It is time once again to remember to change the date and write "00" as the year. One of the hardest things to do in the beginning of a new year is to get out of the habit of writing the old date. A new year always brings about a fresh new page and new beginnings. Oddly, these feelings of "newness" are only based upon the calendar. As the Lord as allowed us to live another year is to say the Lord has allowed us to live another day.

Life is not measured in years but by days. Our lives are filled with the things we accomplish on a daily basis. We have no promise of tomorrow for our lives are like the mist that is present so briefly. James wrote in James 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'"

A new year is a gathering of new days that lie before us with untarnished opportunities. As we welcome in the new year we should welcome in the realization that God has afforded us one more day to be present before Him to serve Him and honor Him. The day is what opens the doors of opportunity and we must use them wisely. Resolution made and lost are those promises that are made with a year in mind. The resolutions we make should be to accomplish what needs to be done today. If we desire to read the Bible more this year, begin by desiring to read the Bible more today. With each day and fulfilled desire in reading the Bible, the more we will read and accomplish our goals.

The new year is a time of reflection upon our lives as we spent them before God. Three-hundred-sixty-five days have passed and what can we say we have accomplished in those days? Do we have a daily walk with God in meditation upon His word? Can we fill the spirit of daily prayer as we lift our alms to the Father? As we look at the footsteps of each day, are they walking daily in His will? We read about how Abraham left his home and traveled to the promised land. If we are not careful, we may just read the story with the mind that one day he was at his home in Chaldea and the next day he was in Palestine. The manner that Abraham arrived in the promised land was one foot ahead of the other - a daily walk. The record doesn't say how long it took him to travel that great distance but with each passing day, he arose and set forth to the promised land. His journey was a daily walk.

Our lives should be molded in a daily walk with God. The new year or the new century or the new millennium is marked by the reality that they are made up of days. God has limited us to live one day at a time and upon that time eternity depends. As we put one foot in front of the other, our path should be guided by the lamp of life. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105) The resolution of a new year is to walk more closely to God each day. As the sun rises in the east so our hearts will rise to His word. When our paths take us through the day we should walk in the way of the Lord. When the sun sets upon each day, we can pause to reflect upon the things we accomplished that day for the Lord. In the closing of our eyes are night for rest, we can know of the final rest when our daily journey is over.

The new year is a wonderful time to reflect upon life. So should it be daily to consider our lives. Resolve this: my life is not measured in weeks, months or years but daily I walk before my God to seek ways to serve Him. What I want to do is to find something today to accomplish for God in myself and for others. I will make the most of each hour and each minute of this day to serve the Lord.

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In Peter's second epistle, He presents a blueprint for the child of God's character. The fiber of the Christian's life is summed up in those few characteristics listed by Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-11. "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

These characteristics will mold our lives to be fruitful and abounding in our day-to-day walk. All of these graces will make our walk more sure and our hope more steadfast. As faith is the basis of our lives, the need to add virtue is paramount. The idea of "virtue" is lost on our world today. The thoughts and intents of the world around us is not based upon moral goodness. More and more we are bombarded with less virtue and more praise of man. The Christian's character is rooted in the virtuous course of thought, feeling and action.

Peter had declared in his first epistle how special Christians are: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (2:9) How wonderful to think about being special people to God. We are special to Him because we seek the virtuous life. Our faith is built up with virtue. As faith comes by hearing the word of God, we implement the words of God in our lives to live with virtue.

The manner of our life is rooted in the moral excellence of God's will. Virtue is the building block of courage and the willingness to stand fast and hold firm to the will of God. The towering strength of the young men in the book Daniel shows the fortitude to stand for truth. Joseph exemplifies a life of virtue even in the face of adversity. (Genesis 39-50) Peter and the Apostles boldly proclaimed in Acts 5:29, "We must obey God rather than men."

Adding virtue to our faith is the essence of the word of God changing our lives and becoming an integral part of our character. Peter tells us that by these characteristics, we can make our calling and election sure (v10), we will never stumble (v10) and we will assure ourselves of an abundant entrance at last into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (v11) Knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love will complete the image of the child of God to be perfected in holiness. "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue." (2 Peter 1:3)

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The Old Testament is a time of knowing the Creator. God has shown Himself in natural revelation: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20) As men walked upon the face of the earth, God further revealed Himself in special revelation as He spoke to them and guided them with His law. The pages of the Old Testament stand in testimony to how God has dealt with man in loving-kindness and with the fierceness of His wrath.

Man learns who God is in character from the pages of the Old Testament. "But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth." (Psalm 86:15) In every line and upon every moment of history, God declares who He is. The Old Testament is a place of honor to see who the one, true God of all time is. He is loving to those who love Him and just to those who reject His counsel.

The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Again Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." As we enter the Old Testament, we can look at the pictures on the wall of those who have gone on before with renewed courage and faith. We can pick up the stories placed upon the ancient lace and be reminded of how great our God is. As we walk those hallowed halls of God through the pages of His Old Testament, we can be refreshed with hope in the promise of God:. "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13)

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John's message of repentance was stern and plain to the teachings of God. He would not allow political position or power to cause him to refrain from the truth. In due course, this determination would find him in disfavor with those in power. "For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. Because John had said to him, 'It is not lawful for you to have her.' And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet." (Matthew 14:3-5)

Herod feared the multitude and would not put John to death. His mind was directed by the whims of the largest influence. The callous feeling of a mans life was the determination of John's future. The real fury against John would be finalized not by the coward Herod - but by the evil of the woman that so hated John. "Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly." (Mark 6:19,20)

Mark records for us that an "opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, 'Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.'" As John sat in prison, his life was about to be ended by the evil spite of a woman and sensual depravity of a man.

John is murdered because he taught the truth. John is beheaded because he made no distinction in his message - the law of God applies to all men. John is killed based upon a whim of an evil woman. The final days of John are a testimony of the faithful servant fulfilling his Father's will - even to the point of death. Sadly, Herod and those like him will meet John again one day but in that day, the judgment will be much worse. The blood stained hands of Herod, Salome and Herodias will not be able to be washed clean in the lake of fire and brimestone. John bears witness of the need to preach the "whole counsel of God," no matter the consequences. (Acts 20:27)

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