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This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17
A few days ago we began a brand new year. I remember growing up and thinking the year 2000 was a long way away and perhaps would never get here. Now, Y2K seems like a dream and many of our kids in high school have no idea what you are talking about when you mention it unless they remember something from a history class!
I don’t mean to sound like a ‘Debbie Downer’ but I always watch the New Years Eve festivities on TV with a bit of a smirk on my face. The airwaves are full of hope for the New Year. “All that happened in 2014 is behind us now, we can move on to better things.” (I actually heard that said in an interview.)
The reality is, many of the struggles each of us had on December 31, 2014 are still with us. There are concerns about the economy, world peace, health care, disease, ebola, terrorism and family/relational issues. And the worst part? No doubt some of your Christmas toys have already been broken or are the wrong size/color/style.
Wouldn’t it be nice if every day could be filled with the same hope and excitement of New Years? How much would you give to be able to put all the worries of 2014 behind you and really be able to leave them there?
There are some things we can’t let go of in a physical sense. However, there is a solution to the worries and concerns of the heart. If we are honest, when the heart is at peace, circumstances have little or no effect on our outlook on life.
In the book of 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul makes a startling statement. When Jesus comes into our lives and invades our heart-felt emotions, we are made new. Not remodeled. Not reconditioned or reconstructed. NEW.
I was thinking of that verse the other day and a couple other verses about ‘newness’ came to mind. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
We are made entirely new through personal faith in Jesus Christ. We receive the newness of God’s love every morning. The new hope and excitement of New Years Eve every day? Maybe not physically, but a heart centered on Jesus Christ can celebrate being ‘new’ every day of the year regardless of outside circumstances.
If you are looking for hope that transcends the physical, I encourage you to visit a house of worship where Word of God is spoken and the forgiveness of Jesus is lived out. Feeling the need to recharge of your emotional/spiritual batteries? Many Camps/Retreat Centers offer personal retreat areas or retreats and events designed to help you get refocused. Whatever situation you are in, realize that God’s love transcends the struggles of our physical lives. His love is new every morning, just as we are ‘new creations’ in Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, as we enter this New Year of 2015 I’m in awe of so many things. Time and circumstances have no bearing on you. You know my past and my failures but are willing to make me a new creation. Your love for me is brand new, exciting, passionate every morning regardless of my mood. All I can say is thank you. I look forward to living with you over the next year. Amen.
Be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 6:12
Remember the story of the Lion and the mouse? The little mouse was hopelessly trapped in the paws of the mighty lion. He begged for his release and promised to help him someday. The lion laughed so hard he dropped the mouse, allowing it to escape. Later, the lion was hopelessly trapped. The mouse heard the lion’s roar, raced to his rescue, gnawed the trap apart and released the lion. The lion remembered the mouse’s kind deed and the two became unlikely friends.
While the story could have multiple meanings for life, the most important may be to always remember the kind deeds others have done for you. The more pronounced the kindness extended to us, the more important it is for us to remember.
God’s people had spent nearly 600 years under the rule of the Egyptian government. They had no military strength. They had no qualities that would endear them to anyone. They were a bunch of slaves with no hope for anything better.
Then God showed up in the form of Moses and everything changed. They were miraculously delivered from bondage. They were given a chance to make something of themselves. They were given hope. Eventually they would become a mighty nation.
In the same way, each of us was spiritually enslaved. We had no hope. We had no endearing qualities. There was nothing that made us attractive to anyone. Then God showed up in the form of Jesus and everything has changed.
The words of Moses still ring true to us. What the God of the universe has done for each of us should always be at the forefront of our minds. The problem is, it’s far too easy to forget what God has done for us. Just as the Israelites struggled in the wilderness, we struggle as well in our daily pilgrimage. But the struggles we endure today are well worth what we will see in the promised land of eternity. So what is it that keeps us from remembering? What are the main enemies of our ingratitude (intentional or not)?
One is that we often forget how ugly sin looks to God. Shortly after the Israelites were delivered they longed to return to slavery! They forgot the bad and focused only on the good. We were as good as dead before Jesus died for us. There is nothing pretty or useful with ‘dead’.
A second reason we forget is that we grow content with what we have. When things are good we forget about the fact that every good gift comes as a result of his hand. When things go bad we spend our times blaming ourselves, God or others. God’s love and compassion are present regardless of our circumstances.
Thirdly, we can often forget about what God has done for us because our focus turns to what we have done for him or others instead. We begin to feel entitled to God’s blessings because we are so godly (compared to others); We try too hard to do the ‘right thing’ and become frustrated in our weakness; We move from seeing ourselves as being rescued to living as ‘the victim’ (poor little old me).
