Grace for your spirit 8-31-18

Grace for your spirit

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.  Colossians 4:2

In 1970, 3 astronauts from the USA were in trouble.  In less than a week, the House and Senate passed resolutions urging all Americans to pray for them.  The  Pope held a Mass for 50,000 people in Rome. Hundreds assembled at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem to pray, and many counties offered assistance.  Was our world really like that 48 years ago?  We've come a long way baby, but it has been the wrong way.  The world needs to get back to God, on our knees.

Grace for your spirit 8-30-18

Grace for your spirit

But now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.  Acts 27:22

Paul was on a voyage with 275 people on the way to Rome.  Fierce storms had tossed them about until all hope was lost.  Paul had been given a message from God that they would all make it, if they stayed on the ship.  That message gave them hope, and it gave them courage to face each day. When our lives are tossed about with no hope ahead, it is great to find a light from above to give us hope and courage.  His Word, and His disciples hold that light.  May we all find that light to lead us home safely.

Grace for your spirit 8-29-18

Grace for your spirit

No longer do I call  you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have call you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.  John 15:15

Jesus said we are His friends when we do what He commands us to do.  Jesus is our friend and was our friend when He laid down His life or us all.  I saw a promotion for a new TV show this fall, called "God friended me."  Apparently, God is supposed to be on facebook now and wants to be our "friend".  It is a show that I plan to miss.  God's message may have been hacked.  He is already our friend.  Read His book, miss the show.

Grace for your spirit 8-28-18

Grace for your spirit

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;  from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.  James 3:9-10

Has this every happened to you?  A brother or sister blesses God, and then in another moment curses you?  When this happens, what are we thinking about.  Do we measure our hurt, and seek some sort of revenge?  Or it is possible that we might think about their hurt and what has caused them to speak this way?  If we love as we should, we will not count a wrong suffered, but will reach out through the pain to heal the hurting.  That is the Jesus style.

Grace for your spirit 8-27-18

Grace for your spirit

Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, and the rafter will answer it from the framework.  Habakkuk 2:11

God is speaking out against the sins of the people.  They  have ignored the prophets, to the point that even the stone walls and wooden rafters would cry out to them.  I had an old friend who preached dynamic lessons and received a constant Amens from the crowd.  Once in a while a convicting point would leave the audience silent.  He would then lean toward the wall and shout, "Amen Walls".  Let's listen closely and respond to God's directions.  May we never have to wait for the walls to testify against our lives.

Grace for your spirit 8-24-18

Grace for your spirit

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.  Psalm 51:12

David had experiencedhigh and righteous living as king of Israel.  While still sitting on the throne, his life had become an empty shell of guilt and regret.  His adultery and the death of his son had filled him with despair.  When finally confronted by a prophet, he begged for forgiveness.  He asked God to restore and sustain the joy of God's salvation.  Does that touch us?  Are we sitting in church smiling, but we have become an empty shell of sin and regret?  Let's ask God for restoration, and He will do it.  Will we?

Grace for your spirit

Grace for your spirit

Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.    Daniel 5:5

One night the king of Babylon was partying with the vessels that had been stolen from Judah.  He didn't know it yet but, his kingdom was about to fall, and God was going to lead His people back to Jerusalem.  He literally saw the "handwriting on the wall".  The words were MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.  It has been a phrase used over and over, when people see their end is in sight.  When we look at our lives and then look at the truth of God's Word, do we ever see "the handwriting on the wall ?"  May we learn to find out what it means and make corrections before it is too late.

Grace for your spirit 8-22-18

Grace for your spirit

So every good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit......So then, you will know them by their fruits.  Matthew 7:18+20

We are commanded in God's Word not to judge others, for in the same way we judge, we will be judged.  Seldom do we know all the facts, so it is very hard for us to know all the truth.  Even with all that, it is important for us to measure lives by the word of God.  One way we can do that is by being "fruit inspectors" .  Jesus taught that when we abide in Him we will bear much fruit.  By being truthful fruit inspectors we can find the need for improvement in ourselves and others accurately.

Grace for your spirir 8-21-18

Grace for your spirit

Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was also able to perform.  Romans 4:20-21

The righteousness that comes from God was His gift to Abraham. It gave Abraham a new life and a new mission with God's direction.  Throughout the Bible, that example is held before us.  When we trust in God, He also has the gift of righteousness for us too,  A new life and a new mission in Christ Jesus

Grace for your spirit 8-20-18

Grace for your spirit

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  II Corinthians 5:18

In Christ we are new creatures.  We now longer live for ourselves, but we live for Christ.  In Him we are saved to help save others.  In Him we have been given grace to give grace to others.  In Him we are reconciled to God and giv  en a ministry of reconciling others to God.  As His ambassadors, let's quit wondering what we should say or do, and let Him work through us.  Our mission awaits.

Grace for your spirit 8-17-18

Grace for your spirit

And this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.  II Corinthians 8:5

The churches in Macedonia had outdone themselves beyond all expectation in giving and helping the apostle Paul.  How did they manage it without strength and wealth?  The totally gave themselves to the Lord and to His ministry, and the rest took care of itself.  When we find ourselves with no time or money for the Lord's work, we should look at our commitment to Him, instead of finding more excuses for ourselves.  May our lives and actions inspire others.

Grace for your spirit 8-16-18

Grace for your spirit

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father into your hands I commit My spirit." Have s

aid this, He breathed His last.   Luke 23:46

Jesus said seven things while on the cross.  This was the last thing.  Even in death, He was still teaching us how to live and how to die.   This was His statement of total trust in His Father to take care of Him.  Sacrifice complete, the devil in bound, and Jesus is ready to separate His Spirit from His body.  The 10,000 angels can come now and take me to Paradise.  When we come to our last breath, who better to take care of our spirit than the God who gave it to us.  Thank  you Lord.  Take us to Paradise.  That's the Jesus style.

