LOOKING UNTO JESUS (A New Year's Message) (by Dr. Paul Lee Tan, 1 / 15 / 2012)

        First, a Happy New Year to everyone

        As we start a brand-new year 2012, God has given each of us 365 brand-new days. That is 31 million seconds! Will these 31 million seconds have Eternal value—will they be counted for Time and eternity?

        We hope that next year this time, we can say that 2012 had been a successful year, because “we had lived successfully for God.” What are the secrets to a successful New Year?

        Let us go back 2,000 years ago to ancient Greece. Let us enter into a large sports stadium. A marathon running race is starting, and we are about to join in the race.

        Let us turn to Hebrews 12:1

[1a] Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,

        There is a cloud of witnesses surrounding us in the grandstand above. Who are these witnesses? These are the multitudes of Old Testament saints, described in the previous chapter (chapter 11).

        These OT witnesses are watching us from heaven, wishing us the very best. Their lives of faith and trust in God will serve as our example to follow. God had helped them before ; and God can help us today.

        Here we are in an ancient Greek sports stadium. A race is starting, and we are runners in the race…

Listen to the voice of our Divine Coach. Jesus Christ is speaking: Christ has 3 instructions and 1 secret for us to follow.

Hebrews 12:1-2

#1 " let us lay aside every weight,

        During training sessions, trainees would wear thicker clothes, or carry extra weights to build up their stamina and tone up their muscles. But during the actual race, they remove these extra baggage. The lighter the better!

        In this New beginning for you, Christ our Coach calls for you to throw off your past burdens. Peter said: "Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you." God loves you, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

        We are in a spiritual race! Do not overload yourself with unneeded burdens. If we would run well, we must run light. There may be habits, pleasures, self-indulgences, associations which hold us back.

        Let me ask you: In this New Year, have you decided to cast off anything?

        ● Some people worry all the time—that’s their weight (*tell God to take away your worries).

        ● Some people get angry easily—that’s another weight (*focus your minds on Christ and His beauty).

        ● Some people do not have purpose in life, no goals and no plans for the future—or they make self-centered plans, without God (*ask God to take away our selfish plans and fill it with God’s abundance.)

        As a Christian, you will have many pressures to do this or do that, people may put hindrances in front of you. Do not let these things DETOUR you from straight running! Let the obstacles or hindrances keep you even closer to Christ. Make them as mountains to climb joyfully for Christ's sake.

#2 " and the sin which doth so easily beset us,

        The word "beset us" means anything that "stands up." Even a small stone, a little stick, any obstacles which will make us slow down or fall down. It includes the picture of clothing flapping around a person while he is running: it entangles and trips him & he falls.

        The Bible calls that "SIN"

        In our Christian life, there are sins which causes us to run slower or make us fall down.

        Think about these sins—
                Covetousness
                Lust
                Criticism
                Laziness
                Unthankfulness
                Pride

        How do you treat your wife? = With love and respect (as promised in your wedding day)? The Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives—that your prayers may be answered”

        Or Tardiness? = “Wasting others’ time” is Sin, and should ask for forgiveness when you arrive; But if too many times, people have a right not to forgive you.

        OR Pleasure, the Tongue, the Flesh, Possessions, Worldly friends, TV

        As Christians, the key is: Have a servant-spirit. We are followers of Christ, who washed the disciples’ feet. The church is not a corporate, where we must compete against each other to advance. We advance by serving others.

        Anything that consumes my energy and keeps me from following God fully and wholly—anything that causes us to drift off the spiritual race—Prayerfully face our “besetting sins”, and don’t yield to their temptations any more in the New Year.

        Our Divine Coach commands us: “Cast aside the small sins which so easily beset us.”

#3 “and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

        In the Greek, this command reads: "Let patience envelope our hearts." In athletics, a most important attitude is PATIENCE.

        Have you ever seen a ball game where a fight occurs or players get angry? A time-out is called to cold tempers. Or a player is angry and the coach replaces him. Why? Because one must be patient in competitions.

        In our church, we are brothers & sisters in Christ; we sing; we pray; we fellowship; we serve and share with one another. We are glad you enjoy the worship and services. And that’s what a church should be---we should all feel “at home.”

        Sometimes in church, we are disappointed or hurt when church members are imperfect. But this is the reason why they are in church! They need to grow in the Lord, and to be nurtured on God's Word. Be patient with them; like Christ has patience with us.

        Christ our Divine Coach tells us to “be patient”, because we are running the race.

FINALLY, the Secret: "Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus"

[12:2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;

        Perhaps in 2012 we had been looking at people, at newspaper events, at ourselves—the more we look, the more we are afraid. In 2012 let us “fix our eyes upon Jesus” let us have this new goal in running the race. What is your new goal for the New Year? Does it have JESUS in the center of your plans? If so, I guarantee that you will be successful.

        Praise be to God.

        AMEN

(Link to webpage: “How To Be Saved”-- http://www.tanbible.com/HowToBeSaved.htm