Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! — 2 Corinthians 5:17
We become new creations.
Saying goodbye to our old selves.
And saying hello to the new.
Our new creation has come.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28
Especially those of us who are weak and burdened.
And weary.
When we turn our weakness over to Jesus, He is ready to rejuvenate us with His power and love.
He uplifts us with His strong arms.
And carries us through all our troubles and doubts.
He surrounds us with His peace.
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." — John 14:3
He then left to sit at the right. hand of God the Father in heaven.
Now He reigns there today.
And He prepares a place for us.
But He also promises to return.
And to take us to be with Him in heaven one day.
What a glorious promise.
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. — Galatians 4:4-5
The timing was according to His plan — when the time had fully come.
Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate.
And was crucified, dead and buried to redeem us from our sin.
The third day He rose again from the grave.
Redeeming those of us under the law.
That we might be adopted as sons and daughters of the Lord God.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." — John 6:35
Whoever comes to Him will never go hungry.
He satisfies our longing and fills us with living water and living bread.
Jesus is our sustenance.
He gives us everything we need.
And much more.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives. — 2 Peter 3:10-11
The heavens will disappear with a roar.
The elements will be destroyed by fire.
The earth will be laid bare.
Everything will be destroyed in this way.
You ought to live holy and godly lives.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. — Psalm 95:1-2
And shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Come before God with thanksgiving.
And praise Him with music and with songs of joy.
He is our God, and we will praise Him!
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. — John 14:23
And that person will also obey Jesus' teaching.
God the Father will love them.
And we will come to them.
We will make our home with them.
This is Phil Wickham, who we saw in concert last week.
It was a powerful worshipful experience.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice. — Psalm 95:6-7
At their beautiful home.
Megan is due on Christmas!
Their first baby - a girl.
We had a fun barbecue with friends we hadn't seen in a long time.
And it was great to have Kirk's brother and sister-in-law in town.
Katie arrives today.
We are the people of God's pasture.
The flock under His care.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” — Matthew 19:14
After all, they were getting in the way.
And they were disrupting the adult conversations.
But Jesus welcomed them into the midst of the gathering.
He must have surprised the disciples when he commanded them to send the children His way.
And especially when He told them not to hinder them or prevent them from coming.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
God asks us to bring our imagination and enthusiasm.
The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. — 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
We will hear the trumpet call of God.
The dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive will be caught up with them.
Together we will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
We will hear the voice of the archangel.
And we will be with the Lord forever.
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
Jesus told them, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14: 6
And He is the Truth.
He is also our Life.
Our living water.
No one can come to God the Father except through Jesus Christ.
What a Savior!
Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” — John 13:3
He rose again from the dead and said He was going to prepare a place for us.
One day, He tells us He will come back and take us with Him.
So that on that day we can live with Him in heaven.
What a wonderful promise!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:11-13
Plans to prosper us.
Not to harm us.
Plans to give us hope and a future.
So we will call on God and pray to Him and He will listen.
We will seek Jesus and find Him when we seek Him out with all our hearts.
So thankful that we have found Jesus.
Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight. — Psalm 119:143
He holds my life in His hands.
And He cares for me as a loving Father.
The commands of His Word are a joy.
And they give me delight.
They also challenge me each day.
Trouble and distress have come upon me.
Even so, God's commands give me comfort and delight.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. — Isaiah 1:18
There's no question.
Though my sins are like scarlet, Jesus has washed them clean.
Even though I mess us, He continues to love and guide me.
In a world of uncertainty, chaos, and war, I can rely on Jesus.
He has settled it once and for all.
Praise God!
