2 Corinthians 5:17-21 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
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. 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. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 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.
This passage reminds me of the lyrics of the song, “Rooftops” by Jesus Culture.
Here I am before You
Falling in love and seeking Your truth
Knowing that Your perfect grace
Has brought me to this place
Because of You I freely live
My life to You, oh God, I give
So I stand before You, God
I lift my voice cause You set me free
So I shout out Your name, from the rooftops I proclaim
That I am Yours, I am Yours
All the good You've done for me
I lift up my hands for all to see
You're the only one who brings me to my knees
To share this love across the earth
The beauty of Your holy worth
So I kneel before You, God
I lift my hands cause You set me free
A miracle happens when God makes us new! A miracle happens when we begin a new life with God! A miracle happens when God declares that our old life is gone! A miracle happens when God gives us a new lease on life, a new identity, and a new mission to be his ambassador’s. A miracle happens when we open up our mouth and tell others to, “Come Back to God.”
And to think, that all of this is a gift from God just to bring us back to himself!
I am all for makeovers, and I love it when people experience the joy of a great makeover. But there is nothing like getting a holy makeover from the most talented and loving makeover artist in the universe and that is Jesus Christ!
Whenever someone stands up and share’s their testimony, they are in essence saying, “I just had a makeover from the Creator of the Universe and I am made new!”
It should make you feel fabulous. It should make you grateful considering it was for free. It should make you shout to the rooftops the name of Jesus!
This is what you are going to see and hear this Friday at Encounter’s next Testimony Night! You are going to hear a testimony of how someone has been made new!
John and the cooking team have a great dinner planned once again (Teriyaki Chicken, Vegetable Fried Rice, Grilled Bok Choy Salad, and a Garden Salad.) Please come early and support the awesome Encounter Cooking team!
Be Blessed and Encouraged
Bill Rieser
Encounter Pastor
bill@thehopeencounter.org