Author: livinginhisgrace

Everything in my life is an unbelievable gift from the Father above to mold and shape me into the person that He created me to be! Yes, even the difficult and hard things in my life! Having said that, life, as I see it, is all about a loving relationship with God, and loving the people He places in our lives. Perhaps the journey is all about learning to love and offer grace to those around us inspite of our differences. Today’s world fights for it’s rights and has gone beyond just making it’s opinions known to a place where differing opinions are attacked and if possible silenced. Is this the world we want for our children and grandchildren? Oh how I hope not! I would love for my children and 10 grandchildren to experience a world filled with grace, hope, love and a chance to experience joy along their journey.

Days of Grace-Day 36

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 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help. (Hebrews 4:12-16 NET)

     Today’s scripture is that final verse, verse 16: “Therefore, let us confidently, some translations say boldly, approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” What a powerful verse! Even more powerful when coupled with the others! This verse is found right at the end of a chapter whose focus is entering God’s rest and keeping a tender heart rather than letting your heart become hardened. God, in His great wisdom, when He created the world instituted a Sabbath day or day of rest. Was this because He knew our humanity and that we would need it? Probably. When He instructed humans to observe this day and set it aside to worship Him, was it for His benefit? No. I don’t for a moment believe that. I believe that our loving Heavenly Father knew the frailty of our existence. He knew to remain strong and finish well, we would need a time to rest, focus on His Word to nourish us and to renew our mind and strength. After all, have you ever tried to make an important decision when you were worn out and exhausted? I have an this is what I have found… It is certainly not the best decision making time! 

     Many of you probably won’t remember, but there was a time in our country when Sunday’s were that appointed day of rest. Nothing was open on Sunday. Ok, maybe one emergency pharmacy and gas station would be open in larger cities but that was about all. Sunday was church, relaxing with family and friends and a Sunday afternoon nap. I remember how bored I would be when that nap time came because as a child, I wasn’t tired.  Today, life is much different with stores open 24/7. We tend to cram as much as possible into every day and then try to stretch the day to accomplish all we want to do and then we wonder why we get so tired.  We allow ourselves to become exhausted and wonder why we say or do things that are not really in line with who we are.  For years I have heard ministers speak about obedience in our finances, tithing, keeping our finances healthy. Teaching on the Sabbath is not nearly so popular, yet now that I am older I can understand it’s wisdom and the benefits it provides.

     The context of today’s scripture tells us spending time in God’s Word is important because it is able get to the heart of who we are. It is able to reveal the thoughts and desires of our heart and judge them. I don’t know about you but I notice that when I get really tired from running the race we call life, sometimes I am too exhausted to understand why I made a bad decision or had an uncharacteristic emotional outburst. When I get into His Word, wisdom and understanding are not far behind. What would happen if we set aside one day a week for rest and refreshing, time in the Word, prayer and family? 

     Next we are reminded that Jesus, our high priest is able to completely sympathize with our weaknesses because He was tempted in every way we are but remained sinless. He knows every struggle we face and He was victorious over those struggles. It is because of Him that we are able to approach the throne of God boldly whenever we need help.  Jesus intercedes on our behalf with the Father and because of His victory over sin, we are able to receive mercy and grace in the life situations we face. In His Word we can find answers for every question, advice for any situation and peace for our weariness. In prayer we can find answers, comfort, peace, wisdom and understanding. In Jesus we can find love, acceptance, mercy, peace and grace to continue moving forward in any situation. In Him we can find rest! Even in the middle of a storm, rest can be found In Christ. What an incredible gift, to have direct access to go boldly before the throne with confidence that He not only hears but He answers our prayers! Do we always get the answer we want? Most likely not, but He knows the big picture and the best outcome and we can rest in the knowledge that He is for us and wants what is best even when that means walking through a struggle rather that being rescued out of it.

