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Rebuilding
Lives!
On
August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made
landfall on the Gulf Coast causing one
of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.
More than 1,800 people died.
Earlier
this week, on August 29, 2006, the Gulf Coast
commemorated the storm that brought so much
devastation to the area.
Bells tolled in New Orleans marking the moment
one year earlier when New Orleans’ levees buckled
causing 80 percent of the city to be flooded.
In a ceremony in Gulfport, MS, firefighters and
police officers carried 14 red roses in memory of 14
residents in that community who were lost to
the storm.
The
one-year mark also serves as a reminder of how far the
survivors have come.
Overlooking the calm waters of the Mississippi
sound, which a year ago flooded the shoreline, Mayor
Brent Warr reminded a gathering in Gulfport:
“We’re not well.
We’re not finished.
But I will say this: We’ve made it.
Let’s move on. Let’s move forward. Let’s
do that together.”
Although
there is still so much to be done, there has been
progress. Lives
continue to be rebuilt along the Gulf Coast. And, many
more lives need to be rebuilt, and not just those who
were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
ALL
of our lives – without exception – have been
affected by an even greater destructive force: SIN.
Because of our sin, we are separated from God
(Isaiah 59:1-2) and His will for our lives.
Sin will bring horrible and eternal destruction
to us, unless a remedy is found (Matthew 7:13-14; 2
Thessalonians 1:7-9).
The
GOOD NEWS is that there IS a remedy for the problem of
sin! Our
lives can be “rebuilt.”
Jesus died on the cross pay the price for our
sins and to offer us pardon. “In Him we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians
1:7). The
blood of Jesus will cleanse the sins of those who:
believe
in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in His name (Acts 2:38).
He will CONTINUE to cleanse those who CONTINUE
to follow Him (1 John 1:7).
You
see, Jesus is in the “REBUILDING BUSINESS!”
In
the words of T.O. Chisholm:
“Bring
Christ your broken life,
So marred by sin.
He will create anew,
Make whole again.
Your empty
wasted years
He will restore,
And your iniquities,
Remember no more.”
“Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; old
things have passed away; behold, all things have
become NEW” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The
Savior is waiting and wanting to rebuild YOUR
life, if you will just submit your life to Him in
trusting obedience.
God bless you!
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*Details regarding
events on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall were gleaned
from an article from the Associated Press entitled: “Katrina: One Year
and We’re Still Here.’” http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/29/katrina.events.ap/index.html
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