Category: Grace

To Catch a Thief

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“The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy…” It is with a grateful heart I tell you it does not end there! Jesus goes on to inform us that He “has come to give us abundant life”‘, “life to the full”, “rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10

One of Pastor’s points in his message yesterday has captivated me. It has rolled over and over in my mind ever since he spoke it. My first thought was I know this, how could I loose sight of this? Maybe I should explain. The statement that has captured me was “Whatever the enemy uses most against you is what scares him most About you!” 

Just let that one roll around in your mind a bit…

        “Whatever the enemy uses most against you is what scares him most About you!”

Whether we are talking about an enemy in the natural world or the enemy of our soul, they are an enemy because something about us is a threat to them. By definition, this is true…

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enemy

Ok, supposing this is an accurate statement, and I believe it is, just what are the tactics the enemy uses most in my life when he aims his fiery darts my way? Let’s start with a few areas that can be points of attack and we can answer silently whether or not they apply to our individual lives:

  • Fears
  • Relationships
  • Insecurity
  • Worth
  • Health
  • Worry
  • Self doubt
  • Not enough
  • Too much
  • Comparison
  • Finances
  • Lack
  • Loneliness
  • Love
  • Purpose
  • Job/profession

The list is endless… Do any of them hit just a little too close to home? For me, some do.  Not only do some of them hit close to home, one or two have been with me since I was a very young girl! The good news is knowing these places in which we are vulnerable is half the battle, maybe more than half. Let’s use worth as an example because in our culture it is an easy target.  Our world celebrates beauty, wealth, youth and sexuality and places a high premium on each so much so, that even the most beautiful of models and celebrities’ flaws are photoshopped away. This being the case, many get caught in comparing ourselves to others.

Comparison is one of the snares of the enemy. God created each of us to be unique, each having different strengths, different talents, different giftings and abilities, different looks and even different weaknesses. He celebrates our differences and our differences make us more effective when we work together in the body of Christ. Our differences also set us up to be tempted to compare ourselves to others. When we do,  we can see those differences as flaws and begin to become dissatisfied with ourselves, feeling worthless. Conversely, we could also fall into the trap of pride or conceit and view ourselves as better than another. Both of these can play right into the hand of the enemy and keep us from being the best person we can be. Lack of worth can limit us or hold us back from fulfilling our purpose and being our best. On the flip side pride and thinking too highly of ourself can put others off and limit our influence with people.  Either extreme renders us less effective at best in fulfilling God’s purpose or plan for our life. In the worst case, it stops us in our tracks. It also can cause us to fall short of the abundant life that Jesus has planned for us to live.

Knowledge is power! Knowing those weak spots helps us to identify and prepare for the future attacks. It is also helpful to be armed with the knowledge of what our God says about who we are In Christ!  Child of God, In Christ you are: loved, accepted, redeemed, beloved, precious, chosen, forgiven, complete, a new creation, set apart, and so much more! In the Word we are told in Christ we are…

The enemy will do what he can to stop us and to keep us from understanding that Our God deemed us worthy of His Son giving His life for us. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us:  “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV) Jesus laid it all down for us, not one of us could ever earn or deserve such a generous gift and yet You gave it freely to us-Grace!

Grace-pure and simple-unearned-unmerited-Grace

You love us for who we are, not despite who we are. You love us for who You know we can be yet You meet us right where we are!

Pure Love

Unconditional

Unstoppable

Unlimited

Unashamed

Uncontainable

Incomprehensible

Scandalous Grace

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Today we celebrate that there was No victory in the death of Jesus Christ though the religious leaders and Satan thought there was. Death’s sting was extinguished forever! Why? Because He was victorious over death once and for all! He is risen and alive forever!

In an incomprehensible act of love, mercy and grace, God’s beloved Son left all that was His to become like us. He not only experienced all the trials and sorrows we do, but He walked through them…never bogged down in them! His was the victory as He faced each one, stood firm, strong and sinless; always trusting His Father and His God! He faced the most painful death counting it joy because He understood what it was purchasing for all,of us if we only have the faith to believe!

