By Pastor Nilo Briones of Jesus Word of Life Church

Almost always, there is a feeling of exhilaration as we get excited to something “new” – be it a new house, a new job, a new relationship, a new family member, or anything else especially the coming of the New Year!  As the joyful song goes, “Bagong Taon ay magbagong buhay nang lumigaya ang  ating bayan” (which literally wishes a changed life for the New Year that would bring prosperity to our nation and to ourselves).  Such wish is worth a fervent prayer from everyone’s heart for a blissful life.

I can recollect some traditional, funny practices (which some still believe) like jumping off repetitively high at the strike of the New Year to make one taller, or wearing garments with polka dots which connotes money and welcomes financial bounty, or making jubilant noise from trumpets or clanging kitchen wares to dispel bad spirits and negative circumstances in the past, and other stuff that sprung out from one’s desire to have a new life.

Speaking of new life, the apostle Paul says (in 2 Corinthians 5:17 of the Bible), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – a new life indeed given by God.  In man’s attempt to have newness in life, he tries to have resolutions with the purpose of changing bad habits or a negative character.  This may have meritorious reward, though short-lived. The essence of new life cannot be achieved by our own efforts, but with the power of God who is the giver of good and perfect gifts.

People need a change, not only for the better but for best.   We easily get tired of a vicious cycle of failure.  However, there is hope, and a blessed one with Jesus’ loving invitation saying, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily-laden and I will give you rest.”    Because of His great love, He wants broken people to get restored, to bring hope to the hopeless, to set the captives free from slavery of sin, and to lead them to a righteous life of peace.

With the transition of 2010, if you’re unsure of what awaits you, meditate and pray sincerely to God humbly asking forgiveness for  sins or mistakes done in the past, then surrender them to the Lord asking Jesus Christ to fill your heart with His Spirit.  God knows our human frailty more than we know it, and He wants you to live a meaningful life as he promised, “I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”  God loves you more than you love yourself, and He has good plans for you — not plans to hurt you but to give you a good future.

Have a prosperous and a healthy, blessed New Year!

Jesus Word of Life is congregating at the North East Bible Church @ 175 Whitefield Drive NE, Calgary (Just 100 meter-walk from the Whitehorn C-Train Station).  Schedule of services every Saturday includes 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Bible Studies (children/youth/adult) and 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Worship followed by snacks and fellowship. If you need to be ministered in prayer, please do not hesitate to call Pastor Nilo at (403) 973-0623 or (403) 285-7979, or e-mail at [email protected] ^[1].  God’s mission, our mission:  “to preach the gospel, feed the hungry, and share the love of Christ.”