Days of Grace-Day 35

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Grace for the Present; An Inheritance for the Future

We have looked at many facets of grace. Today we are looking at the book of Titus. Titus 2:11 tells us that when God’s grace appears it brings salvation to all people and it teaches us to live a godly life; it brings with it self-control and the ability to live upright lives.  Paul puts it this way when he writes to Titus:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people who are truly His, who are eager to do good. So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you. Titus 2:11-15

What a gracious gift. We have been given the gift of salvation, the power to live the way God asks us to live with pure hearts, right motives, and self-controlled lives.  His motive is for our good, our freedom and God’s glory to prepare for Himself a people who are truly His own. Wait, that is not all…

But “when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,  He saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of His mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,  whom He poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior.  And so, since we have been justified by His grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.” Titus 3: 4-7

Through Jesus Christ we are made sons and daughters of The Most High and we are also made heirs! Heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life. joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) Part of our inheritance is forgiveness and eternal life. Sometimes that is as far as we get, never realizing the fullness of what our inheritance is.  When we believe, the Word says we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, as a guarantee of our Inheritance.

“And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, Who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.”  (Ephesians 1:13-14)

David said this about inheritance, “Lord, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I will praise the Lord who counsels me — even at night my conscience instructs me. I keep the Lord in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body also rests securely.” (Psalms 16:5-9 HCSB)

Paul said, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens — (Ephesians 1:17-20 HCSB)

Peter tells us this, “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 HCSB)

The grace of God provides what we need for life here through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit working in and through our lives. His grace has provided for our future and our eternal future storing up for us an inheritance in heaven. He has provided all we need to live godly, upright lives; given us access to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm; equipped us with faith, hope, mercy and love. He also gave us His greatest gift, His Son!  Blessed indeed are those who believe! Galatians 3:29 tells us if we belong to Christ then we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. In Genesis 15:1, the word of The Lord came to Abraham in a vision and said, “fear not, Abraham. I am your shield and exceedingly great reward.”  My prayer today is that our faith increase, our knowledge of His great grace abound in our lives and that we are witness to the many ways His grace flows in our lives. May He be our shield and our very great reward…to His praise and glory!

Days of Grace-Day 34

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More than Enough Grace

     When last we were together, we talked about our words being seasoned with grace and being a life-giving force when used for good. The good news is that even when we slip up, makes mistakes and fail, there is still grace for us. As we continue to follow grace (Charis in Greek) through the New Testament our next stop is in the letter 1 Timothy. This letter was written to Timothy by the apostle Paul. This was a letter of encouragement for Timothy. He was in Ephesus and his task was to teach and instruct the believers not to get caught up in false teachings, myths, genealogies and speculations but to stay focused on the truth of the gospel. Timothy’s purpose was to keep people focused on instruction on love that comes from purity of heart, a clean and good conscience and sincerity of faith. Paul goes on to tell Timothy:

I am grateful to the One who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them! But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate His utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. Now to the eternal king, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.I put this charge before you, Timothy my child, in keeping with the prophecies once spoken about you, in order that with such encouragement you may fight the good fight. To do this you must hold firmly to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith. (1 Timothy 1:12-19 NET)

     Paul reminds Timothy of the great grace that is available in Jesus. The same grace is available to everyone. That same grace took Saul, the persecutor and murderer of early Christians, and turned his life around to become Paul; possibly the greatest evangelists and preachers of all time. The transforming power of grace is unstoppable. Let’s look at the same passage only this time from The Message:

I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus. Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now He shows me off—evidence of His endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting Him forever. Deep honor and bright glory to the King of All Time— One God, Immortal, Invisible, ever and always. Oh, yes! I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in. (1 Timothy 1:12-19 MSG)

      Timothy, though not Paul’s real son, was his spiritual son. Paul wanted this young man to be encouraged. If God’s grace was big enough to transform Paul’s former life into the life Paul now lives, it can accomplish anything! God took Saul and transformed him to Paul by His great mercy, grace and patience. The power of Paul’s transformed life lead to the body of Christ growing throughout every area Paul went on mission to, lives were touched and forever changed which lead to spiritual children like Timothy who would rise up and carry on the spread of the gospel to future generations. It is a passing of the baton, if you will. Was Paul’s ministry finished? No, his ministry lasted until the day he died. I believe that Paul wanted to instill in Timothy that nothing was bigger than His God and God’s grace is more than able to accomplish what to us seems like a total impossibility. Notice Paul encourages Timothy with the words “do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and yourself. After all this is a fight we’re in.”  

