The Ministry of Reconciliation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 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 men’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.”  ~2 Corinthians 5:17-20

If Christian ministry is a continuation and an extension of what God began long ago, his mighty acts in history to reconcile the world to himself, then our ministry in his church should be a ministry that focuses on reconciliation.

We were made in the image of God, perfect beings in a perfect world. Man is God’s greatest creation and he longs to be reunited with us in perfection, the way it was in the very beginning. So while we were powerless, dead in our sins, enemies of God, he sent his only Son as a sacrifice to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. God is a God of reconciliation. His love in redeeming us is without cause, without merit, without limit, and without end.

And exhibiting those same ideas of redemption is at the core of Christian ministry. God wants husbands and wives to be together. He wants children reunited with their parents. He wants churches to stay in step. He desires unity among his people.

And that same unity should be evident within our own individual lives, between our brains and our bodies, our thinking and our doing. His will is that there should be no inconsistencies, no incongruence, no deviation. Our words and actions should reflect the impact his saving love and grace has had on us. Our ministry should seek to restore that kind of peace to shattered lives and broken relationships with the ultimate goal of complete reconciliation to the Father.

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There are 44 more days until the beginning of football season. And #44 in the countdown is the only Heisman Trophy winner to ever play for Bear Bryant and, I think, the only JohnDavidCrowTexas A&M Aggie on my list. John David Crow was a consensus All-America halfback / linebacker for Bryant’s Aggies in the ’50s. He actually edged out Alex Karras, believe it or not, for the Heisman in 1957. And he was undoubtedly the greatest Aggies football player ever.

Ever.

He only played in seven games his senior season because of a knee injury. But in his three years at College Station, the Aggies went 24-5-2. He was a two-time All Southwest Conference selection and even served as the Texas A&M Athletics Director from 1988-1993. He was drafted #1 by the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals in ’58 and spent eleven years with the Cards and 49ers, making it to four Pro Bowls and even winning the NFL rushing title in 1960.

He’s in the College Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. And he edges out Donnie Anderson, John Riggens, and Kyle Rote as the best #44 to ever play the game.

Peace,

Allan

1 Comment

  1. Jimmy Bob

    This blog entry seems highly put together and intelligent! OK now, Larry, do you have a pool of people that write for you? I just want to know. BTW, take a look at my poopy blog.

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