Seeing

So, what will be for you as you start this New Year? Lose weight? Eat healthier? Begin a workout program? Pay off a bit more principle on a loan? Read the Bible through? All of these "resolutions" tend to creep their well-intended head up every 12 months. The start of the resolution is excellent! We exercise for a few days or weeks until the muscles begin to hurt, then we pull back or stop all together. We begin the weight loss to the point that those pants seem just a bit looser than the day before, so what do we do; go out to eat a big meal as a time to celebrate. We all have done these things and have desired to follow through a bit longer than 31 days on a New Year's Resolution. 

As in previous years, I encourage you to keep a new resolution longer than 31 days. I want to challenge you and encourage you to read your Bible every day, and in doing so, I desire all of us to "See Jesus Together.' But what do I mean by "Seeing Jesus"? Biblically, "Seeing Jesus" is to understand, trust and enjoy Jesus and His Gospel with the "eyes of your heart" (Ephesians 1:18). "Seeing" is one of the primary metaphors for faith in the Scriptures. Simply put, to "See Jesus" is to Believe Jesus and to Believe in Jesus. Ironically, to "See Jesus" is to "have an assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). To Believe is to spiritually "see" what cannot be physically seen. But why would we want to See Jesus? What is the value in building a capacity or increasing our ability to See Jesus or Believe in Jesus? To start, our most incredible peace and pleasure as human beings is found in seeing, believing, and resting in Jesus. David famously writes in  Psalm 63:1, "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you,' my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Whether we realize it or not, we hunger for, thirst for, and yearn for God at the core of our being. We desire to see Him, be near Him, and be in a relationship with Him. Listen to how David, in verse 5, describes the soul of the person who sees God, who has an encounter with God and His Steadfast Love, "My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips" Psalm 63:5. So, to start, we want to establish and build our capacity to "See Jesus" because this will give rest to our hearts and satisfaction to our souls.

So how are we at UABC going to start 2022? Very much in the same way we began 2020 and 2021. On Sunday, you will be given a journal that is just like the "Community Bible Reading" that you received the past two years. The difference this year is that as you spend time in God's Word, you will be conditioned to "Seeing Jesus in solitude", "Seeing Jesus with One Another," and "Seeing Jesus at the weekly church gathering." 

Seeing Jesus in solitude: Our experience confirms what the Bible teaches that humans need to meet with God and be fed by Him through His Word every day! Before God ever gave His People Scriptures (His Word written down), He provided them with manna (Bread from Heaven). Through Moses, he later said that His ultimate purpose in providing manna every day was to teach about their need for His Word. His provision of manna was not about bread and their stomachs, although that was important. It was a 40-year object lesson for their hearts and their need for God's Word.

Seeing Jesus with one another: The Bible clarifies that we have a deep need for one another and that we have a powerful impact on each other. This is because we were created in God's image. We were created by a community in community for community. To grow into AND live out the life that Christians are called to, they have to know, appreciate and embody the dozens of "one Another" instructions found in the Bible. For example; Do not speak evil against one another, do not envy one another, pray for one another, teach one another, and wash one another's feet, just to list a few.

Seeing Jesus at the weekly church gathering: We must adequately value "seeing Jesus at the weekly church gathering" if we want to become or live as a mature follower of Jesus. To accurately value the weekly church gathering, it is helpful to consider the various realities present in the picture of the painted church in the New Testament.

My prayer is that with all of us reading, learning, and applying God's Word together in 2022, we will be able to be a beacon of light for the Gospel and God's Kingdom at UABC. As we begin a new year, allow this journal to increase your capacity for Seeing Jesus in Solitude, Seeing Jesus with One Another, and Seeing Jesus at your Weekly Church Gathering. So that you might also Display Jesus more and more for His Glory, the world's good, and your great joy.

Happy New Year! Serving Him,
Pastor Jeff