     My friends, we are in a battle! We are an unseen battle for our lives. The choices we make in our lives affect us and they affect those around us. It doesn’t matter whether it is food choices, morality choices, choices over careers, or choices over the words we speak. Everything we do touches those around us in some way; either positive or negative.  Just as Saul’s choices had a negative impact, Paul’s had a positive impact. God’s grace was more than enough to turn Saul’s life around and it was more than enough to make Paul’s gratitude so strong that he committed the rest of his life in its entirety to making disciples of as many people as would accept Jesus. Paul wanted to make sure that Timothy knew without a doubt that the same grace was more than enough for anything Timothy would face as he embarked in ministry. It is also big enough for you and for me. Whatever struggle we face or battle we are in, His grace is enough! As Paul encouraged Timothy, I believe he also encourages us: “be fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and yourself. After all this is a fight we’re in.”  Let’s ‘fight the good fight’ (1 Timothy 1:18); run the race set before us with endurance (Hebrew 12:1) and by His grace finish well!

Grace and peace to you!

Days of Grace-Day 33

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     As I began looking at today’s scriptures, I could not help to smile at the memory that immediately came to my mind. When I was still quite a young girl, I remember my dad saying to me, “put your mind in gear before you put your mouth in motion.”  I imagine like most little ones do at one time or another, I was probably having a hard time putting my thoughts or questions into words.  Words are powerful! They can be used to accomplish so much and I never really realized until many years later how powerful what my dad had spoken over me would be! For example, the words of a parent or a teacher spoken to a young child can give the student encouragement and courage to chase their greatest dreams. Harsh and unkind words from that same person could begin a pattern of defeat and self-loathing. Well thought out and placed words bring encouragement and joy, edification; building us up rather than tearing us down. On the other hand, careless and thoughtless words can undermine us, cause us to feel less than and actually bring discouragement or lack of courage to face the challenges in our daily lives. It bears repeating, Words are powerful!  James compares our tongues to a fire. Even the smallest flame is capable of growing into huge roaring forest fires doing more damage than can be easily imagined. Add just the right amount of wind, and the damage to the forest and wildlife can be devastating.

      Another thing James points out in chapter three is we use our mouth to bless and praise God and we use that same mouth to curse men; the very same men made in God’s image. It should not be so, he says. Then James asks can a spring produce both fresh water and bitter water? Ok, but what does this have to do with grace? Our first verse will clear that up a little, let’s look:

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:29-32 NASB)

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. (Ephesians 4:29, 30 MSG)

 

     Who knew? My sweet daddy was teaching me a Biblical principle and I did not even realize it. “Put you mind in gear”, think before you speak he said. Words once spoken cannot be taken back. We can ask for forgiveness but once spoken, unkind words, harsh words do their damage quickly. Even if we catch ourself and immediately try to correct the situation, we risk those words playing on a loop in the other persons head as they wonder if we really did mean it.  So, what are some solutions? How do we avoid speaking carelessly? How do we respond rather than react when we find ourselves in a potentially difficult situation or one that is intensifying?  Honestly, thinking carefully before answering is one of the best answers. When we respond quickly without first thinking, more times than not we react to what was spoken. When this happens our response is usually from whatever emotion the other persons statement evoked in us.  Rather than a well thought out response, our response reflects the emotion in us such as hurt, anger, disappointment, etc.

    Another beneficial scripture that can help us make sure our words are not spoken hastily but seasoned with grace is…

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:15, 16 NASB)

                                                                                   and 

“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” (Colossians 4:6 NASB)

     We who have chosen to walk with Christ, have been given a great gift. The Holy Spirit now lives within and He will guide us and help us in how we respond. For me, the key is to pause and listen to that still small inner voice. When I do the Holy Spirit will help. It may be by bringing a scripture to mind, bringing a response to mine or it may just be a peace or calm that stirs within me reminding me who God says I am that refutes the situation I find myself in. All I know is it helps me center myself; mind, will and emotions and respond rather than react to the situation. That is when I choose to be wise and do it. When I don’t, I always regret it. May our words be seasoned and may they bring grace and peace to the hearer!

