Tomorrow night at 11:59 pm, over one billion people all across the world will be watching as the “ball” drops in New York City’s Times Square. That got me to wondering about the history of the New Year’s Eve “ball” and what I discovered was intriguing:
• The 1st “time-ball” was installed on top of England’s Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1833.
• After the success of that event, approximately 150 such time-balls were installed around the world.
• New York actually held a New Years celebration in 1904, but it wasn’t until 1907 that they dropped an iron and wood ball and adorned with a hundred 25-watt light bulbs. It was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 700 pounds
• From that date until today, the ball has dropped every year except 1942 and 1943 during WWII. Crowds still gathered in Times Square during those years and greeted the New Year with a moment of silence followed by chimes ringing out from One Times Square.
• Over the years, the “time-ball” has undergone about 4 re-designs - the most recent one was created for the Millennial celebration in 2000 by Waterford Crystal. It’s six feet in diameter, and weighing approximately 1,070 pounds. It’s covered with a total of 504 crystal triangles. The name of the ball is “The Star of Hope”. SLIDE
• And each of those triangles has a special designation: Hope for Fellowship, Hope for Peace, Hope for Unity, Hope for Courage, Hope for Healing, etc.
I read an recent article recently that listed the five most popular resolutions made every year...
• The 5th was to take up a new hobby.
• The 4th - to make more money.
• The 3rd - to improve relationships.
• The 2nd - to stop smoking.
• And the most popular New Years resolution - losing weight.
A woman walked into her bathroom at home. As she did, she saw her husband weighing himself on the bathroom scales, sucking in his stomach. The woman thought to herself, “He thinks that he will weigh less by sucking in his stomach.” So, the woman rather sarcastically said to her husband, “That’s not going to help.” Her husband said, “Sure it will. It’s the only way I can see the numbers.”
3 John 2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
10 Principles For Personal Prosperity in 2008: (Set in couplets)
1. Conviction Over God’s Word. Vs. 1,2
Joshua 1:8 “Study this Book continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.” NLT
Rarely does anyone stumble into success! Success comes when one plans, prepares and is persistent about it!
Jeremiah 20:9 “His word is in my heart, a fire shut up in my bones, I am weary of holding it in, indeed I cannot.” NLT
2. Cloth Yourself With Mercy And Truth. Vs. 3,4
The idea here is to let mercy, love and truth become a visible part of your life! Bind them around your neck is a picture of being constant companions - never apart from each other!
Psalm 25:10 “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.”
Proverbs 16:6 “By mercy and truth, iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord men turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 22:11 “He who loves pureness of heart, grace is on his lips...”
LifePoint: Outward integrity is only expressed by an inward purity!
3. Challenge Your Level of Trust. Vs. 5,6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths.” NLT
Ever seen the bumper sticker…“God is my co-pilot”? May I say that this is not a good way to experience God in your life! If you are His child, then God does not need you to be a co-pilot! He wants to be given the controls of your life! Why? Because He knows your life better than you will ever know it! It’s that simple! Think about it…what can you tell God about your life that He doesn’t already know? Nothing!
Psalm 32:8 “I will guide you along the best pathways for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” NLT
I love the story about the naval officer who was made captain of a battleship and was in command of it for the very first time. Filled with pride he stood on the deck, barking out orders. Late into the night he was still standing proudly on the bridge. He was the captain and the crew obeyed his every command. The Captain and his crew were in a hurry to get to port before Christmas!
But as he stood there he saw a light slowly getting closer and closer, almost directly in the battleship’s path. Immediately the captain ordered the signalman. “Signal that light to alter its course 10 degrees to the south.”
But back came the signal from that light saying, “Alter your course 10 degrees to the north.” This made the captain angry and he ordered, “Signal that this is the Captain and he is to alter his course 10 degrees to the south.”
Back came the signal from the light saying, “This is Seaman 3rd Class Smith. Alter your course 10 degrees to the north.”
By now the Captain is so mad and with a clenched fist he barked, “Tell that stupid Seaman this is the Captain, and he better change course 10 degrees to the south because this is a mighty battleship.”
Finally the Seaman said, “Alter your course 10 degrees to the north because this is the lighthouse.”
Last time I checked, you don’t move lighthouses! If we are not trusting God, then we are probably barking orders at God! That’s not trust!
The month of January gets its name from the Roman god Janus. He is depicted as a two-faced man. One face looks towards the past and the other towards the future.
4. Conform to Humility. Vs. 7,8
It is well known that it is by the umbilical cord that the unborn child receives its nourishment all the time in the womb of the mother. The wise man says that humility is as essential to the life in God and the growth in grace, as the umbilical cord is to the life and growth of the unborn baby in the womb.
