She chose a memory circa 1985 when my family camped in the great outdoors, probably in the Poconos somewhere. My dad sat on the picnic table bench, facing away from the table, towards the camera, with his hands on his skinny knees. There I sat, right next to him on the bench, facing the camera, with my pudgy toddler hands on my pudgy toddler knees, as my feet dangled a couple feet above the ground. Clearly, I was imitating my father.

Ephesians 5:1–2 says, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.”

Still on Facebook, I don’t have to scroll very far before seeing unkind, bitter words of condemnation or accusation. Political battles find their voice and the noise becomes deafening to my eyes. I close the app and ask myself, “How am I doing at imitating my Father in heaven?”

My heavenly Father is just, righteous, and honest. My heavenly Father is a peace-loving Reconciler. My heavenly Father is rich in mercy. My heavenly Father brings life to those who are dead. My heavenly Father is generous with blessings. My heavenly Father is strong and meek. My heavenly Father loves sacrificially for the benefit of others. My heavenly Father is so very kind and patient. I know this, because He has demonstrated all of these attributes to me, personally.

When I remember my heavenly Father’s great kindness to me, I’m moved to be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven me. I want to be an imitator of His great grace, so that others may know Him through me.

There is a new spirit sweeping the country as people are looking for major changes promised by the incoming administration. The administration is promising to provide new jobs, lower taxes, take regulations off of businesses, restart industries that have closed down, and bring urban renewal to many major cities across the country. For sure, new decisions in local, national, and international government are about to emerge that will impact our life immensely.

As we entered the New Year, we are once again made aware of the relentless march of time! Every minute carries us all too swiftly towards our eternal destiny.  Recently, I saw an advertisement that read, “YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO LIVE!” Underneath, in very small print, were the words, “today, that is!”  The sign was a catchy reminder that we should live each day as if it were our last—in reality it may well be!

It got me thinking; TIME is too precious a gift, too scarce a commodity to be squandered! Yes, we need to be aware of each moment and not waste it with frivolous endeavors; endeavors that add nothing to our life, and will not glorify God.

The New Year will have its challenges and with it will come disappointments and failures, but knowing the Lord and walking in His will gives us inner assurance and hope for our future.

This point drove home what our attitude towards time should be, “I’ve only just a minute, only 60 seconds to it, forced upon me—can’t refuse it, didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it, but it’s up to me to use it, give an account if I abuse it; just a tiny minute, but eternity is in it!”

Some are perplexed and others are fearful of what the future holds.  The New Year will have its challenges and with it will come disappointments and failures, but knowing the Lord and walking in His will gives us inner assurance and hope for our future. The word new suggests opportunity, a fresh start, and that’s what the New Year ought to be for all of us.

God also reminds us how we should look at time, He said, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15–17). This text is filled with tremendous wisdom on how we should approach each year; in fact, every moment of every day we live. Here is what the Lord is saying to us:

• Walk Carefully (v. 15). “See then that you walk circumspectly.” The word circumspectly means to be accurate in how we give attention to what we think and do as we live out each day of our life. That is, live out each day as if it was your last with Godly care.

• Walk Correctly (v. 15). “Not as fools but as wise.” The word fools means acting without knowledge or discernment and refers to one who lives his life thoughtlessly and irresponsibly. In contrast, one should order his life each day, wisely applying practical insight gleaned from God’s revealed truth in the Bible. The word wise means the ability to apply biblical knowledge accurately with sound judgment as you make decisions each day that you live.

• Walk Committed (v. 16). “Redeeming the time.” The word redeem means to buy up every opportunity. The idea is not to waste time, but use every appointed moment you have throughout your day efficiently and wisely to profit good for you and by so doing, glorify God in your life. “Time” is not referring to seconds, minutes, or hours in a day, but fixed appointed periods of time allotted to you in your life.  In other words, God has given us an allotted time period in serving Him, and we are not to waste this opportunity in frivolous endeavors to please ourselves.

• Walk Cautiously (v. 16). “Because the days are evil.” The word evil is speaking of morally bad or wrong in relation to good. It speaks of a continual state of existence or series of events as being wicked, degenerate, and harmful to human existence. They are days filled with sinfulness, immorality, and depraved living.  The believer must place a guard over his mind and heart so as not to be contaminated by this vile world system, if he or she is to have a new start this year.

