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viltglance007
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Did you have a new year's resolution this year? I wasn't sure if I was going to disillusion myself with one this year or not. Usually my resolution will last about a week and then it drifts into an abyss of past resolutions. Getting into the best physical shape of my life, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean and getting a 4.0 GPA all currently reside in that abyss.
This year I wanted my resolution to come from a different source. I flipped through my life guidebook and found that Jesus had a slew of new year's resolutions for me in one prayer. That prayer is located in the book of John, chapter 17.
John 17 is one of the greatest written records we have of Jesus speaking with God the Father through prayer. It consists of Jesus pouring out His heart on our behalf for 26 verses. This year Jesus will be making my resolution for me, actually I see 5 different resolutions He mentions in John 17.
1. To know Christ. In verse 3 Jesus say's, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." There is nothing more important in the course of a year than to know God the Father and Jesus Christ.
2. To be protected from evil. In verse 15 Jesus say's, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." We have seen a great amount of evil this year. I pray that all of us will be kept from evil by our mighty God in 2002.
3. To be sanctified by the truth. In verse 17 Jesus say's, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." Jesus states that in reading the Bible we become more Christ-like. It is in the Word where God hammers out our character throughout the coming year, so spend a lot of time in the Word.
4. To be united in Christ so the world will know Jesus is truly the Savior. In verse 23 Jesus say's, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." What a great challenge for the new year! Living so devoted to Christ that people can't help but notice Jesus Christ in the life of a believer.
5. To see His glory. In verse 24 Jesus say's, "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." During the bitter cold of January, nothing warms the depths of my soul more than knowing that Jesus wants me to be with Him where He is! This is enough to sustain me for a thousand new years.
Will these 5 new year's resolutions slide into the abyss of unfulfilled resolutions? The answer: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
This year I wanted my resolution to come from a different source. I flipped through my life guidebook and found that Jesus had a slew of new year's resolutions for me in one prayer. That prayer is located in the book of John, chapter 17.
John 17 is one of the greatest written records we have of Jesus speaking with God the Father through prayer. It consists of Jesus pouring out His heart on our behalf for 26 verses. This year Jesus will be making my resolution for me, actually I see 5 different resolutions He mentions in John 17.
1. To know Christ. In verse 3 Jesus say's, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." There is nothing more important in the course of a year than to know God the Father and Jesus Christ.
2. To be protected from evil. In verse 15 Jesus say's, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." We have seen a great amount of evil this year. I pray that all of us will be kept from evil by our mighty God in 2002.
3. To be sanctified by the truth. In verse 17 Jesus say's, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." Jesus states that in reading the Bible we become more Christ-like. It is in the Word where God hammers out our character throughout the coming year, so spend a lot of time in the Word.
4. To be united in Christ so the world will know Jesus is truly the Savior. In verse 23 Jesus say's, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." What a great challenge for the new year! Living so devoted to Christ that people can't help but notice Jesus Christ in the life of a believer.
5. To see His glory. In verse 24 Jesus say's, "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." During the bitter cold of January, nothing warms the depths of my soul more than knowing that Jesus wants me to be with Him where He is! This is enough to sustain me for a thousand new years.
Will these 5 new year's resolutions slide into the abyss of unfulfilled resolutions? The answer: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
