Today I'd like to share the grace of God under the title, "Greeting the New Year." The New Year is not yet known to us. We do not know whether it would be the year of blessing or pain and sorrow, and the year of hope and happiness or despair and darkness. Christians do not greet the New Year by themselves. We greet the New Year with God, who is the Lord of the universe and everything in it. Therefore, we should never look at the future with anxiety and fear. Isaiah 43: 1-2 tells us about God who will be with us, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine." Since we welcome the New Year with the Almighty and omnipresent God, we ought to fill our hearts with the dream of hope in the New Year. James Packer, the representative modern theologian, said, "I am so glad that God has the key to all the mysteries. If others had that key or gave it to me, I would worry and feel uneasy." The New Year is a mystery before us, but we know God who holds the key to it. Rather than worry about the New Year we'd better accept and serve God who has the New Year in his hand. If he opens the door, nobody can close it and the other way round. This God is our Father and loves us. "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?"(Mt. 7:9-11) When God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it, he said that they were very good. This God also said that it is so good when you were created. If you commit your life to God, he will make it good, not bad! If you follow Adam and Eve who tried to live without God, it will be a huge disaster. However, if you walk with him, nothing but goodness will happen to you! God wants you to live a happy life. There is no reason for you to fear or worry about the New Year as long as God accompanies you. We should prepare our hearts and minds to greet this New Year with a hopeful dream. In order to do that, first, we must crucify ourselves on the cross and die and live with the Lord in this New Year. 2 Corinthians 4:10 says, "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." Why did Jesus die? He died for you and me. We ought to carry his death on us; it is no more somebody else's business. Jesus' death, tomb, resurrection and ascension are all mine so we should live a life in which Jesus and we are united as one. Jesus carried your sins and iniquities and took your curses and death on the cross. Therefore, you are not living your life alone. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."(Gal. 2:20) Now that we are living with this Jesus, he takes care of everything for us and gives his life to us. If we walk with Jesus holding his hand tightly, any trials or troubles cannot threaten us. Ephesians 2:5-9 says, "--made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions?it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith?and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God?not by works, so that no one can boast." The cross of Calvary should always stand in the center of your heart. You must first look up to the cross where your sins and iniquities are forgiven, your diseases are healed, Abraham's blessings and resurrection and eternal life are given, your soul, body and circumstances will prosper and abundant life will be given. It should be arranged first in your life. If worldly thinking, riches, fame and glory occupy your heart and mind and the cross has to be squeezed into them, it is wrong. First things should come first and the rest will follow after it. Your priority must lie in the Fivefold Gospel and the Threefold blessing. Then through the grace of the cross you can cherish a dream for your future. Since the Lord is with you and will help you, you can dream beautiful dreams for a brilliant future. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Where can you put off your old self and put on the new self instead? It is in your thinking. In your mind you can get rid of your old thinking. Remove the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life in the old world and put on the new thinking. Where can we get the new thinking? On the cross of Calvary. Jesus destroyed our old self on the cross and resurrects us to prosper in our soul, body and circumstances, which is our new self. This process cannot be done with our determination only. Not by our own strength, but by the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Look at this! If you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit makes you to become a new creature. The new is here! God makes you a brand new person so you will be astonished at yourself! How could this happen? Seek first his righteousness. What are the kingdom of God and his righteousness? His kingdom is Jesus Christ and his righteousness is also that of Jesus Christ. If you seek first his torn flesh and precious blood on the cross, you will be a new creation and God will take good care of you. If you try only on your own, you will be in big trouble. When God is with you, something marvelous will happen to you. I pray that God will be with you throughout the New Year. Secondly, we should enter the New Year by prayer and the Word. When our hearts and mind are distressed, they will be arranged by our prayer and reading of the Word. Worries and anxiety will sweep away our peace of mind and our hearts and minds will be upside down and confused. God will not work in these hearts. Joshua 1:8-9 says, "Keep this Book of the Law (the Word of God) always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."(Isaiah 41:10) This God will come to you through the Bible. Through the Word he visits you. God stays in the Word, not apart from it. Today God is with you through his Word. If you listen, read and memorize the Word more and more, God works his miracles in it. If we are filled with the Word, he will make our life prosperous. If we arrange our life with prayer, God will make it prosperous. The Bible commands us to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid or discouraged, but to live with faith. If your thinking is renewed and well arranged, God will accept you as a sacrifice. Romans 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God?this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will." As your mind is ordered, you will discern his good, pleasing and perfect will by prayer. There are always three kinds of God's will. The first stage is his good will and the second stage is his pleasing will. Then what is better than his pleasing will? First, his good will and second, his pleasing will and third, he wants us to live according to his perfect will. Therefore, when God calls you, you'd better ask him, "Is this your good will? Or your better pleasing will? Then is this your perfect way? I wish that I will follow your perfect will by your grace." I hope that you will order your life in this way. The Holy Spirit leads you to have a dream and God makes you dream those dreams. What is your dream? Faith is confidence in what you hope for. What do we hope for? It is our dream. Do you hope for something? That is your dream. Even if it does not manifest yet, you have something in your heart. Faith is substance of what you hope for. When you hope for something, you must have faith in it. Faith starts with something you hope for. As you believe in what you hope for, then your faith becomes substance. What is the substance? It is a house deed. Even if you don't visit a house as you buy it, it is surely yours if you have the deed of the house. If you believe what you hope for by prayer and do not give up your faith, it will be yours. You now have the deed. Therefore, if you have the dream the Spirit gives you, that dream will come true. Since you have the deed, the dream will be always yours. Philippians 2:13 says, "--for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." How does his good purpose manifest? What is his will? God first gives you his will to fulfill his good purpose. Then it appears as a burning desire in our hearts. Many people are confused about God's will. Usually God does not speak to you directly. Visions or dreams would be much better, but they are not given generally. Then how can we discern his will? When you pray earnestly to know his will, follow your heart. God shows his will through your desire in your heart. There will be a burning desire. Whether you sit down or stand up, the desire will always be there. God wants to show his good purpose through the desire. If there is no desire at all, God does not say anything to you yet. If you pray with undesirable will, it will disappear through your prayer by the work of the Holy Spirit. However, the more you pray, the stronger the will of God becomes by the Holy Spirit. Then it is safe to accept it as his will. Therefore, have a dream given by the Holy Spirit. Have an absolute faith in the Word of God. His Word of promise will not be changed at all even if the heaven is collapsed and the earth gives in. Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." When we read the Bible, the Spirit of God will arouse a desire through the Word in our hearts. As we believe in the Word with a desire, the Word will come true. Hebrews 10:38 says, "But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back." Once you believe the Word, you should not turn back. There will surely be a test of your faith. You ought to pass the test. It puts you to test whether you backslide or not. Psalm 23:4 says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." When you walk through the darkest valley, you should not fear any stormy winds with the faith that the Lord is with you. Then you must speak the positive word to rule over yourself and your circumstances. Don't speak silly words. People tend to criticize others or gossip or speak only negative words such as, "I cannot do it. It is impossible. It is beyond my ability." On the contrary, you must speak creative, positive and active words which control yourself, your surroundings and your destiny." Let us read together Proverb 18:21 says. "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Your tongue has the power of life and death. Didn't God create the heavens and the earth only by his Word? As he said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Since you are created according to his likeness and image, you are already given the authority to conquer and rule over the world created by God. God made you a little lower than himself and ordered you to rule over the creations of God. Thus, I wish in the name of the Lord that you speak always, "I can do it. It will be surely done. Let us try. I will live. I am blessed. Miracles happen." Thirdly, you should allow this New Year to be controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. You do not live alone, but the Holy Spirit comes to stay with you. The 4,000 years of the Old Testament belonged to the Father and 33 years of the New Testament to the Son, but the current era of church to the Holy Spirit. Father God and Jesus commit their works to the Holy Spirit so he stays with us to work the Kingdom business. He never leaves you, but be with you all the time. He is with you and in you. Therefore, always acknowledge, welcome, accept, worship and rely on him and then the Spirit will help you. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." The Holy Spirit does not stay somewhere else but you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is not in the air. He is specifically within people. He is in you. Where is he in you? In your thinking, dream, faith and words you say. He is not a million miles away and never vague like cloud. He always speaks to us very definitely. The Holy Spirit is in my thinking, dreams, and faith and words that I speak. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You know how important you’re thinking, dreams, faith and words are through this. The Spirit works through them. It is not your thinking, but the Holy Spirit thinks together with you so how much wisdom, understanding, counsel and knowledge will overflow over you! The Holy Spirit dreams with you in your dreams to fulfill God's good purpose. When you believe, the Spirit encourages your faith and works together as you confess with your mouth. Thus, you are not an ordinary person, but the people of the Holy Spirit. Please greet each other saying, "You are the man of the Holy Spirit." John 16:13-14 says, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you." Romans 8:26 also says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." If the Holy Spirit is with you, you have a wonderful grace! You are not weak. Be strong and courageous. Do not fear and be dismayed. You are more than conquerors. Lastly, we take this New Year as preparing for the second coming of Jesus. We will not stay on the earth for eternally, but the Lord promised that he would come again to take us into where he stays. This earthly life is like that of aliens and strangers. Therefore, as aliens and strangers we could leave here anytime. Then why should we hate each other, take grudges against somebody and try to kill with this temporary life? I wish in the name of the Lord that you may love each other in this fleeting, mortal life. James 4:14 says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Philippians 3:20-21 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Jesus, you promised to come again when you went up. O Lord, when will you come again? When the Lord comes again, our physical, weak and ugly bodies will be changed into a glorious body like Jesus'. With the trumpet call of God, the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Your weak bodies will become strong ones; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; the body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable. Our bodies will be changed. Do not trouble this filthy, mortal body. It will become glorious someday. Since we've already received the citizenship, as the Lord's people we are waiting for the day when the Lord will pick us up. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."(Jn. 14:1-3) What will he do? "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." The Lord will come again. He will never leave you like this forever. We don't know whether he will come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Thus, we should do our best to evangelize as long as we stay on this earth depending on the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Until the day of his second coming, we must live a life of a witness. 2 Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage?with great patience and careful instruction." We ought to preach Jesus in season and out of season and share love and happiness in this New Year. I hope that we should share love and happiness with others. Matthew 25:37-40 says, "Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" When the Lord comes again and gathers the righteous, he will say, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." The righteous are frank, aren't they? They will say, "Lord, when did we do that? We have never seen you in person, in prison, in hunger and in disease. The Lord will nod his head. "Have you taken good care of one of those least people when they were in poverty, nakedness and hunger?" "Yes, Lord, we did it." "Whatever you did for them, you did for me." The Lord really cares for those who are naked, starved, in poverty-stricken, sick and deserted. He never neglects those who suffer in this world. Therefore, he came to the earth and was crucified on the cross to be torn in his flesh and shed his blood to embrace those who are sinful, unrighteous, filthy and deserve abandonment. Until that day of the Lord, I wish that you share love and happiness and give glory to the Lord in your life. Who knows what if 2012 may be the last year in the earth? Do not be tempted by the worldly things that are false and void. Rather, depend on the grace of the Cross of Jesus Christ and march forward the Kingdom of the heaven in the New Year.