A LIVING SACRIFICE

“Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him… Deuteronomy 13:4.”

New Year’s Day is a time to reflect on changes we want (or need) to make and a commitment to follow through on those changes. A New Year’s resolution comes from the fact such commitments normally go into effect on New Year’s Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned.

There are religious parallels to this secular tradition. For example, during Judaism’s New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, one is to reflect upon one’s wrongdoings over the year, and both seek and offer forgiveness. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect annually upon self-improvement.

If we want to see self-improvement in our lives in 2026, there is no better New Year Resolutions than the six recorded resolutions in Deuteronomy 13:4:

“Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.”

Collectively these resolutions involve sacrificing our right to choose and seeking the Lord’s life choices for us. It is choosing to walk after the Lord and not our own worldly desires. Such resolutions when lived out in a person’s life are best exemplified in Michael W. Smith’s Dove award-winning song, “This Is Your Time.” It was written in honor of Cassie Bernall’s brave “life choice” admission to the Columbine killers that she believed in God.

Cassie was a junior at Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado, a typical teenager having a typical day when a classmate trained a gun on her and asked if she believed in God. When she said, “Yes”, she was gunned down in cold blood.

However, “This is Your Time” is not about Cassie’s martyrdom for her faith; it is about her life choices – a life God still uses after her death so many years ago to give new life to others willing to follow her example by turning from their sins and placing their trust in Jesus Christ.

“This is Your Time” captures in song Cassie’s life-giving decision to honor God with her life even in difficult and costly decisions. As the lyric from a Twila Paris song says in honor of such servants:

“How beautiful when humble hearts give the fruit of pure lives so that others may live.”

Oswald Chambers in his book, “My Utmost for His Highest” asks each of us to respond to this question: “Is My Sacrifice Living?” He says we make the mistake of thinking that the ultimate God wants of us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants is the sacrifice through death, which enables us to do what Jesus did, that is, sacrifice our lives. Not – “Lord, I am ready to go with You … to death” (Luke 22:33). But – “I am willing to be identified with Your death so that I may sacrifice my life to God.”

We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! But God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with the Lord Himself. It is of no value to God to give Him our life for death. He wants each of us to be a “living sacrifice” – to let Him have all our strengths that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus (Romans 12:1). This is what is acceptable to God.

Given these truths, we should challenge ourselves in 2026 to present our bodies as a “living sacrifice” for Our Lord not only for self-improvement but also to reach our world for Jesus Christ.

How beautiful our lives will be this year if together we do this; to offer this sacrifice that we will live just as Jesus died: willing to pay the price – to be broken bread and poured out wine for others

I AM HERE FOR YOU, LOOK TO ME!

From: Karen Parrish

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent…For since, in the wisdom of God, the world though did not know God it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men…But of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord…I Corinthians 1:18-31.”

We are inundated in our bookstores, websites, and TV with self-help words of wisdom! How to do everything man thinks will make him/her happy and fulfilled. Philosophy, which means the lover of wisdom, abounds today through psychologists, psychiatrists, Dr. Phil, and Oprah! I recently heard a quote that says, philosophy today is heading toward radical skepticism!

How many of us love to play the “what if” game. What if I had done this, or said that? Education is touted as the “be all – end all” to our world’s problems. That is NOT to say education is invaluable, however, the ultimate educator is Jesus Christ. In Him, and Him only, do we find wisdom. Man’s wisdom is so limited by our finite minds. Oh, we think we make wise, sensible decisions, but how many of those decisions have been the wrong ones, or even worse exacerbated the problem?

Dear Saints, do as James tells us, when we need wisdom, go to Abba Father and ask Him for His wisdom! I can only imagine Abba Father sitting and watching us spin in every direction trying to ascertain what is the right response in a given situation, quietly saying, “I am here for you, look to Me!”

Many of us will make New Year’s resolutions, but dear saints, there is NO resolution we can make and keep apart from Jesus. My wish for all of us is that we will draw closer to Abba Father, get the wisdom we so desperately need, and reflect the love of Christ in ALL areas of our lives!

The Cost

Luke 14:27-30 – “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ (NASB)

It is a new year for us all. An arbitrary boundary to be sure, but a boundary that seems to carry with it the significance to actually make people stop and think, for a microsecond or two. We are thinking about New Year’s resolutions and looking back at where we’ve been during the last 12 months, and looking forward into the mist, to plan for the next 12 months.

