What are your plans for 2014? Do you have special events planned?

Will there be special achievements?

For sure there will be challenges. How will you face them?

The Apostle Paul gives us 5 special words for facing challenges.

But before we look at those 5 words, let’s look at two thoughts.

Thought #1-Ephesians 2:

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Jesus is in control, has a good plan for your life and is developing you.

Thought #2-Hebrews 13:

⁵ Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Jesus will never leave you or forsake you

Paul’s 5 words for facing those challenges are found in the context of his letter to the Galatians, chapter 5:

¹ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

² Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

³ For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

⁴ Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

⁵ For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

⁶ For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Face the challenges of 2914 with faith which works by love.

Face those challenges with faith in Who Jesus is and what He is doing and who you are in Him. Use your love for Jesus and for yourself because He loves you unconditionally and His love for His creation.

It was a Sunday afternoon, January 1956 when these 5 missionaries trying to give the gospel to the Aucas in Ecuador sang this song, not knowing they would pass over their finish lines into the presence of Jesus due to martyrdom later that day. Jim Elliott, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian

We Rest on Thee

Edith G. Cherry, c.1895

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.

Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYjBWOz9kwM

Hebrews 12:

¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He has set before us, looking unto Jesus,

Coach Patti