This resolution Word with the elementary foundation “WHO SEEKS, SHALL FIND’, may it point the way, encourage and be accompanying us in this coming New Year. Being awakened to our surrounding and aware to ourselves, acting and reacting with loving hearts and minds. Here the prophet Jeremiah consoles the people, who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar into the seventy-year captivity. God promises His people that He, at the end of the seventy years, will bring them back into their homeland and liberty. As well, He does not want to leave His people in this time. On the contrary, He gives them this wonderful promise, that He has thoughts of peace and not of sorrow towards them and that they can find Him if they seek Him with all their hearts. Although the carrying off into captivity already happened, according to God’s will, He has not forgotten His people. As a requirement to find God, He calls it the searching after Him with a whole heart! How can this be without belief, that God is the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, makes it impossible. Although important scientists studying Molecular biology and genetics, are bringing to attention that in Darwin’s evolution theory the proofs of a higher-developed life is missing, science is mainly still keeping rigidly onto this version. It is quite clear, that children and adults alike, who will be taught and finally influenced by these theories and ideologies, are not seeking God. They don’t need Him, such a one does not exist because “everything” supposedly “evolved out of nothing”. But, when we consider the order and exactness of the natural creation, it is difficult to explain, how completely automatic, that is of itself, out of the chaos of the origin, this Cosmos should have been formed. For me at least, this is deeply unworthy of belief – unauthentic!
The alternative, to seek God wholeheartedly, if we truly want to find Him. This conception “with all the heart”, Jesus uses this also in His answer to the question about the greatest commandment “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind”. (Matt. 22:37) The heart truly is the most important organ. With it our earthly presence stands or falls. More than the whole heart we cannot pledge or give, and, this can only happen out of love. The greatest commandment is the summons of our love to this wonderful Creator of all things. He made us as a crown of creation and to be living souls, and not we ourselves!
Between SEEKING AND FINDING exists the connection of CAUSE AND EFFECT. Nothing happens without a reason. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ speaks in, connection with the hearing of prayer, about the same basic fundamental rules: (Matt. 7:7-8) Therewith instruction and task is made clear. The recipe lays before us. Now, we only have to make use of it and do it!
Where, how and when can we seek God? Too many questions at once. Therefore some examples to the WHERE.
Hear God’s Word – listen – obey! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was nothing made that was made.” (John 1 :1-3) The bible gives information about the Spiritual Creation, audible in the Divine Service, in the congregation, in the neighbour, in ourselves. Visually: The Natural Creation – seeing – looking – observing – wonder in amazement! But attention: One is supposed to see well with the heart only.
In the commandments and law of God: “I am the Lord thy God, … Thou shalt have no other gods before me … Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them!” But in the Son and in the Holy Ghost I do find Him! “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father! (John 14-9) … even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”. (1 Corinthians 2: 11) The petition for the Spirit is the foremost prayer of the congregation and the individual.
HOW I seek God! Call God with the mouth: Speak with Him in PRAYER! “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Through praying arises prayer-exaltation! With the cry of emergency ‘And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Psalm 50:15) WHEN can we finally seek God? ALWAYS, because He is with us, every day, till the end of the world in His Son: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
In the continuous SEEKING AND FINDING wecan notice again and again the distinct contours and structures of the existence of God, though He will never let us see Him in a picture or catch Him in a form. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him”. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Let us go and discover our God every day of this year, with love and wholeheartedly. Then it will certainly be an interesting, joyful, and through many facets of God’s glorious majesty, enriched year – because GOD IS PRESENT!

We are once again reminded of the wonderful GIFT OF GOD, the exhibition of Great Love and the Ultimate Sacrifice made for us. The GIFT OF GOD, given voluntarily, without payment in return and without any effort by us. This GIFT, the GRACE and MERCY we received from God by the sending of his Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us, thus securing Eternal Salvation from sin. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

We are in a world full of challenges. However, by GRACE we are not part of the world, but are fellow citizens with the Saints (Holy People) and of the Household of God. Remain steadfast and confident in the GRACE, MERCY and LOVE of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, knowing that all will be well in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

However, it is imperative that we recognise and place our frailties (weakness) before God, by doing this we guarantee the full Power of Christ in our lives. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Apostle Paul declares: “And He (the Lord) said unto me, My GRACE is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weakness), that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Children of God, know that the GIFT OF GOD, unlike man, is consistent unwavering and always predictable.  Therefore, do not build your future on the arm of flesh, which will fail you. Build on the wonderful GIFT OF GOD.

