1/1/2022 - A Messege for New Years

TNG Radio, where today's culture and timeless truths come together. It's reasoned, relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries.

Welcome to Truth For A New Generation Radio. And now, the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. Do we have a heart that is established?

What does that mean, to have an established heart? Hi, Alex McFarland here. In just a moment, we're going to look at the New Testament book of James a little bit. But I welcome you to this last edition of Truth For A New Generation for the year 2021. We are recording in 2021, and this will air several times in the first week of 2022. But I want to pull out a couple of words from the book of James chapter 5, and contrast a nourished heart, as in indulged, versus an established heart, that is a heart yielded to the Lord Jesus Christ and his priorities.

Now, later in the show, I want to talk about what it looks like to have an established heart. But I want to begin as we close out 2021, and we look toward 2022, what God wants to do in and through all of our lives in the new year. And I want to challenge you to make 2022 a year that you firmly stand for God and his truth.

You walk, you grow in the Lord, and let's just say you gain ground for not only your own personal walk, but for the kingdom of God in general. And you can do that. And I want you to think now, as 2022 begins, think about what you want your life to look like a year from now. Should, good Lord willing, we have another day, another month, another year, where do you want to be a year from now? Because very often, as has been said, we purchase our tomorrows today. And yes, the improvements, the progresses that you hope to make, you pray for, you aspire to, they can happen.

They really, really can. And the time to prepare for victory tomorrow is before the Lord humbly today. And we'll get to James 5 and talk about that in just a moment. But I want to share a story that I think is just very, very inspiring. Do you know the name Azie Taylor Morton? She wasn't blind or deaf, but when she was growing up in rural Texas, she went to the Texas Blind, Deaf and Orphan School, because that was the only school in her area that would admit and teach African Americans. So she went to school, and she graduated at age 16 from high school, and she went to college.

And she progressed, and ultimately, under President Jimmy Carter, she became the treasurer of the United States, and she held that position for four years with honor. But she spoke some years ago in South Carolina at a college, and the governor of the state came to introduce her, and it's very interesting. She began her speech with these words. I was born to a mother who was deaf and could not speak. I did not know who her father was or is. But the first job I ever had was in a cotton field, and she said, I stand before you today as the treasurer of the United States of America.

Azie Taylor Morton. Now listen to this, because what a perfect word for the closing of an old year, the beginning of a new year. This woman who achieved great things and was quite certainly an overcomer, she said, nothing has to remain the way it is if that's not the way a person wants it to be. It isn't luck, it isn't circumstances, and it isn't being born a certain way that causes a person's future to become what it becomes. All a person has to do to change the situation that brings unhappiness or dissatisfaction is to answer the question, how do I want this situation to become?

Then the person must commit totally to personal actions that will carry them there. Now that is profound, because I meet so many people, and they grouse about situations, and they lament the past, and they obsess about this one wrong turn that they may have taken 20 years ago, and they feel like and they tell themselves that they're irrevocably on this wrong trajectory, and there's no hope. Even when we lament about the situations in our country, and to be sure, our nation, the United States of America, needs the Lord, and we need awakening, and we need the Church to be revived. And believe me, culturally, economically, spiritually, governmentally, ethically, there are many things academically, many things that our nation needs, but I agree with AZ Taylor Morton that the way to change the situation is to say, what do I want to see happen, and then commit yourself to do the things that will change the situation.

Well, now, none of us can, with a flip of our hand, radically change the country, but I'll tell you what we can do, we can pray. And we begin to change the world by changing ourselves, and we, at this moment, and it might be one of the most significant moments of your life that you're even hearing this radio broadcast right now, because the you that you want to become, and the changes that you deepen your soul no need to take place, they begin with amending your lives in light of God's revelation, and God's truth. You know, Mark Twain one time, he said, keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.

Small people always do that, but the really great people make you feel that you too can become great, said Mark Twain. Now, in the book of James, the Word of God has a lot to say about patience, and it talks about waiting on the Lord, and seeking God for the latter rain. The former rain, we thank him for, the latter rain we anticipate. And then it says, establish your heart. Now we're going to talk about what it means to have an established heart, but I would say more than ever, more than ever, this is a time for us to take stock of our life and understand that all of life really is stewardship.

