A New Day But The Same Way
Beloved,
Here we are, almost halfway between Christmas and New Year Year’s Day. We are in a time of celebration as well as reflection.
As we come to the end of the year, it is easy to look back on the year to think of what worked, what did not work, what was good, what was not so good, our achievements, our disappointments, our accomplishments, and those things yet to be done.
As Christians, in all of this, on this side of glory, there is a constant.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 says,
“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.”
A long passage to say that you have been saved and reconciled to God. What God lost through original sin with Adam and Eve, God made provision through Christ to repair and restore.
The process is complete in Christ with an expectation.
What we have been given, we are to also give.
God has blessed each one of us with salvation.
God has also blessed us with the task of offering salvation to others.
It was Christ’s way. It is our way.
No matter what this life may bring, our goal is to offer eternal life through Christ to as many people as we can, however we can, for as long as we can.
That was the constant in 2017 and it will be the constant in 2018.
Let us come together on Sunday to celebrate as a church family.
We will pray, praise, testify, sing, hear a word, and share a meal.
How wonderful a way to end 2017 and begin 2018. Let us all come and experience something wonderful together.
And, as always, if you value and treasure what you have in your fellowship with this growing church, Zion Memorial, invite someone to come with you to experience the presence of God through fellowship with us.
Remember, that is what we are supposed to do as Christians.
I love you and look forward to seeing you soon.
Be blessed,
Rev. Cain
