2 Corinthians 5:16-21 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2012 is a new year with all of the old problems left behind in 2011. The old person, before we knew the Lord has been left behind. The new person is when you have given yourself to the Lord. So is there a difference between the old you and the new and improved version? There should be! And that difference should be noticeable not only to you but also to others. The scripture that was read teaches us that when we welcome Christ into our hearts, we become new creations through him. Our challenge today on the Daniel Fast is to pray for forgiveness and opening of our hearts and souls to the teaching of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then the Lord will fill our hearts. He will bless our endeavors and He will transform our lives. As we go to the Lord in prayer today, let us pray for the transformation of our souls to become new creations in him. Lord, we pray this morning that all of the old stuff be left behind in 2011 and we pray that 2012 will reveal the creation of a new us. This is the day to pray for us to be cleansed by the Holy Spirit. This is the day to ask forgiveness of all of our hidden transgressions. This is the day to pray “Lord when I look at myself in the mirror that I see a new me so others can see a new me in your image. Lord this is the day that if I doubted your grace and mercy in helping me to talk, walk, and behave as your child, please purge my heart and soul to get rid of all the doubts, of all the unbelieves, of anything that stands between you and me”. My brothers and sisters whether you are on the Daniel Fast this morning or not this is the day and this is the beginning of a new year to become a new person in the Lord. The Adversary wants us to be fearful and not believing in the grace and mercy that God will make a change in us. Hebrews 4:16 says "Let us draw near with confidence (boldness) to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." This morning because we have become a "new me" and we belong to Christ, we can pray with authority and trust that the Father will answer our prayers. We will never accomplish what God wants us to do such as live holy lives or spread the gospels until we put our confidence in the One who was, in the One who is and in the One who is to come, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So from our focus scripture this morning Christ was put to death, bore the burden of our sins that we might be acquitted - forgiven of our sins. Because of this He has reconciled (Webster's Dictionary defined reconciled as to restore a friendship after an estrangement) us with the Father (Christ in death has borne the consequences of our sin and thus had reconciled us to God). An old hymn sings oh the blood that makes me white as snow, oh the blood that was shed for me way back on Calvary, the blood that gives me strength from day to day it will never lose its pow'r. It reaches to the highest mountain it flows to the lowest valley; the blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its pow'r. So my brothers and sisters this morning because the blood was shed for us today we can sing that we have become a "New Me" through the blood of Jesus that was shed. Amen. Amen. Amen
2012 is a new year with all of the old problems left behind in 2011. The old person, before we knew the Lord has been left behind. The new person is when you have given yourself to the Lord. So is there a difference between the old you and the new and improved version? There should be! And that difference should be noticeable not only to you but also to others. The scripture that was read teaches us that when we welcome Christ into our hearts, we become new creations through him. Our challenge today on the Daniel Fast is to pray for forgiveness and opening of our hearts and souls to the teaching of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then the Lord will fill our hearts. He will bless our endeavors and He will transform our lives. As we go to the Lord in prayer today, let us pray for the transformation of our souls to become new creations in him. Lord, we pray this morning that all of the old stuff be left behind in 2011 and we pray that 2012 will reveal the creation of a new us. This is the day to pray for us to be cleansed by the Holy Spirit. This is the day to ask forgiveness of all of our hidden transgressions. This is the day to pray “Lord when I look at myself in the mirror that I see a new me so others can see a new me in your image. Lord this is the day that if I doubted your grace and mercy in helping me to talk, walk, and behave as your child, please purge my heart and soul to get rid of all the doubts, of all the unbelieves, of anything that stands between you and me”. My brothers and sisters whether you are on the Daniel Fast this morning or not this is the day and this is the beginning of a new year to become a new person in the Lord. The Adversary wants us to be fearful and not believing in the grace and mercy that God will make a change in us. Hebrews 4:16 says "Let us draw near with confidence (boldness) to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." This morning because we have become a "new me" and we belong to Christ, we can pray with authority and trust that the Father will answer our prayers. We will never accomplish what God wants us to do such as live holy lives or spread the gospels until we put our confidence in the One who was, in the One who is and in the One who is to come, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So from our focus scripture this morning Christ was put to death, bore the burden of our sins that we might be acquitted - forgiven of our sins. Because of this He has reconciled (Webster's Dictionary defined reconciled as to restore a friendship after an estrangement) us with the Father (Christ in death has borne the consequences of our sin and thus had reconciled us to God). An old hymn sings oh the blood that makes me white as snow, oh the blood that was shed for me way back on Calvary, the blood that gives me strength from day to day it will never lose its pow'r. It reaches to the highest mountain it flows to the lowest valley; the blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its pow'r. So my brothers and sisters this morning because the blood was shed for us today we can sing that we have become a "New Me" through the blood of Jesus that was shed. Amen. Amen. Amen
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