 

 

Jesus forever changed the way we are able to interact with our Father God, Creator of the Universe!

So I will stand! Arms high and heart abandoned…in Awe of Jesus and gratitude to God!

 

 

I don’t know about you but I owe it all to Him! So grateful for God’s inexhaustible mercy, love and grace!  He is risen indeed!

 

 

Happy Easter! May His love, grace and peace be abundantly yours this day and every day!

 

 

Days of Grace-Day 40

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Today is Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt that had never been ridden. In obedience to the Father’s plan, despite knowing full well He was riding toward great suffering and pain; He entered Jerusalem to the crowds joyously crying out hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of The Lord. How quickly would the tables turn and the enemy seemingly take control. However, he was never the one in control. The enemy can only do what is allowed by God. God had a purpose that was much higher, the salvation of mankind through the restoration of a right relationship between God and man. Even today with the Word of God to explain it, it is difficult to understand and take it fully into our hearts and lives.  What Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden, God was about to restore.

Jesus was the means to this restoration but it meant great suffering, being misunderstood, plotted against by religious leaders who feared Him, betrayal, false accusation, being beaten almost lifeless and being crucified on a cross between two real criminals until His body hung there lifeless. Thankfully, that is not the end of the story! Three days in a borrowed tomb. Very early on the third day, the ladies went to the tomb…what is this? The massive stone covering the tomb had been rolled away. Placed there to prevent Jesus’ followers from removing the body and claiming He had risen, it was too heavy for someone to move and had been guarded by Roman soldiers to prevent tampering. Yet it was rolled back, the body was gone and the burial clothes neatly folded where His head should have been. Jesus was not there!

Jesus then appeared to Mary in the garden. She was overtaken with grief but when He said her name she recognized His voice. His sheep know His voice…. She was delighted to see Him. He told her to go and tell His disciples that He is alive!

Grace has made provision for each person, the question is will we receive and believe it has been provided for us and choose to follow Him?  Our grace verses today come from 1 Peter 5.

In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under His mighty hand by casting all your cares on Him because He cares for you. Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering. And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him belongs the power forever. Amen. Through Silvanus, whom I know to be a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. (1 Peter 5:5-12 NET)

This is an amazingly powerful passage as we tie up forty days studying God’s grace running through the scriptures and look ahead to the Passion Week and the days leading to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. This wonderful thing call grace winds itself from Genesis all the way through Revelation and even when the specific word is not used there is example after example. We have looked at many examples of God’s grace and mercy to His people. It is all around us. The above passage piggybacks on yesterday’s saying many of the same things. God gives grace to the humble; He care for us greatly and when we humble ourselves before Him, He will exalt us in due time; His time.

Because of how He cares for us, He tells us to cast our cares on Him. Cease striving and worrying and lay them at His feet believing that He is able to see us through any situation that we face. Suffering is part of the world we live in and everyone has times in their lives that they experience it. God sees our troubles and assures us in this passage that He Himself will restore us; strengthen us; confirm us; and establish us. He cares for us beyond what we can comprehend. He is for us and desires the best for us always.  We have a real enemy who is fierce and is looking for every opportunity to steal the abundant life God has for us. The enemy seeks to bring fear and worry into our life, to tear down our faith and turn us away from God.  Our job is to resist him and to keep the faith, building ourself up in our faith by learning who we are in Christ and what His great and precious promises to us are. This passage tells us to resist him, stand firm in our faith never forgetting our brothers and sisters also face the same kinds of struggles we do. Peter is encouraging his brothers and sisters to stand fast in God’s grace. Just as Peter encourages those to whom he was writing and encourages us also; we too should encourage those around us. How do we do this? We share our lives, testimonies of how God has been there for us; freed us; delivered us; gotten us through difficult times. Sometimes it is just as simple as sitting and listening. Other times it may be a shoulder to cry on or a comforting hug. We all have been the recipients of grace in our lives at one time or another. Costly grace. God’s grace, freely given to us yet it cost His Son everything! We are a blessed people…blessed to be blessings to those around us!

Thank you for joining me on this journey.  May His grace, peace and blessings be abundant all your days!

