Fallen?

 

Just clay

 

Turn and run

 

New day . . . new creature . . . new opportunities!

 

An offer to be changed . . .C.O.F.F.E.E.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. . . . Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 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. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:16-20)

It is an offer to be changed . . . remade . . . remolded . . . the new you and me! In this world, we are seeing all kinds of new products, new programs and new ideas . . . the new you . . . the new me! Products are constantly being rebranded. Stars acquire agents to change the way the public sees them with a new look and new image. Many times we even seek to change the way people perceive us.

Those of us who trust Christ as Lord and Savior were once made new by His grace and mercy. We are no longer seen as a sinner by the Savior. Therefore, we should no longer perceive ourselves or the world the same either. We now have a purpose . . . an eternal purpose. We are no longer here just for the world and its endeavors. We now represent Christ and are to offer Him to everyone we encounter . . . as simple as offering a cup of C.O.F.F.E.E. . . . so they too can be changed.

Be reconciled to Christ . . . . please!

Forget the past and move on!

 Forget the past . . . well, not all of it, but learn from it and then move on!

We all have a past. We all have things we do not wish to remember. We all have screwed up, missed the mark, said the wrong thing or did something at the wrong time. We are human. Praise God for Jesus and the fact that we can forget about it and move on! 

Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time. (Hebrews 10:10)

Others may not wish to forget things . . . and even remind us of those things now and then . . . but we as followers of Christ must give ourselves enough grace to move on and accomplish His will in our lives. We are forgiven! The failures have been washed away by His blood. Today is a new day!

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19.

Why compare?

God made each of us in a unique way. We all are human beings , yes, but even twins have a unique DNA! We fall into trouble when we compare ourselves with others. We look at others' success and begin to feel insecure and inadequate.

But why???? Why compare?

Many times we have been told what we should do or what we should be. We are compared to others: Why can't you be like __________? Social media, TV, videos and advertisements can cause us to question who we are. Proverbs 18:12 tells us that life and death rests in the tongue. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2018%3A21&version=NKJV 

Visuals also impact our image of ourselves. Words and images can mold and shape us.

Yet God has a different story for you and me:

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)

How does this change the way we see ourselves?

It's all about redemption!

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

A fresh start....new beginning . . . forgiveness is awaiting each of us! It's all about redemption!

God's vision for mankind is total redemption. From Genesis through Revelation, the bible's story, HIStory, is all about redemption.  God created us to be with Him for eternity and that is still His goal. Even though we have fallen short of His glory (and we all do every day!), He reaches out to us through the redemptive plan of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection (the Gospel) to bring us back.

The key is repentance. We simply cannot be sorry. We can't say we made mistakes. We have chosen to sin and we now must choose to repent and turn from that sin nature and allow God the Holy Spirit to work in and through us as individuals and us the Church. 

We must look beyond our human frailties and see a perfect Christ calling us to Himself. Can we do that today?