New You

Today I read a really great section of Acts, Acts 3. It is a rather long, so I won't post the whole thing, but I would definitely encourage you to take out your Bibles or even just google Acts 3. I found that it really inspiring. Here's a summary of what happens: 

 There were these two guys, Peter and John, both were followers of Jesus. They were on a mission to witness to people and to spread God's Word, so they went to a Jewish temple--just think about that. There's these two guys going into a busy Jewish temple, where they don't believe in Jesus, preaching all about what Jesus had done for them. A pretty risky move. Anyway, just outside the temple they see this beggar who had been lame since birth.

He asks Peter and John for money and what do they tell him? "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." (3:6) And up he went, the lame beggar walking around and praising the name of Jesus! All of the other people at the temple saw this guy, this lame beggar that they had seen everyday for years, they saw him walking. Knowing it had to be a miracle they began to question and praise John and Peter, who promptly set them straight and told them that it was not by their power, but by GOD'S power that the beggar had been healed. 

Isn't that just inspiring? That God can heal ANYONE. He can make anyone a new creation--No matter who you were or what you've been through. God can work in your life like He worked in this beggars.

God tells us that He can save us, He can CHANGE us whenever we call on His name! He can make us clean, so ANY sin we committed is just gone. He makes us a clean slate again! He makes us NEW CREATIONS. 

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord," Acts 3:19

God is there for us to SAVE us and to CLEAN us and to REDEEM us. He wants to make us into new creations. He wants to show the new you. The true you! 

Jesus will change your life. He will take away your guilt and fill you will peace and joy and HOPE! You just have to repent and allow Him to work in your life. Because if He can use a lame beggar as His witness, why can't he use you? Correct answer: He CAN. 

If you truly do allow Jesus to change your life and make you a new creation in Him, then give him all the glory!! In Acts, John and Peter easily could have become famous and renowned, but they CHOSE to give the glory to God. We should all take after their example.

There are many lessons to be learned out of one teeny little chapter in Acts:
1. God can use ANYONE to be His witness--even a lame beggar
2. Have Holy Boldness and don't be afraid to share your faith in Christ, like John and Peter did
3. God can change ANYONE and make ANYONE new
4. No matter what is going on in your life, give the all the glory to God!


Now it's your turn to allow Jesus to change your life and turn you into the NEW YOU!