Wednesday, January 2,
2013
"Clean out the
old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact
unleavened. For Christ our Passover also had been sacrificed" (I
Cor. 5:7). "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ be reconciled
to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor. 5:20-21)..
Hey Gang: I pray
that each of you, who avail yourselves of Gramps Morning Thoughts, will do a
spiritual house cleaning and clean out the old leaven and recommit to
being a new lump for Yeshua Ha Mashiach in this new year.
I am writing this from
my study on Woodward Avenue, but it will find its way into your electronic
devices from Bartlesville, Oklahoma. What joy it is to begin
this New Year here, doing some small labor of love to let those who are
enduring persecution know that a Christian brother and sister loves them and is
praying for them.
As I asked the Lord
for words that might dig deep in the souls of all who read His Word here,, the
words of John 3:16 were in such bold print. These words are so very
familiar. As a child in Sunday School, I always used these words, along
with "Jesus Wept", to get the star for the week for memorization-
although they were simply words to fill an immediate need.
But one day, I am not
sure exactly when, but this I know the day was one when the sky was falling and
alligators rampaging, God opened my eyes to an understanding of what these
words really meant. Wow, Lord, You mean You really love this worthless,
hillbilly kid so much that you would send Your only begotten Son, the God-man,
into this world to die for me because You loved me!
Really, Lord, You sent
the Lamb of God who would be slain to remove the sins-burden that I had carried
for so long - not to judge me and punish me for my indiscretions -but that
I might be saved through Him?
You mean I could
really "…be buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as
Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, SO I MIGHT
WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE?” ( Rom. 6:4).
Since that day the
phrase "Newness of life" has carried a very special meaning
for me. I once walked the Village Campus, as I did often, and came across
the limb of a tree that had broken from the mother tree but still attached
by one thin thread,. This provided enough life to keep the sap flowing
through its veins. That picture remains fixed in my head, for I saw many
children and families in the same condition but --there was life and I
was determined to dig it out with "Newness of life".
Newness of life is a freshness and hope that compares to the
breaking forth of new life in the Spring when God releases all the trees to
bring forth their leaves and seeds to bring forth new greenness and
beauty of the flowers.
And, what an awesome
promise God gave to us when He promised "The former things have
passed away... Behold, I will make all things new. (Rev. 21:4-5).
Jesus, after listing all of the things we see happening in our world today that
point to the "end of times", concluded with this promise "Look
up for your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).
Sooooo, "Test
yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you
not know whether Christ Jesus is in you?.....For we rejoice when we ourselves
are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete"......Finally,
brethren, rejoice, be made completed, be comforted be like minded, live in
peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you". (2
Cor. 13:5/9/11).
Our prayer for you
from us to you is "become a new lump in Jesus Messiah, through the Holy Spirit
Blessings
Gramps
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