Grace for your spirit July 31, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. I Corinthians 4:1

There is an old song that goes, “It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.” God’s love, His way of salvation, His blessings, and His plans for our eternal home are no secret. Although they are not secrets, everybody doesn’t know about them. Most of God’s blessings are mysteries to the world. That is why Christ’s servants are needed. We are those who are stewards of His mysteries. Stewards care for, and help dispense their Master’s blessings. It is our challenge to learn the mysteries of God, enjoy the blessings of this life, and share those mysteries. May we make it our goal to be good stewards and servants, and help make His mysteries known to a world in pain.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 30, 2009

Grace for your spirit

But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:20-21

Here is a man who mistook his bankbook for his Bible, his body from his soul, and time for eternity. His only concern was his earthly riches, and he figured he would live forever. Suddenly his plans changed. He would soon find out that his lifelong currency would be no good on the other side. When we cross the border into a new country, often our currency is no good there. The only currency that we can spend in eternity, is the riches we have placed in God. What are our plans for the future?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 29, 2009

Grace for your spirit

But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; Philemon 18

The Apostle Paul had converted a runaway slave. Onesimus had been a slave for a leader in the Colossae church named Philemon. After stealing from him, he ran away. Now he was returning as a Christian brother to make things right. Paul knew that both of these men needed to be reconciled to be right before God. Paul was willing to pay the debt to heal and seal the bond. When Jesus died for us, he paid our sin debt He didn’t owe, to heal and seal our bond with God. Jesus was our propitiation. Now Paul was doing the same Christ-like thing for them. Is there anything we could do for others today that would be Christ-like? A personal sacrifice that would help others heal? What could be better?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 28, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,"And to him who lacks understanding she says, Stolen water is sweet; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." But he does not know that the dead are there That her guests are in the depths of Sheol. Prov 9:16-18

Proverbs depicts two women calling to us every day. One is the voice of wisdom and the other the voice of foolishness. The foolish encourages the naïve to taste the sweet things in life and not worry about the consequences. The consequences of those choices are great loss, but the foolish don’t see that. That is the devil’s major appeal. He hides the consequences. Every day as I walk, I pass gaming machines that have an automatic message calling to the every passerby. I hear, “Hey, you could be the next winner.” The voice reminds me of this chapter and I say, “Yes, but you will most likely be the next looser.” The wise learn the consequences of foolishness. Let’s tune our ears to the voice of wisdom.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 27, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, and the rough roads smooth; Luke 3:5

Are you old enough to remember driving on terrible roads in the country? Can we recall those dirt and gravel roads with deep holes, steep crooked hills, and dangerous ditches? Stay on a road like that long enough and we might forget how sweet a paved, straight, level road can be. As a kid we drove those awful roads, and I remember the cheer that went up when we saw a paved highway on the horizon. A life without Jesus is many miles on a bad road. Life in His kingdom is a stretch of good highway just ahead. May a cheer go up from us that will fill the world with His praise. Let’s be thankful that there is relief from the bumpy roads of life.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 24, 2009

Grace for your spirit

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. John 17:14

SCUBA is an acronym for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. We’ve all seen divers beneath the water with these tanks on their backs, breathing normally and working in a hostile environment. The gear is simply the difference between life and death in those surroundings. As Christians, we live in a hostile environment as well, where the devil has sucked all the good air out of it. If we are going to do our Christian work, we are going to need help to survive. God has given us His SCUBA gear that is just right for the job. His Word and His Spirit dwelling in us will enable us to be in the world, but not of the world. Let’s gear up and share our good air with others!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 23, 2009

Grace for your spirit

And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on. Luke 21:2-4

The rich religious people couldn’t believe their ears. After they had filled the collection plates with their tithes and offerings they were proud. It was the kind of serious cash really needed to keep the Temple and the Priests going. It also made them feel superior about their contributions. Right then, Jesus praised a poor widow and her two small copper coins. They thought, “Who needs her pittance?” Jesus knew that it wasn’t the size of the gift, but the size of the sacrifice that made it special. When we give, is it ever really a sacrifice? When it is, any amount is blessed.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 22, 2009

Grace for your spirit

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:2

The men who wrote the Psalms were struggling every day. The Spirit gave them protection and comfort in difficult times, and left a message to share with all of us. It should remind us that the same measure of help is reserved for us too. Do we really know that we are in a war, and our enemy seeks to kill us? God gives us a fortress, a shield, a horn of salvation, and a stronghold to deliver us in Christ and His abiding Spirit. Why would we leave home without it? Let’s be glad for all the protection, and praise His name. He will be there for us.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 21, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, Revelation 3:17

