New Creation.....

You think you know enough until you share with people and realize how close to illiterate you may be.. Let me take you directly to the Book of Matthew, Chapter 1..What do you see there?The geneology of Jesus! I can read your thoughts:p..You are probably thinking how irrelevant this is..Truth is, EVERYTHING written in the Bible is relevant and of importance.. Look through your Bible for other places where geneologies have been given, for example, that of Noah in Genesis Chapter 5; you'll realise that women are not mentioned. In the first book of the New Testament, however, God is actually doing a new thing..four women are mentioned..

1.TAMAR
Genesis 38.
Judah was Tamar's father-in-law.I didn't know the Bible had such dramatic stories.Tamar had been married to one of Judah's sons, Er, who later died(God put him to death for he was wicked).Judah ordered Onan, his second son to sleep with Tamar and make her conceive of behalf if his late brother Er.Onan wasn't for this idea for he knew the children wouldn't be considered his, he was disobedient and was put to death too.. Judah's third son, Shelah, was too young for marriage at the time and so Judah told Tamar to go back to her father's house and live as a widow until Shelah was old enough. I'll fast forward.......... Tamar clothed herself as a prostitute and slept with Judah..yes!Judah..her father-in-lae..and she conceived twins by him.

2.RAHAB
Joshua 2
She was a prostitute. She hid the two spies of Shitim who had been sent by Joshua; through her help, they were able to complete their mission successfully.

3.RUTH
Book of Ruth
Ruth was a lovely woman, one who stood by Naomi at her time of great distress.She even found favour in the eyes of Boaz despite the fact that she was a Moabitess.Boaz describes her as 'a woman of noble character'(See Ruth3:11) Genesis 19:30-38 explains how the Moabites came to be.Lot's daughters got their father drunk and slept with him..Through their father, they conceived sons, Moab and Ben-Ammi. These was a bad background..one Ruth would definitely not be proud to tell about.. Read more about the Moabites and Ammonites: http://www.isaiah58.com/broadcasters/manda.htm

4.BATHSHEBA
(Uriah's wife)
2 Samuel 11
She cheated on her husband Uriah, with David and conceived.

5.MARY

My main focus, however, is on the first four women.

Notice that these four specific women mentioned here were not flawless..Tamar committed incest, Rahab was a prostitute, Ruth was a Moabite and Bathsheba was adulterous. What about you? What's are your flaws?Your misdeeds? What are those mistakes that make you feel unworthy of God's love and grace?
Fine, we may believe in the forgiveness of sins but we probably wouldn't ever imagine a time when God would actually USE us.

These four women fall in the geneology of the greatest man ever, Jesus Christ! They were not only forgiven but God also used them. Rahab hid the spies, Ruth stood by Naomi, how can/has God used you to be of impact in someone else's life or the world at large? I admire people who don't allow their backgrounds to affect their dreams and ambitions and where they are headed.Ruth was a Moabite, she came from a tribe which nobody else desired to be born of(though you can't really choose where to be born).Probably, you're reading this and reflecting on how broken your family may be, the fact you were born out of wedlock (like Moab), a time when somebody abused you in mone way or another.........
Whatever it may be, please, don't let this stop you..Keep moving.If you haven't started yet, it's high time you get up.

If you can confess it, you can be forgiven of it! It doesn't matter what you've done, if you turn to God and confess your sins, He will forgive you of ALL unrighteousness..that includes anything you've done, that you are willing to bring before Him! 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness." The only sin that God doesn't forgive is that which you don't take to him.
As a child of God, you are a new creation! Your past has been wiped away, and you are given a fresh start.(2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, behold, the old is gone and the new has come")see Alsop
Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..." Jesus did not come here to condemn you, but to save you!
(John 3:17)
Not only does God forgive our sins, but He also forgets our sins.(Isaiah 43:25, "I, even I, am he that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins.")(Also see Hebrews 10:17)
When your sins are forgiven, they are removed from you as far as the east is from the west. (Psalms 103:12) We are told not to look at the past, but press forward towards a brighter and better tomorrow.
(Philippians 3:13) These are just but a few examples of people who God has chos despite their flaws.I find David's story the most intriguing.We serve a God of love and grace, allow him to use you.Forgive yourself. You are a new creation:)

Special thanks:
Makena and Thika Methodist Church Youth Bible Study.

Love,
Karwirwa Laura.