5 Nov, 2008
(Picture from USAToday.com)
Obama: 'Change has come'Americans have "sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals," president-elect Barack Obama just told tens of thousands of supporters gathered at
This also isn't a nation of "red states and blue states," he said.
Instead, said Obama, "we are and always will be the
"Change has come," Obama, the first African-American elected to be president, promised the nation.
(see full article by Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence; USAToday.com)
The news media went crazy tonight and will continue to hype this historic election. But as President-elect Obama said later in his speech the election itself is not the change. It's all about what we as a country pull together and get done together. Do you wonder if that kind of change is possible? I think it must start with me. And you. One person at a time.
"Change has Come"
Beyond Election Day 2008
2 Corinthians 5:17-20, NIV.
(17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (18) All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: (19) that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (20) We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
God changes us into a "new creation" when we choose to follow Jesus. "The old is gone, the new has come!" What a beautiful truth to think about. I don't know how much difference one of us can make in this world, but God is all about helping us be the best we can be. The Bible says,
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
God's plan for us begins with reconciling us to Himself. We were separated from God forever because of our sin - our attitude of ignoring God and just living for ourselves. God "demonstrated His love for us" by sending Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin. (see Romans 5:8 and 1 Peter 3:18.)
When we change our attitude and ask God to forgive us he is faithful to do just that! (see 1 John 1:9). "The old is gone, the new has come!"
We have a clean slate, we can stop worrying about ourselves, and we can begin to care for others. If everyone who got involved in this election, on either side, would get involved in the future of our country, change would come!
"And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." The Message translation say, "God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing." Who have you told about the change Jesus has made in your life?
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." Congratulations. You do have a role in the new government - you are an ambassador. Only you represent Jesus. The Message puts it this way - "We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them."
I hope you join me in praying for our country and our leaders. We do have critical and complicated issues to deal with. But you don't have to wait to do your ambassador role in your world. Let God change you, and then allow Him to use you to encourage others to experience the same change.
Yes Change has Come - over 2,000 years ago!
- February 2012 [5]
- January 2012 [18]
- December 2011 [20]
- November 2011 [15]
- October 2011 [15]
- September 2011 [14]
- August 2011 [22]
- July 2011 [19]
- June 2011 [21]
- May 2011 [20]
- April 2011 [20]
- March 2011 [21]
- February 2011 [20]
- January 2011 [21]
- December 2010 [21]
- November 2010 [21]
- October 2010 [21]
- September 2010 [22]
- August 2010 [21]
- July 2010 [22]
- June 2010 [20]
- May 2010 [18]
- April 2010 [21]
- March 2010 [23]
- February 2010 [19]
- January 2010 [22]
- December 2009 [22]
- November 2009 [21]
- October 2009 [22]
- September 2009 [21]
- August 2009 [20]
- July 2009 [21]
- June 2009 [22]
- May 2009 [18]
- April 2009 [15]
- March 2009 [7]
- February 2009 [17]
- January 2009 [20]
- December 2008 [23]
- November 2008 [19]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [11]
- May 2008 [19]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [18]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [18]
- November 2007 [15]
- October 2007 [19]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [9]
- May 2007 [11]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [10]
- June 2006 [3]
