3-2-2016

        Good Morning All!!     

       2 Corinthians 5:17; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

    I have had the pleasure of knowing a couple of guys who enjoy restoring old wooden tables, chairs and dressers.  They get real giddy when they go to flea markets or old estate sales.  I doubt if they have ever paid more than $10 for anything.  The drawers are broken or missing from the dressers; the tables are wobbly and maybe have a piece missing.  Anything they buy looks like garbage.  I would imagine the people who are selling this stuff have to hold their breath until these two are gone so they don’t break out laughing at the two “rubes” who paid good money for kindling.

    The truly amazing thing is what the projects look like after they finish them.  They look magnificent.  The truly amazing part is how they can incorporate and actually highlight the stains and the cracks that give these old pieces their character.  When we look at them, I marvel at their skill but I also wonder about the stories that those old pieces would tell.  Cut marks and burn marks abound.  Was that the height of a child at age 5?  Was the burn mark left when a sudden announcement, good or ill, was made?  How many Thanksgivings and Christmas meals did a family share around them?  They all have stories but the change in the chairs and tables is remarkable.  They have a new lease on life.  They are ready to start over as pieces of art, masterpieces even.

    This is what Jesus does to us.  He reclaims us from the junk piles and flea markets of the world.  We are broken, warped and may even have some pieces missing.  Yet Jesus fixes us all up.  He cleans away all the years of scratches and dents and cut marks and makes us whole.  Those marks may still be seen but they do not define who we are.  We are new creations made so by the blood of Jesus and declared so by God the Father.  The old is all gone and we are new again.  Redeemed by Jesus and freed by his atoning sacrifice.  Just like those two wood workers who scour the sales, God seeks you out and no matter what condition you are in, or think you are in, you are never too far gone for Christ to redeem you and shape you into a new creation.  There is no amount of damage to you that Jesus cannot fix.  No matter what sins you feel you carry; Jesus makes you a new creation.  His mercy will heal you and remove all the nicks and scratches and his grace will replace all the damage done to your heart and soul.  There is nothing he cannot do and his love for you knows no bounds.  Trust in his mercy and surrender to his love.

   Dearest Father, in your mercy you sent Jesus to redeem us and to make us new creations. Give us the joy of your eternal grace and keep us safe on our journey home.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret