"If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil."
(Psalm 127:1)
Dear Friends –
A New Year starts with resolutions, and whether we keep them or not, we always think that this is the time to review and drop the less desirable traits we have acquired, usually to our harm. We might start with the obvious physical ones caused by 
overindulgence during the holidays, and whether it’s the need for serious dieting or curtailing spending habits, it is certainly never to lessen the love expended with such delight to our loved ones! How about we resolve on increase rather than decrease, and we extend that loving feeling established as long as possible with new determination to make life joyous always… what a way to live! The gift of love doesn’t always have to come in a pretty package all tied up with a bow, but love extended from spirit to spirit can be accomplished in some of the smallest and most meaningful ways imagined. A kind word or action speaks volumes to the intentions of your heart, and soon others recognize you as caring, friend, and one to be trusted and loved. This ability comes from no other than the source of all genuine love, Almighty God when His Holy Spirit resides in your being. Where God does not abide, efforts are only of the material nature and of little success… only when the Lord of all creation fashions your being, will you then be something truly worthwhile.
How does God fashion your being… build the house of your existence… by your willing obedience to His rules for perfect life. The good Christian seeks God’s help in all things natural 
and supernatural, and thus Divine Providence grants the graces necessary to assist mortal abilities for greater success. Without the power of God’s help, certainly earthly achievements may occur, but never in comparison to the greater result He can arrange for His loved ones. More importantly, never will the unbeliever earn eternal heavenly existence, for regardless of whatever his material goodness may accomplish, eventually, only damnation is what he will receive, consequently, in vain does he labor all the years of his life. It is commonly known, that evil people by their deliberate sinful actions earn God’s wrath with eternal hellfire, but when a “good” person earns eternal hellfire simply because they couldn’t profess belief in God, how very sad that some other friend couldn’t reach their logic before it was too late. Perhaps we should resolve this year to bring the newborn Christ Child to an unbeliever when and wherever we see the need, it certainly would be an act of love, extending joyous eternal life to all possible.
The reasoning behind God’s designing the house we live in, applies just as assuredly to our communal existence. Scandals abound at every level 
of government, and politicians we know are not always principled men of faith, thus, undisclosed corruption has destroyed cities long before its detection… evil has been in power, not God or Godly ways. The collective culture of our community labors in vain when God has not been asked to watch over its operations. A New Year is the dawning of accelerated desires… the horrors of 2020 will soon end with this hope that is on the horizon… let us resolve to do our part in reframing all structures according to His design.
NEW AGE BALDERDASH
New Age is an old and very broad term used for all sorts of cultural uprisings. Popularized by the rebellious hippie movement with the Age of Aquarius from the 1960s onward, many anti-establishment and anti-religion trends were launched. While the groups’ overall purposes and methods would vary, 
the basic commonality was centered on self-empowerment with an unrestricted spirituality that defied recognized religions… God was replaced with an “Ultimate Source” that created the world and all its contents. Some of these New Age gurus were promoted on PBS and by Oprah Winfrey, and if you ever watched them, any Christian could see that they were simply repackaging theology and crediting this new power, primal force, or Ultimate Source, whatever, as the responsible Creator! It was as if they would almost gag if they had to say the word God! And, Oh, how many were so easily duped into believing such flimflam balderdash, and overnight, so-called healers were curing with crystals, others were channeling messages from the great beyond, and an eternal heavenly reward was replaced with reincarnation.
Demise is the result of all such shallow ideology, but as the evil one, Satan, loves to use division to take us away from God, vile forces are always contriving new methods to use ignorant minds to break us away from God and traditional values. Last year, frustrations with the establishment were generated not only by the pandemic, but
heated politics and racial issues had rioting and looting nationwide with a total disregard for law and order. The Cancel Culture movement began a crusade to expose and to undue historical recognition of periods, places, and people, just because some UNAUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS decided history didn’t act in the past the way THEY thought they should have! They destroyed statues and monuments, demanded the renaming of sport’s mascots, intimated officials to defund the police… and they got away with such atrocities! We may have lost the symbols of history, but we should never let them erase history, good or bad we cherish those memories and learn from the past. This began some time back when the true religious origin of the pilgrims giving thanks to God at Thanksgiving was erased from textbooks, and sanitized to meet today’s recognized acceptance of thanking anyone but God!
A New Age of evil stupidity takes power by reckless destruction, and while few of us have the inclination or ways to be activists against this force, we have the power of prayer to use. 
Pray morning, noon, and night asking God to please deliver us from this particular evil. The Cancel Culture actions know no bounds; whether it’s historical divides or racial inequality, its ferocity can be ignited to anything that riles its erroneous sensibilities, and religious freedoms aren’t far from their grasp as destruction to religious edifices continues to grow. How terrible that the majority of this younger generation doesn’t believe in God, and that’s like no other time in history… if we don’t convert them we better pray God does. This New Age of might with minds closed to reason must be contested for the ungodly and immoral methods employed… such a lawless world belongs to the dark ages… be God’s champion for an Age of Enlightenment!
