(Special edition: Year-end further reflections on Sundays 20&27 Dec, 2020)
Happy belated Christmas and happy new year to you and your family here and overseas! In case you haven’t seen our ministry team’s Christmas caroling in Dalat, check it out here: https://youtu.be/Qj66y9xTe04 (feel free to share it to your friends and loved ones).
Reflecting on the two messages on Sunday 20-Dec, “Insecurity” (if you missed it, you can Spotify here http://tiny.cc/kob7tz), and Sunday 27-Dec, “Emmanuel — God with Us” (http://tiny.cc/mob7tz), we should be able to confidently say that 2020 is a good year (at least in our church’s context) in spite of the pandemic and as we graciously live in Christ Jesus — the Savior of the world and our God-with-us” and boldly enter 2021 with love, joy, peace, hope, and unshakable security.
Unlike popular cultures, which suggest forgetting (ignoring) about the past (pains/hurts/problems) and wishfully just enter a new year with a “blank slate,” the Biblical culture called people to “remember” what the Lord had done and what they had been through. For example, the Book of Deuteronomy alone has about 14 occurrences (5:15; 7:18; 8:2,18; 9:7,27; 15:15; 16:3,12; 24:9, 18, 22; 25:17; 32:7,26), calling the people of God to “Remember….” As we are entering 2021, it is biblically a good practice for each of us to think, reflect, and remember what the Lord has been doing in your life since the day you were “born-again” or “regenerated” or “saved” (not the day you joined Christianity as a religion), especially on how the Lord has been working in and through your life in 2020. It is a spiritually healthy exercise when/if you can take some time to note down your hurts/pains/struggles and how God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have been speaking and nudging; teaching and rebuking/correcting; healing and training you in His righteousness in the context of His Body — this local church that you commit to and play important parts (not as a virtual wanderer or presently absent at in-person meetings). This is meant to be an encouragement and not a rebuke! Now let the opening and closing lines in Deuteronomy help us to remember. “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day (5:15).” And “Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you (32:7).” There are a few things we can make connections with the New Testament.
(1.) We need to remember that we were sinners and slaves to sins before the Lord touched our heart, opened our eyes, and used someone (if not many people) who introduced you to Jesus and showed you how to live a life of faith. Now even if for some reasons that you had bad experiences before with Christians who were nominal or lukewarm or plainly religious (going to church for 2–3 times/year), I’m sorry but still God’s grace through Christ has been sufficient for you and your weakness works perfectly in Jesus, who has delivered you out of the condemnation under God’s law and put you under His grace, so you can be free to do God’s will (not your will), joyfully obey His word, and expectantly connect and commit to His living Body — the church. You know you have it when you do all the above out of your free will and without any ill-motive or strings attached or pep-talks or pull/push techniques or emotional manipulation or any guilt trip from anyone.
(2.) At any point of our life, we always have a tendency of saying “I can’t wait for this to be over,” especially 2020. Though this is everyone’s normal feeling, it might not be helpful if 2021 will not turn out the way we expected. And we will never be able to fully know His will/plan for the world in the next decades. Thus, we should not place ourselves in a position to command what 2021 should be or ‘falsely’ declaring God’s road map or tell God how He should act! However, it is totally appropriate to pray and wait and anticipate with full security and hope in the Lord, our God, Jesus Christ. When we partake in a communion, we are told to do what? Give thanks, break bread, and drink the cup and as often as we do this, we remember Jesus and proclaim His death until He comes back (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). In this way, the Body of Christ — the church, the community of God’s people (which can be anything between the faithless, the weak, the lukewarm, the strong, and the faithful) can be reminded from generation to generation about what the Lord had done for us. And if anyone ever forgets, the younger ones will ask the older ones and the older ones need to be reminded by the younger ones.
Remembering-what-the-Lord-had-done generates security and hoping-in-the-Lord produces living-in-Him. May the security and hope that we have in life find its activity and rest in Him, His Word, and His church.
To Him be the glory! — Pastor Lap
P.S. Coincidentally, our NLCC Singapore (Pastor William) team made a clip, during Christmas, about a friend, Charles Manuel who lived in Vietnam and served NLF Vietnam decades ago. Watch it until the end to hear his testimony. Hope it brings additional encouragement to you and your family. https://youtu.be/OMjwIfyBxFM
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