an uneasy dread?

Will this year see the return of the Lord? And if He does come back this year, will you and I be among those who love His appearing? Or, will we be among those followers of Jesus waiting to “get around to it” but just ran out of time?
Will we see a great revival? And if we do will we be ready for it?

Will we see the rise of wholesale government sponsored persecution against the followers of Jesus? And if so, will we be among those faithful ones who stand firm against the schemes of the devil?

No doubt you too have a lot of your own questions as we embark on this new year, especially considering the year we just completed. As far as the specific details for each answer, we’ll just have to live this next year and find out. But overall, we have from Jesus the answers we need to excel in this new year. He said in John 15,
Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (Jn. 15:4-5 NAS20)

Success for the follower of Jesus is that we bear fruit for His kingdom. I think sometimes we redefine success to mean our own personal prosperity or advancement. We triumph in this life only when we seek to promote the program of our Lord Jesus. When Jesus promises that God will provide us with our material needs, it is only after we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33). Jesus also said My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me. In addition, He said, the ones who persevere to the end will be saved. So we have the task in 2021 to “follow” and “persevere”. We can only do that when we “remain” in Him.
 
I hope Jesus comes back to gather His church to Himself in 2021 (1Thess. 4:13-17; 1Cor. 15:51-52). If not and we have to live out the year here on planet earth, I would love to see a mighty revival take place in our land. That boys and girls, women and men by the thousands put their faith in Jesus and are born again. Revival comes when God’s children pray earnestly, fervently, regularly. One of the best ways to “remain” in Jesus is to pray and pray often. God answers prayer when we pray; we do not receive answers to prayer when we do not ask.
 
So, let us be among those in 2021 who dedicate themselves, their time, their property to furthering the kingdom of our Lord Jesus. Let us be instant in season and out of season to preach the word. And let us earnestly, fervently, regularly go to our God to ask, seek, and knock! May God bless you richly in 2021!

In Christ our living hope,
Pastor Bill

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