James 1:17 “Every good Gift and every perfect Gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (not unpredictable), neither shadow of turning.”

We see in Christ’s last instruction that the role of His earthly mother had now come to an end. A role that will always be remembered by all as proclaimed by the angel in Luke 1:28, “And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women”. Our Lord had tasted of a loving family upbringing and now He was transferring that over to the Apostle John. Our Lord showed how much He valued a family home life, and we see in the text that from that hour, the Apostle John took her unto his own home.

Family life in our homes is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us, because as shown in the text, it has enduring and on-going benefits. Unfortunately, family life in our homes is under attack from every side, and we must take up the Lord’s fight to work to preserve its continuance. We can read often and we see people being interviewed, who have been instrumental in being recognized for outstanding charitable work, that when asked what motivated them towards that, the majority say that “They were brought up in a loving home environment and were taught love and respect by their parents”. Acts of kindness and love experienced at home touch the lives of other people in the world as we mix with them. I read an article recently that a famous artist wished to paint the most beautiful thing in the world so that he could be remembered. He asked the question around. The Priest in his community said, “Faith, was the most beautiful thing, as you will find it in many wonderful people”. A young bride told him “Love is the most beautiful thing as it builds poverty into riches, it eases all our burdens”. A soldier home on leave said, “Peace is the most beautiful thing in the world, war is ugly but with peace you find beauty”. “Faith, Love, Peace!” thought the artist, how can I paint them? He was thinking hard on this as he walked into his home. Then he saw faith in the eyes of his children, he saw love in his wife’s face and then he saw the peace that faith and love had built in his home. His problem was solved, he painted the most beautiful thing to him in the world, his family home.

“Oh, Blessed is the family Home,

Where thou, O Lord, doth freely roam,

Of all that enter as a guest,

Thou art made welcome as the best”.

Trust is the basis of our life together and our relationship with God. However, our trust, especially that in God, repeatedly becomes the target of the temptations of evil. Already in paradise, the serpent managed to destroy this trust and persuade people that God is withholding something important from them with the tree of knowledge. The result was sin. Ultimately, sin and thus separation only became possible because the trust was no longer there. This process of evil has not changed to this day. Time and again, people’s trust in friendship, marriage, in religious communities, in God is threatened. Not infrequently, quarrels and separation are the result, which in turn, like a devilish spiral, question and destroy trust.

Our trust in God and our life in following Jesus are constantly challenged:
⦁ Is that still my God if He allows my current, difficult life situation?
⦁ Where is the consolation of the Holy Spirit?
⦁ Where should my life lead with Jesus Christ?
⦁ Is there any point in praying at all?
⦁ Will Jesus Christ really come again, and will He actually establish His kingdom?
⦁ How is this supposed to work?

We will not be able to prevent these challenges. We cannot banish these thoughts, at best suppress them, but we can react to them properly. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews refers to a very important aspect. Even if we cannot prevent the challenges to our trust, which are often brought to us from outside, we can still decide for ourselves whether we then give up our trust, i.e., “throw it away”, as the text says, or not. When the liturgical calendar leads us to this passage in the letter to the Hebrews, we can seize the opportunity to make ourselves and our congregations once again aware of what the dangers lie in giving up trust on the one hand and the comfort we can find in holding on to our trust on the other. A life without trust quickly misses its divine purpose. A life without trust puts your future at risk. Where trust is lost, faith in God’s promises is also lost.
A life of faith lives toward the kingdom of God and is rewarded with the comfort of the Holy Spirit. It will find its completion in eternal life.

Finally,
• Anyone who has no trust in their fellow human beings is deluding themselves if they believe they have trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself made it clear again and again that He is to be found in people. “At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20). “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40); or the parable of the Samaritan. It is not for nothing that He commands His disciples to love one another – how can that be possible without trust?
• The reward of trust is not only related to eternity. Here, too, the promise already applies to our earthly life. Jesus shows us a life of trust in God, for example in the Sermon on the Mount, and in particular the Beatitudes say that the reward will not only come in eternity, but immediately, here and now: “Blessed are…” A life of trust enables an intimate, blessed community with each other and with Jesus Christ, here and now. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42).
• As we think about how we can strengthen and secure trust, for disciples of Christ in general and for called workers and ministers in particular, there is a responsibility for the people that Jesus Christ wants to save, in addition to the implications for their own lives. Specifically, we are asked whether our behaviour contributes to creating a culture and atmosphere in our environment, in our congregations and in the Church of Christ, in which people can regain lost trust and strengthen weakened trust.

