January, 2006 Newsletter

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“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets many times and in many different ways. But now in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son. God has chosen his Son to own all things, and through him he made the world. The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like….” [Hebrews 1:1-3 (NCV)]

It is so exciting to welcome the New Year! Don’t you find it so? Everything seems to be fresh. It's true New Year's Day has 24-hours just like any other day, but somehow the first day of the New Year reminds me that God grants a fresh start for every day! We can confirm this thought from the Bible. Apostle Paul reminds us about the new beginning of Christian life when he said, “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! All this newness of life is from God….” [2 Cor 5:17, NLT]

New Year's Day can have a special freshness when you start by reading the Good News in the Bible instead of the Bad News in the world. We need the Good News because most news from the world is bad. Many news of the world are discouraging. Last year, we began the New Year with tragic news of the Tsunami in South Asia where more than a quarter million people perished. This year, one of the news was the tragic accident of the Sago Mine in West Virginia.

Early Wednesday morning on January 4, I glanced at the headline of the local newspaper that reported 12 miners trapped in the mine in West Virginia had been found safe after 40 hours. Great! As I walked out the door on my way to the office, I couldn't help but rejoice and pray for the 12 families of the miners who heard the good news. For the entire day, I had a melody in my heart as I thought about those 12 men and their families.

But to my great dismay, after I returned home later that day, I discovered that the 12 miners in fact did not survive the blast. After mistakenly being told that they had survived, the 12 families were told the truth 3-hours later. It was cruel misinformation to say the least. The celebration of the families had turned into mourning. Their joyful singing had turned into a saddened emotional outburst. How could this tragedy be? If the news you hear give you an emotional roller coast ride, this was a giant ride. The cruelty placed upon the 12 families could have been prevented if the news were communicated accurately.

This should be a reminder to us that we must get the information accurately as we communicate the good news. Get hold of the good news of the Bible that says, "God wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time." [1 Tim 2:4-6 (NLT)] Let's communicate the good news of Jesus Christ clearly and accurately and hold onto it tightly throughout the New Year.

— Pastor Jim Sakurai

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