Tag: NewCreation

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A New Way of Living

God knows that my life has been varied.

As a child, I grew up in a construction worker’s home. We moved frequently because my dad was a heavy equipment operator and primarily worked on road construction projects. We never had any formal vacations but instead spent our time camping, fishing, hunting and exploring the outdoors. I loved it!

Once Dave and I were married we lived in a beach community for a while, after leaving a more rural life of farming alfalfa and living among working cowboys and ranchers. That was an adjustment.

We have lived in big cities and also so far out in the farmland and country that we said only people who were really close friends or completely lost could find us. All of these experiences changed my life; most of them for the better.

After we retired, we became fulltime Rvers for a few years and now we live in a tiny home. New experiences and adventures have been the course our lives have traveled. But the one thing that has changed our lives most completely was finding out who we are in Christ.

He has designed a life for all of us. And although the location, the people and the day-to-day experiences may vary, the lifestyle is the same for all of us who have a relationship with Him.

“Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. 11 It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

12  God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13  Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.

15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16  Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:10-17 CEV

There will never be a greater adventure than following Christ. Will it always be easy? No! Will there be challenges and problems to overcome? Yes!

Following Christ will take us to new heights as we faithfully obey – greater joys, giant-slaying victories and a peace that controls our thoughts and keeps us worry fear. This new way of living works for rich and poor, highly educated or not, male or female, those who are free and enslaved.

No matter our occupation or profession. Whatever we say or do, our new way of living has us living in Christ.

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Do You Remember

trading stamps?

When I was a girl I spent many a Saturday morning pasting Gold Bond, Blue Chip and S&H Green stamps into redemption books.

Each time we went to the gas station, the attendant would give my folks green stamps and they would bring them home and put them in a book. We had a green stamp catalog and we would save our books until we had enough to go to the redemption center and get what we had been saving for. That was so much fun, we walked out with something we really wanted and also had an new item that we would start saving for next.

Do you know that we have been “redeemed”? The word redeemed means to rescue or to ransom. Our lives have been redeemed; not by collecting our good works and sticking them in a book for all to see but by the precious blood of Jesus.

“You were rescued (redeemed) from the useless way of life that you learned from your ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last forever. 19 You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb.” I Peter 1:18-19

All our good deeds cannot begin to measure up to the price Jesus paid for our redemption. Can’t you see it now, Jesus walking into the redemption center and God the Father asking “what would you like to take home today”?

Jesus says, “I would like Kristi for my own”.

And the Father says, “Well, are you sure you wouldn’t like something better? She has done some pretty foolish things.”

“No,” Jesus says, “I would like her.”

“And what will you give for her redemption? It has to be something very valuable.” says the Father. And he shows Jesus all the charges of my shortcomings and sins.

Jesus stretches forth His hands revealing the nail prints and says, “I think this should cover it.”

“Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.” Colossians 2:14 Amplified Version

Hallelujah! I have been redeemed. I have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus.

He’s done the same for you. Be blessed today.

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People With A Past

Do you ever get caught up in judging people? Writing them off because of their actions in the past.

The Bible is filled with people who had a less-than stellar past. Take Peter for instance.

Strengths: Outdoorsman, Co-owner of a fishing fleet. Tough, outspoken. Born leader. Loyal, committed. Determined. Repentant. Teachable, Usable.

Weakness: Overconfident, speak first think later. Self-promoting. Folds under pressure. Proud.

Peter cut off a soldier’s ear in the Garden when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. He denied Christ three times in the courtyard. He was one of the first to run to the tomb and find it empty but then he went back to the disciples and they locked themselves in. Fearful.

50 days later he was in the upper room when the Holy Spirit filled the 120 with God’s power. He spoke boldly to the crowds, pointing out that they were the ones responsible for killing Jesus. But he preached forgiveness and over 3000 repented at the first preaching.

Now in Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus. No denial here. In fact, Peter spoke boldly to the religious leaders.

“Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and you older leaders, 9 are you questioning us today about what we did to help this crippled man? Are you asking us what made him well? 10 We want all of you and all the people of Israel to know that this man was made well by the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You nailed Jesus to a cross, but God raised him from death. This man was crippled, but he is now well. He is able to stand here before you because of the power of Jesus! 11 Jesus is ‘the stone that you builders thought was not important. But this stone has become the cornerstone.’

12 Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save anyone. We must be saved through him!” Acts 4:8-12 ERV

This man who had denied knowing Jesus to a servant girl now stood before the rulers and proclaimed openly that he was a follower of Christ. What if Jesus had written him off as unusable because of his earlier shortcomings?

What made the difference in Peter? The Holy Spirit! Jesus said they would receive power when the Holy Spirit baptized them.

Power to be witnesses, power to be bold, power to heal the sick, power to preach!

Now let me ask you a question. Are there things in your past that you are ashamed of? Times that you feel you have failed, not just failed yourself or your family, but times that you have failed God? Those failures don’t disqualify you from service. They are stepping stones.

Stepping stones for service. Peter’s failings didn’t disqualify him instead they were examples of God’s grace and forgiveness. No one’s past prevents them for experiencing the Father’s love and restoration.

Thank you Father for changing my life from self-confident to God-confident. Thank you for seeing me as usable and trusting me with Your message of love and forgiveness!

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Forgiveness

Never underestimate the power of God’s forgiveness. Our heavenly Father sent His Son to be the pure, sacrificial lamb, who takes away the sin of the world.

When we sin, we all do, God opens His arms wide and offers us complete forgiveness.

“ But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.” I John 1:9 CEV

Christ died to cover our sins with His blood and restore us to right relationship with the Father.

“Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.” I John 2:2 CEV

Repentance isn’t only admitting that what we did was wrong, but it is also a conscious act of turning away from that sin. We run to Jesus and thank Him for His wonderful grace and mercy.

“If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished. 2 The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death. 3 The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ’s body to condemn sin.” Romans 8:1-3 CEV

God chooses to forgive and to forget our sins and failings. Then He washes our consciences clean.

“When the time comes, I will make an agreement with them. I will write my laws on their minds and hearts. 17 Then I will forget about their sins and no longer remember their evil deeds.” Hebrews 10:16-17 CEV

“ And we have a great priest who rules the house of God. 22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ.” Hebrews 10:21-22 ERV

God’s forgiveness doesn’t give us a license to sin. Far from it but it does give us a welcome mat when we come running to Him in repentance.

“ Don’t let sin keep ruling your lives. You are ruled by God’s undeserved grace and not by the Law. 15 What does all this mean? Does it mean we are free to sin, because we are ruled by God’s gift of undeserved grace and not by the Law? Certainly not!” Romans 6:14-15 CEV

God loves us. He forgives us and He cleanses us from our sins. AMEN!

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Rolled Away

Some mornings I can’t write fast enough to keep up with what the Lord is pouring into my heart.

My simple prayer each morning is “Lord, what do you want me to share?” Then I sit quietly and wait. This morning my heart began to sing a song, complete with hand motions, from my childhood Sunday School days.

“Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away
Every burden on my heart rolled away
Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away
Every burden on my heart rolled away
All my sin had to go, ‘Neath the crimson flow..
Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away
Every burden on my heart rolled away”

This was followed by three thoughts from Scripture. I’ll share each one as briefly as I can and hope you will let the Holy Spirit reveal to you what stones the Father has rolled away for you.

Let’s go to John 11 first. This is where we find the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. He was Jesus’ close friend, he had been dead and buried when Jesus arrived.

Jesus wept. And after He wept, He prayed and took authority over the situation.

“ Jesus then said, ‘I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. 26 And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?’

27 ‘Yes, Lord!’ she replied. ‘I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world.’” John 11:24-27 CEV

When we believe in Christ we are no longer dead but we have new life; we are born again.

“Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, “Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will be a bad smell.”

40 Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?”

41 After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. 42 I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so the people here would believe you sent me.” John 11:39-42 CEV

Roll away the stone – they did – He prayed and Lazarus came out of the tomb.

“His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face. Jesus then told the people, “Untie him and let him go.” verse 44

Lazarus was wrapped up in grave clothes. He was tied up in his past, in death but the command of God was more than enough to speak new life into his being. Jesus set him free from the past and gave him an eternal relationship. No longer to be bound to sin and the distresses of this life.

Now quickly, let’s go to John 20. We are at another tomb, this one was for Jesus.

“ He bent over and saw the strips of linen cloth lying inside the tomb, but he did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter got there, he went into the tomb and saw the strips of cloth. 7 He also saw the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus’ face. It was rolled up and in a place by itself.” John 20:5-7 CEV

This time God rolled away the stone. This time no one needed to untie the man from the grave clothes. This time the man in the tomb, Jesus, walked out in victory. Death had no hold on him! Jesus had come out of the grave with the keys of life for all who believe.