Take time to follow Moses’ advice. Be careful not to forget what God has done for you. Never forget that you were once nothing but a dead, worthless slave. Then, Jesus came to make you new. Now you are a child of God and destined for eternity in heaven. Never forget.
PRAYER: Father God, never let me forget where I have come from and where I am now because of your grace. Empower me to live a life of gratitude that spills over to those around me. Amen.
I pray that the Lord, who gives peace, will always bless you with peace. May the Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
True Peace begins with me, is empowered by Christ and thinks eternally.
This is the phrase that came to me as I was pondering what it meant to be truly at peace. We live in a world where peace is merely spoken of as a wish, a dream, a hope we know deep inside of us will probably never come. We have just come out of the Christmas season in which we speak of “Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards Men”. We look forward to a new year in which we always hope for life with a stronger economy, more solid relationships and better health.
True peace, the kind of peace God promises us isn’t dependent on circumstances, nor can it be taken from us by other people. True Peace begins with me, is empowered by Christ and thinks eternally. True peace, God’s peace is best exemplified with the Hebrew word SHALOM. SHALOM peace reaches to the very soul. SHALOM peace encompasses the seen and the unseen, the things I can control and the things I can’t.
True Peace begins with me, is empowered by Christ and thinks eternally. While True peace is initiated by God, I must make a decision to make that peace a part of my life. The great enemy of our souls wants us to believe two lies. One is that we can’t do anything to change ourselves. The other is that the only way we can get better is to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and try harder. Both lies have partial truths in them. We must make decisions in our lives that will lead to healthier living spiritually, emotionally and physically. One day Jesus met a young man who was unhappy with life. Jesus told him the best way to gain the fulfillment he sought was to give away all he had and follow Christ, Christ alone. The man had a decision to make. He chose to walk away.
True Peace begins with me, is empowered by Christ and thinks eternally. The false part of the enemies lies is that the outcome depends on us. The outcome never depends on us. If it does we are destined to failure. The power to change our attitudes, actions and reactions can’t come from us. It must come from the power of Christ in me. The Apostle Paul tells us “Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. (Philippians 4:7) Our minds are guarded from defeat not because of our own power but because of the power of Christ that protects, strengthens and guides us.
True Peace begins with me, is empowered by Christ and thinks eternally. The ‘eternal thinker’ realizes that the trouble of this world, no matter how devastating, is temporary. Everything we can see, touch, hold, hear and taste ends at death. But our heart, our soul lives on eternally. The ‘eternal thinker’ spends his/her energy on things that build for eternity. Jesus says, “I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.” (John 16:33)
PRAYER: Father God, as I move into a new year, let me live a life of true peace. True Peace that begins with me, is empowered by Christ and thinks eternally. Amen.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NIV)
Reconciled: to restore friendly relations between parties who once were in close relationship.
Once upon a time the world was a beautiful place of trees and flowers and cool, spring waters. There were no weeds. There were no cloudy skies or inclement weather. Everything was perfect. Even love was perfect back then. Man and woman were naked emotionally, physically and spiritually. All was peace and harmony.
Sounds like a fairy tale doesn’t it? But it’s true. We don’t know how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, but we know that the time spent there was truly paradise. Complete freedom. Complete intimacy. Complete peace with each other and the God who created them.
Then a horrible thing happened. Greed and selfishness and doubt entered into the picture and with it a broken relationship with God. For those of us who have gone through broken relationships with former spouses, children, friends or employers we know the feeling. The feeling of loss, of regret, of failure. The ‘If only’s’ ring loudly in our ears.
Have you ever been caught in the middle of an argument between two people you loved dearly? A situation in which you saw both sides of the argument but loved both parties so much you got involved to try to reconcile the two parties? Jesus did. He saw God’s holiness and he saw your failure. He knew there was only one thing he could do to reconcile you to God and that was to die for you. So he did.
As followers of Jesus Christ each of us has been reconciled to God through grace. There was nothing we, in and of ourselves could do to make that reconciliation happen. Now, through Jesus, we can once more be friends with God.
But wait! There’s more! We have the privilege of bringing others to reconciliation with God and, perhaps, even ourselves. Maybe that’s why Jesus said ‘Pray for your enemies’ (Matthew 5:44). I wonder if he had your situation in mind when he said, “If your brother has something against you, go to him/her’ (Matthew 5:23).
The next time you are weighed down with the guilt of your own sin and failure, remember that Jesus died to forgive and remove your sin.
The next time you think “I could never be reconciled to that person after what they did to me.” Remember what Jesus did for you.
