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Reaching Alaska For Jesus: New Year's Resolutions

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Reaching Alaska For Jesus

"When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." (COL, p. 69)

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2008

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New Year's Resolutions

Have you managed to keep any of your New Year's Resolutions, thus far? Or did you even bother making them this year? Making resolutions for personal improvement may be helpful, if only to help us keep track of our progress (or lack thereof) toward our personal goals. But spiritual goals are also important. Proverbs 24:16 reminds us that "a just person falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wick ed shall fall into mischief." (Lest you be discouraged when you fall eight or more times, note that this is a symbolic number. See Matthew 18:21-22). Falling is part of the human condition, but rising up again is what sets apart the just (or righteous) person. This seems to be a Bible pattern that might seem surprising at first glance. Apparently, what distinguishes the righteous and the wicked in God's sight is their response when warned of their sin. (Ezekiel 3:19-21 seems to describe this well). Psalm 40:2 reminds us that though we cannot rise up again by our own strength, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock , and established my goings." Jesus is the one who God set up to "give repentance to Israel" (Acts 5:31). (See also 2 Timothy 2:25). So even the ability to repent (that is, to "turn around again" and go in the right way) is a gift of God. What distinguishes the righteous then, is only our choice to accept the gift of repentance, and forgiveness which has been given us. Once we accept the gift of repentance and forgiveness, God not only brings us out of the "horrible pit" we have fallen into, but sets our feet on the rock of a renewed life in him, so we need not fall again. However, lest we be discouraged, 1 John 2:1 reminds us, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." God wants us to see the pattern of things in our lives that lead us to fall, and learn to trust Him for strength to stay on the rock where He has placed us, so we don't fall again. But if we do fall, He is there to pull us out again. We fall far too often, it is true. Yet we need to trust God's plan for our recovery. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians
alaska4jesus.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-years-resolutions.html

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Reaching Alaska For Jesus: New Year's Resolutions

1:6). Like Paul, I pray that we all may be strengthened inwardly by God's Spirit so that Jesus will live in our hearts by faith. This is the way that we all can understand the love of Christ, which is beyond our understanding. This is how we can be filled with the fullness of God. God is able to do much more than we ask Him to, or think He is able to accomplish. It will be to His glory for us to overcome our inherited and developed tendencies to sin. (Ephesians 3:16-21) Just as we encourage and lift up our daughter Miriam when she stumbles, God doesn't give up on us. Keep rising up-- in God's strength. Warren

Prayer requests That we be spared from pride (even if it takes humbling circumstances). That we know how best to express God's love to those around us. That we stay focused on our mission (sharing the love of God and inviting others to spend eternity with Him). About Alaska4Jesus We hope to have this site be a central location where people can read stories about how God is working in the lives of people in Alaska. This should be a site about people, not programs. It should be about outreach, not "inreach" (as much as that is needed). In addition, we want to kick off an ongoing brainstorming session about how we can more effectively present the gospel in Alaska (especially in rural Alaska, with all the challenges that entails). We would also like to include short bio's of people who are working in various parts of Alaska to reach others for Jesus.

Posted by Verity at 8:28 PM

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Downs Family About Us Verity Warren is a web programmer/lay pastor. His greatest passions are Jesus,technology, and the great outdoors. Verity is a homeschooling mom who is training with Jesus to manage her time successfully for her aspiring writer dreams and (nature) photography and scrapbooking hobbies plus kids' ministry. We have three wonderful girls, Sara Elisabeth, Abigail Rose, and Miriam Joy who may join the blog from time to time as seems best. Since January 2006, we have enjoyed living in the arctic village of Selawik, Alaska, getting to know the Inupiaq people and introducing them to our friend Jesus as opportunities arise.
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Reaching Alaska For Jesus: New Year's Resolutions

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