20120210

A NEW DAY


The Bible teaches that we are to live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
By faith, we hold on. By faith, we look forward. By faith, we grow up. By faith,
we press on. By faith, we let go.
Jesus said in John 20:29, "Blessed are those
who have not seen and yet have believed."  In case you're interested, that link up
there is an exellent treatise on living by faith by K. P. Yohanan.   Enjoy the day, JP


NEW DAY

Today is a new day,
Yes - yesterday is gone;
Live in the wonderful grace,
Of Jesus Christ - God's Son.

Today is a new day,
The past has passed away;
Trust the Lord with all your heart,
Let go of your grief and pain.

Today is a new day,
Embrace faith, hope and love;
As long as you are breathing,
Surrender your heart to Jesus.

Today is a new day,
Peace and Strength are in the Lord;
Let courage be the captain of your heart
As you search His Word and discover
Who it is you're living for.


A New Beginning
by Charles R. Swindoll

Regardless of what you have done, no one is beyond hope. That's the great hope of
the Christian message. No amount or depth of sin in your past can trump the grace of
God. If you question that, remember Saul, the brash Pharisee of Tarsus. When the
Lord saved him, He didn't put him on probation. The other disciples did that. No,
God gave Saul a new name and, in the process, made him a new creation. That's what
makes grace so amazing! Even though your past is soiled, anyone can find a new
beginning with God. I've made the same statement throughout my ministry: It's never
too late to start doing what is right. When Saul knelt before the living God, he finally
faced the reality of his sin. Deep within the man, Christ transformed his life, and he
started doing what was right. Grace provides that sort of new beginning. Don't get
stuck on where you were. Don't waste your time focusing on what you used to be.
Remember, the hope we have in Christ means there's a brighter tomorrow. Sins are
forgiven. Shame is cancelled out. We're no longer chained to a deep, dark pit of the
past. Grace gives us wings to soar beyond it. Could it be that you are stuck because
of something from your past? Perhaps it has pinned you to the ground with embar-
assment, shame, and fear. You're crippled by it. The best you can do is to limp
through each day, hoping for a painless end. That way of thinking is from the enemy,
Satan. He loves to push your nose in the dirt, hoping to make you miss the marvelous
claims of grace. Don't allow him that power in your life today. Around you are people
who have no greater claim on grace than you do, and the Lord mercifully brought
them out of their pit of sin. If He could turn a Saul of Tarsus, who was engaged
in a murderous rampage, into a Paul the apostle, who preached and lived
the message of grace, He can change your life too.

Excerpted from Great Days with the Great Lives (W Publishing Group).
© by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
 

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