Looking forward to 2013

(No, I didn´t take that from Obama. I wrote the
original way before he was elected. We Christians do not need to imitate the
world)

Posted by Jean-Louis –
http://thelightseed.blogspot.com

“See. I will send you the prophet Elijah
before that great and dreadful day comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers
to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers: or else I will
come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5.

The ministry
of reconciliation

“Therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not
counting men’s sins against them. As ambassadors committed with the ministry of
reconciliation, as though God were making an appeal through us, we implore you
on Christ‘s behalf:
Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians
5:17-20.

Distance and separation

Definition of “Far
away” in The Fuegian language of
Tierra del Fuego. A seven syllable word
which means:

“They stare at each other, each waiting for the other to
do what each wants but is not able to.”

One can appreciate the rich
and insightful imagery of primitive language, but the question remains: Is it a
matter of inability or unwillingness?

When the Lord Jesus was approaching
the hour of His death, He himself prayed giving us a model prayer: “Father
not my will, but yours be done”

What keeps us separated? Basically it
is our pride and unwillingness to humble ourselves. We prefer to remain in a
prison of our own making, when the key has been given to us that could release
us from being captive to our own will and stubbornness.

Every argument
won in a verbal conflict at the detriment of forgiveness and reconciliation ends
up being one more brick we use in building a wall of separation protecting us
from the very ones that Christ has sent our way to help them in their struggle
to find forgiveness and freedom from spiritual captivity.

Every argument
won ends up being one more shovel full in digging deeper the ditch of distance
between persons whose ministry is to be a bridge builder, not a wall builder or
a ditch digger.

The remedy

Do we have the key? Only God can
give us the key to freedom.

Isaiah declares: “He will be the sure
foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

The fear of the Lord is the KEY to this treasure.” Isaiah
33:6.

Do we need a sure foundation in our present time of confusion,
perplexity, and contemplating our navel and worshiping the earth to find the
solution with the greatest brains as guides in our cultures of death?

The Lord Jesus to John the apostle in Revelation chapter 3:7: “These
are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he
opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”

There is a
time and a season for everything under the sun, but Jesus is sending his
servants to proclaim that “NOW is the day of salvation and that there is no
other name under heaven but the name of Jesus by which man can be saved”

The only way men can experience real peace and reconciliation with
others is to first be reconciled with God

Oh, that we would heed the
command of our Lord Jesus to build bridges and tear down brick by brick the
strongholds in our hearts that we have erected patiently, day after day, month
after month until it becomes the very fabric that makes up the callous covering
of protection keeping other people from being welcome in our hearts.

So
looking forward to this New Year’s eve, this is my hope and wish for the New
Year for the readers of this blog:

Be reconciled first with God through
recognizing and accepting the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus for you, He brought
peace to us who were enemies of God; receive the pardon and salvation that are
already paid for by His blood shed for you on the cross and the free gift of
eternal life available to all who humbly turn to His light and life from their
slavery to sin.

If you already know the Lord Jesus, His peace to you and
may His grace and love abide and rule in your heart as you seek to do His will,
to be fruitful and keep looking for His soon return.

Heavenly Father, by
your grace and the power of your love through your Holy Spirit, free the
prisoners in our families, our churches. You alone can penetrate through and
behind those brick walls and fill those ditches of separation. You alone can
heal bitter, broken hearts and restore us to our call to love you and serve you
as we obey your command to love each other sincerely from the heart and serve
our brothers in humility and submission to your will and purpose in our lives.

His Name is a strong tower and we are victorious by the blood of the
Lamb and the word of our testimony that Jesus alone is Lord of Lord and King of
Kings and worthy of our praise. Blessed be His holy Name. Amen.

Jean-Louis
12/3/2012 Edited and from previous posting
12/2009.

Read more by this author: http://thelightseed.blogspot.com