Sunday, September 28, 2014

ON MY WAY TO IOWA

I am embarking on a new thing. God is doing a new thing. I must look forward with God's love and grace as my guide! In reflecting, I was reminded of this message from my archives. 

"A New Beginning"

Scripture: II Corinthians 5:14-21
Key Verses:  Either way, Christ’s love controls us.  Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Key Idea: A new beginnings is possible through the ministry of reconciliation and with God's love and guidance.  

How do I actualize a new beginning?

*      By understanding that there is an avenue to receive Jesus Christ or to move forward in Christ that does not require anything but opening up to receive the gift of new life.  
*      By encouraging yourself to and giving others the chance to move forward.

Think About This:   
                We have a hard time letting go of hurts, pains, frustrations, offenses so it becomes difficult for us to forgive, forget, etc…We have a hard time with reconciliation. But letting go opens your hand and life to new relationships, new ministries, a new you! 

Good News: God has given us new life through Christ and we have been given the high call to the ministry of reconciliation! With it, we CAN make a difference!

Let Go & Let God!