 

For the thing is very near you—it is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do it. “Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other.  What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are about to possess. Deuteronomy 30:14-16

 

Days of Grace-Day 32

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Our stop along the grace walk today will give some glimpses into God’s love and His kindness toward us following up on our look at Psalm 139. In Ephesians 2:10, we are told “For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”(Ephesians 2:10 NET)  This goes right along with the psalm. We each have been specially designed by the Creator of the universe on purpose and for a purpose. It is no coincidence when, where, how and why we come into the world, yet because we have freedom of choice, we may or may not fulfill our originally intended destiny.  The Message puts it this way…

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose His temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, He embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on His own, with no help from us! Then He picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. (Ephesians 2:1-10 MSG)

What a great message. In Ephesians 1 we were told in verse three that we were blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. We have seen that we have been designed masterfully for a purpose and that God has gone to great lengths to do all that is necessary for us to have right standing with Him. Our job is to trust Him. One of the best gift’s we can give ourselves is to get to know this God we believe in. How? Studying His character throughout the Word, looking at how He interacts with His people. Looking at His character by how He interacts with the patriarchs, Israelites and people in the New Testament can be very eye-opening! Throughout history, God has used ordinary, normal, common, and flawed people to accomplish extraordinary feats. Timid Gideon becomes a mighty warrior. Young David becomes a giant killer, then a mighty warrior and King. Orphan Hadassah becomes the courageous Queen Esther and sabotages evil Haman’s plot. Rejected, Joseph enters as a slave into Egypt and in time becomes second in command and is able to take in the brothers who rejected him during the famine in their homeland. Moses who fled to the desert, goes back to Egypt 40 years later to lead around two million of his people to freedom. The list could go on. When we take a deeper look at the stories, we see they were all flawed people who messed up at times just as we do. Many of them questioned God, asked for signs; some lied. God knows better than anyone that we’re human and we fail. In fact that is why He made provision through Jesus. If we look carefully, we will see God is not just a just God waiting to dole out punishment; but we will see He is holy, extraordinarily patient, kind, merciful, forgiving, impartial, generous, compassionate and so much more. Psalm 113:13-15 says:

“Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.  For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.”

God knows our weaknesses, strengths, and our humanity. Nothing about us is a surprise and not only that; no circumstance we ever find ourselves a part of takes Him by surprise. He has an answer for every question and a solution for every problem. Because He loves us immensely, He wants us to trust Him, seek Him, surrender our lives in exchange for the best life we could imagine. He has done all the work for us; now, He asks for our trust. Our problem is we shy away from trusting someone we do know.  We have to choose to get to know Him through His Word and then for some of us, one baby step at a time. For others, one giant leap of faith. Either way, it is worth more than we can ever imagine!

 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]– To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). (Ephesians 3:20, 21 AMP)

Days of Grace-Day 31

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     Greetings, we have made it to day thirty-one. When I first heard that “Still small voice” say focus on grace for the next forty-five days until Resurrection Sunday, my first response was okay. My next thought was forty-five days focused on such a small word, can this be done? The word seems small at first glance, but the topic is huge. It flows like an enormous river from cover to cover throughout the Bible. I am beginning to view this word grace like a diamond. I am finding it expensive, rare, priceless, multifaceted and quite exquisitely beautiful.  I am finding that true grace, like a diamond is formed in us when we are under pressure, subjected to high temperatures, and finally are shaped and faceted by the precision and work of the Master.

     Psalm 139 tells us that God knit us together in our mother’s womb.  It continues by saying that He made all of the delicate and inner workings of our body. In all of our complexity, He masterfully designed each of us.  He was witness to the uniting and dividing of each cell as our lives came together in that secluded place.  This same Psalm tells us He knew us before we were born and that each and every day of our life was recorded before we breathed a single one.  Precious are Your thoughts toward me it says; more than the grains of sand! (Psalms 139:13-18) I find that incredible!! The Creator of the Universe and everything in it knows me that personally…He knew everything I would ever do, think or say before I lived the first day. He saw my humanity, knew that I would mess-up, make mistakes; sometimes big ones. Still in His love, mercy, grace and sovereignty; He gave me life. God did this for everyone of us from the greatest to the least. He did this for you! God has a plan and purpose for every human and yet He loved us enough allow us to have free-will to choose. How He longs for us to choose Him.

Ephesians 1:2-8 says:  ” May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give yougrace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”  (New Living Translation)

     When we chose a life with Jesus, God has already made provision by His grace for us. This passage tells us that we already have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. We are no longer just God’s creation, we have become His children and heirs. As if that were not enough, it tells us that it gave Him great pleasure to do this! 

