FUELED CHRISTIAN

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (MSG)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (LB)

When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand-new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!

“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation; to create a community of…men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love.

This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.”

― Brennan Manning

We will and likely have seen a lot of FACEBOOK posts, TWEETS, Snapchats, and Instagram posts with little sayings about the new year.  I am sure you have seen your share of commitments, resolutions, and lists of “I’m gonnas” for 2017.  

And all of them have merit!

Dropping a few pounds.  Committing to quit a bad habit.  Committing to start a good one all are admirable pursuits for sure.

Yet I wanted to pause and remind us of something else that is NEW.  Today, you woke up to NEW mercy because of the NEW you.

…his mercies begin afresh each morning. - (Lamentations 3:23 NLT)

And because you are NEW and the day is NEW and the year “fairly” NEW I wanted to pause and encourage us that as Manning points out, our job is NOT SO NEW.

It is to allow the GOSPEL to fuel our "newness" into a passion; a passion for Christ, a passion for His Word, a passion to LIVE as He instructs and into a passion to create a COMMUNITY where CHRIST is the center and His energy, His peace, His love, and His boldness sets the tone and direction of our lives.

That is what it is to be this NEW CREATION in Christ in other words, a CHRISTIAN.

What I love about this little quote and this little encouragement is that Manning reminds us that it is because we are made new that JESUS Himself is the one to infuse us with these amazing “fuels”; the fuels of peace, joy, and extravagant love.  We couldn’t muster that kind of fuel on our own, but coupled WITH CHRIST and THROUGH the GOSPEL of CHRIST we are equipped to bring newness and change to the community around us.

And quite frankly that is our job as CHRISTIANS.

To be “little CHRISTS.”

So, as you are making your list of new year’s changes you wish to make, add one more.

Resolve to be the CHRISTIAN, that “NEW person” who emulates the energy and attributes of Jesus. 

“Strength of my heart, I need not fail,

Not mind to fear but to obey,

With such a Leader, who could quail?

Thou art as Thou wert yesterday.

Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee,

FULFIL Thy PURPOSES through me.”  - Carmichael

And that purpose?

To be a CHRISTIAN.

  

I love you all…

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE