[Faith-talk] This Is the Last Evening of the Year!

[Linda Mentink]

Hi all,

This is really good, so I'm sharing it here. I wish you all a blessed 
2015.--Linda

Today's Puritan Audio Devotional:

In that hand which was once nailed to the cross for your redemption!
<http://gracegems.org/Smith5/Smith_Sermons.htm>James Smith, superb!
<http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=111612221238>Play 
Audio! 
<http://mp3.sa-media.com/filearea/111612221238/111612221238.mp3>Download Audio

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This is the last evening of the year!

(<http://gracegems.org/Miller/SERMONS.htm>J.R. Miller, December 31, 1907)

This is the last evening of the year! I am trying to sum up my year's 
life. The days have come to me like clean, white pages--and I have 
tried to put upon each something beautiful to keep for me when the 
eternal books shall be opened.

It has been a year of opportunities. I am conscious of not having 
embraced them all. I have neglected duties of love, not always doing 
the things I should have done. I have not grown in heart-culture and 
spiritual life as I ought to have done. These neglects and all my 
sins, I humbly confess.

Yet I thank God for the past year. I cannot now change anything in 
it. But I want to learn lessons of experience from my failures and 
mistakes, and carry them forward into the new year.

I would forget the good things I have done, and try to do better 
things next year. No year's life, however beautiful, is beautiful 
enough to simply repeat--it must be improved upon. So I leave my 
year, with all its blots and blessings, with God, who will forget 
nothing worthy, and will look graciously upon my mistakes.

"One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what 
is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God 
has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 3:13-14

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We have published James Smith's superb short article, 
"<http://www.gracegems.org/Smith5/comfort_for_a_new_year.htm>Comfort 
for a New Year!"

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Feel free to forward these gems to others who may be encouraged or 
profited by them!