• Walk Consciously (v. 17). “Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  The word unwise means foolish, devoid of wisdom, lacking good common sense, or sound judgment. That is, don’t live stupidly, thoughtlessly, or carelessly. Instead, “understand,” or have insight and perception of the Lord’s will on how you should live out each moment of your days on Earth.  Naturally, the will of the Lord is found in the Bible. Here is the will of God for each person: Salvation (being born again); Submission (obedience to God’s commands); Spirit filled (controlled by the Holy Spirit); Saturated With Scripture (know God’s Word and apply it); Sanctified (being conformed to Christ); Serving (involved in serving Christ); and Suffering for Him (should He allow this in your life). By practicing these seven principles found in Scripture you will understand most of God’s will for your life.

Maybe you are like some people I know. They are mumbling under their breath, “I wish I could start my life all over again, to sidestep this entangled mess and baggage I am facing.” They believe by pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, making resolutions for the New Year, their troubles will vanish like a vapor. Sounds good, but you know it doesn’t work. Why? Because you tried it so many times and failed.

In a sense, you can start life all over again.  You can experience a completely new change in your life. How? you ask.  By receiving Jesus Christ into your life or if you have done so, recommitting your life to Him. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  When Christ comes into your life, things start to change––it is even called being born again. I urge you to make that decision right now. Living without Christ in your life leaves you hopeless, shallow, and empty inside. I am sure you don’t want to go through another year like the one you just lived, do you?

Someone at The Friends of Israel would be glad to talk with you about it. Why not get a new start in this New Year, beginning today? You will be glad you did! Leave a message in the comment box below.

Now, you know how Mary and Joseph must have felt as they bumped along the dusty, crowded road over the Judean hills, ascending up to Bethlehem. They had no super expressway to speed down with the cruise control set on 65 miles per hour in a comfortable, heated car, listening to the latest Jewish music blasting in their Quiet-Comfort acoustic, noise-cancelling earphones. It must have been very difficult for Mary, nine months pregnant, moaning with every step the donkey took and feeling his bony backbone dig into her as she swayed back and forth on the animal. She was probably starting to feel birth pains as they neared Bethlehem. There was no comfortable restaurant like a simple McDonald’s at which to stop and be refreshed, or use the facility to tidy up a little.

Yet, born into poverty, Messiah Jesus would change the world like no other man who traversed the earth.

It must have been very difficult for Joseph, wanting to provide the best facility for Mary, knowing that at any moment she might give birth. But, “Sorry, no room,” was all Joseph heard as he stopped inquiring for a place for his pregnant wife to be delivered; probably pleading with each innkeeper—”Please, just a simple room.”

Luke tells us, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, . . . and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). Joseph found a cover for the night, but it wasn’t a motel room or even a barn, but a simple, unadorned, humble place to tie animals––or maybe just a damp, cold cave. Maybe it was a public shelter of some type where many people hunkered down together for the night.

Well, Mary successfully gave birth, and Joseph immediately wrapped the baby in strips of swaddling cloth as was the custom, and laid him in a dirty, animal-feeding trough. The mention of a feeding trough suggests that Jesus was born in some type of animal room. Might have been a simple type of enclosure next to a place of lodging. This primitive place, without the bare essentials or any assistance, must have made Mary’s delivery a most difficult experience. Just think of the humiliation and degrading privation into which Jesus was born. But this would be the testimony of His life; often there was no place for Him to lay His head. Yet, born into poverty, Messiah Jesus would change the world like no other man who traversed the earth.

Today, many people have a flashing sign posted over their life: “Sorry, no room for you, Jesus!” Some celebrate Christmas as a weeklong party ending on New Year’s Eve, but have no room for Jesus. Others celebrate a commercial Christmas, planning to do half of their yearly business during the month of December, but have no room for Jesus. Still others are involved with beautiful plays and cantatas, bringing out all the wonder and joy within the Christmas story, but have no room for Jesus. Are you one of these?

At one time, I was one of these, putting a sign over my life that proclaimed—“No room for Jesus.”  You see, I am Jewish, and we just don’t believe in Jesus. But God sent a Jewish man into my life who did believe in Jesus. Long story short, I listened to him, looked into the Jewish Scriptures, and saw Jesus was the promised Messiah of Israel who died for my sins, now lives to provide me with peace of heart (shalom, as we say), direction in life, and assurance of eternal life.

“Enough already,” you say!  Okay, enough said!

Let me leave you with this one thought. Try Him––you’ll like Him! He is God and will bring you peace and comfort right now. The Friends of Israel is here to tell you how to let Jesus the Messiah into the rooms of your life. Want to know more? Leave a message in the comments box and we’ll connect with you.