Our time, our bodies, our intellect, our mind, what we think, how we communicate, our vocabulary, our influence, and yes, you have influence, you do. All of these things belong to the Lord, and we will give an account for what we do with our lives. It's been said that who we are is God's gift to us, but what we become is our gift back to God. And so when we come back, we're going to talk about what it means to have an established heart yielded to the Lord, not a pampered, indulged heart that's fallen to the flesh.

And we're going to make it a great year, and God has great blessings for you, and the decision to live life in your future God's way is a decision you can make right now today. DNG Radio You know, Alex has been writing for many years, and one of his classic books is still great today as a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It's called Stand, Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt and onto solid ground. You'll read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are, one, inspiration of the Bible, two, the virgin birth, three, the deity of Christ, four, atonement, five, Christ's resurrection, and six, Christ's return. You know, Alex mixes it up with humor and stories he gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages teens to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ. Simple and straightforward, Stand, Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith, available wherever Christian books are sold. Have you ever wanted to raise your hand during a sermon?

Well, here's your chance. Hi, Alex McFarland here from the nationally syndicated radio program Exploring the Word. For more than 10 years, my co-host Bert Harper and I have taught scripture and answered hundreds of Bible questions. We've compiled a brand new book of the top 100 Bible questions from listeners of all ages, from questions about supposed Bible contradictions to apologetics facts that prove the truths of scripture. This new book features practical content that will make the Bible come alive for you.

Can we really be sure that God exists? Are there contradictions in the Bible? I need a book that will help me understand the Bible better.

There's so much good content in this book. One hundred Bible questions and answers published by Broad Street Publishers and available at your local bookstores and also through resources.afa.net. For apologetics resources, books by Alex McFarland, and to find out where Alex is speaking, visit alexmcfarland.com. Welcome back to Truth For A New Generation.

Alex McFarland here. You know, in the book of James chapter 5, it begins and it says, Listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. I love the way the old King James renders that, and it says, Come now, or go to now. In other words, listen, come and listen to this, those of you who are rich, and weep for the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and moths have eaten your clothes, it says. And it goes on and it talks about, very interesting, it says, Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. Frightening words of condemnation.

You have hoarded wealth in the last days. And what it literally means, the wording of it, indicates that your indulgence and your sin and your greed and your materialism, all these things that you've spent your life accumulating, are actually just tallying up the judgments against you that you will face before God one day. And it talks about defrauding workers and the cries of harvesters have reached the ears of Almighty God.

We'll come back to that in just a moment. But in James 5, 5 and following it goes on, and it says that we are to be, James 5, 7, Patient brothers and sisters until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop. Patiently waiting for the former and latter rains. And some translations say the autumn rains and the spring rains. My friend Dr. Michael Brown, born again Jewish scholar, hundreds of international trips, he talks about that Jewish people would have really known what it meant, the former rain and the latter rain, because the former rains were heavier rains, the latter rains were lighter rains, James 5, 7. And that we would patiently, or the farmers would patiently wait for both. And it goes on and it says, you too be patient and stand firm because the Lord's coming is near.

Now I want to talk about this in relation to entering this new year. Okay, James chapter 5, it talks about the rich, the greedy, the godless, the fallen, those who live for sin and they don't turn to the Lord. And they have hoarded up things in this life just ultimately that will be judgment against themselves.

And they've even oppressed the weak and taken advantage, exploited people. Do you not know that the Lord knows all this and he is in control. Now as we enter a new year, I mean this is good to remind ourselves of that God is in control.

God will reward his children, God will preserve his followers and there is reward for the righteous and God also will judge those that are unrighteous. We know this and we, even though the journey down here can be hard and very often we suffer, that's why James 5, 8, very interesting, says be patient and stand firm. Now the contrast between James 5, 3 and James 5, 8, one of the condemnations of the godless, those that reject the truth, it says in James 5, 3, you have nourished your heart. Now James 5, 8 says establish your heart. Now both words in the original language are the word cardia from which we get the words like cardiac.