Grace for your spirit 8-15-18

Grace for your spirit

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!"  And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.  

John 19:30

Jesus' mission to be the Lamb of God started before creation.  It continued as He was made flesh.  Along the way God's people sacrificed animals.  Jesus on the cross would be the last sacrifice.  This was not a cry of defeat, but an announcement of a new kingdom and a new covenant, complete redemption for all.  A shout of victory.  That's the Jesus style.

Grace for your spirit 8-14-18

Grace for your spirit

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had been accomplished, to fulfill Scripture, said, "I am thirsty.:  John 19:28

Jesus uttered seven things while hanging on the cross. Even in death, He was teaching us how to live and how to die.  The Word had become flesh.  His flesh was tired, hungry, thirsty, and irritated.  Jesus was human and God.  The body dries up hanging on the cross, and he was dry.  Thankfully, they came to His aid, as was prophecied in the Psalms.  While Jesus was dying for us, He reminded us that He understands our thirst too.  That's the Jesus style.

Grace for your spirit 8-13-18

Grace for your spirit

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli Lama Sabachthani? that is, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"   Matthew 27:46

Jesus uttered seven things while hanging on the cross. Even in death, He was teaching us how to live and how to die.  This was Jesus' admission of pain without the presence of God.  It was a cry of loneliness from this eternal scapegoat.  In the Old Testament, a goat bore the sins of the nation, and was led into the wilderness, and was abandoned.  Jesus bore the sins of the world to be abandoned.  This was the cry of our abandoned scapegoat carrying our sins away.  He bore our sins so we would never have to be abandoned.  It was the Jesus style.

Grace for your spirit 8-10-18

Grace for your spirit

When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold  your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!"  From that hour that hour the disciple took her into his own household.  John 19:26-27

Jesus uttered seven things while hanging on the cross. Even in death, He was teaching us how to live and how to die.  As Jesus was dying, He was thinking about those he would leave behind.  He made arrangements for those would miss Him and need Him.  Separation is always painful, but a little better when we prepare.  As we reach the end of our lives, let's remember the needs of those we will leave behind.  That's love. That's the Jesus style.

Grace for your spirit 8-9-18

Grace for your spirit

And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:43

Jesus uttered seven things while hanging on the cross. Even in death, He was teaching us how to live and how to die.  The crook on the cross next to Jesus was changed by the Majesty of Christ, and asked to be remembered when He came into His kingdom.  This crook had nothing to offer and no way to repay, yet he had real value.  Jesus was about to die and go to Paradise, and He invited the thief on the cross to come along with Him.  When we truly behold the Majesty of Christ it will change our lives too.  We can then be sure that Jesus has a place in Paradise for us as well.  That's the Jesus style.

Grac8e for your spirit 8-8-18

Grace for your spirit

But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

Jesus uttered seven things while hanging on the cross. Even in death, He was teaching us how to live and how to die.  When we have been insulted and abused, never seek revenge nor demand an apology.  That was the message from Jesus in the face of His accusers.  He could have called 10,000 angels to get Him off the cross and put them on it, but His innocent death would be victory for all.  Forgive.  That is the Jesus style.

Grace for your spirit 8-7-18

Grace for  your spirit

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.  Proverbs 16:25

Today I left the store.  It was hot so I remotely started my car and unlocked the doors.  For some unknown reason, my truck key wouldn't 

work, so I opened the door and popped the truck.  The truck opened and it was full of wine bottles.  A little bit disturbed, I looked around to see what was going on.  It was then I realized that my car was right next to this one.  Exactly same model and color.   Before I was shot for being in someone's car, I quickly moved to the right one and got out of there.  It seemed right until I saw it was not.  Let's be aware of our walk and destination in life.  Just because it seems right, it may not be right.

Grace for your spirit 8-6-18

Grace for your spirit

And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!"   Matthew  27:25

When the enemies of Jesus were pushing to crucify Jesus, in the heat of the moment they blurted out, "Let His blood be on us."  In other words, they would take responsibility.   Not many days later, after His death, burial, and resurrection, the apostles preached against them.  In Acts 5:28, the Council objected saying, "you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." The Jews were bold to claim responsibility, but not anxious to take it.  Let's think carefully about the words we speak, keeping them soft and sweet.  We never know when we might have to eat them.

Grace for your spirit 8-3-18

Grace for your spirit

Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard.  He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.   Genesis 9:20

Noah and his whole family had just been saved by God's grace.  Noah walked off the ark, built an alter, sacrificed to the Lord, planted a vineyard, got drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.  He was the good guy, but it was a very quick drop from ark to drunkenness.  Too many Christians have made the same trip.  It can be a short trip from the waters of baptism to crawling into a bottle.  Let's learn from our ups and downs, and always choose the spiritual route in life.

Grace for your spirit 8-2-18

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

Although Jesus was sinless and never yielded to temptation, He was not yet perfect to be our sin offering.  Jesus learned obedience in His suffering.  He learned by being tempted as we are.  After He walked in our suffering and temptations, that make Him complete to bear our sins.  Thank you Jesus for what You suffered for us.

Grace for your spirit 8-1-18

Grace for your spirit

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  

I Peter 5:8

Too many people think themselves to be indestructible.  They don't take warnings seriously, nor stay in the alert again tragedy.  The devil counts on us being naive.  Like the lion, when he is stalking us, he prowls silently.  The roaring starts when the attack take place.  Our worst enemy is the one we don't take seriously.  Let's take the devil and his mission very seriously.  It may save us.