 

The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’ (Numbers 6:24-26 NASB)

 

 

Days of Grace-Day 39

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Today’s grace verse is the only verse in James where the Greek word Charis (grace) is found and at first glance it seems to be very cut and dry…”But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NASB)

     If we include the surrounding verses, it becomes even more powerful and very convicting! I chose to look at it in the The Message after reading several different translations. Let’s take a look…

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way. You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and His way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “He’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what He gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.” So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. (James 4:1-10 MSG)

Wow! It gets right to the point and strongly states it’s message. You might prefer another translation, some are gentler than this paraphrase. My take away is it is very easy to get caught up in the world and become selfish and self-centered rather than God centered. When we do this, our world view becomes more and more wrapped up in ourselves and less concerned with others and with God. When we are humble and seek God first, trust that He is for us and wants what is best for us; then our hearts will be right before Him and when we ask it will be more likely to be from a good place and with right motives. God wants first place in our lives. He tells us when we seek Him and His Kingdom first, all other things will be added to us. (Matthew 6:33) God also tells us He will provide our needs according to His riches and glory. (Philippians 4:18-20)  Our Father wants us to have full and abundant lives (John 10:10) but He also knows that some of the things we desire will not be good for us or will cause us to stumble. Have you ever prayed for something and got no for an answer only to realize down the road if that prayer had been answered it would not have turned out well for you? I have! I can think of a few such situations. God gives grace to the humble and when we submit ourselves humbly before Him, resisting the enemy and his antics in our lives; the enemy will flee. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us. (James 4:8) When we humble ourselves before Him, then He is able to exalt us. (verse 10)  Maybe it is over simplistic, but I look at my relationship with my children and grandchildren as a great example of our relationship with God.

I have always wanted the best for my children and still do; the same is true for my precious little grandchildren. I would love for them to have every desire of their heart but a small child playing near a busy road or darting out across a street is very dangerous therefore must be denied no matter how much fun they think it will be. Just as in this day and time it is inadvisable for a thirteen year old to be granted permission to skateboard around town at 2 a.m.. Some things are just not smart and we would be considered negligent if we allow those things to go on. Still, we want what we want and in the long run sometimes we act just like the teenager that sneaks out their window in the middle of the night leaving the safety of their parents home.

God wants us to come to Him and trust Him even when His answer is not the one we would like to hear or when the answer is wait. He sees our hearts and like a good parent, He knows the hidden dangers that we may not see or consider. His Word asks:

Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:9-11 NASB)

                                                                 also, it tells us:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31, 32 NASB)

God gave us His Son, His most precious possession is ours if we will believe. If He has already given His best, why would He withhold anything else from us? The only logical reason would be that it might be detrimental to us in some way; either spiritually, physically, emotionally or eternally harmful. His desire is for our good, for our well-being, to strengthen us and grow us into mature sons and daughters of the Most High God.

May His grace, peace and blessing reign in your life and mine!

Days of Grace-Day 38

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 Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by foods, since those involved in them have not benefited. Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus — the great Shepherd of the sheep — with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:6-9, 20, 21 HCSB)

     Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we can call on the The Lord, he is our Helper.  I have always had confidence that nothing is too big for God, but there was a time when I never considered praying for the small things. The truth is God loves His sons and daughters and He cares about all things concerning us. I remember a time in my life, probably about twenty years ago now, when several of my joints became suddenly very inflamed and quite painful. Walking was painful and everyday responsibilities of caring for my young families became a challenge for a time. Responsibilities had to be met, laundry, shopping for meals and preparing them.  I vividly remember one shopping trip. We had to have groceries and I was struggling that day. Walking was difficult. As I drove through the huge parking lot several times, no close parking could be found. Finally, I felt the nudge to pray. My thought was that is silly, not about something so small and selfish. Again, the word pray came to mind. Ok. I prayed, feeling quite silly but knowing that getting two small children and myself from the far end of the lot to the grocery store would tax my painful joints and shorten my ability to pick up the needed groceries. I then choose to drive around the next aisle and right as I reached the front, a car began to back out in the very first spot! After several similar incidents during that time, I learned God really does care about all things concerning us! He has since brought complete healing and now I gladly park out and walk but the lesson learned has stuck with me…He is my helper and is concerned about all my needs.  His grace is sufficient for me in my health and in my challenges!