     It is very  interesting to me that over the years, I have heard many teachers, preachers, and pastors talk about ancient adoption. One thing they all pointed out has been that in ancient times when a child was adopted it was permanent. It was not something that could be undone, taken back or reversed. A parent could ‘disown’ their blood related child but could never do that with a child they choose to adopt. I have done a little research on it also that seems to confirm its validity. What an amazing gift is ours when we choose to follow God’s plan. We are not only forgiven, redeemed, and placed in right standing. We become sons and daughters. We are heirs. We are showered with kindness, wisdom and understanding. Yet many times we are not even aware of who we have become in Christ.  It is almost like we gain this huge inheritance yet we are completely unaware of what is now ours and continue to settle for living in all our old ways rather that believing that we are who He says we are.  I am certainly not suggesting that we should think more highly of ourselves because of this grace He has given us, rather I am suggesting that we understand how our Father sees us, the value He places on us and with that proper perspective we can live more victorious and fruitful lives serving Him and others.

Days of Grace-Day 30

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       One of the greatest blessings in my life has been learning to look for grace in unexpected places. It may also be one of the hardest lessons that I have learned.  There are typically two types of learners when it comes to these things; the ones who learn by watching or hearing of the experiences of others and those who have to actually go through something in order to learn from it and move on.  I don’t know about you, but I have been seated in both of those seats and I would much rather learn from others if I have that option. 

     I would like us to take a look at a specific passage today that has meant a lot to me over the last ten years. Although grace is only mentioned once in the passage’s greeting, it is all about the grace and favor available to us through our relationship with Christ.  For me personally, this passage came very alive at a time in my life when I felt that the floor had been snatched right from under me and that life as I knew it would never be the same.  Hope was greatly in question and it was emotional pain like I had never known.  I had absolutely no idea how I would navigate the future because I could not even imagine getting past this one moment; how could I find my footing and try to stand, much less try to take a step forward into the future. Everything had changed in a moment and ‘normal’ and ‘comfortable’ looked like it was gone forever. I know how dramatic that sounds, but you can ask my husband, I am not a dramatic person by nature.

     We all experiences difficult times at some point in our life and it is often accompanied by pain. Pain is very relative. What I mean is if the greatest physical pain we have ever experienced is a severely inflamed hang nail, then for us that is the greatest pain. Likewise, for the one who has experienced the pain of giant kidney stones or multiple broken bones from an accident, the first persons pain is quite small. To be fair to all, we have to realize that pain is relative to what we have experienced. That first person will never understand the greater pain until they either experience it or see someone they love experience it.

Before I continue, Let me share the scripture passage:

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.“ 2 Corinthians 1:1-5

     So, here I am on the possibly the hardest night on my life, free-falling and not in a good way. (no parachute) What does one do when the worst thing they could imagine happens?  How does one deal with it? I can only share with you what got me through that night and the weeks, months and couple of years that followed in hopes it might bring help and comfort if you ever find yourself in this situation. I found myself in a place that no individual could help me or bring comfort. I grabbed my Bible and kneeled on the living room floor with it open on the couch in front of me, laid my head on it and cried. I cried hard and loud as I cried out to the only One who could begin to understand and could change what was happening. I begged to know what I did that could have triggered or caused the events, how they could have been prevented…no answers. I was there for hours praying, waiting, listening until the wee hours. No answer came but in time a peacefulness began to seep into my heart little by little. In a while I was able to ask God to lead me to some scriptures to help me; He did. My peace increased; circumstances were the same. After hours, my heart calmed. Nothing had changed except I knew beyond a doubt that God was with me, He had the answers; He would take care of me even if nothing changed, I would be alright in time.  I also got up from that place with an assurance that everything would be ok. It might be different, but it would be restored at some point.  It was resolved in my heart that no matter what, I could trust my God.

     My challenge to you is this; when you find yourself in one of those tough spots in life that tend to come around unexpectedly, turn to Him. The above passage promises abundant comfort. It also promises that when we have endured and found His comfort we are then equipped to be able to use that which we learned in our struggle to comfort others who may be going through a similar struggle. This is just one of the ways our trials and difficulties can be redeemed and we can learn to say like Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” Job 13:15a

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord
for the display of His splendor.They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated“  Isaiah 61:1-4

My friends, grace and peace to you in the Name of the Lord Jesus!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q18idHNGDgw

 

Days of Grace- Day 29

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      Yesterday, we spoke a bit about Paul’s history. Paul was not one of the original disciples/apostles but had a rather unique transformation on the road to Damascus and his life was forever changed. (see Acts 9 for more) Before his unique encounter, he was known as Saul. Saul was a Jewish man who was very learned and lived his life according to Jewish law. He had also been one who persecuted these early followers of Jesus, now called Christians. In 1 Corinthians 15: 3-11, Paul describes himself this way:  “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

