Come Near To God

Come near to God and he will come near you. James 4:8

How can we come near to God? James gives five ways:

Yield to his authority and will. Commit your life to him and his control. Be willing to follow him.

Resist the devil. Do not allow Satan to tempt you.

Purify your hearts. Lead a pure life. Replace your desire to sin with your desire to experience God's purity.

Grieve and mourn in sincere sorrow for your sins. Do not be afraid to express heartfelt sorry for what you have done.

Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up. Humbling yourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone.

When we humble ourselves and realize our need for God, he will come to us and lift us up.

Embrace The New Year

Happy New Year...

Let us embrace the New Year from the book of Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord really wants from you:
He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful,
and to live obediently before your God.

God has made his wishes clear. He wants his people to be just, merciful, and to walk humbly with him. 

In your efforts to please God, examine these areas on a regular basis. Are you fair in your dealings with people? Do you show mercy to those who wrong you? Are you learning humility?

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us^[ and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2

Therefore, be imitators of God.