INFORMATION PAGES

Saturday, November 3, 2018

RETURN TO MAKER

2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 21
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  

Today we come before you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who died on a cross to make available deliverance, forgiveness and freedom from sin so that we might have eternal life through him. 

Often it seems that what God made simple and straightforward, man has complicated.

Jesus the Savior, the son of God, God Himself come in the flesh, stood silent before his accusers next to Pontius Pilot and let those around him hurl their false accusations at him.  He made no effort to defend or excuse himself.
  • He stood silent while they accused him of being a blasphemer, though he knew he was the way the truth and the life the word incarnate. 
  • He stood silent while they accused him of stirring up riots, while he knew that it was he who had come to bring them a peace that passes all understanding. 
  • He stood silent while they accused him and desired him to be put to death, while he knew it was he himself who had breathed their first breath of life into each of them and that it was through him that each might find eternal life. 

This Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings who came to the earth he created as a human child, born in a lowly manger so that we would see - if we would choose to have eyes to see, that our deliverer desired to understand us, to relate to our human condition and circumstances, and to show compassion for our hurts and our troubles and our sorrows and then show us the way to joy and rejoicing and victory! 

In the name of Jesus we who trust and believe in him call out to those who may not yet have turned their eyes to him, who may not yet have turned their hearts in hope toward him in order that they might receive his gift of salvation and be bathed in his redeeming grace; we call out his mercy before others that they would have opportunity to see and opportunity to experience the saving grace of the God who made formed and created each one of us, knit us together particularly and specifically within our mothers womb's and brought us forth for his purpose, for his pleasure for no reason that rests in us, but only because, not just that he loves us, but that he is love.

  • The Lord your God, (for he is yours as well as ours, even before we ever acknowledge that truth), he  desires not only that you know the Way, but that you abide in the way and allow it to transform the manner in which you live your life. 
  • The Lord your God desires not only that you have life and life eternal but that you live it in abundance with joy and rejoicing. 
  • The Lord your God (who made formed and created you), desires not simply that you know of him, that you know about him, but that you know HIM with a deep and abiding knowledge concerning him and his truth which is our truth. 
  • That in the beginning before ever you or I were HE IS. And that in that beginning because his very character is love, he held you and I within his heart right from the beginning, and in his perfect timing has brought each one of us into being, and written our names in the lambs book of life, all those who would both hear his truth and trust and believe his truth. 

And his truth is not a concept, it is not an idea, it is not a theology or an ideology.

He himself is the truth, who came to earth as man, to deliver his creation, each one of us, from the wickedness, darkness and evil schemes of the devil we know as satan. 

He himself is the way! The way to what you might ask? The way to the purpose for which God created you. To eternally live in harmony in His presence!

 He himself is life! Both the source of and the giver of life.  He provides life that is eternal, abundant, productive, and worthwhile.

 He is the truth! Truth is Jesus!

Truth is not a religion, it is not a denomination, it is not man-made nor is it subject to man’s approval, mans validation or mans reasoning. 

Truth is a man, the man Jesus, the son of God, God incarnate.  The full expression of everything that God is, is Jesus! 

It is perfectly expressed in his willingness to give everything for others to have everything they could ever need or want. Not only the material wealth of this world, but eternal life in an eternal state of joy and peace and abundance and happiness and fulfillment. 

And his promise is an uncomplicated extraordinary promise. That those who seek first his kingdom and his righteousness shall receive all the abundance both of his kingdom that is spiritual and of his creation, this world which is physical.

In return for him giving his life, his very being - everything that he is, breath and life and purpose and love and forgiveness of sins and being washed clean of all unrighteousness and being made right with him, the ruler of the universe, having given his every thing to pay the penalty for our debt, in return for all of this he asks one thing and one thing only from us. 

Our heart.

The seat and center of all and everything that we are with all of our faults and flaws and issues and problems and sorrow’s; that we give all of that to Him and receive in return for trusting him who created it all - made it all - formed it all - planned at all and is executing it all and keeping it all going - we receive instead eternal life, abundant life, and joy unspeakable!

That is the entirety of the reason Christ, the Messiah, the Savior the Son of God, JESUS! - that is why He came - to make available to each one of us RECONCILIATION to our Creator, God Almighty.

Everything else - the behavior we display, the choices we make, the actions we take and the words we speak are an external expression of the internal truth of being born-again, filled with Holy Spirit and overflowing with the Love of God through Jesus!


 2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 21
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  

The Christmas season is one where many of us begin to think about this baby born in a manger.  We may wonder about this Creator who claims to care so much about us.  Especially if we are having a hard time, going through a deep sorrow and life hasn't worked out quite like we thought it would, like we thought it should.

This Christmas season, I pray sincerely, honestly and fervently that you will KNOW the love of God in tangible ways in your life and experience that love in practical application in your life. 

Need help? Want help? Have questions?  Contact us - it would be our joy and privilege to reach out to you on His behalf and reconcile you to His love!