January 2025 – Beginnings

January 2025

Beginnings

Happy New Year! Here at CSM, we send you our love and gratitude for your friendship and support. I want to open this letter and our year together with the prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians in the city of Philippi:“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.  For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:3-11).

This is my prayer for you in 2025. God is not only the God of new beginnings, but He is the leader and companion for us on the entire journey. He not only gives us the compass of His Word, but He gives us His own Holy Spirit as our Guide. He will lead us into life-giving relationships if we will listen to His voice and be open to follow His leading. The Holy Spirit has some fresh “Divine Appointments” for you in the year ahead. 

Pay attention to the new people God is bringing into your life. The Lord has given something to you that He wants you to give to them.  And … God has given something to them that He wants you to receive through them also. They may not go to your church. They may not even be a Christian. You may think, “Lord, how could I possibly relate with that person? What could I possibly have in common with them?”

I will tell you what you have in common:  you and they are passengers on “this great blue ship that sails around the mighty sun” and God is sovereignly at work in your life and theirs.  If you can hear the Holy Spirit and walk in wisdom, these new relationships will be doors into a whole new world of opportunity and ministry. You’ll encounter people you never imagined you would encounter.

To the Philippians, Paul makes this promise: “He Who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).  This speaks of an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives from now until the day we go home to Heaven. Every day is a new opportunity for God to bring us closer to Him and His Kingdom.  Every day is a new opportunity for us to see more clearly, to love more dearly, to walk in greater grace and strength. Every day is a new opportunity to share what we have received from Him with others.

World events and markets are volatile. Politics are angry and divisive. In much of America, the weather is cold and miserable this month (please don’t say anything, Florida, California, and Hawaii). But the mercy of the Lord endures forever! In our distress, we have called on Him and He has heard our cries. Though enemies may surround us, the Lord is our strength and our song and He has become our salvation. The rock of salvation that was once rejected by those He came to save has now become the Chief Cornerstone of a great house He is building … and all are invited to dwell with Him!

It’s no wonder the Psalmist can declare, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). By faith, we can come into agreement with that declaration, regardless of how challenging our present circumstances may be.

Look … I get it. Last year was tough for many of us reading this. Really tough. We lost dear friends and family to death and tragedy. We faced daunting personal health challenges. Finances were tight. Relationships were strained. Jobs were scarce. Major events altered our lives and plans. Difficult decisions were made.  Many questions remained.

Last month, a dear friend who lost his house and church building to fierce Hurricane Helene said to me, “I can’t believe I stayed up all night to welcome in 2024!” I said, “Yeah, and I’m going to stay up all night to cheer 2024 right on out the door!” And yet, in the midst of many tears and great apprehension, I can honestly say that there were many blessed moments of grace in 2024, just as there have been in every year. We are repeatedly reminded of God’s great kindness, and His power.

If you and I were together right now—and I wish we could be—we could sing these words from our hearts:
All my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now
I give You everything, oh Lord
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
(Songwriters: Ben Fielding / Brian Johnson / Edward Martin Cash / Jason Ingram / Jenn Johnson “The Goodness of God” lyrics © Bethel Music Publishing, Capitol CMG Publishing)

In the midst of all the badness that our natural eyes may see, we need to look up in the Spirit and sing of His great goodness and mercy.  We need to shout it at all the demons and hosts of hell that seek to discourage and destroy us. We need to declare God’s faithfulness—in word and deed—to a lost, hopeless, and dying world. We need to speak it to our own souls that are weary and dry. His light shatters darkness. His joy brings strength.

Being weary is so much more than being tired.  Weariness is exhaustion plus hopelessness. Paul told the people in Galatia …“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).

Here, Paul ties weariness to “losing heart.” It’s when we abandon hope and our courage grows cold. The writer of Proverbs says something similar:“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

A heart that is protected and nurtured grows strong and resists weariness. Each day, ask the Lord to search your heart and show you anything there that is toxic. Allow the Holy Spirit to wash and cleanse you. We need to ask Him for forgiveness of our own sins. Some of us must forgive the people who have hurt us; not because they were right, or it was a minor matter, but because we want our hearts to be healthy and strong, not filled with damaging pollutants. Some of us need to let go of anger or cynicism for the same reasons.

Before Jesus came into our lives, we were walking the path that leads to death. The image of God which with we were born had become marred and twisted within us. We were unlovely and unlovable, certainly not worthy to enjoy fellowship with a Holy God. But in God’s great grace, He called us back to Himself and made a way for us to truly live, if we will only receive the Lordship of Jesus by faith. He saves us as we trust Him to be our Savior. Look what Paul told the believers in Ephesus …“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:1-10).

For too long, Christians have engaged in infighting among ourselves regarding “faith” and “works,” and which one leads to salvation.  But as one of my Dad’s friends told him, “It’s not a matter of faith versus works, but rather faith that works.” 

Receiving God’s grace in our lives by faith produces good fruit and good works in and through our lives. Salvation is all His doing, if we will only believe and receive. But then as we “work out our salvation,” we grow in Him and in our ability to minister His life to other people. We are created in Christ for good works. The flow of God’s goodness does not stop with us, but it compels us to share it with others.

If this letter has encouraged you, and I pray it has, would you forward it to a friend? It’s available via email or online at csmpublishing.org. We are progressing in our mission of “Restoring the Generational Bridge,” which is also the theme of the April 29-May 1 CSM Gatlinburg Family Reunion … and you are invited! Please mark your calendar and watch for registration information coming this month.

We sincerely ask for your continued prayers and financial support for CSM this month and throughout 2025. Last year was the most significant transition in the history of this ministry, as my father, Pastor Charles Simpson, completed his earthly race and entered into the fullness of God’s presence. We still face many challenges, one of which is simply knowing who feels called to continue on the journey with us. We’re not finished yet. The mission remains. I truly hope we can walk together.

Also, I want to ask for you continued prayers for my health as I “re-tool” for the next stage of ministry.  God willing, I will have another surgery this month to repair blood vessels in my arm and then more procedures after that. I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated.  I have peace and I am making plans for ministry travel in 2025.  If I can serve you, your ministry, your church, or your community this year, please contact our office and let us know.

I love and appreciate you and pray daily for you.
In Jesus,
Stephen Simpson
President