Reconciliation isn’t easy, but it’s something we are all called to do in the power and grace of Jesus Christ. Who can you reach out to today? Who do you know that needs the ministry of reconciliation in their lives?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving of yourself so freely so that I can be reconciled to God and have my friendship restored. I pray for those in need of reconciliation, that they may find it. I pray for me, that I may, through the power of your Spirit be a minister of reconciliation to those in need. Amen.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
The ’YOU ARE’ statements remind us of the great love the Father has for us. Our Heavenly Father is a relational God. By that I mean that he earnestly desires relationship. Since we are made in his image, we too are relational beings.
Jesus said we are salt and light to those around us. He says our complete dependence on him is crucial for our existence. We are intimate friends of the Almighty God and creator/sustainer of the universe. Today, we look at one final ‘YOU ARE’ statement that Jesus makes regarding us. That statement is found in Acts 1:8. Jesus and his disciples are gathered on a hillside outside Jerusalem.
Imagine the emotions of his followers at this time. They had walked with Jesus for about three years. They’d seen the power of God manifest in him through healings and his teachings. They’d experienced the power of God in their own ministries. Then, in a whirlwind of activity, Jesus was brutally murdered only to rise again three days later! I can’t imagine how they must have felt.
Then Jesus utters the words of Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he ascends into heaven. Amazing. Simply amazing.
His final words to us leave us with both a description of who we are and a challenge for how we should be. We are his witnesses. In order to understand what that really means we need to think for a moment of what Jesus is NOT telling us.
First of all, he tells us we are witnesses, not judges. Judges determine what is right or wrong. Judges determine our guilt or innocence. Judges have the power to sentence us for our sin, to condemn us. Yet when Jesus was face to face with the adulteress in John 8, he says, ‘neither do I condemn thee.’ John 3:17 states that Jesus didn’t come into the world to judge or condemn the world but to bring life to those who need forgiveness. In the same way, we are not called to condemn others for their sin, but to show them the way to life and forgiveness.
Jesus didn’t call us to be lawyers either. A lawyer spends his or her time defending the one position or another. They scrutinize the law and try to prove or disprove one’s guilt. In some cases they aren’t really concerned about what the truth is, they are more concerned about proving their position.
Jesus didn’t call us to be judges or lawyers. He calls us his witnesses. In reality, a witness only has one job and that job is to tell what they have seen or experienced. Like the old line says, “Nothing but the facts”, that’s the job of the witness. An expert witness is one that knows a great deal about the subject to which they testify.
In Luke 24 Jesus says, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
A good witness isn’t responsible to evaluate motives or analyze a situation. They simply record what they have seen and experienced. Our job as witnesses is to simply show others by word and deed what we have seen and experienced with Jesus Christ. I’ll be honest with you. I don’t understand everything about God. There are many questions I have regarding how he works in this world; why some prayers seem to be answered and some don’t; why world tragedies happen and innocent people die.
I can’t answer a lot of these questions, but what I can tell you is what Jesus Christ has done for me. I can tell you about the peace I have in the midst of my failures. I can tell you how I have experienced forgiveness when I didn’t deserve it. I can tell you how, when I’m afraid or worried, he comforts me.
When Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders, they were told to stop healing people and stop talking about Jesus. Their response was, “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) That should be the motto for each of us as we make our way along the path we call life.
Being Jesus’ witness doesn’t mean we are super-evangelists like Billy Graham or other great preachers. Being Jesus’ witness doesn’t require special training. It certainly doesn’t mean you need to be a pastor. In fact, people are more likely to listen to you as a witness if you AREN’T a pastor or evangelist. What people really want to know is what Jesus has done for you.
Peter tells us we should always be ready to give an answer for why we have hope in Jesus. Again, not a well polished sermon, just a word of hope. He says in 1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Jesus says, “When (NOT IF) you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:11-12). In other words, I believe one of our prayers every day should be that we will have opportunities to tell others what Jesus has done for us, and that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say.
Jesus says we ARE witnesses. It’s not a question of IF we are a witness, but how good of a witness are we? It’s not a question of how good you are, it’s a question of how good he is! It’s not about having all the right answers; it’s about knowing what he’s done for you.
My prayer for us today is that we will live in such a way that others notice a difference in our words, our actions and our attitudes, and that when they ask us why we are different we will have the words to testify, to witness what Jesus has done for us (Matthew 5:16)
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you for the opportunity I’ve had this week to share the ‘YOU ARE’ statements you have made about us. I pray now for my brothers and sisters in you. I ask that we might go forth as living witnesses to your grace, mercy and forgiveness. I pray for anyone who has not experienced your touch. I ask that they may find the peace only you can offer. In your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 