Money has a strange effect on our vision. Riches tie us down so we can only see what is around us today. The effects of riches can blind us from a larger perspective. The eternal perspective will show us that when we leave God out of our lives, we are really wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. God can see that from His point of view, and we can see it too when we spend enough time with Him. His Word is our lift to see an eternal view. Let’s take a better look before we make our next decision

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 20, 2009

Grace for your spirit

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1

If we get into a rowboat on a lake, untie it from the dock, lay down then only looking at the sky, we will drift away from the shore. Without a point of reference, who knows where we will be when we get up. Perhaps we will be near disaster. The same is true with our Christian life. We have to keep our eyes on a sure point of reference. That point must be Jesus and His Word. If we lose that point of reference, we can drift into all kinds of trouble. The devil will provide a strong current to take us into false religions and the lusts of this world. Let’s get up now. Look for our desired destination, and get those oars in the water.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 17, 2009

Grace for your spirit

He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Psalm 2:4

The Lord has been anointed and sits at the right hand of God in heaven. Normally, we don’t think of Him laughing from that throne, but the Holy Spirit says He is laughing. Not a laugh of happiness at what He sees, but rather a laugh of ridicule and scorn. When the Creator watches those of His creation claim they can take a stand against Him, if it wasn’t so sad, it would be hilarious. At some point His laughter must end when His anger, fury, and wrath, is unleashed on the rebellion. Is the Lord laughing at our rebellion, or is He smiling warmly at our obedience. Maybe we should ask Him for a double measure of grace today.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 16, 2009

Grace for your spirit

And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Matthew 17:2-3

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus appeared with Moses and Elijah. The apostle wanted to honor all three, but God spoke saying they should listen only to Jesus. Moses and Elijah faded away and only Jesus was with them. It was a powerful picture that the Law and the Prophets were fading away and Jesus would be the only way. It was God’s revelation from heaven that He was ready to honor the promises given to Abraham before the Law and Prophets. Justification by faith in the New Covenant would be patterned after Abraham’s faith relationship with God, revealed before the Law and Prophets.The faith promise was fulfilled in Christ, and it will never fade.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 15, 2009

Grace for your spirit

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. II Timothy 4:6

As the apostle Paul speaks of his coming death, he uses a nautical term. The time of departure was used to describe the launching a ship into the water. The ship having been held on the dock by ropes would be released. As it “crossed the bar” the ship would moan as it slipped into the water. In fact ships belong in the water, not in dry dock. Paul saw his death as leaving this earth and going to the place where he really belonged; with His Lord in heaven. Alfred Tennyson wrote a poem about this event entitled “Crossing the Bar”. The poem called for no moaning when he crossed the bar and no sadness at his farewell. After all, he was going home where he wished to be. Isn’t it great that God has something better planned for all of us who trust in Him? Yes, it is !!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 14, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, Hebrews 5:8-9

Sometimes people ask why Jesus had to spend so many years on the earth. Why didn’t he just come for a three day weekend? Wouldn’t that have fulfilled His sacrifice time for us? Although Jesus was sinless, when He came to earth, He wasn’t yet the perfect sacrifice. He became our perfect sacrifice by learning obedience in suffering. Since He was tempted in all things without sin, He is able to come to our aid in times of temptation. His life gives us a path to walk on, and His sacrifice sprinkles that path with His cleansing blood. Since He is the source of eternal salvation, there is no other way to walk. Let’s learn to walk without debating God’s will for our lives.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 13, 2009

Grace for your spirit

So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance Luke 3:7-8

John the Baptist took his mission seriously. He came to point souls to Jesus, and bring them a baptism of repentance. When the crowds rushed toward him for baptism, he made sure they understood the reason for the baptism. He directed them to bring forth the fruits of repentance in their lives. This baptism would only be effective if their obedience from a heart was committed to change. If we were rushed by a crowd demanding baptism, would we be willing to speak the truth of repentance and change? Repentance is our death to sin, then baptism is our burial. Let’s keep them in the proper order.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit July 1, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Romans 5:9

We are not saved just because Jesus is the Son of God. We are not made right just because He loves us. We will not escape the wrath of God just because Jesus came to earth. Jesus is the Son of God, He does love us, and He did come to earth for us, but our salvation comes because He died for us. He diagnosed our lost condition and then paid the price with His own blood. When we go to a doctor, we want one with a great diploma, but the key to a real cure is the correct diagnosis and treatment. Jesus is our Great Physician with the ultimate cure for this life and the life to come. It is because of Him we have freedom from sin, condemnation, wrath, and freedom from the Old Law. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. That is the liberty we need to celebrate everyday.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23