I read recently of a piece of advice left by a well-respected wealthy woman to be handed to her children at the same time as her will was read after her passing.

It Read

Man is unreasonable, illogical, and egocentric.

Matters not – LOVE HIM.

When you do good; it will be said you do it for selfish reasons.

Matters not – DO GOOD.

The good that you do, will perhaps be forgotten tomorrow.

Matters Not – DO GOOD.

Truth and honesty make you vulnerable.

Matters Not – BE HONEST AND SINCERE.

What you have constructed, can be destroyed.

Matters Not – CONSTRUCT.

The people, whom you help, perhaps may not be thankful!

Matters Not – HELP THEM.

Give the world your best; it may tread you underfoot.

Matters Not – GIVE YOUR BEST.

And always remember what is written in the Bible, Job 33:12 and 1 Peter 2:21 “GOD IS GREATER THAN MAN.” “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”

Good advice for us all.

It is in man’s nature to measure his abilities and strength against others. Already from a child onward it is in him to compete, who is the strongest, the cleverest or the best. Sport and Science gives us many examples. As long as this serves for the wellbeing and for positive development, no one can dispute such a healthy zeal. In Genesis we read that God created man after His own image. (Genesis 1:26) The man lived in the Garden of Eden in closest and heartfelt fellowship with his Creator. But the adversary understood, by his subtlety, to bring the first people out of balance. He seized them at their weakest point, that is: wanting to be like God. This they could not resist.

Through disobedience, God’s planned harmony with them destroyed. Man was torn out and separated from God’s closeness and suddenly forced to stand on his own feet, after enjoying life in Eden. But God gave him the promise on his way to send someone who would remove this separation into all eternity. Although God gave man laws and through authorized messengers, (judges, kings, prophets) guiding principles and directions to help their lives, they lost more and more of the Godly standard. They did not heed what God said anymore. In the true sense of the word, they became presumptuous and put themselves in the place of God and made themselves the standard of all things. Many examples prove this in the Old Testament. The time of Noah (Genesis 6:5) or the Tower of Babel. (Genesis 11:1-9) Even Godly punishment could not bring the majority of the people to change their way and return to God.

Even when God made His promise come to fulfilment, in that He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world, when He became man, reachable for the people, to be felt and experienced, even then He was not known nor accepted. He became for many people inconvenient and a thorn in the eye because He made it distinctly clear, that the measuring line, which they laid on their lives, was a completely wrong measure. Self-conceit, hypocrisy, lust of power made them blind to discern the true measure, the standard and healing plan of God. Jesus’ preaching in love, His call to turn and repent, His words of Truth were classed as infamous and God slandering. They sought after His life and lastly succeeded to condemn and crucify Him. So, they hoped to have silenced Him for ever, but their plan went wrong. This Christ remained not in death. This measuring line could not be broken.

God has highly exalted His Son and given Him a name above every name. (Philippians 2:9) In Him shall all find and their direction and before Him every knee shall bow. Since then, nearly 2000 years have passed and when we view the world and the people, we realize that since then very little has changed. Ethical and moral worth’s are getting more and more undermined and thrown overboard. One’s opinion is that God’s orders are outdated, and anti-godliness is raised to normality. Also, for us as Christians, face the danger to submit ourselves to these wrong rules and standards, after the motto: what thousands are doing, cannot be wrong!

Therefore, it is always most important for us to keep the standard of Jesus Christ before our eyes, of which the Apostle Paul wrote. As the cabinet maker constantly uses the ruler for his work that it will measure to size, so should we measure our lives constantly on the standard of Jesus Christ. This is the STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED BUT WHO HAS BECOME THE HEAD OF THE CORNER. NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN  GIVEN AMONG MEN, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED. (Acts 4:11-12)

No one must say that this standard may be too high or too weak. Even for the cabinet maker’s apprentice, the ruler is most important, though he is not able to perform faultless. The piece of work will only turn out to the satisfaction of the master and the customer if the right measure was used. We won’t get far in our life to reach our goal if we don’t start to use this measure line of Jesus Christ ourselves.

After disobeying God’s command, Adam and Eve realized that they had sinned. Their guilt led to fear and anxiety at the thought of being punished. They tried to calm themselves by covering their nakedness with fig leaves and then tried to hide from God’s sight. When God spoke to them later, they did not humbly acknowledge but tried to justify themselves. Adam even had the audacity to blame God indirectly, for God had given him the woman who led him astray. Eve too tried to defend herself in a similar manner by saying that the serpent had deceived her.