“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on. ” I Peter 1:3 CEV

Now, let’s go back to that children’s chorus. “Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away
Every burden on my heart rolled away”. The stone of our tomb has been rolled away and Jesus has called us out to a new life. A life not bound by grave clothes – no, Jesus had us leave them in the tomb, rolled up and laying there.

We have had our sins rolled away and we now live in newness of life!

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Mighty to Change

Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.

That’s the start of a children’s action song that we sang when I was a little girl in Sunday School. It started a train of thoughts this morning about God’s ability to bring about mighty changes in our lives.

“The Changed Life of Zaccheus

19 Jesus went on to the city of Jericho and was passing through it. 2 There was a rich man named Zaccheus. He was a leader of those who gathered taxes. 3 Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus but he could not because so many people were there and he was a short man. 4 He ran ahead and got up into a sycamore tree to see Him. Jesus was going by that way.

5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw Zaccheus. He said, “Zaccheus, come down at once. I must stay in your house today.” 6 At once he came down and was glad to have Jesus come to his house. 7 When the people saw it, they began to complain among themselves. They said, “He is going to stay with a man who is known to be a sinner.”

8 Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, “Lord, see! Half of what I own I will give to poor people. And if I have taken money from anyone in a wrong way, I will pay him back four times as much.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today, a person has been saved in this house. This man is a Jew also. 10 For the Son of Man came to look for and to save from the punishment of sin those who are lost.” Luke 19:1-9 NLV

Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus – everyone had but he hadn’t seen Him. He was curious, he wanted to see what this teacher and miracle worker looked like. I don’t think he went thinking that Jesus would change his life. The woman with the issue of blood did that; she knew she needed to touch Jesus to receive her healing. The man with the daughter on the verge of death knew he needed to get Jesus to come to his house and touch his daughter or she would die. But Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus, who was this man?

However, being face-to-face with Jesus, eating with Him, talking with Him effected a marvelous change. A once greedy and dishonest man went through a complete metamorphosis in one afternoon.

Jesus didn’t demand that Zaccheus give back money he had taken wrongfully. We don’t have any evidence that Jesus even mentioned his shady business dealings. Yet, it happened.

“For if a man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. The old life is gone. New life has begun.” II Corinthians 5:17 NLV

Belonging to Christ brings change. Change in our attitudes, change in our perspective, change in our character and in our lifestyle. Greed is replaced by gratitude, fear gives place to faith. Kindness occupies the space that cruelty had dominated. Love lives where self-centeredness stayed.

Like a caterpillar our lives are transformed by the power of God’s love!

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Just As You Are

Yesterday Dave and I worked hard the entire day. We had planned to get together with friends in the evening but ended up staying home, feet propped up and watching a movie on tv.

It was a movie that made me cry. No, not a Hallmark movie. The movie title is “A Carpenter’s Prayer”. Very good, I recommend it.

The premise – a drunk, who has carpentry skills, helps a church who is building a new complex. They love him just the way he is. They help him with work, food, friendship and finding Jesus. I won’t tell you how it ends but at one place in the movie the man realizes that Jesus will accept him just the way he is.

I went to bed remembering my own experience and realization that Jesus loves me just the way I am and that I needed a Savior. I’m so thankful that we don’t need to be “good enough” to be saved.

“God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.

8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.” Ephesians 2:7-9 ERV

We come to relationship with Christ just as we are.

We don’t wash our cars before we take them to the car wash. That would be silly. It isn’t our good deeds that get Christ to love us. His love is unconditional; His grace is unmerited; His sacrifice paid the price for everyone.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 ERV

I grew up hearing “I’m just an old sinner saved by grace” nearly every Sunday evening. But that’s not true. We WERE old sinners but once we are saved we are a new creation. We are now called saints; we have become a child of God.

“ All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 CEV

God doesn’t want us looking back to who we once were, that part of our life is dead. He wants us looking forward to who He created us to be.

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A New Life

This morning, we are going to do a deep dive into practical daily living. Paul knew that the Christians in Ephesus didn’t need religious platitudes. What they needed was a true relationship with the “One True God”.

We do too.