It is almost laughable, like we can see into the future. But planning is important. God apparently values planning, from what we see in the verses above. There is a cost being calculated here. The example centers around building a tower. But what is our cost? “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”(Luke 14:27, NIV) The cross is the price, and the fee it extracts is a high one. In the old hymn The Old Rugged Cross, it is called “the emblem of suffering and shame.”

Gal 3:13 – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”– (NASB)

Jesus willingly submitted to the humiliation of being publicly beaten and mocked by Roman Soldiers in a game called “Kill the King”. It was a game reserved for political prisoners. There are stones found today, with the rules for the game found carved into them. The game involved dice or lots. If I rolled a three, for example, I would get to strike the prisoner, while rolling a five might only allow me to place a reed in the victim’s  hand and to mock him. Other things that the players might get to do were to crown the victim with thorns, or to spit on him. The notes are from Biblical Archaeological Review. The point is this, that Jesus endured remarkable humiliation at the hands of His own creation. It always strikes me as ironic that the power of His will held the atoms together, that made up the nails that were driven through His hands and feet.

Hebrews 1:1-3 – God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (NAS)

So what does that mean for you and me? We have the words that God has left for the world, through Jesus Christ. Christ loved the world so much that He died and rose again, to make a way for each one to be able to spend eternity in paradise with Him. Yet, the Sadducees and Pharisees, the very ones who should have recognized the Savior, were the ones who “sought to put Him to death”. The people turned in four days from “Hosanna!” to “Crucify Him! We have no king but Caesar.” And before we get too judgmental, we must remember that we too are simply flesh and blood. Jesus loved the people who shouted their denials as much as he loves you and me. Remember when Jesus sent out His disciples:

Matt 10:16-22 – “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. 19 “But when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak. 20 “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 “And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. (NAS)

The world hates us. Not because of who we are, but Who we represent. I am just as human and frail as the next person with the capacity to commit terrible acts. But we are constant reminders to the world of Jesus Christ and our accountability to Him. We acknowledge it so they either must also acknowledge it, or ridicule us in hopes that we will go away or play the game their way. They see Jesus through us and hate Him. Again the irony is bitter as the creation of the Creator, will stand and sneer in the face of the One who made them and refuse to accept the free gift of life forever in Heaven with Him.

John 15:18-19 – “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore, the world hates you. (ESV)

And in all this, Jesus is concerned for His children. He tells us not to worry, He assures us of our place in Him, and of His certain victory.

John 16:33 – I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (ESV)

What amazing love. That the God of the Universe would come to my heart and say “Don’t worry, I have it all under control and in a little while I’m going to take you to a place that will blow your mind.” He say my heart two millennium ago and knew that I would need this comfort.

The cost is a life along the narrow way with Jesus walking at your side and guiding you along. He will be your constant companion. This narrow way is tracked with tears, suffering, humiliation and pain. Seventy years may seem like a long time until you stack it up against the eternity that Jesus has promised His children.

John 14:1-4 -Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4“And you know the way where I am going. (ESV)

The cost of the Christian life is brutal and inhuman. This life lived in our own strength will quickly buckle the strongest of hearts. The cost is not aimed at us, thankfully. We have been set free. The cost is aimed at the One who loved us, even when we were His enemies. Before we could have lifted a finger to save ourselves, He had already paid the price of our redemption from the enemy. The price was paid in His blood, and was found acceptable by the Father.

I John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NKJV

We do have a cross to carry through this life. But  Jesus promises that He will make our burdens light. We will suffer humiliation for our faith, but Jesus will be right there  in our hearts, assuring us that He is able. It will only get more intense as the end gets closer. But the cost is nothing – compared to the prize. And then we realize, the price is paid. The words recorded in John 19:13 “It is finished”. are more literally translated “Paid in full.”

Jesus, we stand in Your presence amazed by the things that You have done and continue to do for us. As we look forward into the new year, take our hands and guide us into the darkness and uncertainty ahead. We thank You and praise You for the faithfulness You have shown in making a way for us-the way that leads to life forever with You in Your matchless Kingdom. You have paid the price of our redemption. We could never have paid it ourselves, have done nothing to earn it, and can never repay the debt that we owe You for that price. We count the cost in years, and will reap the rewards without end. Thank you Lord, for loving us so much. Amen.

