Ambassadors to Earth

In 2 Corinthians 5 believers are called Christ's ambassadors. That's no small role. It's also a huge privilege, one these verses say we are committed to.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 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 made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Let's break this passage down. (For context read the entire 5th chapter of 2 Corinthians here) "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view." - The term not of this earth comes to mind. Something we gain in coming to a Saving knowledge and relationship in Christ is an eternal perspective and adoption in to the family of God. Salvation has given us an eternal perspective.
"Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we also die (to the old nature and sin) and are reborn (the new nature) in Christ. Our view shifts from earthly to heavenly.
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." - Christ's death on the cross was done for us that we would have atonement and therefore be reconciled:holy before God. Having this done for us, we are to turn around and bring the same message to others.
"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 made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - Each of us is an ambassador called to represent God and His interests. God is interested in reconciliation. We've been reconciled to God, He has taken our sin and given us His righteousness. Spread the news.
So the short and sweet: We are Ambassadors on Earth; to Earth. All the time in this lifetime we need to be bringing the message to everyone on Earth.

Afraid of the Dark

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a huge fan of the dark. I never really have been. Ever since I was young, I had a nightlight in my bedroom. As a 23 year old, I still have a nightlight in our bedroom – and when I’m home alone, lights are on throughout the house.

One of the problems with not liking the dark (I guess I could just flat-out say it in humility – being scared of the dark) comes in the area of my morning walks. It’s taking longer each day for the sun to illumine the earth; the problem rests in my desire to walk before morning activities, such as church. The other morning, I came up with a solution to my fear: a flashlight. Although the flashlight probably made me no safer than I would have been in the dark, I felt secure knowing there was a light to illumine my path and bring a small patch of light to the darkness around me.

As I rejoiced over the ingenious idea of walking with a flashlight, I was reminded about the true Light – Jesus Christ.: “This is the message that we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

Not only has Jesus taken away the darkness of my sin, but He lights my lamp in the midst of my fears – whether it be the fear of the dark, the fear of uncertainty, or the fear of a certain future. The LORD is indeed the Light – but He does just send a spotlight down upon us, but He walks with us throughout those fears. What a great God we serve – One who is in control of the entire universe, yet cares about us individually. Praise Him!

“For You light my lamp; the LORD my God illumines my darkness.” – Psalm 18:28

Conscious Confession

Sometimes I'll check my email only to be surprised by an inbox that is filled with messages that are not junk. This happened today with timing that can only be described as divine. A good friend of mine shared something with me that he was planning on incorporating in the worship service at church this morning. I hope you are blessed by it just as I was this morning.

O Lord,
I have a wild heart
And cannot stand before thee;
I am like a bird before a man.
How little I love thy truth and ways!
I neglect prayer,
By thinking I have prayed enough and earnestly,
By knowing thou hast saved my soul.
Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be an evangelical hypocrite,
Who sins more safely because grace abounds,
Who tells his lusts that Christ’s blood cleanseth them,
Who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell, for his is saved,
Who loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, but lives 
Unholily.
My mind is a bucket without a bottom,
With no spiritual understanding,
No desire for the Lord’s Day,
Ever learning but never reaching the truth,
Always at the gospel-well but never holding water.
My conscience is without conviction or contrition,
With nothing to repent of.
My will is without power of decision or resolution.
My heart is without affection, and full of leaks.
My memory has no retention,
So I forget so easily the lessons learned,
And thy truths seep away.
Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.

Taken from The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett