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The End
December 29, 2012

The year 2012 is quickly coming to an end. It was a year filled with joy and sorrow, gain and loss. Right now it is easy to focus on the past year, but how easy will it be to focus with such detail on what was 2012 in one year, five years, or ten years? It's sort of like asking if I can remember all that was good or bad with 2011, 2007, or 2002. I lose focus on the details, with my loss of focus becoming larger the further back in years I go. Yet I still look forward to a better year than the one I have just lived. It is with this optimism, that I take great comfort in some of the closing words from the last book of the Bible.

Revelation 21:1-7
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

I look forward to a time when there is no more death, sorrow, or pain. The verses from Revelation show a future time when the world as we know it will no longer exist. During 2012, we had our shares of sorrow and loss. In the United States we recently suffered the loss of twenty innocent children through violence. A few months prior to that saw destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. The recession continued for too many and they suffered financial loss. Even the iconic Twinkie was lost. Across the world, war and rumors of war took too many lives and inflicted numerous injuries. Wives were widowed; children were orphaned. People starved of hunger and died from disease. Some during the same time chose to use their power over others to exploit. But in one, five, or ten years, will we still be able to focus with the same clarity on that what was 2012? It is part of the normal human condition to forget information that is not routinely used. That is why a student can be taught something in school only to have it seem appear totally new years later. It is important to remember the important details of 2012, and the importance of the various occurences of 2012 will vary from person to person. The way to get to this future period of time written about in the Book of Revelation is to overcome. It is when we overcome that we inherit all things. We cannot allow that what is bad in the world to overcome us; rather, we must overcome the world with good, and the Bible has a few details to share on this idea.

Romans 12:1-21
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Overcoming evil with good is how we overcome. Overcoming evil with good is how we transform ourselves by the renewing of our mind. We can never allow ourselves to repay evil for evil. When we give evil a place to grow in our heart, evil will grow like a weed. What Paul writes about to the Romans is hard to understand. We live in a world that is allow about getting even, being fair, being treated equally. Although logically to us it might make sense that when a person acts like a jerk they should be treated like a jerk, Paul tells us to treat them with kindness. When someone wants to destroy you, Paul advises us to provide for them. Allow God to be the one to take vengeance, because God will never be overtaken by evil. Overcoming evil with good, is not just a side show of faith, but a central part of faith.

1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

The end of a year, even the end of a year only by man's reckoning is a time for us to consider the end result of our faith, a time when we have overcome evil by doing good. To overcome evil by doing good, we mustcelebrate what is good, embrace what is good, and do what is good.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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