You Are a New Creation.

By Pastor Jim | January 8, 2023

I can’t help but reflect on what happened with Damar Hamlin this week. How fantastic was the news yesterday that he is improving? We are witnessing God’s hand. The nation is praying for him, and Dan Orlovsky even prayed right on ESPN. How incredible is that? He stepped out in a big way. We are seeing a miracle of answered prayers right before our eyes.

If you saw this take place on Monday night football – you saw people on their knees crying out to God. You saw people turn their lives to God during a time of trial right on national TV. In a place of despair, that is what humans turn to – seeking God’s help.

Miracles are happening today.

Wednesday, during our mid-week service, almost a third in attendance raised their hands that they were physically healed in 2022. Those testimonies led a young lady to step out and ask for prayer for a family who had just lost a loved one. Seeing the heart of our Father move in her was powerful.

Dive into prayer. Ask for prayer. And, if you haven’t already, consider baptism. Baptism is when you make a covenant with God. It’s a perfect time to start anew.

2nd Corinthians 5:17 tells us,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. ALL things become new in Him. Jesus is the reconciling agent back to God the Father. But that’s not where it stops. He gives us the ministry of reconciliation. We are to bring reconciliation to others. First, help them to reconcile with the Father, then with others. We are to help others in this process, not condemn them for their sins.

2nd Corinthians teaches this,

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are, therefore, Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Jesus paid the price. He became sin so that we may be the righteousness of God. ALL THINGS have become new.

So let’s live this out in 2023.

Whatever you don’t want to take into 2023, write them down, and leave them on the altar this Sunday. Go even further and bring offerings and food to the altar. We could refill our pantry daily. People are still in need. We are to be Christ in their lives.

But, as we focus on a new year and doing for others, it’s also important to feed ourselves. One of my favorite ways to do this is through reading. So, I am sharing a list of books I read in 2022 and I encourage you to read a book per month in 2023. Our faith deserves to be strengthened in this new year.

Please share with me if you read any of the above. I would love to hear your thoughts.

So, as the first week of 2023 winds down, be in prayer, make plans to go deeper in your faith, remember Damar Hamlin in those prayers – be part of this miracle, and continue to lay it all down. You are a new creation!!