RENEW!!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2Cor 5:17)

We hear it every year – the diets, the new you, the gym memberships (that all fade in 3 weeks) along with our New Year resolutions.

All good intentions but not enough discipline. Or cash. Probably both.

That all cost money. Even trying to eat healthy will cost you plenty more than a junk food diet. 

But the renewal that the Lord gives is free, easy and you can put away your wallet, membership cards and spandex!

We all carry around our sins. They are caused by a fallen world from disobedience to God (fallen world to sin verse) . And we continue our disobedience and live with the consequences. Many end of in jail for it. Others suffer from their sins and repeat the cycle in their own lives and so it goes on down through their descendants.

People nowadays are so apathetic to their own spiritual state that they don’t even care. Or – the other extreme – think it’s cool.  Many hearts have grown cold, as prophesied. (Matthew 24:12) They make the lives of their circle of family and friends a nightmare.  This is how they are remembered before and after they die. Not cool – but a heartbreaking pain in the butt.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

REFLECT

Do you think you are without sin?  Review the 10 commandments and see how many you break each day. Give it a week’s test. Be honest with yourself because God already knows about them.

I’ve shared before that Heaven is a PERFECT place, without sickness, sadness, disease, death or disabilities, and certainly without costly addictions (add up how much you spent on weed, alcohol and cigarettes this year of 2024).

From the very beginning of the world, God gave us free will. And we chose to screw it up and life continues to grow more complicated as time goes on, despite our best and wisest efforts by the smartest men in the world. It’s to the point that only God can fix it.

He’s not going to make that mistake again for His Kingdom.

Do you think God will allow you to come in to pollute His Perfect Kingdom with your worldly ills?  If he did, then it wouldn’t be the perfect place to go to anymore. There would be no hope in anything.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Rev 21:8)

RESTORATION

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

The fact is, we are eternal souls in a temporary body. The world tells you the opposite – to feed your body based on how you ‘feel’. That is all a lie, with deadly consequences.

Those ailments of sinful disobedience will be left outside the Gates, along with the soul who commits them. Those sins were paid for as a ransom by a loving faithful Savior who’s name is Jesus. Wonderful Councelor.

Jesus takes the scarlet sins that stain our soul and makes us new and pure as fresh fallen snow. Clean all the way through and unblemished by the world.

REFINED AS SILVER

“You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver melted in a crucible.” Psalm 66:10.

Sins of the flesh are addicting. We like how it feels on our earthly bodies.  And the world keeps on feeding us with the ‘just do it’ messages through ads, movies, tv and songs.

I used this verse because a lot of our sins are hard to shake, like chemical dependencies and sensual/sexual addictions.

Let me explain it a little more – Silver is run through a refining a few times (up to 7) to get all the impurities out.  (Psalm 12:6) This parable is used a few times in scriptures to show how God cleans us up. You may hear  this as a conviction.

Even Paul, his Old Testament forefathers, and the best of us struggle with sin on a daily basis, as he shares with us in Romans:

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15)

The life of a Christian is a work in progress. There is no perfect Christian, they are only a forgiven sinner with the blessed assurance of salvation.  Many use that to continue to sin, and their lives reflect it consistently, unfortunately the non-religious see them the most often and think all religious people are hypocrites.

But there are also many who live by faith and let the Lord clean up their lives to eventually be a convicted mature example of a faithful disciple.

Your addictions can be controlled with Jesus and no one else. I’m NOT promising it will be easy, but there is a way if you are repented and continually obedient to Him. There are many wonderful testimonies of total reset , redemption and freedom out there to listen to. New lives have been started in Christ! 

THIS GOES WAY BEYOND ANY 12 STEP PROGRAM!  THIS IS SUPERNATURAL HEALING!

RESTART NOW

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]” (John 3:3-7)

 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’

Jesus is giving us a choice. And here’s a 2^nd chance to change the direction of your life.  Don’t wait – the time is short.  Prophesies are quickly being fulfilled.

With Jesus, you won’t have a lot to carry or spend.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)