What happens to the schlimazel is the opposite of what’s normally expected. Jewish humor describes a schlimazel this way:

A schlimazel has so much bad luck that when he runs away from rain, he gets hail.
When a schlimazel falls on his back, he bruises his nose.
When a schlimazel slaughters a rooster, it runs.
When he winds up a clock, it stops.
If a schlimazel were in the candle business, the sun would never set.
If he were an undertaker, people would stop dying.

I felt like a schlimazel recently.

Someone hacked into my personal email account and sent me over 25,000 spam emails. I didn’t realize there were so many opportunities to subscribe to things!

On the same day, my wife did the laundry and a huge amount of water backed up from the floor drain all over the basement floor. The plumber had to come to our house four times. He even ran a camera down the main sewer line to try to find the problem (he said he was doing a colonoscopy!).

There might be those who can steal my earthly identity, but they can’t touch my identity in Christ.

The next day someone stole my identity and hacked into our bank account. The hacker tried but failed to wire out almost $4,500.00 from our account. Since then, I’ve been working with our bank, the police, credit card companies, and an identity theft resolution service.

Despite all of that, I take great comfort in the fact that even though someone may be able to steal my earthly identity, my identity in Jesus Christ is safe and secure.

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13). My identity in Christ is sure. It’s steadfast. It will never change. It’s what theologians call “positional truth.” My feelings may change. My experiences may change. But my position in Christ will never change.

One of the greatest and most helpful Bible studies I did as a new believer was to learn of my union with Christ, and my identification with Him. I have to say that I’m still learning to believe and appropriate those truths. And when I struggle with doubt and fear, it’s most likely because I’ve forgotten the positional truths of who I am in Jesus Christ and who He is in me.

I may feel like a schlimazel at times, but that’s not who I am. I am a child of God, crucified, risen, and seated in the heavenly places at God’s right hand in Christ.  And no matter what happens to me––spam email, flooded basement, or identity theft ––nothing will ever change the truth that I am in Christ, and Christ is in me.

Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” But He also said in that same verse, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

There might be those who can steal my earthly identity, but they can’t touch my identity in Christ. They might be able to kill my body, but they’re unable to kill my soul (Matthew 10:28). I might be struck down, but I’m not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9).

Jesus is my LifeLock! And I am sealed and safe in Him.

Today the most criticized of all political views is the one whose faith in God and biblical worldview guides their politicking––a telltale sign that much of Western civilization has forgotten that its freedoms and moral codes originate from a Judaeo-Christian ethic.

What is at the heart of both Democrats and Republicans lately is fear, fear of the direction of our country, and there is no denying that it is changing rapidly. Some fear those who are working to put a stop to all the change that’s been made over that past few decades, while others fear those who are pushing for too much change. Whichever side you fall on, for the Christian fear is the last thing we’ve been called to, especially in politics.

I always think it’s fun to see how God has worked in the most archaic and pagan governments to advance the gospel all around the world through political systems. God’s redemption story has moved throughout human history via ancient politics and even today in modern politics. So before you say, “I can’t stand politics!” or “I fear the direction of our country!”; and after you’ve seen that last political commercial on TV, just look with me at how God moved throughout human history in politics to make Christ known.

1. King Cyrus’s New Refugee Policy
Israel’s history is full of ups and downs. If you want to feel like you’re on a spiritual roller coaster, just read the book of Judges. One of the most depressing moments in Israel’s history is the day the Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, flexed his political muscles and destroyed Jerusalem, razed Solomon’s Temple, and exiled the remaining Jewish people. I’m sure many Jewish people thought it was the end of their existence as believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So before you say, “I can’t stand politics!” or “I fear the direction of our country!”; and after you’ve seen that last political commercial on TV, just look with me at how God moved throughout human history in politics to make Christ known.

Just about 70 years after King Nebuchadnezzar displaced all the Jewish people from their homeland through an act of force, a new king arose from a different empire to enact a new law. Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, had a different view on what to do with people who were captured under the government of Babylon. Cyrus, like most new leaders, had a different view on how to manage an empire, and at that time (539 BC) Persia was the largest empire in the world.

Cyrus believed in returning all dispersed people to their national homeland. Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum said Cyrus’ political views were “the first attempt we know about running a society, a state with different nationalities and faiths — a new kind of statecraft.” Cyrus’s edict can be found specifically for the Jewish people in Ezra 1 and for all displaced peoples in one of the most significant archaeological finds in human history, the Cyrus Cylinder.