You know cardia is a Greek word referencing heart. But in this case it's talking about the real you. Your soul, the things that you believe and the morals and the convictions that you have and you've trusted Christ and you have a regenerated soul, everlasting life.

The heart, the spirit, the soul, the real you. Now the condemnation of those who have nourished their hearts, it really means indulged, fattened their hearts. In other words, the flesh was in control and the flesh was what we fed.

More and more carnal. But in contrast to that, James 5, 8, the established heart is a heart, first of all, that's been made alive through faith in Jesus. Born again, cleansed and then matured and grounded on the truths of God's word. As a Christian, I hope you've trusted the Lord, but even as a believer, have you daily fed your heart, established? I love how the old King James renders it. Establish your heart. And what does it mean?

Well, it's interesting. It means fixed. It means stable. It means focused. It means strengthened.

In other words, it's like a construction term. Imagine you're putting a pillar in the ground or some post that's part of the foundation of something. Well, how is that thing established? Well, the establishment of something is determined by the foundation on which it rests. Very often if you watch people working and maybe they've got an auger and they dig a hole in the ground, but they'll drop into the bottom of the hole one or more rocks.

That way when the post is dropped into the hole, it's not just on wet, shifting ground. But even though they dug a hole, at the bottom of that hole, the foundation underneath it all is a rock. Well, the foundation stone of your life must be Jesus if you want to be stable and established. So on what do you stand on Christ? Remember, Paul wrote, no other foundation can a man lay or build upon than this, Jesus Christ. Now listen, you might be a church member, but that is not an established foundation, as good as church membership is. Maybe you consider yourself a moral person, industrious, successful, prosperous, you've worked hard, you've made money.

Wonderful. But the basis of your life, the core foundation, must be your relationship with Jesus Christ. And if 2022 is going to shape up to be just another year like all the rest, it's time to change foundations. So the number one question for the established heart is, do you know Jesus Christ? Then secondly, not only what is the foundation on which you stand, but what are the supports that you've built around yourself? The supports for the Christian would be the following.

And I would say in this order, the indwelling, guiding Holy Spirit, then the nurturing, strengthening, directing Word of God, and then prayer by which you commune with the Lord each and every day. So when we come back, we're going to talk more about the established heart, the fruitful life, and the life that will make every day of 2022 count, because you know the Lord, you're indwelt by His Spirit, you're following His Word, you're communing with Him daily. Stay tuned, we'll talk more about this when Truth for a New Generation returns. TNG Radio America today is like a patient struggling to live, yet is being forcibly euthanized by her, quote, doctors. The life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself.

The team of, quote, caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient. The economy is crashing, crime is exploding, the Constitution is being abolished, the assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex McFarland has one single purpose, to get you prepared. Learn the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about, and what you can do now to face tomorrow, regardless of what tomorrow brings. The assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late, available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and local Christian bookstores.

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You're listening to Truth for a New Generation Radio. Welcome back. Alex McFarland here as we're wrapping up this third segment of the program. I want to thank you for listening, and you know, looking into 2022, I am so deeply grateful for all that pray for Truth for a New Generation Ministries. You pray for me as an evangelist. We just launched our website, a brand new redesigned alexmcfarland.com.

Everything has been updated. My calendar is on there. My goodness, in the month of January, I've got speaking all over the country, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, and so many places that I'm speaking. And then we've got a major conference that will be August in Oklahoma City. But somewhat sooner than that, let me make you aware of a couple of dates that I really ask you to pray for and participate in. July 8, 9, and 10, I'll be at the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center in western North Carolina doing 1 Peter. Now the Cove, it always fills up.

It's just amazing. The website is thecovecove.org. And if you put my name in the spacebar, you'll find that in the summer of 2022, we're doing the book of 1 Peter. And I want to encourage you, come to the Cove. I'll be there, Angie will be there. We'll be joining with people from all over North America to get into the Word of God, to fellowship, to be inspired by the Billy Graham Center there and all that God did through the life of Dr. and Mrs. Graham, and then their kids and grandkids. The Billy Graham ministry is so inspiring. But we will pray together, we'll fellowship together, we'll get into 1 Peter, we'll learn how to defend our faith.