     Next our verse tells us to fear not! Remember what your leaders have taught you about the Word of God, watch how it looks and works in their lives and mimic their faith because Jesus is the same today as He was in Biblical days. He doesn’t change, His character is reliable.  Watch out for strange teaching, let grace establish you. You can see by the fruit in others lives whether or not their teachings have benefited them.  Do not hesitate to test the words of those who teach you or advise you. I often listen to wonderful Christian communicators and speakers and I have learned much from their teaching and stories about their lives but I always return to the Word of God, verifying that their teaching is in line with what the Word says because we are warned many times about false teachers.  The Lord equips us with all we need to do His will and to do whatever He has called us to do in each season of our lives. He gives us the Holy Spirit as our comforter and teacher and His Spirit is able to guide us and teach us all truth concerning God’s Word. What was once a great mystery to me and hard to understand, has become a delight and joy in my life. Today we are very blessed to have different translations that use everyday English and are easier to understand and we also have wonderful sights online like Youversion.com, Biblegateway.com, and Biblestudytools.com where we can access different versions of the Bible online and don’t have to purchase different versions. Again, check out the versions just like you check the words of your teaches to make sure they are in line with God’s Word. I have seen one or two that seemed very odd. You many have noticed that I have used several different versions in my blog but I always check them against what other versions say for continuity. Grace and blessings to you this day!

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus — the great Shepherd of the sheep — with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20, 21 HCSB)

Days of Grace-Day 37

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Hebrews 12 is our passage for today. Here we find a call to endure in this race called life. The writer calls us not only to endure but to lay aside all that which might weigh us down or entangle us, keeping our eyes on Jesus because He is not only the author of our faith but the one who will cause that faith to be fully developed in us!  He also reminds us that a good father who loves his children disciplines his children. How much more will our Heavenly Father discipline us, His sons and daughters. Discipline is for our benefit and it stretches us, matures us so that we can share His holiness leading to peace and right standing with God.

Now we are caught up with the context as we land on our first scripture about grace: Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead. Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness — without it no one will see the Lord. Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many. (Hebrews 12:12-15 HCSB).

Here we are encouraged to strengthen ourself not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Running a race not only requires us to be strong in our physical health but we also must have our minds and emotions in check to be strong and keep going. Whether it is a race, a project at work, working on a hobby, studying, or sharing our faith or testimony; we are much more effective if we are strong physically and mentally clear. Being at peace with those around is a huge asset because when we are not we tend to be unfocused on what we are doing and if resolution isn’t accomplished, bitterness can invade and make things much worse.  It is very good idea to keep short accounts and live at peace with those around us showing them the same grace that we have been shown.  I say this knowing full well that it is not always an easy task and preaching mostly to myself.

Lastly, we are reminded not to reject the grace of God and then given a promise that we are receiving a kingdom that can not be shaken.  His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:26-29 HCSB).

Why is this important? Should it strike fear in us? Personally, I believe we are told this because God wants us aware when things get difficult and threaten our ‘normal’ lives shaking us up and making us question life around us; we will quickly turn to Him and lean on His grace.  I believe His purpose is so we will not fear when difficult times come but we will seek Him, His wisdom and understanding.  When we do this He gives us grace to walk through the circumstance and come out victorious on the other side. I can’t help but think of the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were thrown into a fiery furnace in the book of Daniel for not bowing to a golden image of the Babylonian king. The guards who had thrown them into the fire were consumed by the heat from the fire, yet the three Hebrew men were seen walking in the fire with a fourth who was like the Son of God. The three Hebrew men were delivered through the fire and when they came out they was no sign of harm nor did they even carry the smell of smoke. (Daniel 3)  Will the outcome always be that dramatic? Maybe, maybe not, but He is able to do exceeding above and beyond anything we can ask or imagine. His grace is sufficient!

May grace and peace be multiplied to you!

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