Morrow is where stem cells are found - it’s the most valuable prize in the field of science, as science is now harvesting stem cells for the healing of so many diseases!
So if we conform to humility, here is a divine promise that humility is a healing agent to the very core of our being!
5. Contribute Faithfully To God’s Work. Vs. 9,10
The Law of First Fruits required all Israelites to present a 10th of their harvest to God in His honor. This was not so much for God - do you think He really needs anything? It was a powerful reminder that everything that Israel reaped was ultimately a gift from God!
As long as Israel followed this simple principle, they were blessed in unbelievable ways through the centuries. But Israel was brought to her knees during Isaiah’s day as God spoke to their hardened heart in dramatic fashion. A 70 year captivity - or think of it as 70 years of bondage when the Babylonians destroyed everything Israel had cherished.
Isaiah 43:22,23 “My dear people, you refuse to ask for My help, you have grown tired of Me! You have not brought Me lambs for burnt offerings. You have not honored Me with sacrifices...” NLT
Folks, whatever God gives us in the way of prosperity -as a child of God, there is a portion of it that is always for the church and for God’s cause.
KEY: When 10% of our money is given to God, the other 90% is blessed. But when 10% is withheld, the 100% is cursed. Give to God, and I guarantee you that He will bless you!
Remember - the first things in our lives impact the rest of our lives!
I challenge all of us - in 2008 trust God with the money He gives you and watch the breakthroughs that will come your way!
6. Contemplate God’s Corrective Action. Vs. 11,12
It’s a tough day when God has to take His child to the wood shed! The high price of low living will destroy our walk with God and it’s a terrible witness to others!
Job 5:17 “Happy is the man whom God corrects.”
7. Confess Confidence In All Situations. Vs. 25,26
Just think about the uncertainties that we will face in 2008 - Iran, Pakistan, Russia, bomb belted terrorist and very important presidential election - we need to have confidence in these distressing times we live in! We will all face difficult personal situation in 2008 and we need to know that we can be victorious no matter what!
Romans 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who strengthens us.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you...”
8. Capitalize Today On Brotherly Kindness. Vs. 27,28
When We Have The Power To Help Others:
• Never deny the solution. Vs. 27
• Never delay the action. Vs. 28
Why is this so important - because we never know what will happen tomorrow! We are only guarantied right now!
When God’s people can heal a heartache or help a hurt - next to leading someone to Christ - this is the most power act on this planet! In 2008 we as a church are going to capitalize on meeting more needs, any way we can!
Last week I was so proud of some of our church families who had the power to help a family have a blessed Christmas!
Rick Warren suggests that there are four ways that Christians can treat people. “First, you can treat them like, “I’m okay, you’re okay.” The second ways is, “I’m okay, but you’re not okay.” The third way is, “I’m not okay, but you’re okay.” The final approach is, “I’m not okay, and you’re not okay.”
Rick concludes, “The New Testament teaches that: I’m not okay, you’re not okay. But because of Jesus that’s okay.”
Folks, when we really live out this principle - this is how we grow as a healthy church!
One day 17 year old Agnes Bojaxhi was working in her father’s small grocery store in Albania and met a Baptist Missionary while she was stocking selves. She became fascinated with this missionary’s life and great love for people. So that missionary gave Agnes a challenge to give her life to serving others as an ambassador for God!
Some months later she saw a sight which completely revolutionized her life, and would ultimately bring her world-wide fame as Good Housekeeping magazine’s “Most-Admired-Woman” - Mother Teresa
What was the sight? A homeless, dying woman lying in the gutter, being eaten by rats. Compassion compelled her to beg for an abandoned Hindu Temple from the government, and convert it into a crude make-shift hospital for the dying. A comment she once made became her life’s thrust: “If there is a God in heaven, and a Christ we love, nobody should die alone.”
This woman who showed God’s love to no less than 10,000 lepers in 28 cities was interviewed by BBC News. The reporter asked, “Mother Teresa, the thing I noticed about you and your team is that you all look so happy. Is that a put-on?”
She replied, “Oh no, not at all. Nothing makes you happier than when you really reach out in kindness to someone who is badly hurt.”
What would happen here in Angels Camp if we as God’s ambassadors reached out to whoever God places in our path? No matter what! The new pastor was standing at his office window in the church and he was weeping uncontrollably as he looked over the inner city’s tragic condition.
His Deacon tried to console him saying, “Don’t worry, after you’ve been here a while, you’ll get used to it.”
To that the Pastor responded, “I know, that’s why I am crying!”
Most of us have become so dull to the Spirit’s leading and so deaf to the desperate cries around us - that God can’t use us any more.
In 2008, let’s change that!
