New Year Targets

We sent this out with the Prayer Prods yesterday…

Thoughts for a New Year:

From Psalm 51

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

1. This is in another “dispensation” – a special way God worked.  Today He never leaves – John 14:16, 18.
2. Two requests:  restore me and hold me – such should be our heart’s cry over and over!
3. Commitment:  Restored, I will teach the lost Your ways and press them to Jesus and salvation.
4. Guilt weighs down but God saves and restores which should lead to joyful praises to God – testimonies!
5. A commitment:  With God’s forgiveness/salvation, I will praise you to others.

In a men’s group we looked at this piece with some additional commentary:

It should be our daily desire…

1. to be (11) aware of God’s presence and His help!
2. that “petty sins” (12a) such as lying, coveting, second looks, greed, indifference, etc. – which dilute and distract from God’s goodness – be known, confessed and forsaken.
3. that (12b) God hold us close and that we be thankful He does!
4. to stand up and speak up (13a) for God’s will and ways: that “transgressors” know they are outside God’s will. This is about knowing and declaring the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes or Colossians 3:12-17.
5. that (13b) we be faithful witnesses to Jesus’ sacrificial death on Calvary that calls all men to repentance and submission before God that they be truly saved.
6. that (14a) any major sins be quickly realized and quickly addressed both before God and man.
7. that (14b – God of my salvation) God’s mercy and grace that saved us completely free of any personal works be greatly appreciated.
8. that (14c) we be vocal in our thanks that a holy God has cleansed and restored us.
9. that (15) we sing, shout and speak of God’s goodness, greatness and glory!

In that same men’s meeting we also considered Zephaniah 2:10-11:  This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty. The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.

1. We can expect the world to mock, belittle, ridicule, attack and demean us as God followers.
2. God is fully aware of all their thoughts, words and antics.
3. God will reveal to them His greatness which will be awesome and cause great fear!
4. God will bring an end to all the demi, mini, fake and silly gods of man – money, sports, Davos, government, the UN, climate worship, etc.
5. All peoples will bow and worship God – this is Millennial talk.

For us in 2023, wherever we are or in whatever we are doing, we need to be in awe of God, not doing as the world in mocking and attacking others, but rather given to glorifying and thanking the great Creator God!

Not be as them – For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, Romans 1:21.

We must be given to exalting God and thanking God – noting who God is and what He does!