2015 the Year to C.A.R.E.

2014 might have been a dry and thirsty period for you.

You may have had health issues. Many have been impacted by Chik-V and are still suffering from its ill effects. Some of you may be contending with other nagging and persistent health issues.

Others among you may have been experiencing financial challenges. Your expenses consistently outstrip your income. Money worries is your constant companion.

You may have mounting debt that you are unable to contain and settle.

It may be that you fear that your future sources of income may be threatened.

2014 might have represented a cross-roads with respect to your career. You might feel stuck and at a dead end. Others might actually be out of a job and unsure about how soon they will find one.

The great news is that 2015 offers a solution for whatever “dry and thirsty” condition you have been experiencing. However, your #1 priority must be to get connected to the source.

I want to share some thoughts on the subject “2015 – the Year to C.A.R.E.”

C.A.R.E. represents CONNECTION, ACCESS, READINESS, and ENGAGEMENT

Let 2015 be a year that as your #1 priority you get connected to the source of all good things.
Eph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Check also Deut 28:1 -3

God is the source of solutions. He is able. God can provide answers to the challenges you faced in 2014. The key is that you need to get connected to the source. You need to be in Christ to access “every spiritual blessing”.
To be in Christ you must believe that there is a God who created us and has a plan for our souls. (Romans 3:21 -23; Hebrews 11:6)

You must believe that there is a God who has a plan for us. You must appreciate the sacrifice that Christ made for us to be reconciled with God. That should cause you to regret the life outside of Christ that you lived and commit to living in obedience to God. Luke 13:2

You must also make the confession “Jesus Christ is Lord”. Phil 2:11 This is a public declaration of our belief that Jesus is the Son of the Living God and that God raised Him from the dead after He paid the price for our sins. Rom 10: 8-10

We must then be baptized for the removal of our sins.
Gal 3: 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.

At that point you have put on Christ and you are in Christ. Many opportunities are now opened to you. One is that you are added to His Church. There you are able to access the exclusive blessings that are in Christ.

You are now CONNECTED.

Some people gave their lives to Christ at some point but are not accessing the full benefits that flow from that relationship. They have lost touch with Christ and His influence is not manifest in their lives.
Let 2015 be a year of ACCESS.

Christ invites us in Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Prayer is a very powerful tool. It acts as the plumbing through which the blessings of God may be channeled into our daily existence.

2015 should be a year in which we dramatically deepen our prayer lives. Let us pray often and fervently for others, for our projects and for God’s continued guidance and protection.

Some people prepare themselves for blessings. They open their minds to unending possibilities.
On the other hand, others seem to be so unprepared. They do not appear to be ready for what access to the source could mean for them.

Let 2015 be a year for READINESS. Let us prepare to maximize the benefits that are available to us as baptized followers of Christ.

Let us pray fervently and without ceasing. James 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 5: 17-18

Let us draw on the examples of how God has delivered people out of the crises and opened unbelievable opportunities for others.

Our path to Readiness must also include focus on our personal development. We need to put serious effort in upgrading and honing our talents. Critically, we can seek guidance to expand our range of talents. There are loads of needs to be met. Will you commit to preparing yourself to being better equipped to be of service to others?

Ephesians 4: 11 – 16 speaks to the importance of each of us maturing and being ready to play our part.
There is one more imperative that is required if 2015 is to be markedly better than 2014.

The requirement is ENGAGEMENT. We need to be engaged.

For many of us, 2014 was a year in which we turned the pages of the calendar. There was no major advance to celebrate. No outstanding achievement. We just moved slowly along with the tide.
Let 2015 be different.

• Let us commit right now to being actively engaged in projects and activities that have the capacity to effect positive change.
• Let us strive to be transform our lives in 2015.
• Let us determine that we will cast our careers in a new and refreshing light.
• Let us resolve to get a grip on our finances.
• Let us refuse to be overwhelmed by money worries in 2015.
• Let 2015 be a year in which we let others feel our presence.
• Let us be there for family member, church brethren, neighbor or co-worker.
• Let us make a difference in someone’s life in 2015. Let us be outward looking and value others above ourselves.

Philippians 2: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

As we C.A.R.E. in 2015, is there a role that you can play in the church?

• What is it that you can do to help this congregation grow and mature into what God would have us to be?
• Will you shine your light in areas that you left in the dark in 2014?
• Is there someone waiting for you to play the role of Phillip to the Eunuch?
• Will you seek to be more engaging through your Internet/Social Media presence?
• What about your family life? Is there is a missed opportunity waiting for you to accept the challenge to make a difference?

As you encounter others in the world of work, will you pause to take new meaning from your conversations?

Will you allow yourself to see others as souls who may have a need that you can fill?

Let us all sprout sensitive antennas in 2015. Let us shake off apathy and be fully turned on and engaged.

Ephesians 6: 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Colossians 3: 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Let 2015…be the year in which we C.A.R.E.

We ensure that we have a strong and secure CONNECTION to God…the Source. We put on Christ in baptism and gain ACCESS to the spiritual blessings that are in Jesus. We accept Christ’s invitation to ask, seek and knock to open doors of opportunity.
In preparation for the outflows from our asking, we work hard on our READINESS. We learn more about God and His work through the ages. We hone our talents and commit to being the very best that we can be.

Finally, we make a difference through our ENGAGEMENT. We make our presence felt and impact the lives of those inside and outside of the church. We touch the lives of family members and co-workers more positively in 2015.
We see souls with potential needs that we can supply.

God bless you!