GET TOGETHER – FRESH STARTS AND NEW THINGS

2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)

I don’t know about you, but I love fresh starts and new things. I can remember sometimes when I was younger and playing sports that after I had messed up doing a drill in practice the coach might say okay, we are going to start all over from the beginning. That would give me hope that I had not messed up so bad that I would be kicked off of the team.

Many of us probably got some new things for Christmas. I always enjoy that. Our children both gave us something new. That was very special for J.J. and I both. Now all of us are getting ready to move into a New Year. A new year can mean a fresh start for us in some ways. It can also mean that there will be a time for new opportunities in the Kingdom as we serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

One thing that I really like about the passage that I have shared with you today is that there is a great promise for the sinner that has repented of his, or her sins and have given their lives to Jesus Christ. There are perhaps many people like me that lived a very sinful life and would feel like there is no hope to be forgiven and to have a relationship with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us that once we have been born again that we have been forgiven of our sinful pasts. I know that the following is a lengthy passage of Scripture. But if you are out there and you think that you have ruined your life and that there is no hope for you, I pray that you will read this passage and surrender your life to Christ and let Him to a new thing in you.

“Eph 2:1-8 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.”

For those of us who have been saved I pray that as we go into a New Year that we will ask the Lord for new opportunities to get the old old story out to a culture that needs Jesus Christ so bad. I pray for all of us that we can know that our sinful pasts are behind us and that God desires to do a new thing in us, through us, and for us. When He is in it nothing can stop us the word tells us in “Isa 43:18 -20″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. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen.”

So today there is mercy for those who will repent of their past’s sins. There is a new life. A life of forgiveness. A life of new opportunities, a life of restoration, and reconciliation. For those who have been following Christ faithfully may He do a new thing in our lives. So that we will experience Him in a greater way in the coming year than we ever have before. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you as you go into this New Year. Jesus promised us that He would in Joh 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Let Us Pray

Lord first of all we thank you for the Divine mercy that You have shown us. We pray today for any that read this that have not repented of their sins and received this mercy that You will use this to draw them to that relationship with You. For all we pray that these will be blessed with opportunities for fresh starts and new things! May all of us be used in 2020 to bring glory to your Holy Name

In Jesus Name

Amen

On Behalf of J.J. and myself we pray that you have a blessed and prosperous New Year!

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston