Open Heavens Devotional for Monday, January 5, 2015: THE WONDERS OF NEW CREATION

TOPIC: THE WONDERS OF NEW CREATION

Memorise: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Read: John 3:1-5

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE:
The Almighty God is the Chief Planner, the Architect and the Builder per excellence. Before the universe was put together, God planned it. No man is in this world by accident. He told Jeremiah that before He formed him, He knew him (Jeremiah 1:4-5). In the beginning, God had beautiful plans for His creation, but along the line, sin distorted His plans for the universe and particularly for the human race. But God, being the Almighty, decided in His infinite mercy to restore His distorted creation.

This is why in Jeremiah 18:1-4, we read an interesting story of a potter and his clay vessel which got damaged in the process of being worked. The potter made up his mind to start all over again. I prophesy that God’s original purpose for your life which the enemies have tampered with shall be restored today in Jesus’ Name.

Paul the sinner who later became a saintly apostle of Jesus Christ is one example of a person who experienced the wonders of new creation. In his testimony in 1 Timothy 1:15, he wrote that he was the chief of sinners. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, he summed up the wonders of new creation saying:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

In our scripture reading today, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus that he must be born-again in order to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus then asked Jesus in John 3:4 that:

“…How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?”

Jesus replied that it is possible to become a new creation by water and the Spirit of God. All these are mysteries and pointers to the wonders of new creation. For you to experience these wonders, you must surrender your total life to Him who is able to recreate and restore beautiful plans that have been distorted by the evil one. The Bible in Acts 3:19 says:

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

I pray that you will experience the wonders of new creation in all spheres of your life in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, whatever beautiful plans you have for my life that the enemies have distorted, please restore in Jesus’ Name.

Bible in one year: Isaiah 12-14; Acts 4:1-22

SOURCE: OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, VOLUME 15, 2015