As a new year begins, men and women customarily desire to turn over a "new leaf and make "new resolutions" for improving their behaviour. November is but new and I find myself doing this already.

For too long I've been looking and behaving like the pair of trees whose domicile is that of two unshaven British airmen.

Although their trousers and shoes stick out from beneath the trunks of their fully transportable homes absolutely no one on the film set of 'Allo Allo', or i n the audience, finds them overly suspicious.

They find themselves semi-comically and semi-clumsily in hiding from the Gestapo.

Fortunately these resourceful men from the British air force are very resourceful!

Wise and humorous like only genuine British actors can be, their deeply thought out plan is to relax only when the intrepid resistance, run successfully by, men-resembling, women turns up.

How gloriously, with totally unrehearsed glee, they come to life, from self-imposed hibernation with their classic cheerful monosyllabic "hello"!

The Paris-based Gestapo never spot their spot lights on them; for they are more interested in tasting Brat wurst than capturing shot-down airmen. Many of us major in the wearing of disguises.

For the Christian each new year reminds us of our whole new life in Christ.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17).

The Christian has received from Christ a new commandment that we love one another ( see John 13:34). No longer can we hide in a profoundly amusing allbeit foolish disguise; for we have a war against the kingdom of satan to fight.

He has come to "Jesus the mediator of the new covenant" (Hebrews 12:24), and, in a sense, he lives in a whole new world.

The ultimate new year will come when Christ returns!

Our assurance is that Jesus will keep His promise, and "we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II Peter 3:13).

Peter looked for this world to come, and so do we.

John translated in time by the Holy Spirit saw the new heaven and new earth, and so shall all true believers !

Isaiah prophesied, when God finally does "create new heavens and a new earth . . . the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind," so glorious will be that new world (Isaiah 65:17).

Then we shall have "a new name written" by Christ Himself, sing "a new song" with new voices, and live in that "holy city, New Jerusalem" (Revelation 2:17; 5:9; 21:2).

We shall have new bodies, new homes, new ministries, new lives, forever.

The Lord Jesus assured John: "Behold, I make all things new, . . . These words are true and faithful" (Revelation 21:5).

All things will be eternally new in that great new year soon approaching.

With such perfection of company awaiting lovers of God what is stopping the majority from willingly going up to this new land that God wants us to inhabit.

In Deuteronomy chapter 1 this good land is mentioned.

God's promised land is Christ.

He is the good shepherd who leads us into the good land. It was God who drew Caleb to Christ; for Caleb wholly followed God's word.

If God is to be enabled to draw us to Christ we must do the same. God is justified in being wrath with those who continue using unholy speech.

How vital it is to grasp that our deed life emanates from our speech life. Our deed life will never improve until we fight against our unclean speech.

Why is it that the majority who live and die obtain a wrong opinion about Our eternal Father? They don't repent or "go up" because they have accepted a lie that the Lord, to some extent, hates them. Publicly and privately the unsaved murmur against wisdom -as seen in their continuous practicing of foolishness.

The landscape of Christ can't be enjoyed unless it is searched out by all our hearts, mind, soul and strength. The good land that God yearns to give us is wisdom.

Christ is wisdom, our good land. He is the green pastures and the still waters.

Only when we abide in the Gospel of Christ will we be truly fulfilled; for when eat and drink of Him obediently and perseveringly, and believe on His atoning work, He will restore our soul.

Be encouraged sufferers with issues of blood.

Nine years ago at the age of 38 I found myself in a place of deep desperation.

I had tried all that the world could offer.

I had spent all my money on a cure.

To spend all ones money involves expending all ones time and talent.

I had unresolved issues in my life that were as life threatening to my soul existence as the physical issue of blood was to the woman mentioned in the holy Bible. Tired and worn out physically, emotionally, mentally I began to realize that the key issue in my life was that I had false relationship with My Creator.

My broken heart needed cleansing. My uncleanliness of speech couldn't be explained away or justified. I couldn't adopt an Americanist "whatever" attitude and be cleansed.

I studied James 1:26 again: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue... I knew I needed to learn about Jesus. It has been the most exciting adventure ever. I hope that if you like me are marooned in some unprofitable place of hiding, like Adam and I was, that this web site will lift your level of hope and be a blessing for you. May the grace of God help you immensely.