Peace,

Mike

The End of the Year

The year is ending, and it doesn’t really feel finished.

Some things moved forward. Some didn’t. A few questions are still hanging around, the same ones that showed up earlier in the year and never quite left.

I’ve always liked houses that are clean but lived in. Not staged. Not perfect. You can tell someone actually lives there. Things are mostly in order, but nothing feels frozen in place.

That’s what this year feels like to me.

There’s a lot of pressure right now, to explain the year. To sum it up. To make it sound intentional or meaningful in some neat way. I don’t think it works like that. Some years don’t wrap up cleanly. They just get quieter.

Faith hasn’t given me a conclusion to point to. What it’s given me is enough steadiness to stay put, without having to explain everything or make it look better than it was.

I don’t feel finished with this year. I just feel ready to stop fussing with it.

And maybe that’s what makes room for what comes next. Not answers. Not resolutions. Just enough space to step forward, without having to rush.

Like a house that’s clean enough to breathe in, yet lived in enough to feel real.

“He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing.”

— Ecclesiastes 3:11 (MSG)

David Massey

DIRECTION FOR THE NEW YEAR

From: Thomas J Hacker 

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord searches the heart and examines the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve…Jeremiah 17:9-10.”

The New Year is soon upon us, and we’ll all hear things like, “Time for a new start! Learn to trust your feelings – follow your heart and all will be well. Go for it! Just do it!” This is a very popular message in US culture, reinforced through the media and “preached” by positive-thinking gurus everywhere. There’s only one problem – God’s Word doesn’t agree! The heart is always associated with our feelings and our emotions. But God says, through Jeremiah, that we cannot trust our emotions because they will always deceive us. Please don’t misunderstand – I am not condemning emotions. God loves us, hates sin, and has righteous anger – He is emotional! God created us in His image, and emotions are part of that. But He gave them to us for a purpose. We are to use our emotions when we worship and pray (see the Psalms), we are commanded to be emotional (see the 1st Commandment), and we can be emotional without sinning (see Eph. 4:26 as one example). But when we let those emotions control us and supersede the truth of God we fall into great error.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) tells us what God wants us to do. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Another version says “and He will direct your paths.” How often our “path” is misdirected by our feelings! We are often controlled by our emotions instead of trusting in God’s control. And that’s what Satan wants!! The master deceiver wants us to live by our feelings and not by faith because he knows we WILL be led astray. Not that we might be, but that we WILL be! You can turn on any situation comedy or drama, listen to any secular and even some “Christian” music, read almost any popular novel, and this truth is in all of them! Our society is like the nation of Israel during the time of the Judges, where “everyone did whatever he thought was right.” (TLB) But when we do this we are really rejecting God!

Let me give an example of this. I used to work in the entertainment business. As I talked with many of my fellow entertainers about God, their feeling was that God had rejected them because the Bible spoke against their chosen lifestyle. I often heard, “How can what I do be so wrong when it feels so right?” Their feeling and experience and even clergy told them they were right, so God’s Word had to be wrong. But don’t be quick to judge, because this opinion is not limited to those outside of God’s family.

God’s Word commands us to forgive (see Colossians 3), but say, “Well, you just don’t know what they did to me! I can never forgive them!” We’re told to subject ourselves to authorities but say “I just don’t feel what that pastor is doing is right, so I won’t support him.” We get “in touch with our feelings” when what we really need is to get in touch with God! This Hebrew word for “acknowledge” implies a very intimate, personal knowledge – a relationship. But because it’s easier to trust our feelings, and get the instant gratification that brings, we seek the world’s opinion to justify our weakness. But the child of God must know Him and His Word so well that they can overcome their emotions, stand strong in those truths and the “Truth – Jesus -, and wait for Him to reward them! This is soooo hard, but the rewards are soooo great, during this life and for eternity!

These words may seem strong, but what I’m encouraging you to do is not easy. My prayer is that as this New Year dawns you and I will determine by the Lord’s power not to be deceived anymore by our feelings! That we would give those strongholds in our lives, Satan’s great deceptions that are ingrained in our habits and amplified by our emotions, over to God, and defeat them through the power of His truth and the knowledge of Him and His Word! Only the Lord understands our hearts and minds, and only He has the wisdom, knowledge, and power to help us have victory over ourselves and the world! And only then will our paths be straight. May God direct your every path as you trust Him during the coming year!