Judges 11:29-40
James 5:15
John 3:1-15
Isaiah 43:18-19
Ezekiel 11:18-22
Rev. 21:5-7
Opening
We are about to start a new year in the next few days. Where does the time go? 2019 already. It seems the older I get the faster the time goes.
I remember as a child, we’d open presents on Christmas eve, but only after we ate supper, the dishes were cleaned and put away, and everyone got sat down.
We knew the time was shortly coming, but it stilled seemed an eternity before we could start to open presents. And the ironic thing is in just a blink of an eye it was over. Then after the dust settled, we generally went back to do what we had been doing before. The Old Ways.
Another example was summer vacation from school. The closer we came to the last days of school, the longer the hours seemed to tick away. Then came that glorious day…The day we were freed. But again irony set it in and within a few weeks we grew bored and our parents had to yell at us to go outside and play or find something to do or they would find something for us, which usually meant some sort of labor intensive chore.
Then came a few weeks before the new school year. We got our school things ready and in order, got our class schedules and we were actually looking forward to the new school year. We promised ourselves we’d study harder and do better than we did before. We were looking to close the chapter of the old and looked forward to a New Beginning.
Main Body
Many of us will make some sort of new years resolution such as eating healthier, quit smoking, go to church more, HINT HINT. Maybe our vows will be to not gossip as much this coming year or use less cuss words when getting behind a really slow driver when trying to get somewhere, or to quit taking potshots at passing airplanes. There are about as many different resolutions as there are people making them.
In any case, what we are looking at are resolutions involving a New Beginning
"Resolution" Definition:
NOUN
1. a firm decision to do or not to do something.
"she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more" · [more]
synonyms:
intention · resolve · decision · intent · aim · aspiration · design ·
2. the quality of being determined or resolute.
"he handled the last French actions of the war with resolution"
synonyms:
determination · purpose · purposefulness · resolve · resoluteness ·
3. the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.
"the peaceful resolution of all disputes" ·
I never took much stock in new years resolutions. Mostly , I suppose, I knew it would be rare to actually follow through with them. To me New Years eve was the day to drink myself into oblivion and New Year’s day was the day to nurse the hangover or wait to get bailed out of jail, or both
Then came the day I quit drinking. It was this same day that I bowed down to Christ and asked for him to take away the pain, the emptiness I was feeling, and he freely took it away from me. And since then, haven’t looked back.
For me, this was The New Beginning.
In secular language, a “VOW” is much like a contract between 2 people. Person A needs or wants something from Person B…... Person B will give Person A what they need as long as Person A fulfills the contract.
In the Biblical context a ‘VOW” is usually between some person and God
Lets check out just what the meaning of “VOW” is in both New and Old Testament
(vow or its form occurs 93 times)
NT:
2171/2172
e??´??µa?
euchomai
yoo'-khom-ahee
Middle voice of a primary verb; to wish; by implication to pray to God: - pray, will, wish.
O.T.
H5087
?????
na^dar
naw-dar'
A primitive root; to promise (positively, to do or give something to God): - (make a) vow.
Whats the Bible say about vows?
(READ JUDGES 11:29-11:40 …explain foolish vows )
According to the Jephthah’s narrative, does this mean all vows are bad? There are some things to ask yourself about making vows.
• Is your vow in conflict with God’s Word?
• Is your vow a selfish or self-fulfilling vow or will it serve the Kingdom of God?
• If it passes these 2 tests, is your vow achievable, realistically?
Jephthah’s vow was a poorly chosen vow that in fact had a negative impact on his and his family’s life. In any case positive or negative, Jephthah had a New Beginning.
There are also positive Vows. In the New Testament we read:
(Read James 5:15)
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
In James 5:15 the word “PRAYER” is the same as “VOW”. So we can read this as
“…The vow of faith….”
So to break it down PERSON A (us) will vow faith to the Lord (Jesus) and in return our sins will be forgiven.
This will be the start of a NEW BEGINNING.
That to me sounds like really good news, and yet it gets better. If we vow to continue in faith we are promised everlasting life. Which in a way is a second “NEW BEGINNING” in the most of positive senses. It would be pretty hard to top that in my opinion.
To change and to better ourselves is a good thing to strive for, and there’s nothing wrong with that as a concept of a whole and praise Jesus if it should come about and being the fact we can’t do it on our own, it would be well advised to Ask in Prayer for the help from the Allmighty for this will keep ourselves on track with the Will of God and not our own will. So remember again to ask yourself these questions when making your New Years resolution:
• Is your resolution in conflict with God’s Word?
• Is your resolution a selfish or self-fulfilling resolution or will it serve the Kingdom of God?
• If it does pass these 2 tests, is your resolution achievable, realistically?
So, if we are to give ourselves a New Years Resolution remember who we are giving these vows to? In most cases they will be to ourselves and being an image of God bearers we are in a way making a vow to God. But lets keep going further.
Okay, so now you’ve made that resolution or vow, now what? Just the fact that you are making a resolution is implying that you want a “New Beginning”
The Best example of what is needed for a “NEW BEGINNING” can be found in the Book of John
(READ John 3:1-15)
This is the record of a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus and Jesus is explaining how one must be “born again”. The VOW and NEW BEGINNING are summed up in verse 15.
The Theological term for this is “REGENERATION”
Okay, that’s fine and dandy but how do we go about it to obtain that “New Beginning”?
God says it well in the Book of Isaiah:
(Read Isaiah 43:18-19)
Isa 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Isa 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
To truly start to have a new beginning we must have a change of heart and a change of mind. This isn’t as easily done as it is said
If we truly want that new beginning, we need a change a couple of things; we need to change our heart and to change our mind.
We have to rely on the Lord to help us accomplish this goal. Relying on our own thoughts and ideas will most likely fail in a big way. We tend to over-complicate things, rely on people or methods that aren’t as reliable as we had imagine them.
When I was drinking I had some good times, some wild experiences and friends I could call anytime. Live for the moment type of thing. That was my mindset at the time. But when the good times turned bad, the experiences were getting darker with more negative consequences financially, physically and spiritually,
By the time I had decided I needed help, all my methods were falling miserably short of any type of goal. All my experiences were dark and negative. My so-called-friends were no where to be found or if they could be found would want me to go back to square one. In fact my goal was so mixed up I wasn’t even sure what the goal was anymore. I obviously didn’t have the answers, so this is where I asked Jesus for His help
Jesus gave me a new heart and the tools to give me a new mindset. I couldn’t live my “OLD” life anymore with any hope. He had given me that hope and gave me protection against those things that would drag me back
(Read Ezekiel 11:18-22)
Ezek 11:18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
Ezek 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Ezek 11:20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Ezek 11:21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezek 11:22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Through the Grace of God which I didn’t deserve in the least bit, the gift He gave me, I was able to overcome. He had given me a New Heart and a New Mind.
This doesn’t mean I don’t have anymore problems in the world…but I know those problems are of this world. With His gift, I know I have an inner peace. I know He has my back through good times and bad times. And I trust He will see me through life , no matter what is thrown at me and that is a feeling that I really cant describe unless you feel it too. And in the future at some point, when my time on earth is up I know without a doubt that I will get even another helping of a New Beginning.
(read Rev. 21:5-7)
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
I’ll say that again……………
“He Will be my God and I will be His Son”
In Conclusion
When you go to make your New Years Resolution, I implore you to Pray about it and ask Jesus to lead you to that resolution and keep your faith on Him and I think you’ll find positive and good things coming your way.
Amen