Not only Adam and Eve have sinned and then, instead of admitting it and being repentant, tried to blame others. Even today the number of those disobeying God’s commands is ever increasing. Guilt is suppressed by the majority and instead of confessing their sins self-justification is the order of the day.

Evil deeds can sometimes escape the law; but nobody can hide from God, who sees all. It is better to acknowledge our misdeeds to ourselves and God, then we shall have peace and no need to fear punishment. We should not permit ourselves to be falsely convinced that we can do evil deeds and escape retribution. Adam and Eve, who behaved so disgracefully towards their benefactor, had to suffer death because they had sinned, but God also promised to send Jesus Christ, the Son of God and man, who would save them from eternal death and who would bruise the head of the serpent.

Envy and jealousy had once driven Cain to fratricide. After his frightful deed he was well aware that he had committed a terrible sin, and when God asked him: “What hast thou done?” He answered “My punishment is greater than I can bear…. from the face of the earth and from Thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me.” After his evil deed, Cain was filled with fear at the thought of the awful consequences of his shameful act, that he could see no way of escape. Nevertheless, God made a mark on Cain so that nobody would kill him when they found him. God protected this great sinner from those seeking revenge. In spite of this Cain did not change inwardly nor pray for God’s help and mercy.

Whether a sinner finds grace with God and escapes the second death, depends on whether he accepts or rejects the grace God has given in Jesus, the Saviour and Redeemer. The two sinners crucified with the Lord Jesus, reacted in different ways. One scoffed and mocked the Lord and thereby committed himself into eternal damnation at the last judgement. The other accused the wicked scoffer of being shameless and having no fear of God. He also acknowledged that he deserved to die on the cross and realized that Jesus had atoned for his sins and the sins of all those who believed in Him, by giving up His life. He begged the Lord “Remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” This sinner, who acknowledged his faults and repented must have been filled with great joy and divine peace when he heard Jesus say: “Verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43.

We all recognize this text as the text for the first marriage created by God on this earth. God’s word is sure and cannot be broken and so we see today, many still trying under the blessings of God, to live to that word, “and they shall be one flesh.” As God, after He dispensed this first blessing, Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good”, we see that for all those married couples from that day, begin also their married life feeling the love that is also very good.

In these troublesome times for families, it is good to read advice from those that have learned from experience. Recently, a copy was handed to me of an article printed by a long married Christian couple, on how they interpreted texts from the Bible, and used them throughout their married lives, to keep that love. The article was headed Keeping Love Alive.

By Respect.  Ephesians 4:29. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Be as polite to each other and to your children as you would be to your friends and guests. Talk as politely in the home as you do outside the home. No put downs. We always remembered the high respect God has for His people and were constantly aware of the text so we always tried to measure our words. Often one party seemed to be paying more attention to things like the car or the house, and it was always very easy to flare up, but we soon realized that it was better to ask each other “Could we please talk?” and adjust these things to then suit our marriage. Over the years, handling our children without put-downs, challenged our pride, but by relying on the Holy Spirit to remind us of the words of the text. We learned to be as polite to our children as to our friends, yet we were firm when necessary.

Romance.  Ecclesiastes 4:12. “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Never let romance go out of your marriage. Say “I love you” every day. Go on dates. Whatever adds sparkle to your way of showing romance, do it all the years of your life together. Dining by candle light, walking hand in hand, notes in lunch boxes, under pillows or on the mirrors. Staying at the table to talk. Praying at all times together. Embracing, always remembering it is a three-way embrace, the Lord Jesus and us. As we grew older, we were often reminded by our children “Mum and Dad, it’s been a long time since you had a date.” This is proof that romance was still showing.

Forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”.

Never go to bed unhappy with each other. Be the first to say sorry. Suggest early “Let us pray about it.” The old saying “Love is never having to say I’m sorry”, is O.K. but it is worthless. If we recognize we will offend, even though we don’t want to and that we can ask and give forgiveness, then our relationship becomes more relaxed. We did spend a few sleepless nights coming to grips with our differences, but came to the conclusion, it is better to have a few sleepless nights, then many nights with no mate to sleep with years later. To have the rule of forgiveness along side the rule of respect: for us, has resulted in a very satisfying marriage. By now it will be easy to see our happiness is based on our faith in Jesus Christ. Through His forgiveness and love, we are set free to really love each other. He is our example. He then becomes the Head of your home and the secret to keeping love alive in your marriage.

It is hoped this will be some help to ALL families.