Happy New Year! What does 2022 have waiting for us?? Only the Lord truly knows! One thing is certain – we are another day closer to His coming (!) and He is completely sufficient for every single thing that does come our way till The Day of His appearing comes at last. I’m looking forward to continuing in the book of Colossians this month and I’m asking for your continual prayers for our church and community as we seek to be His hands and feet in this place He’s planted us. In realizing, proclaiming, and living in the truth, we find that true life is lived by faith and not by sight. We “see” (dimly) into the unseen and find that faith kindles the fire of hope and hope produces love. This love cannot be hidden but gives light to the world of the hope found only in Jesus.
So how is Christ truly sufficient for 2022 and the crazy that will likely come our way? Because Paul encourages us in Colossians that Christ “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” He is no ordinary man – but is God with us and for us from all eternity past and into all eternity future! Christ is also sufficient because “by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in the earth!” He has ALL resources and even speaks them into existence and controls them by the power of his Word. Are you out of resources? Pray! He will do it! He will answer! Jesus is sufficient because “He is before all things and by Him all things hold together!” Everything is under the providential care and sovereignty of The Lord. Everything is under His authority and He is The King for us all! Finally, He is sufficient because He promises to make all believers “perfect”. He forgives our sin when we confess it to Him, He regenerates the heart, He gives faith as a gift, He justifies us by His grace through that faith, He grants us eternal life, and He holds us in that faith and brings us all the way to glory! We can depend on Him for everything in 2022. I’m praying for us all – may He turn your duty into great delight because of all that He is – He has done it, He will do it, we are simply recipients of His gifts – our only proper response is gratitude and being a cheerful giver to all!
I’d like to encourage you to pray frequently, read your bible daily, and join us in reading a small book in January by J. Mack Stiles called Evangelism. We’ll make a copy available to each of you at the church. We at Oak Grove do not believe there is a formula that dictates how God must work in evangelism. We do not need the gimmicks and tricks of the sales world, we need a biblical foundation to shape, guard, and inform how we share our faith rather than looking for “a number”. We want to conform to the bible first because this is what honors and pleases God. Please join me in reading this very short book as we journey through it on Wednesday nights and please join me in sharing Christ with a lost world.
Lord bless and keep you all – Bro Tony
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