Power of Total Commitment

Leila Naylor Morris wrote 1000 of gospel songs and it is amazing gift for such a lady. One of her hymns gives me inspiration for this New Year, it says, “Sweeter as the years go by, sweeter as the years go by, Richer, fuller, deeper, Jesus’ love is sweeter, Sweeter as the years go by.”

To be a sweeter year, we need total commitment or serious resolutions for New Year. We need to know there is power on total commitment. It will totally change our lives, our attitudes, our minds, and our practices. The Bible says, “If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.” (Deuteronomy 23:21)

A story of, “A Promise Is A Promise To Lincoln” by Martin M. Hyzer inspired me a lot to magnify the power of total commitment, here is the story: “One day, President Abraham Lincoln was riding in a coach with a colonel from Kentucky. The colonel took a bottle of whiskey out of his pocket. He offered Mr. Lincoln a drink. Mr. Lincoln said, “No thank you, Colonel. I never drink whiskey.” In a little while, the colonel took some cigars out of his pocket and offered one to Mr. Lincoln. Again Mr. Lincoln said, “No, thank you, Colonel.” Then Mr. Lincoln said, “I want to tell you a story.”

“One day, when I was about nine years old, my mother called me to her bed. She was very sick. She said, ’Abe, the doctor tells me that I am not going to get well. I want you to be a good boy. I want you to promise me before I go that you will never use whiskey or tobacco as long as you live. ’ I promised my mother that I never would, and up to this hour, I kept this promise! Would you advise me to break that promise?”

The colonel put his hand on Mr. Lincoln’s shoulder and said, “Mr. Lincoln, I would not have you break that promise for the world! It is one of the best promises you ever made. I would give a thousand dollars today if I had made my mother a promise like that and had kept it like you have done. I would be a much better man than I am!”

I encourage you to make serious New Year resolutions and make total commitment to keep it and practice it throughout the year so that it will be a sweeter year for you and us.I encourage you also to take a listen my sermon of four biblical New Year resolutions which will suggest or inspire you for this new year. Audio file was a little corrupt but the message is fine. Its New Year gift for you.

Forget not to Celebrate Christmas

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-16)

Every year, I encouraged young people to sing lots of Christmas song during December because Christmas season will be over very quick and have to wait another year to sing joyful Christmas songs. It is also very meaningful for everyone to celebrate Christmas with fellow believers at church instead of secular Christmas parties without Christ. If you miss Jesus, you miss everything. I read a story of an old shepherd which gave inspiration not to miss to adore and worship Jesus: “The story is about shepherd who was a youth on that first Christmas night. And now he is old and as his grandson sits on his knee he recalls that night, "A long, long time ago, when I was a little more than a boy, I was out on the Judean hills one night with some other shepherds, keeping watch over the flock. And an angel of the Lord came upon us and the glory of the Lord shone roundabout us. And we were very afraid. But the angel said, "fear not... for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord... you shall find the baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." When he had said this the old man’s lips quivered and ceased to move and there was silence. Then the grandson turns and looks with wide, puzzled eyes into his grandfathers face and says, " But, grandfather is that all? What did you do when you heard the good news? Was what the angel said really true? Was the Christ child ever really born?" The old shepherd sadly shakes his white head and answers, "I never knew. I never went to see. Some say that it is all a myth. Others say they found in Him, the light of God and the power for life. But for me I could never be quite sure. Because I never did go to see."

Go to your church to lead Christmas Celebrations, dedicate your time to be volunteer to help out to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, bring your family to go to Church to worship our Savior Jesus Christ. Also with the love of Jesus Christ, help the poor, feed the hungers, cloth the naked, and witness the good news. We have received the good tidings of great joy, and it is our time to spread this greatest news to the world. May you all have a very Merry Christmas!