Word of Truth & Light Ministries Preaching to the nations the message of grace and truth in Jesus . Welcome to the weekly message from Word of Truth & Light Ministries. It is our prayer that as we share these insights with you from the Word of God you will be encouraged and your faith will be strengthened.  You can send us an email at wotlm@charter.net, requesting to be placed on the mailing list.  When you do, the weekly message will be in your email inbox every Tuesday morning.  Thank you.  The weekly message of God's love and His grace is now going into 22 countries on 5 continents every week! Marilyn and I know that we could not do this without you. Your faithful prayers and financial gifts of love are a tremendous source of strength and encouragement, helping us to keep stretching forth and making this gospel known in all the earth. Thank you. We love you and we bless you.         Get up, Set out, Push on & Go for the Prize             If you haven't already done so (and what are you waiting for?) you will soon be taking down all the Christmas decorations.  There always seems to be something comforting about taking down all those decorations and returning the house back to its normal appearance.  When the job is finished, you feel good about it and there is an unexplainable, but yet, a comforting sense that it's time to get back into the routine of daily life.  How do you feel about the routines of daily life?  I have found that even though people look forward to and enjoy periodic breaks from their daily routines, it is those routines that we often feel most comfortable with.  We may often complain that things never seem to change and that we are tired of the same-old-same-old, but many times when a true opportunity for change presents itself we tend to step back from it and even resist it, especially if it threatens to disrupt a routine we have developed over time and have comfortably fit our lives into.  It is this aversion to changing a comfortable routine that results in many of our resolutions for the New Year being tossed out into the dumpster of broken promises.         Have you made any New Year resolutions for 2009?  Will you keep them?  Will you be steadfast in them?  Will you be resolute?  I have heard it said that many people don't even make resolutions for the New Year anymore.  It's not that these people don't see any need for changes in their lives, but it is because they have failed at them so many times in the past that they no longer even bother to try.  It has been said before - and it is very true - that we have not failed until we have stopped trying.  The truth is, just because you have not reached a particular goal through certain tried efforts, or just because you may not have achieved a desired accomplishment by a certain date, that does not mean you have failed.  We do not fail until we give up and stop trying.  Proverbs 24:16 says, For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.  This tells me that even if it looks like we have failed at something, we can, by the grace of God, get back up, dust ourselves off and try, try again.  We do not really fail at anything until we give up and say "What's the use" and settle back down into an old routine that is comfortable.         A wonderful verse of scripture for all of us to take hold of at the dawning of this new year, or any time we resolve to embrace change, is in Philippians 3:13.  There the Apostle Paul said,"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."  In the Living Bible it says, "No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead."  If any of us are ever to experience the joys, the benefits and the advancements that come from making the needed changes in life, then the most important thing we need to be doing right now, is putting behind us and forgetting about the times it looked as if we had failed, fallen and have come up short, and then, go at it again.  The truth is, because God is for you, because He is on your side, because He is your strength and your help, and because He has promised to never leave you or forsake you - YOU CAN DO IT!  Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  This one verse is a tremendously good and positive reason why we should refuse to ever give up, and should always keep on keeping on.         Here, at the beginning of this New Year, we all have the opportunities for fresh starts and new beginnings.  And even if some negative experiences from the past are tempting you to not even try anymore and are working to persuade you to ask the fatal dream-killing question - "What's the use?" - may we encourage you to forget about it and not to give up.  The good news is, God has not given up on you, therefore, this is your day and it is your time to GET UP, SET OUT, PUSH ON AND GO FOR THE PRIZE!                                        Have a great and wonderfully blessed week.   Blessings - Love ya all,  Bob, Marilyn & Caleb  With your financial support of this ministry you are  tremendous blessing to us and you are making an eternal difference in the lives of people in 22 countries on 5 continents. Because of you the message of grace and truth in Jesus grows and is producing fruit among all the nations.  Thank you and God bless you. Offerings are received by mail at: WOTLM 7805 Jarret Lane Brighton, IL 62012 Credit and Debit cards can be used on the "Love Offering" page of this web site.