“ I have something from the Lord to tell you. I warn you: Don’t continue living like those who don’t believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. 18 They have no understanding, and they know nothing because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. 19 They have lost their feeling of shame and use their lives to do what is morally wrong. More and more they want to do all kinds of evil. 20 But that way of life is nothing like what you learned when you came to know Christ. 21 I know that you heard about him, and in him you were taught the truth. Yes, the truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to leave your old self. This means that you must stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self gets worse and worse, because people are fooled by the evil they want to do. 23 You must be made new in your hearts and in your thinking. 24 Be that new person who was made to be like God, truly good and pleasing to him.” Ephesians 4:17-24 CEV

Once we come to Christ our thinking and lifestyle needs to change. We give up trying to do things on our own, figuring everything out for ourselves. Our knowledge and skills are extremely limited when we put them up against God’s knowledge.

Our relationship with Christ gives us a whole new life.

“We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way. Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.” II Corinthians 5:16-18 CEV

Paul knew this transformation. He was a zealot. Die in the wool, true to the Jewish religion. He felt that anyone preaching Christ was the Son of God was teaching heresy and needed to be stopped. Saul, before his name was changed, secured arrest warrants and actively sought Christians to arrest and even kill.

When Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus Saul recognized his error and sin. He became one of the renown leaders of Christianity, traveling all over the known world with the message of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

He had a new life. He was done with the old and he became the new person God designed him to be.

We all have a calling from God to accept that same transformation that Christ died to give us. We have been freely offered a new life in Christ.

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Make Over – Made New

At one point or another you have probably seen at least one episode of a “Make Over” show on television.

You know the ones – the DIY shows where they completely remodel a home. Some of them make over the person; new haircut, makeup, weight loss and wardrobe. There have been times when I’ve thought it would be nice to have someone create a hairstyle just for me and/or help me find a wardrobe that minimizes the faults and accentuates the strengths.

That my friends is a makeover.

But what about making something new? A new home or a new car, one that no one else has lived in or driven. What’s even more special is when it’s not only new, but custom. The floorplan, cabinetry, countertops, windows, room size, and the view have all been designed specifically for you. No room for complaint – it’s new.

Our Christian lives are like that, made new!

“ Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” II Corinthians 5:17 CEV

Everything is new.

“Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32  Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ. 5 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2  Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” Ephesians 4:31-5:2 CEV

We are to have the same character as our heavenly Father. We are new in Him. He has placed His nature in us. For a long time, I didn’t see myself as new in Christ; at best, I saw myself as remodeled and truth be told, I saw the remodel as incomplete. Still struggling and dealing with old issues that would never really be fixed this side of heaven.

“Christ died, and we have been joined with him by dying too. So we will also be joined with him by rising from death as he did. 6 We know that our old life was put to death on the cross with Christ. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. Then we would not be slaves to sin. 7 Anyone who has died is made free from sin’s control.

8 If we died with Christ, we know that we will also live with him. 9 Christ was raised from death. And we know that he cannot die again. Death has no power over him now. 10 Yes, when Christ died, he died to defeat the power of sin one time—enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new life is with God. 11 In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive for God through Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:5-11 ERV

Dead to sin and alive for God!

Made new!

Dead to the power of sin – dead to temper, lying, a critical spirit, gossip, self-pity. Dead.

“ But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:24 CEV

A makeover is something we try to do, made new is something only God can do. I like His way better!

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Uncontestable

We all learn through repetition. This morning I was reminded of a lesson the Lord has taught me throughout the years and it bears repeating.

Years ago, a movie came out that I watched a number of times, A Knight’s Tale. There was a lesson in that movie that has stuck with me. A knight dies and one of his servants takes his place in the jousting tournaments. He has to produce papers of nobility in order to compete. His papers are forged. As the story goes, this knight begins winning many of the events and advances to the final games. He is discovered as a fraud and about to be beheaded when a man steps from the crowd to validate his standing as a true knight. The man removes his hooded cloak and declares

“I am the king and as such my words are uncontestable.”

Boy, that phrase burned in me like a fire!

As someone who struggled with low self-esteem words like these gave me hope and affirmation. Father God and Jesus Christ, King of Kings, attest to my heritage. What they say about me, trumps anything else. Their word is uncontestable!

“The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15 The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba, Father.” Romans 8:14-15

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us.” Romans 8:31

“But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21

Satan is referred to as the “accuser of the brethren” in Revelation 12 however what God says about us supersedes any accusations that he may bring.

Walk free from accusation. Walk in who the King says you are – it is without contestation.

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