The last Lectionary reading for 2022 is very appropriate for ending the
year and anticipating the new months ahead. The two passages are from John 1,
and 1 John 2. They are a contrast of thoughts to me.
The main focus comes from John
1:6-9, “A man named John was sent
from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might
believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The
true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”
May we all make the sacrifice to invest more of ourselves into our faith
and relationship with Jesus to ensure we powerfully illumine His Light into the
darkness of this world. We need to be like John who testified to the light so
that all might believe. The world needs to hear about the redeeming love of God.
The world needs to see God through us.
As believers, we cannot “just exist” and go about our lives day after
day with “self” as our main objective. There are so many people who still need
to hear the Gospel….even more need to witness and experience our faith lived
out through our lives as a testimony that what we believe is true.
Romans 10:13-14, “For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of
the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on him to
save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have
never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells
them?”
We pray that we will actively and passionately live out our faith with
intentional zeal now, in 2023, and beyond. I pray that we are not “Christian”
in name only. That’s where 1 John
2:18-19 speaks. “Dear children, the
last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already
many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has
come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with
us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that
they did not belong with us.”
There are many in our churches claiming to be Christians. Others have
even given up, abandoned what little they did have, and have walked away. They were
never really fully surrendered to Jesus. They have been secularly institutionalized,
but not spiritually evangelized. These people have joined the Church socially
and culturally but have not totally given their lives to Jesus and His Body,
the Church.
Many of our churches are eroding from the Truth and evolving into a hybrid
that looks like a religious-civic organization. Apostate. They are “Revelation 2:4 Churches” that have abandoned
their first love. They have become no different than the world around them. In
attempts to “reach the world” they have, instead, succumbed to the “agendas”
and have become more like it.
Strong accusation? Maybe. But, as Matthew
25:16, 20, tells us “You can identify
them by their fruit…Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you
can identify people by their actions.” Proof is in action…not talk. Many churches
have dwindled to “Sunday only” or are barely active beyond Sunday.
As we look to 2023, may we spiritually
awaken, focus on what is most important, and commit to the commands of Christ
and all things that are of eternal value. Are you ready for that…if not, are
you willing to work and prepare? (Matthew 25:1-13).
All else regarding our lives will fall into its proper place from there…so
don’t fear or worry (Matthew 6:25-34). Let us journey, together, into 2023 with
Jesus and each other. Jesus. Priorities. Eternity. Happy New Year.