Copyright Ó
2012 J. Neely
New Year - 2012
Just over 2000 years ago, a unique birth occurred in
history that would mark a change that would last for all of eternity.
Unnoticed by most, witnessed by few, the birth of
Jesus Christ was foretold for many centuries, right down to the very day of His
birth.
The angels sang and the shepherds listened with
curiosity. The priests were indifferent
and the public was preoccupied with their daily comings and goings. The magi traveled from far off and foreign
lands, while the nation of Judah forgot the purpose of their heritage.
Noah foretold of a devastating rain and flood, and for
one-hundred and twenty years, people ignored and mocked his warnings.
The scriptures foretold of the birth of a savior, and
yet for four hundred years immediately prior to his birth, indifference drew
only silence from God.
The feasts and offerings foretold of His sacrifice at
Passover, and yet people spit and mocked Him while He hung from the Cross.
The next significant date in history is the Rapture,
and now we have no date certain to look to.
And why should there be? No one
would consider it important just as people of the past disregarded important
dates of the past.
Even the end of the Millennium, a fixed one-thousand
year period, was ignored as masses of people have rejected Christ as that
calendared date grew near.
The innkeeper was too busy to make room for the
parents of the humanity of Jesus, and so off to the barn and a quite birth
without fanfare, and without notice, a helpless infant was born to poor parents
and an indifferent world.
The King wanted to kill Him. But he did not want to
take the two hour trip south to Bethlehem to find the child. The city was preoccupied with the taxation
process being imposed on them by Rome on that very day of the worlds
transition.
If Jesus would only remain the gentle and mild person
that the world wants to know Him by. If
He would remain a dreamer, a prophet, and man of history for which
stained-glass windows are made. Then He
would not pose so much trouble in the lives of people, such that they could
live their lives in accordance with the way in which they have defined their
own life.
But not so. Man
has no command over his own beginning or his end. Man has no power to define and guide his own environment
let alone his future.
And so we have only our volition with which to
determine our destiny. Not technology,
not science, not philosophy, nothing we can imagine or invent can help us
beyond our certain death.
And so belief in Christ, a commitment to a daily study
program, and a commitment to Him whom we have never seen, is all that we have
and need, in order to secure for ourselves the best possible life and future
imaginable.
While the world will continue to be preoccupied with
its daily business, so too you should be preoccupied with your spiritual
investment. The world ignored the flood
and paid the price. The world ignored a
birth, and will continue to pay the ultimate price.
More is made of an ancient calendar that carries no
weight in truth, and came to nothing.
You should take a moment and consider the
insignificant moment, of His birth, and just how significant in your life, it
really is.
'Salvation is found in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must
be saved.'
As we conclude yet another year, I wish to thank each
and every one of you for your ongoing and continued support, and dedication to
the Daily Bible Study.
From my family here in Oregon, to your family in all
corners of the world, through this wonderful technology we have in our current
day, which gives us all a very unique opportunity to study the Word of God
together, though we do not see each other, we wish all a very happy new year.
Keep in the Word, Isa. 41:10.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am
your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with the
right hand of my righteousness.
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms.
And now to Him who is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you without blemish before the presence of His Glory, with
exceeding joy, to the only wise God and savior, even Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom be glory, and majesty, dominion and power forever and ever. Amen!
