Wednesday, April 20, 2011

PAUL TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

Dear fellow believers,

We are God's ambassadors.

Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others.

If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God.
And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.

Either way, Christ's love controls us.

Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.

He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves.

Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.
At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view.

How differently we know Him now!

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone – a new life has begun!

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ.

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, God is making His appeal through us.
We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

That, my friends, is very Good News indeed!

Spread the Word – Easter is on the horizon!!


May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Spirit be with you all.

Paul


(From 2 Corinthians 5 & 13)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

9 comments:

  1. Amen Sharon, I hope you have a blessed Easter.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So, God is making His appeal through us.
    We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"

    *****

    That's my favorite line.


    That and, "Ff it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to the Lord."

    I know that folks aften DO think I'm a bit crazy. I just remind them that God's word says that He has called unto himself a peculiar people.

    And there is no one any more peculiar than I am.

    Except maybe you.
    I'm glad to be an ambassador with you, Sharon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey! When did you get a blog button? I have been wanting to put you up there as my button of the week, but I didn't notice that you had one.

    That HAS to be new. I never noticed it until just now. Please tell me I'm not really crazy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amen, Sharon. And He is risen, He is risen indeed.

    Blessings,
    Joan

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely post, Sharon. Blessings to you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amen and amen - have a BLESSED EASTER!
    sandie

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very good news indeed!! I've been reading through the gospels from the time of Palm Sunday (when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the donkey until his death/resurrection this week) trying to get in my mind what he was doing that last week, parables he told, teachings he did, etc as he wrapped up his earthly mission here. Of course I am just on Matthew with it, but will continue through even after Easter, kind of like do a mini study on it, know what I mean?

    So glad he did die for us; so very grateful!!!!!!

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Sharon -

    You expressed, "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

    Amen - Hallelujah!

    John 11:25, 26 - KJV
    Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

    And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

    YES, LORD, WE BELIEVE - WE THANK YOU, AND PRAISE YOUR HOLY NAME!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nita - Wishing you and your family a truly blessed Easter, too!

    Debbie - Peculiar?? Hey, I resemble that remark! Truly, I am also honored to be a representative of the Lord alongside you! And to answer your (loaded) question - Yes, you are really crazy. And yes, that is a new button. A friend of mine designed it and sent it to me in an email as a gift!! Wasn't that sweet? I've always wanted one, but didn't know how to make one. (Did you check out the other one that Peggy made for me as a link to Bible Pick 'Ems?) - so, button, button, who's got my button??

    Joan - Amen. I am so grateful that the tomb is empty, but the throne is not!!

    Connie - WELCOME! How thoughtful of you to stop by and leave such a nice comment! Blessings to you, too - and please feel free to visit anytime!

    Sandie - YES!! Amen, so be it! Hope you have a wonderful Easter, too!

    Betty - That sounds like an awesome study! You know, it is interesting to try to think what that last week was like for Jesus. What was going on in His heart and mind. He must have felt a certain urgency to speak truth before He died. So yes, I think those last stories and teachings are very important. Let me know what you're learning.

    Sandra - Oh yes, we do believe! Death did not conquer you - and it will not prevail over us! Your name is Life!

    GOD BLESS!

    ReplyDelete

"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)