So you might be thinking, what does this have to do with advancing the gospel? Think of it like this. Thanks to Cyrus the Great and his political policy to repatriate those who were displaced, the Jewish people returned to their homeland to rebuild Jerusalem and wait for a king, a Messiah to be born among them. Less than 500 years later Jesus of Nazareth appeared; He grew up and ministered to the Jewish people in Israel as the prophets had promised. The Savior of the world shed His blood in Jerusalem because of God’s sovereignty moving in the life of Cyrus to pronounce a new political policy.

2. Jesus’ Life Was Surrounded By Politics
Jesus’ whole life was woven tightly into the fabric of the political systems of Judea and Rome. The moment He was announced to be the Messiah there was no separating Him from the political realm. Just take a look at the beginning of Matthew 2 where the most powerful man in Judea, Herod the Great, the king of Judea, felt threatened by the thought of a child that foreigners called the King of the Jews.

Even the title Messiah is a term associated with kingship and rule over an Israelite government with a global outreach. Look at what the prophet Isaiah had to say about the Messiah: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). The Messiah would be the head of the government, and He wouldn’t simply rule Israel and the Jewish people, He would be the King of kings. Listen to this psalm: “He [Messiah] shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8). The psalmist envisions the Messiah ruling from sea to sea!

Let’s go one step further. Jesus’ death was influenced by backroom politics. Politics in the Jewish world during Jesus’ life were a bit confusing and upside down. The high priests became the quasi rulers of the Jewish people: They were part of a group called the Sanhedrin, which had legislative and administrative power over Judea. However, the Sanhedrin’s political strength had limits set in place by the overarching power of the day: Rome.

Jesus was put on trial by the Sanhedrin because He threatened their power over the Jewish people, and even though Jesus was found innocent, they still considered Him guilty on charges of blasphemy.

The Sanhedrin wanted Jesus dead and out of the way, but within the political realm of Rome the Sanhedrin didn’t have the authority to enact capital punishment. So the high priest took Jesus to the Roman authority in Judea and had Him tried before Pontius Pilate. Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, was a significant political figure in the Roman world during the days of Jesus. The Jewish authority tried Jesus in the Roman court saying He’s claiming to be king, which is considered Roman treason. The Jewish authority used the angle that Jesus was an enemy of Rome and the punishment of treason is a shameful, embarrassing death through crucifixion.

Considering all of these political dealings surrounding the life and death of Christ, one might see them as a hindrance to the advancement of the gospel. Yet God used the Jewish and Roman political system to make the gospel a reality: Without the death and resurrection of Christ there is no gospel!

3. Roman Law Saved Paul’s Life
Paul purposely journeyed back to Jerusalem despite the warnings from his fellow believers that he could lose his life. When he arrived in Jerusalem he confidently walked right into the hornet’s nest, the Jewish Temple. Paul’s name was cursed among the religious Jewish leadership and even Law-keeping Jewish believers (Judaizers) at that time because they thought of him as a defector and traitor who taught Gentiles that they don’t have to keep all of the Law when they become believers in Jesus. And let’s not forget the false charges brought against Paul that he defiled the Temple by bringing a Gentile into its inner court.

With the Roman cohort and Judaizers surrounding Paul with the intent to kill him, he used his persecution as an opportunity to share how he came to faith in Jesus. The story of Paul’s life should have ended in Acts 21, but Paul had a bit of Roman law in his back pocket. Paul asked the Roman centurion, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” Immediately the demeanor of the Roman centurion changed as he confirmed Paul’s Roman citizenship. Under Roman law codes (Porcian and Julian law), a Roman citizen was protected from torture and couldn’t be punished until he was tried in court. Roman politics and law protected Paul’s life!

So how did Roman law help advance the gospel? The brouhaha between Paul and the Judaizers opened the door for Paul to fulfill his mission to bring the gospel to the center of the Gentile world! Think about it, because Paul is a Roman citizen he will be tried before Caesar, the king of the Gentile world, and this encounter with Caesar will provide Paul the opportunity to share about Jesus––the King of kings!

We only touched on three stories in the Bible where politics and law helped to advance the cause of the gospel in the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the early church. Notice that in each of these cases God used the laws and policies of pagan governments to advance His message.

So even though you may be fretting the outcome of this election season like many people I know, remember: The glorious message of the gospel will not be hindered. I know we all want the candidate of our choosing to win, and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as we are submitting our feelings to the will of God. Just remember, whether our candidate wins or loses, God, even today, uses politics and law to advance the message of the gospel globally. So do not fear.