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Christmas is over – and the new year is just days ahead! Soon, 2008 will be history, and 2009 will be a reality! Are you ready for something new?

In the 21st Chapter of The Revelation, John received a vision of a “new heaven and a new earth.” He saw “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (:2) And he heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (:3)

John’s vision was about the future. But in verse 5, he offered an interesting insight about that future. “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’”

Was John speaking only of the distant future, when time stops and judgment begins? Possibly. But I like to think John was also speaking of the immediate future, before the ending of time as we know it. In the next verse, John quoted the promise-giver as saying, “I will give of the fountain of water of life freely to him who thirsts.” Distant future, or immediate future? The voice continued, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Distant future, or immediate future? I like to think that for the Revelator, time was being compressed. The future was now, not just later.

We stand on the threshold of a new calendar year – 2009. We can’t un-do or re-do much of what we did (or failed to do) in 2008. But we can start at the point of a new beginning. 2009 is like an unwritten document. It is time not-yet-spent. It is a check not-yet-written. It is clean and unspoiled. Steven B. Cloud said, “As we look into (2009) we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,700 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchase it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.”

The new year is ours to spend. It will be, in part, what we make it to be. Our attitude will make a difference. And how we work out our attitude through our actions will certainly make a difference. The popular song of an earlier generation is untrue. The words of the song read, “The future’s not ours to see.” Rather, the future IS ours to see. God chose to make it so. Let’s make 2008 our very best year yet!

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 8.52. Live for God, on purpose, today, and through the new year to come!

Preparing for the New Year

The older I get, the faster the years seem to come and go. In just a few days we will mark the end of 2008, and the start of a new year – 2009. Think back for a few moments to a year ago. Were you one of the many who made “New Year’s Resolutions” for 2008? Perhaps you simply made decisions to re-prioritize your life. Maybe you set new goals for the new year. And, now that this year is drawing to a close, and you look back at the year, you wonder where all those priorities and promises of a year ago went!

A new year is always a good time to “take stock of your life,” so to speak, and to prepare for the new year. But – what can we do in this time of preparation to make 2009 the best year we have ever had?

This Sunday – the last Sunday of the year – we are going to take a look at Philippians 3:12-14 and learn some tremendous principles in planning for a successful new year. Using his own life as an example, Paul tells the Philippians that he would forget what was behind, strain toward what is ahead, and press on toward the goal to win the prize!

Do you want to “win the prize that God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus?” Then, be sure to join us this Sunday here at WFA!

A Prayer for the Coming Year

Dear Master, for this coming year
Just one request I bring:
I do not pray for happiness,
Or any earthly thing

I do not ask to understand
The way Thou leadest me,
But this I ask: Teach me to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.

I want to know Thy guiding voice,
To walk with Thee each day.
Dear Master, make me swift to hear
And ready to obey.

And thus the year I now begin
A happy year will be,
If I am seeking just to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.

Year of Confusion

by David Jeremiah

Sometimes there aren’t enough minutes in a day – or days in a year—for all our work. Well, then, how would you like to have a 445-day year? It happened once. The early Romans established their calendar on a lunar model, and their year had only 355 days. In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar mandated a new solar calendar, making the year 365 days long. To bring the new calendar on track, he added two extra months to that year, sticking them between November and December, and he also squeezed three extra weeks between February and March. The result was a one-time-only year of 445 days, which became known as the “Year of Confusion.”

Sometimes every year seems like a year of confusion. But the secret to getting all your work done isn’t adding days to the year, it’s doing only what the heavenly Father has ordained for you. When Jesus ascended to heaven, there was still much work to be done, yet He said, “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4).

Ask God for His agenda each day, and don’t let the urgent usurp the important. Make sure to finish the work He gives you day by day.

from Dr. David Jeremiah’s “Today’s Turning Point” daily devotional. www.TurningPointOnline.org

A Second Chance

On New Year’s Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played the University of California in the Rose Bowl. In that game a man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for California. Somehow, he became confused and started running 65 yards in the wrong direction. One of his own teammates, Benny Lom, outdistanced him and downed him just before he scored for the opposing team. When California attempted to punt, Tech blocked the kick and scored a safety which was the ultimate margin of victory.

That strange play came in the first half, and everyone who was watching the game was asking the same question: “What will Coach Nibbs Price do with Roy Riegels in the second half?” The men filed off the field and went into the dressing room. They sat down on the benches and on the floor, all but Riegels. He put his blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, put his face in his hands, and cried like a baby.

If you have played football, you know that a coach usually has a great deal to say to his team during half time. That day Coach Price was quiet. No doubt he was trying to decide what to do with Riegels. Then the timekeeper came in and announced that there were three minutes before playing time.

Coach Price looked at the team and said simply, “Men the same team that played the first half will start the second.” The players got up and started out, all but Riegels. He did not budge. The coach looked back and called to him again; still he didn’t move.

Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, “Roy, didn’t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second.” Then Roy Riegels looked up and his cheeks were wet with a strong man’s tears. “Coach,” he said, “I can’t do it to save my life. I’ve ruined you, I’ve ruined the University of California, I’ve ruined myself. I couldn’t face that crowd in the stadium to save my life.”

Then Coach Price reached out and put his hand on Riegel’s shoulder and said to him: “Roy, get up and go on back; the game is only half over.” And Roy Riegels went back, and those Tech men will tell you that they have never seen a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of a second chance. Jesus offers us the chance to start anew – clean and fresh. No matter how badly we’ve blown it, no matter how many times we’ve failed, we can start over. Today is the day for a fresh start. Get back in the game. The second half has just started.

Top 10 Resolutions for 2009

This coming year, I have decided that with God’s help, I shall…
Give up complaining... focus on gratitude.
Give up harsh judgments... think kind thoughts.
Give up worry... trust divine providence.
Give up discouragement... be full of hope.
Give up bitterness... turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred... return good for evil.
Give up anger... practice patience.
Give up pettiness... put on maturity.
Give up gloom... enjoy the beauty that is around me.
Give up gossiping... control my tongue.

Top Ten Predictions for 2009

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

The Last Impression

Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house,
every creature was sleeping, even the mouse.

The toys were all broken, their batteries dead,
Santa passed out with some ice on his head.

Wrapping and ribbons covered the floor,
while upstairs the family continued to snore.

And I in my T-shirt, new Reeboks and jeans,
went into the kitchen and started to clean.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the sink to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the curtains and threw up the sash.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a little white truck with an oversize mirror.

The driver was smiling, so lively and grand,
the patch on his jacket said US POST-MAN.

With a handful of bills, he grinned like a fox,
then quickly stuffed them into our box.

Bill after bill and still they all came,
whistling and counting he called them by name.

Now Macy’s, now Boscov’s, now Penny’s and Sears,
here’s Visa and Mastercard, American Express… it’s all here.

To the top of your limit, every store, every mall,
now chargeaway, chargeaway, chargeaway all!!

He chuckled and whistled as he finished his work,
he filled up the box, then turned with a jerk.

He sprang to his truck and he drove down the road,
driving much faster with just half of a load.

Then I heard him exclaim with great holiday cheer,
“ENJOY WHAT YOU GOT… YOU”LL BE PAYING ALL YEAR!!”

I trust your Christmas was a great one, and that you are enjoying this special time of the year. As we quickly move toward the end of 2008 and the beginning of a brand new year, keep in mind that this new year may be the very year that Jesus returns to take us home! With that in mind, let’s live every day as though it were our last opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all those around us! Hope to see you this Lord’s Day here at WFA, and on New Year’s Eve for a great time of fellowship and giving thanks to the Lord for all He has done in 2008!