Spring
Revelations 21:5
- He
who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything
new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words
are trustworthy and true.”
First
of all, I hope you’ve all been enjoying the tastes of
Spring we've had these past couple of days. Nearly everyone
enjoys the Spring. The beauty of Winter is so short lived.
Snow is gorgeous, but when the first car drives through it,
the white becomes dirty. And for most of us the awe of that
blanket of white is overcome by the dreadful cold that comes
with it. No matter how lovely it looks, somehow we always
know, we can always feel, that underneath it all there is
darkness and dormancy.
But Spring . . . Spring holds promise. Spring offers newness
and hope. Spring is God's reminder that nothing is ever
hopeless.
Our life is often much like the seasons. We have those days
that seem so painful or stressful we don't know how we'll
get through them. And most often, we dress those days up and
make them look pretty. Like a layer of snow makes the Winter
look less gloomy, our jokes and smiles hide what's really
going on inside.
But with Christ, we have the promise of Spring. In
Revelation Jesus says, "Look, I've come to make
everything new!" Jesus came to put Spring into our
life.
It's not a coincidence that Easter always falls
not long after
the first of Spring. Easter is Jesus' guarantee of new life.
Jesus died and for three days the disciples experienced the
darkest days of their lives, much like the short, dismal
days of Winter. But on that third day, Christ rose again. He
brought life back into those 11 men who thought all hope was
gone. Jesus Christ's resurrection and the gift of the Spirit
at Pentecost changed their lives forever. From uneducated
laborers to bold spokespersons for the Kingdom of God, the
account of these men prove that everything they experienced
with Jesus Christ turned their world upside down.
And it's not just in the Bible. I encourage you to really
talk to someone whose found real life in Jesus Christ. I'm
not talking about being good or being a member of a church.
Find someone who has experienced Spring in his or her life.
Talk to someone who has a real relationship with our Savior.
Even today Christ has the power to make a difference in your
life. Paul called it a mystery. Everyone wishes someone
could explain exactly how it's done, however, all we can
attest to is that it really does happen. Those who
completely give themselves to the promise that God has made
and believe that Jesus' death and resurrection is all we
need to make us right with God, can experience an
unexplainable newness. Their life is changed forever.
And that's why we do what we do. The promise of Spring is
real, we can feel it in the air. The possibilities life
offers when we live in Christ are just as real. We've
experienced it, and we don't want you to miss it. There is a
fullness of life, a hope for a future, an unexplainable
contentment, a newness, because it's Spring! Let’s get ready to take this renewal, this
awesomeness with God and share it with others over the
coming riding season!
As Christians, we believe we have new life in Christ. We put
away the old self and the old ways and start living life
anew. We no longer live in the flesh nor desire the worldly
desires we once had. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior, the Holy Spirit lives within us and having that
Spirit changes the way we feel and the way we choose to
live. We no longer live for self, but live for God and obey
Him out of love and gratefulness for His grace and mercy.
Will this be the beginning for you in your relationship with Christ? Are
there things you need to change or get right with God? Think
about that today.
We were all once as dead men, but accepting Jesus Christ gives us new
life. A life in Christ is so fulfilling, full of grace and
mercy and hope, one cannot help but throw out the old and
embrace the new life abundant in Christ. Nothing compares to
the love of God and nothing compares to being alive in
Christ. Embrace the new in all sense of the word. Live in
the hope.
2 Corinthians 1:9-10 - Indeed,
we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this
happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who
raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly
peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our
hope that he will continue to deliver us.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old
has gone, the new is here!
The 2007 song "Dead Man (Carry Me)" by Jars of Clay
makes a clear point. Without Christ, we are dead in our sin,
empty and without meaning. Let God carry you into newness of
Life in Christ. Out with the old and in with the new.
-Pastor
Chris
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