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Showing posts with the label Ambassador

Be present today

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!” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) Christ did the work of redemption, but he uses ordinary, everyday folks who have given their hearts to him to invite others to serve him, as well. We bring the message: "Come back to God" - he does the work of preparing the heart to hear and respond to the message. Sometimes I think we might believe pastors, preachers, and Bible teachers are responsible to deliver that message, but nothing could be further from the truth. WE are called - WE are made ambassadors of reconciliation - WE are instruments of his grace to a hurting world. God makes the appeal, but do we 'seal the deal'? Nope! Even that is God's work - we just bring the message. Does the message have ...

Just call me "Ambassador"

It is central to our good news that God was in the Anointed making things right between Himself and the world. This means He does not hold their sins against them. But it also means He charges us to proclaim the message that heals and restores our broken relationships with God and each other. So we are now representatives of the Anointed One, the Liberating King; God has given us a charge to carry through our lives—urging all people on behalf of the Anointed to become reconciled to the Creator God. ( 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 VOICE ) Many of us watch the news each evening, or prior to going to bed, only to get discouraged by all the stuff we see and hear reported. Officers shot in the line of duty, car wrecks, mass shootings, downed planes, war efforts redoubled, natural disasters - the airwaves are full of these kinds of reports. Rarely do we receive the heartwarming reports of kids being kids, families reunited after years apart, or the like. Why? News isn't considered "ne...

Patient persistence pierces through indifference...

Indifference is all around us.  I am a people watcher, so maybe I pick up on this a little more than someone who isn't.  Whether it is the casual disregard for someone's property exhibited when someone just drops their unwanted trash by the wayside without a care in the world, or the passing by of a motorist broken down on the side of the freeway - lack of concern and compassion is just part of what we see everyday.  Indifference is also the producing of "work" which only requires mediocre effort.  Anytime we don't give our "all" to a project, we can be guilty of being a little indifferent to the outcome, as well.  In this world, Christ called for his people to make a difference - to stand out, to be counted, and to be agents of change.  If you haven't guessed it by now, we have a hard job ahead of us! Patient persistence pierces through indifference;   gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.  (Proverbs 25:15 MSG) Patient persistence is...

Ambassadors for Christ

I think one of my favorite passages in scripture has to deal with us being new creations in Christ - the old passing away, the new coming on strong.  Why? It speaks of new purpose - new hope.  I like it when I can "re-purpose" something I find at a garage sale, or in a local thrift store.  It gives me a sense of satisfaction to give something old a "new look" and then putting it to a "new use".  God does more than just give us a new look or put us to a new use - he actually "restores" us to a state we never knew we were capable of displaying or living!  This is to me the best news ever - what I didn't even know I was missing out on is made available to me through the work of the Creator in my life!  Okay...go ahead...say it!  AWESOME! Therefore, if anyone is  in Christ, he is  a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.     All this is from God,  who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gav...