Living a New Year Surrounded by Evil by John Avant

How do you approach a new year when you are surrounded by evil?  Is it possible to live with purpose, passion, and even joy in a nation where terrorists are constantly seeking new ways to kill as many people as they can? Where so much of culture is given over to almost unimaginable evil?

In the second chapter of Revelation, Jesus spoke not only to the church in Pergamum, but also to all of us through His Word. He commended the church for holding fast to Jesus, even though they were seeing people murdered before their eyes. He even said they lived in “the shadow of Satan’s throne!” (Revelation 2:13)

It seems as if we live there,  too. But we can live well, even on days like these because we are not living this life alone!

A man named Irenaeus was discipled by a man named Polycarp. Polycarp was discipled by the Apostle John.  Imagine being this close in time to the days of Jesus. And then Irenaeus saw his mentor burned at the stake rather than deny Jesus. It is astonishing to me that I can read the words of a man like Irenaeus, a spiritual grandchild of the man who wrote down the Revelation!

When Irenaeus was writing his thoughts about the book of Revelation during those terrible days, he wrote about the Jesus he knew,  the One who does not leave us alone in the shadow of Satan’s throne.

Iranaeus said, “When he came to save us, he put himself in our position… he loosed the prison bonds, and his light appeared and dispelled the darkness in our prison, and he abolished death, loosing those same bonds by which we were held.”

You can hold on tight to Jesus in these days because he is already holding tightly to you!

You can make a difference in 2025 and do it with joy because that’s what God’s people have been doing in the shadow of Satan’s throne for 2000 years! And we have the same Power and Presence of the Spirit of God in us that they had in them!

At the end of Jesus‘s message to the church at Pergamum, He made a wonderful promise to all those who hold fast to him and overcome in days like these:

“I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’” Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭

The white stone was given to the victor in athletic events in ancient days and it was also the ticket that gave entrance to the victory banquet!

Walk boldly into this new year! His victory is your victory! The banquet of heaven is coming very soon and you have a ticket!

And Jesus has a name for you,  a name that no one else will know. Just you and Him. That’s how personally he loves you. Listen carefully and hear him whispering in your ear, calling your name, as you walk forward into a new adventure.

Happy New Year everyone!

by John Avant