 A New Year, a new beginning with expectations of achieving more, being better and reaching higher than we did the previous year. Some of us may make resolutions that in a few weeks will be forgotten.
Relationships require diligence to gain and maintain; personal improvement programs have to be consistent to be effective. It is difficult to release bad habits to the past and reach forward for a clean start, but the beginning of a new year is a good time to take stock of ourselves and toss out outdated attitudes that spoil us just as surely as old food stuff in our pantries upsets our digestive system. It’s a good time to release slights and hurts that we have been holding and nurturing, infecting us with grudges as poisonous as salmonella. When God redeemed us from our past sins, He didn’t put them in His storehouse to review from time to time. In fact, He cast them away not to be remembered against us again. Can you imagine what a gigantic storehouse God would need if He
were to keep all our sins!
He might have to create another planet to hold them! No, no! He did not retain them; they were dissolved in the blood of Jesus Christ as He hung on the cross dying for them. Since He forgave us without conditions, He expects the same thing of us in our inter-personal relationships. We need to look under the rug in the hidden places of our hearts, pull out all the stored hurts, disappointments, grudges, etc. that we have stashed to be wallowed in occasionally.  It’s time to take the rugs up, remove the lumps, stretch the rugs across a Holy Spirit line and beat all the residue of painful memories out of them. The lumps under them are not really hidden; they come out in our attitudes, our conversations and actions. The critical results of the lumps in our rugs are not only visible hindrances to us, they can cause others who must walk on our lumpy rug to stumble as well. “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way…”
(Hebrews 12:13). Maybe we could begin the new year with a funeral and burial of “every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us”
(Hebrews 12:1). Perhaps cremation with fire of the Holy Spirit would be the best method, then we could never put the pieces back together from the ashes.
This verse in Hebrews relates the action to running a race. We can never run successfully to win running over the lumpy rug which not only hinders us but causes other runners to stumble also. We are the temple of God and are designed in such a way that others walk on our rug. If we allow a lump in the rug of our temple that causes others who walk on it to stumble—we are responsible! “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own”
(1 Corinthians 6:19). It may be a little early to do spring cleaning of our house, but it is never too soon to clean up our lives under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We can resist His wooing and slide a piece of our lives over the lump as if it were a unit of furniture in our house hoping to hide it, but until it is dealt with the lump will only increase in size and pollute and eventually ruin the rug spreading the deadly results. Ready? Up comes the rug, remove and burn the lump in the Holy Spirit bonfire, beat the rug until it is free of any residue and restore it to its rightful place. The essence of God’s presence will purify it, so that its aroma will sweeten the area and it will be safe and pleasant for all who walk upon it. It is a new rug made pure by the precious blood of Jesus and infiltrated by the Spirit of God. “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”
(Revelation 21:5). There. Doesn’t that look, feel and smell good! No more lumpy rug! Fellow runners can safely run with patience the race that is set before them. You’ve eliminated the hindrances. As the starting gun fires, put your best gospel running shoe forward and rush toward the finish line. “Someone” is waiting there with your reward; and everyone who reaches the finish line wins! Running an unhindered race: What a great way to begin a New Year! Have a blessed and fruitful “new” New Year! Copyright © Delores Adams, 2010 Webmaster All rights reserved. Email: Delores Adams Ministry Websites: There's Good News, & Heart to Heartbeat
I May Never Pass This Way Again
I’ll give my hand to those who cannot see,
The sunshine or the fallin’ rain.
I’ll sing my song to cheer the weary along,
For I may never pass this way again!
I’ll share my faith with every troubled heart,
So I shall not have lived in vain.
I’ll give my hand, I'll sing my song,
I’ll share my faith, because I know,
That the time is now to fulfill each vow,
For I may never pass this way again!
Words and Music by Murray Wizel and Irving Melcher
 Hand In Hand Publication is an Internet Ministry of Faithful Christians joining hands together all around the world, for the sole purpose of promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  To Subscribe/Unsubscribe to this mailing list send an email to Rev. James Lewis with the word Subscribe, or Unsubscribe in the Subject Box
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