The 3 R’s

January 01, 2024

by Ken Pullen

ACP

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I turned 71 today. Thank the Lord for His blessing me with such time. I believe I am alive, daily, solely by the Lord’s will, and thus while blessed with breath, a beating heart, and everything the Lord has blessed me with to do His will. To serve Him. To be a light unto the world. In my small feeble way.

People, for some bizarre reason, make a big deal in mentioning, “Oh, you’re a New Year’s baby!” when learning of a January 1 birthdate. Even when old and gray-haired. It’s just another day. Really, it is. Just as December 31st is. Even though the local news where you live most likely had a segment about the first baby born within broadcasting distance. That birth is as special as every birth of every child everywhere every day.

And if you must know — having a birthday so close to Christmas, when a child, isn’t such a wonderful thing. Parents, at least mine, said things like, “You just got gifts a week ago!

I mention turning 71 today because the whole New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day thing worldwide is utterly ridiculous as practiced. And we’ll get to the 3 R’s soon, but before we do, I sent an email to a cousin. Also a friend. He is about five months younger than me. I mentioned how I think it’s nuts how people act on New Year’s Eve because a page in the calendar is flipped, well, a new calendar needs to be purchased, the old one tossed, and the new one displayed, sure, but that’s really what it’s all about. What it comes down to. Really. Turning the page. The next day.

Lord willing.

And all the noise, the fireworks, the partying, more noise, another excuse to get drunk or high, to have immoral sex, to go nuts as if flipping the calendar declares a person must take part in the worldwide insanity. All because a page in the calendar is flipped, and the year, unless entering a new century or decade, changes by a single digit. Wow. Imagine that? Cause for all the craziness? What appears to be joy and celebration by the world which turns to headaches and hangovers as the new year begins. To soon be forgotten and the same old habits and ways carried over into the new year. No change within. Not really.

All the noise. All the excuses to indulge.

If needing to have sex on New Year’s Eve? Be married. Stay married. Love your wife. Love your husband. Be thankful for them. And if changing of a year drives a person to drink to the point of drunkenness or take drugs — then isn’t it time to seriously consider what that means if you’re that individual? The need for being in an altered state, to escape reality. What are you suppressing, hiding from?

Which will only return, really never left, upon recovery from such foolish practices.

Rather than join the world, which as true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, renewed of mind, transformed of spirit from within by the Supernatural power of the Holy Spirit we ought not to have any urge to imitate or emulate the world’s foolishness, banality and worldwide insanity. Let us indulge in the 3 R’s.

Ahh, enter the 3 R’s.

At least for me. You might be thinking, or saying to yourself, well, he’s 71 and old and doesn’t know or remember how to have fun!

The world pretends to have fun. Living lives like old Hollywood studio backlot facades. The following day, the next week, month, and into the new year proof of this.

I’m not a resolution person. Never have been. Even when a lost, pagan unbelieving great sinner. Resolutions are foolishness and a waste of time. For everyone and anyone. For a non-believer. One outside the flock of the Good Shepherd. Because they never take hold. The resolve to be resolute is as fleeting as morning dew.

As a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Rather than exhibit behaviors akin to losing one’s mind, making claims of change that fail to come to fruition, and acting as if the world is ending indulge, rather, in the 3 R’s.

Reflect, Repent, Respond.

Katoptrizó, κατοπτρίζομαι: to reflect, as looking in a mirror…

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18

There is a vast difference between reflecting on past events and living in the past. At year’s end, it is a time for reflection. Serious, objective spiritual and whole life reflection. Or it ought to be. Without the fireworks, grain alcohol, and other nonsense to numb, distract, and make us look mindless, be mindless rather than mindful of our position in this life with the Lord, with the Word of God.

Metanoeó, μετανοέω: to repent, to have another mind…

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 3:2

Repent or Perish

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Luke 13:1-5

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”

Revelation 2:5

But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city…

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

Acts 8:1, 18-23

To have another mind, to turn from not going back, to find comfort in the change of mind. To be truly changed from within. To think differently. Not as the world thinks. Rather, to have a spiritual, godly mind.

Prosechó, προσέχω: to respond.

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 6:1

Respond not to seek glory or attention from others, do not respond believing works are most important to give you glory, honor, and status. To make you feel good. To give the delusion that any of us are good. There is only One that is good. That is God.

There is an even greater response upon reflection and repentance than our charitable deeds. It is to respond to:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20

It isn’t about feeling good. Patting oneself on the back. Seeking pleasure here on earth.

It IS about, all about, mainly about spreading the gospel. Which is Christ. Christ alone. Christ crucified. Christ resurrected. The promises of God fulfilled. About heaven and hell. About forgiveness of sin, the great sacrifice God made for us to save us, and redeem us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflect. Repent. Respond.

Testify. Accurately. Tell of heaven and hell. Do not fear the whole truth of God, of the gospel. Do not omit the cross. Or asking if the person being addressed is ready to repent and accept Christ as their Saviour, the Lord of their life. Use the whole Word of God as the whole Word of God from Genesis to Revelation is about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Trust in the Holy Spirit to help you, work in you, and to work in others. We do not save. We do not win people to Christ. Christ does. God does. The Holy Spirit does. The Word of God does. We are mere wee instruments that ought to be doing the will of God, serving the Lord. Period.

As the calendar has flipped from yesterday to today, the only day the Good Lord has given as God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit hold all things together by Their will, as They by Their will give each of us the current breath we have, the next heartbeat, and everything — EVERYTHING — we have let each of us truly, deeply meditate, ponder — reflect. Let each of us repent of our sin, to have another mind, the mind of the Lord, to imitate Christ our Saviour [and if still refusing to believe, to repent, to trust in the Lord and make Him Lord of your life today is the day to reflect, REPENT, and…

…may we all respond this day, and each day in this new year the Lord has blessed us with, as many days as He blesses us with RESPOND to His Word, His will, and His ways with us being truly the light of the world, a separate and peculiar people, not indistinguishable from the pagan, the darkness of this world, the people who are darkness, the walking dead of this world. Remaining dead in their sin. Greatly deluded. Seeking their own pleasure, creating their own truths which are just more sickening spiritually ill lies they tell themselves.

May we respond daily, always to the guidance, help, comfort, teaching, and discipline of the Holy Spirit.

Knowing each day here, each flipping of the calendar will be forever forgotten in the coming eternity. And this is not our home. The coming eternity is the true reality, the everlasting reality. All that is here past, present, and to come is going to be swept away and forgotten like last year’s fog, rainy days, snow melted, and memories fading.

Seek the kingdom of God. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.

Not as you may desire. Only as the Word of God instructs us.

Not as a particular pastor you admire declares, as a denomination may state.

As a member of the body of Christ, as a member of the Church ought to know, understand, faithfully believe, and carry out daily. No matter what numerals or letters appear on any calendar.

Truly desire to have this new year be a better more profitable one than last year? Then take the proper time, in the proper manner, to reflect, repent, and respond to God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit, and to the whole holy inerrant infallible living and active Word of God.