AS WE ENTER INTO THE NEW YEAR
The New Year comes with joy and jubilation. It also
comes with different kinds of celebrations in various religious settings. Some organizations
organize parties or get-together to wish their workers a prosperous new year. To
some families, the New Year is an opportunity to re-unite with other family members
who have traveled far and wide.
As long as we are still on this earth years will
come and go. It is a norm that a year once celebrated with exhilaration will
soon turn old and give way for the arrival of the new one.
As the New Year approaches, plans are made on how
well the New Year will be celebrated. Oftentimes, most people forget that the New
Year is not going to be shorter than the usual three hundred and sixty five
days. This is because some people take financial risks (by borrowing),
spiritual risks (by celebrating in ungodly ways), emotional risks (by making
new friends) and so on just for the sake of celebrating the arrival of another three
hundred and sixty five days (Job 1:4,5). Little do people know that this three
hundred and sixty five days is filled with its own tasks and demands;
opportunities and responsibilities; ups and downs; and a lot of things.
It is not a sin to celebrate the arrival of a new
year, but it will be too unwise of a great watchman to plan for how to
celebrate a single day out of three hundred and sixty five days. Then, what
happens to the remaining three hundred and sixty four days Of course you should
rejoice. Yes, you should eat good food but remember to spend wisely (Proverbs
21:20).
For a great watchman, as you enter into another
year, you should know that you are a year closer to your plans and purpose in
life. You should know that this is another year of service to God. A year of
readiness to be at the point of duty for the Lord. Additionally, it should be a
year to pursue more academic laurels for the students. The married should seek
for how more love can be showered on their spouse and children. A great watchman
in essence should know that there is more in a year than the usual celebrations
on the first day (or the first week).
Much more than these, the Christians (watchmen and watchwomen)
should know that we are a year closer to the return of the Lord than the year
which is gone by. In Romans 13:11, it says “And that knowing the time, that now
it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than
when we believed.”
Your planning for the New Year should be to God, a
new year with
New
No
turning back and Non-negotiable determination New
Excellent
Expectations
in Evangelism New
Walk
with and Work for God New
Yearning
for more of Him and Yieldedness to His will New
Earnestness
for God’s service and Enthusiasm in Obedience to Him New
Anointing
from God and Availability for Him New
Revival
and Readiness
to heed
ALMOST
SAVED BUT LOST
Having a
good beginning is not a guarantee getting to the end
Many had
thought of “finishing strong” but it is pathetic to know that
The reverse
was the case, “they were strongly finished”
Mrs.
Lot had a good beginning because she married Abraham’s nephew
Her
connection with the Abraham was a great one
But
a sudden departure from the father of faith
Put
her and her family in the jeopardy of Sodom
She
was supposed to escape with her husband as instructed
But
the decision to look back on the things she had gathered in Sodom’s land
That
was under the destruction of the judgment of divine fire
She
looked back and became a point of contact for warning
That
some might be on the verge of escape from a great danger
But
on the long run, they will be lost
Remember
the story of the first king in Israel, Saul
His
appointment was divinely orchestrated
He
started well when he was made a king
But
his pride and arrogance made him lost the throne
He
had several opportunities to repent
He
rather chose to run after the innocent young Shepherd boy
Saul
wanted the boy dead but God would not allow
The
last judge in Israel, Samuel, warned him but he won't listened
Saul
went back to into evil fully
A
man who had spoken with God began to communicate with the spirit of the dead
He
didn't get a go ahead from God and still he went to battle
He
got to the battlefield and fought
But
Alas! The mighty is fallen and the weapon of war is perished
Saul
died a suicidal death
Oh,
he was almost saved but lost
Judas
Iscariot, a one-time apostle
He
had the opportunity to have Satan bow under his ministrations
Judas
was part of the inner caucus
He
was the treasurer of the fellowship of the twelve disciples
He
was part of great evangelistic outreaches
Oh,
that he could endure to the end
But
the love of money made him sold his Master
He
got the money but he lost His Master and let-off his mandate
He
knew he had sinned but couldn't ask for forgiveness
Off
he went to the field which he purchased with the reward of iniquity
He
hung himself and died a shameful death
Guess
what, the Devil he cast out were the ones who had to come and welcome him home
Oh,
what a loss it is for Apostle Judas Iscariot
He
had the name on earth as an apostle
But
he was not careful and his name went off from the Master's master list that
matters most
Judas
Iscariot was almost saved but lost
Demas
could have learnt from Iscariot incidence
He
went with Paul on missionary journey
His
partner with all-time greatest apostle should have gone a long way
But
he halted at a critical point
He
made a "U" turn which led him back into the pollutions of the world
Where
he has once escaped from and denounced
Having
loved this present world
Demas
left the man who had the word from the Word Himself
And
went with the worthless worldly pleasures
Demas,
“you could have asked Brother Paul
Why
he stood by his conviction even at deadly confrontations
Maybe
if he had explained one-on-one to you
You
would have stay back in the Kingdom
But
off you went and you never came back”
Though
Demas was one-time a partner to Apostle Paul in the ministry
It
was supposed that he should be saved at last
But
oh no, he was lost
The
greatest apostle that ever lived preached to him
He
was not interested in what he was saying
Paul
spoke the word of truth and soberness to him
But
King Agrippa made a confession that was not enough
It
was not enough to make him escape eternal judgment
"Almost
thou persuadest me to be a Christian" Aggripa said
He
rose up and walked away
He
walked out of the opened door into eternal bliss
Into
the door of doom and damnation outside Christ
He
was almost a Christian but not a Christian
He
was at the verge of escape but he perished
Oh
King Agrippa, “why have you made the wrong choice?
You
could have been a Christian
You
heard the message
You
heard it from a great preacher, but you refused
You
stood up and walk away never to return”
Agrippa,
almost saved but lost through a long eternity
Felix
and his wife also were with Paul
They
heard him speak of repentance
Felix
heard directly from Paul of his faith in Christ
He
trembled... but that was not enough
At
this point he could have decided to be part of the Faith in Christ
He
could have sought repentance diligently with tears
Perhaps,
his wife would have joined him
Though
he trembled but the next action was pathetic
Felix
trembled, and answered;
“Go
thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee”.
He
never had any other continent season
This
was how he missed the opportunity of escaping the damnation of hell.
But
Felix, “you know you are a busy man
You
know you may not have one on one contact with this man again
Why
wait for any other convenient season?”
The
opportunity to be saved was wasted and it never came again.
Almost
saved but lost
Dear
reader, you have seen various cases and incidents that people should have made
it to the sweet haven of rest but within the snap of the fingers if was gone.
Perhaps
you have heard of the gospel and you are still not saved.
Remember
that you have read this piece now
Won't
you be cleansed from your burden of sin?
Won't
you embrace Calvary now?
Won't
you run to your Maker now?
You
want to delay? Remember the pathetic cases of those who are almost saved but
lost.
I
pray for you, "May you not be lost". The decision you take now will
ascertain that
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