     Paul was very aware it was nothing but the grace of God that allowed one who had formerly persecuted Christ’s followers to be called and transformed into a great preacher and teacher of the gospel of Christ. When speaking of the apostles, Paul considered himself the least of them. After all, they had walked with Jesus throughout His ministry, while Paul had persecuted  believers. Paul played a huge role in the spread of the gospel and he would continue to advance the gospel and the early church. Paul remained humble and always  mindful that it was by God’s grace alone that he was who he was. He also knew with out a doubt it was God alone who enabled him to do the things he had done. Because of his past history, Paul worked  hard to prove that God’s grace and trust was not in vain.  He was always sure to point out to everyone that it was only by the grace of God within him that he was able to carry these things out. What a testimony! Paul took credit for nothing, but gave credit to God for everything he accomplished. He wanted to make sure everyone knew it was God who should get complete glory for everything that had been accomplished through his life and that without God’s grace nothing of benefit would have been accomplished.

      As we continue along our grace path through the different letters written to the early church, we will get more glimpses of this man named Paul. We will see that he is a strong man, bold and confident and we will see that he is also very human as he struggles with a ‘thorn in his flesh’ or a burden that was ever part of his life. Some might protest that it is easy to acknowledge God’s goodness and grace in our lives when things are moving smoothly along. We will see that was not the case in Paul’s life; all was not smooth and easy for Paul, honestly his life was anything but easy.  Many times he was beaten and inprisioned. He was ship wrecked and snake bit.  Yet, Paul was committed to loving people, telling them about Jesus, bring hope and a future to them. He choose not to boast in his strengths, but give credit to God. He also choose not to let his weaknesses define or limit him. Paul entrusted them to his Heavenly Father and loudly proclaimed that in his weakness, God was strong. He would encourage those around him to imitate him and he imitated Jesus. 

       May we each find that place in our lives where we are centered as Paul was, with Jesus being the center.  Whether we are experiencing good times or hard times; in our strength or in weakness; health or sickness; may we be able to say, “by God’s  grace, I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain.”  May Jesus’ light shine through our lives, His love through our hearts touching all those we encounter and may the glory be His alone!

Grace and blessing to you in the name of our Lord!

Days of Grace-Day 28

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     Being over half way through this study of grace, it seems only fitting to address the form of grace that we know as thanks, thankfulness or thanksgiving. Though we see less of it, saying grace or the blessing is still a big part on many people’s lives. Part of the grace life is our taking time to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives no matter what we are going through.

     Today, we come to First Corinthians in our study. The word grace is in eight places in this book of the Bible. It is also translated many different ways here, unlike most verses we have looked at where it is simply translated grace. Here we find it translated as grace; grace of God; thankfulness; thanks and gift. For our purposes today we will stick with thanks and thankfulness. Our first example to ponder today is:  If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?  1Corinthians 10:30

     Paul has been talking about the freedom we have in Christ and telling the folks that though all things may be permissible, all things are not beneficial and edifying. This particular conversation is about meat purchased in the market.  Paul says here it is fine to eat it but if someone tells you it was sacrificed to idols, then for that man’s sake do not eat it. He goes on to say, “If I eat with thankfulness (Charis), why am I slandered for that which I give thanks (Eucharisteo). ”  I think Paul’s point here is when buying meat in the market, they do not know whether it may have been sacrificed to idols or not but if it was that is on the one who sacrificed it not on the purchaser. However, if you are informed it was, then for the sake not of not causing another to stumble do not eat it. As long as it causes no one to stumble and he expressed his thankfulness for the meat, why would someone slander him for this?