That's July 8-10 at the Cove. Then, listen carefully, July 17-22, our annual summer youth camp, Biblical Worldview. Listen, here's our theme.

Unashamed, Building Your Biblical Worldview. With us will be Will and Miki Addison. It's going to be great.

We've got music. We're going to be at a camp about 1 hour east of Raleigh, North Carolina. It's called The Refuge. The Refuge is wonderful. There's a beautiful, beautiful brand new swimming pool, and there'll be horseback riding and archery and just so many things.

Fishing. All of the great things we do at camp, but especially we'll be teaching the middle school and high schoolers. The young people in your life, if you'll bring them or send them, we'll be teaching them to defend the Christian faith, to love God and country. Listen, it grieves my heart when I hear of so many young people that go away to college, they fall away from the faith. We're going to be teaching these young people who attend what it means to be a Christian, what it means to be a disciple. So the camp is July 17-22.

You can find out more information at AlexMcFarland.com, or you can Google NC Refuge, as in North Carolina Refuge. It's going to be amazing. But let's talk about this. Let's talk about you and 2022.

James says, establish your heart. Look, we don't need to fret over the past. We don't need to obsess about the past.

We don't need to be fearful and paranoid about the future. The reality is Almighty God lives within you. Before the break, we talked about an established heart as one that is on the foundation of a relationship with Jesus Christ. And then the Holy Spirit that indwells you, you are allowing the Holy Spirit to have control. Now your emotions don't have to control you, but I will say this. Here is the thing. The key to controlling your emotions is first controlling your thoughts.

And how do you do that? By continually reshaping your thoughts in conformity with the Word of God. That's Philippians 4-8. That's Romans 12-2. And so when your thoughts are right, your emotions will follow. It's not the other way around.

Thoughts and behaviors are often shaped negatively by emotions, but really, behaviors don't necessarily change emotions. You've got to believe the right things. And you do that by letting the Holy Spirit guide you, reading the Word of God. That's the Lord speaking to you. Prayer, that's you speaking to God. And you've got to, and I challenge all of us, if you're doing these things, wonderful.

Maximize on them. Continue. If you need to do these things, and again, as a Christian, we don't own anything.

We are owned. Even our time is not our own. So maybe now is the time that you're going to make the decision.

Maybe right now is the time that you're going to make the decision that you're going to begin to be a better steward of your time. And of your thoughts. And you're going to make an impact for Christ. And you can. And you must. Do you remember the old bit of verse?

It was by a man named Everett Hale. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. You and I can't save the whole wide world, but we can tell the world about the one who is the Savior, Jesus Christ. We've got problems. I know we do. But we've got opportunities all around us. And I want to challenge you to have this can-do spirit, because you are victorious as a Christian. You are a victor. The truth is on our side.

Remember 2 Peter 1, 16-21. We have not followed cleverly devised fables. This is reality. And so believe what is true.

Believe the positive. You've probably heard of the U.S. Marine Corps General Lewis Puller. P-U-L-L-E-R. He was known as Lewis B. Puller.

He was called Chesty Puller. And during the Korean War, he once said of the enemies, he said, They are in front of us. They are behind us. We are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29 to 1. They can't get away from us now. So I was looking at the positive, not thinking, Oh my goodness, we're doomed. But we can't help but prevail. And that's how it is, my dear friend. 2020 was hard.

2021 was hard. But I will tell you, Jesus Christ is on his throne. The Bible is still his word. Christ is risen. He is Lord. We're his children.

Our names are in his book, and our destiny, John 10-28, is in his hand. We have every reason to be encouraged, enthusiastic, positive, rejoicing, and yes, mindful of our daily stewardship responsibilities as Christians. Let's make it a great new year as we live for Christ and his commission. Truth for a New Generation, Alex McFarland Ministries. We're here to encourage you in that regard. May God bless you and may God bless America in this new year. Thank you. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time for more Truth for a New Generation on TNG Radio.