“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:15

There will come a day when everyone will believe in Jesus, regardless of what they previously believed. One day He will return and sitting on His great white throne of judgment Jesus will judge all people, living and dead. He will judge according to what’s written in the books containing the records of our lives.

Thankfully, there’s another book – the book of life. Everyone whose name is written in the book of life will be declared not-guilty, despite what’s written in those other books. For everyone else, the future is what this verse describes: an eternity in the lake of fire. That’s a terrible prospect!

So how does one get his or her name written into the book of life? It certainly won’t be by having perfect behavior, because we’ve all fallen short of God’s standard of perfection! It won’t be because we’ve earned it, deserve it, or bought our way in through good deeds or extravagant charity. Our good works as well as our bad will be fully chronicled in the first set of books.

There’s only one way to get your name in the book of life. That’s by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. This is a decision you must make while you’re still alive. Everyone standing before Christ’s throne will believe on that day, but it’ll be too late then. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

If you haven’t put your faith in Jesus Christ, please do so today and God will write your name in the book of life. Your forgiveness will have been purchased for you by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

If you have trusted in Christ for salvation, which names from among your friends and family aren’t yet written there? Will you share the good news of Jesus Christ with them before they stand before the throne?

“But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” – Psalm 147:11

What a wondrous encouragement for a year that’s been so difficult and discouraging for so many! To fear the Lord doesn’t mean to be afraid in the shallow modern sense. Among other things, to fear the Lord means to deeply honor the divine Creator and His nature, to fully respect and submit to His authority, and to hold His holiness and majesty in awe.

This verse is intentionally paralleling the first and second concept – to fear the Lord is to put our hope and trust in His steadfast, unchanging, unshakeable love and faithfulness. To truly hope in His love (i.e. to build your life on that foundation) is to fear Him. This is true because fear of the Lord is grounded in knowing who He is and He is steadfast love.

So know this on this Eve of Christmas Eve… If you love the Lord, if you find your hope and strength in Him, if you live in awe of His majesty, mercy, grace, patience, justice, goodness, holiness, righteousness, wisdom, power, and love, then God takes pleasure in you. The Creator of the Universe takes pleasure in you personally.

God doesn’t measure you by any of the world’s standards. He doesn’t take pleasure in your job title, bank balance, home value, or the sticker price of your car. He doesn’t measure you by your health, wealth, or situation. God loves and takes pleasure in your heart, if it is submitted to Him. In a year full of disappointments and frustrations, take joy in this – God delights in you as you delight in Him.

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”
– Psalm 146:1-2

It’s been a long and difficult year for so many. However, all the things the psalmist goes on to praise God for remain true today. His plans remain eternal. He is still creator of heaven, earth, sea, and all that is within them. He still keeps faith forever – His promises are certain and His love for those made righteous by Christ cannot be shaken. He still executes ultimate justice for the oppressed and provides for those in need while calling and empowering His people to do the same. He loves and cares for the immigrant, the widow, and the orphan while opposing the wicked.

God is, and always will be, worthy of praise. When our circumstances get us down and our thoughts turn inward to ourselves, let the people of God take those thoughts captive and turn them to the contemplation of the majesty and glory of Almighty God. He is merciful and gracious, patient, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. He is just, holy, good, righteous, and kind. He is wise, powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present. He will neither leave us nor forsake us.

Praise God today. Praise Him tomorrow. Praise Him every day that you draw breath!

“For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, ‘The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.’ So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.” – Ezra 8:22-23

When times are tough and threats are everywhere, it’s all-too-easy for the people of God to forget that our most powerful tools are fasting and prayer. As humans, those don’t seem like enough – we feel that we must do more! That’s a terrible mistake. Earthly power, cultural acceptance, physical security, and government approval all pale in comparison to the power available through boldly coming before the throne of God with our requests! Our fasting focuses our prayers and our prayers invoke the limitless power of God to address the limited challenges we encounter.

As one year ends and another dawns, there are so many challenges facing us as followers of Christ. We must proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of increasing skepticism. We must teach the unchanging faith of God in the face of our ever-changing culture. We must speak on behalf of the unborn and support and minister to the most vulnerable among us. We must make disciples who make disciples. We must create Christian community during a time of increasing isolation.

Sustained faithfulness and effectiveness in all these things is beyond our earthly ability! Though we would prefer dramatic displays of strength, we must instead discipline ourselves to fasting and prayer. We must learn to rely, as the early church did, not on our own resources, capabilities, and connections but upon God’s daily provision of grace and strength along with His enduring power to knock down strongholds and open closed doors.

“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” – Psalm 145:4

God has always had one primary plan for preserving the faith across the centuries: personal sharing from one generation to the next. Churches, organizations, institutions, and schools certainly have an important role to play. However, the most fundamental structures God created to preserve and advance the faith are personal relationships.

Each generation is called to pass their faith on to the next. Parents telling children the great stories of the Bible and their own personal experiences of God’s greatness and faithfulness. Grandparents giving testimony to God’s work in their lives and their ongoing relationship with Christ. Older believers nurturing the faith of younger relatives, neighbors, and students.

If you’re a follower of Christ with younger people in your personal sphere of influence, then you have a responsibility! You don’t have to be a highly trained pastor or Bible teacher. You just need to be willing to speak of God’s greatness, kindness, mercy, love, holiness, and righteousness in your own life. What has God done for you personally? You should be eager to share what Christ did for you on the cross and encourage the next generation to receive those benefits for themselves by faith.

Who in your life needs to hear about the mighty acts of God?