     In chapter 15, Paul is teaching on the resurrection of Jesus, the order of resurrection and the mystery of resurrection. Paul sums up the mystery of resurrection this way: “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks (Charis) be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.“ 1 Corinthians 15: 54-57

      Webster’s Dictionary 1828 online defines thankful as grateful, impressed with a sense of kindness received and ready to acknowledge it. Dictionary.com defines it feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative. In the verses we cited today, Paul first is expressing his gratitude for the food he would partake of and next he was expressing his thanks to God for the great victory we have through Jesus Christ over death and the grave. Yesterday, we also noted how Paul always expressed gratitude for those to whom he wrote the Epistles or letters to. Writing these letters was his way of keeping in touch with the communities of believers after he had gone to the next area to spread the gospel of Jesus. Reading through a few of Paul’s letters will give us understanding about Paul and his character. It seems our apostle lived a life of thanksgiving and gratitude. It was deeply ingrained in this man what Jesus had done for him, where Jesus had brought him from and what Jesus had brought him to. Paul, previously named Saul, had been known for persecuting the early Christians until he had a personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. That day everything changed and Paul became a fully engaged believer for life. (Acts 9) Paul knew he had much to be thankful for and he remembered to be thankful.

     James 1:17 tells us that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  What would happen if we, like Paul took the challenge to be thankful. What if we began to see every good thing and everyone in our life as a gift; something to be grateful for? I know, I can hear it now…how can I see _________ (you fill in the blank) as a gift? Maybe the blank is a person who is always challenging you or a difficult situation and it is almost impossible to find anything good in it. Think about this, if you will. Everything that has happened in our lives make us who we are. Each situation we find ourselves in has potential, even the difficult ones we would rather avoid. They are opportunities to grow better and stronger or to grow angry and bitter.  For example, when my parents died at a young age, you bet I asked why and I was not thankful to no longer have them with me. I was very thankful that they both knew the Lord; I was thankful that they did not suffer, struggle or become unable to care for themselves because I knew that neither of them would have wanted to be house bound; I was thankful for all the years we did have together and the memories we had made. We can always find something to be thankful for and trust me focusing on those things were much more beneficial that the alternative. There will be some times in life when things seem impossible and as though nothing good can come from them, but God is a God of redemption and He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond anything we can ever ask or imagine in any situations. He can redeem the years that the locust have eaten. In the mean time, maybe just maybe we can find little things all along the way to be thankful for as we wait to see how He unfolds the bigger picture in our lives.

 

Days of Grace-Day 27

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Grace and peace to you from our Father God and The Lord Jesus Christ!  

     So far our journey has lead us through the Old Testament, the Gospels, Acts and Romans. As we move into the epistles, we will see that many of them begin similarly. For instance, 1 Corinthians begins, “From Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 1:1-4 NET). When reading the letters of Paul we see he tends to always start with a greeting whether written to a group of believers or to an individual and then add Grace and peace to you from God the Father and The Lord Jesus Christ. 

     Peter and Jude also use a comparable phrase in their greetings. James, written by Jesus brother did not begin this way.  Hebrews, 1 John, 3 John, and Revelation do not begin in this style but the majority do. Being an inquisitive person, I have to ask why. Why did these men choose to include this as part of his greeting?  Perhaps it was just part of a polite greeting used among the early church or a customary style used by their culture. I suspect it was much more. One thought was that as these men sat down to write their letters, they may have been sitting at the desk or table reminiscing about the time they had spent in these cities. Maybe they began to think about each individual they had connected with while there. Longing to truly connect with them personally rather than by letter.  These words could have flowed as a way to show their love and affection or a way to offer up a prayer over them as the writer composed the letter.  Another possibility might have been that it was simply a reminder to them that God’s grace and peace is ever available to them. Whatever the reason, what a great way to open a letter or even greet a brother or sister of like faith. 

     So much communication is lost in our day of quick emails or texts. I don’t know about you but I can’t remember the last time I wrote a letter. Usually it is a quick message here or there; phone calls are even being undermined by texting more and more. For many, it is about getting the point across or the message given in the quickest amount of time and moving to the next obligation or project. Please don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not condemning or judging because I am guilty of this too! Life is fast paced and busy. We forget to take time to slowdown and enjoy the simpler things in life and neglect connection with old friends and distant relatives.  Just think for a moment how it might feel for someone to take the time to send a message resembling one of Paul’s:

    From (_________), your (neighbor, childhood friend, 3rd grade teacher/student). Grace and peace to you, my friend. I thought of you today and smiled just remembering our times together. I hope that you are in good health and all is well with you and your family. Praying grace, peace and blessing over you today as I send this note…

 

     As I pause and still my mind for a moment! I can think of at least a hand full of people right now that I probably could stand to sit down and jot a note card or letter to. I am making a mental list as I type. No, better not trust my mind; hold on while I jot a note to remind me…

Oh but before I go! Grace, mercy, and peace to you dear friend! Until tomorrow…