Grace to you and peace from him who is and who
was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and
from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the
ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by
his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory
and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every
eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will
wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the
Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:4-8 ESV).
It is New Year’s Eve, and we should be looking forward in hope to a new year filled with potential, but we also know there is uncertainty. A review of 2024 reminds us of the changes a year can bring—some good, some very painful. The real question is how do we prepare for 2025 in a way that will insure our success in facing each of these experiences?
The answer begins with our understanding
our hope. Through Scripture we have seen God in Jesus meeting our deepest
needs. Now on this New Year’s Eve we look once again to Jesus—the Savior who
has come and who now reigns in heaven until the day he will come again.
Words can only begin to describe the
power and glory of the ascended Savior. He is the Lord of life. John describes
Jesus as standing in long flowing robes. Long robes were worn by royalty, or at
times of celebration. They were a sign of victory, security, and work
completed. A person fleeing danger or a worker could not be encumbered with a
long robe. But Christ stands in flowing robes. There is no threat to his
kingdom; his redemptive work is fully accomplished. Children of this victorious
King have eternal security.
My hope and prayer for each of you is
that we enter the New Year declaring, “My only comfort in life and in death is
that I belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ!” That is our beginning!
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