Grace for your spirit Jun3 13, 2014

Grace for your spirit  HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Luke 15: A fun look at the parable of the prodigal son.

Feeling footloose and frisky, a feather-brained fellow forced his fond father to fork over the farthings. He flew far to foreign fields and frittered his fortune, feasting fabulously with faithless friends.

Finally facing famine and fleeced by his fellows-in-folly, he found himself a feed-flinger in a filthy farmyard. Fairly famishing, he fain would have filled his frame with foraged food from the fodder fragments. "Fooey, my father’s flunkies fare far fancier." The frazzled fugitive fumed feverishly, frankly facing facts.

Frustrated by failure and filled with foreboding he fled forthwith to his family. Falling at his father’s feet, he floundered forlornly, "Father, I have flunked and fruitlessly forfeited family favor…" But the faithful father, forestalling further flinching, frantically flagged the flunkies to fetch forth the finest fatling and fix a feast.

The fugitive’s fault-finding frater frowned on the fickle forgiveness of former folderol. His fury flashed—but fussing was futile. The far-sighted father figured, "Such filial fidelity is fine, but what forbids fervent festivity—for the fugitive is found! Unfurl the flags. With fanfares flaring, let fun and frolic freely flow. Former failure is forgotten, folly forsaken. Forgiveness forms the foundation for future fortitude."

Grace for your spirit June 16, 2014

Grace for your spirit

To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen   Jude 25

The epistle of Jude is a encouragement for us to stand firm in the face of the ungodly.  There are many things we can do to help us stand firm with apostasy all around us, but they will seldom work without our total devotion to God.  When we acknowledge our sovereign God, and make Jesus our Lord, giving them glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, we can find victory in Jesus.  Loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, is our best line of defense.

Grace for your spirit June 17, 2014

Grace for your spirit

Thus says the Lord, "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded," declares the Lord, "And they will return from the land of the enemy."  Jeremiah 31:16

As Jeremiah received the word about Jerusalem's future, he gained the title of "the weeping prophet."  His Lamentations express his sorrow over the fate of his beloved children.  He often felt his ministry was worthless and wasted.  God encouraged him to stand tall.  As God, told Isaiah, "His word never returns void without accomplishing its purpose.  We may feel like Jeremiah sometimes.  As our efforts seem to be wasted, let us listen to His encouragement, and believe we are building a road back for the return of many.  May we keep on keepin' on without despair

Grace for your spirit June 12, 2014

Grace for your spirit

The cords of the wicked have encircled me, but I have not forgotten Your law.  Psalm 119:61

The cords of the wicked will always be around us.  Sometimes they can squeeze and choke us.  The difference will be, whether we remember or forget God's law in our distress.  God's law is our life preserver when we are drowning and being dragged to the bottom.  It is unlikely that we can learn these precepts during our distress.  That is why gathering all the knowledge and wisdom right now is so important. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge.  Fear of the Lord is the beginning of our escape.

Grace for your spirit June 11, 2014

Grace for your spirit

Give and it will be given to you.  They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over.  For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.  Luke 6:38

Alexander the Great was once approached by a beggar, and Alexander gave him some gold coins.  A man told Alexander that copper coins would have been sufficient to give a beggar.  Yes, Alexander replied, but it wouldn't be a fit gift from a king.  As children of the King of Kings, we have been blessed in so many way.  Do our gifts and generosity reflect our royalty, or do we give back like beggars?  Let's give like we have much more coming, because we know we do.

Grace for your spirit June 10, 2014

Grace for your spirit

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  I Corinthians 3:6

We may have a plant, plenty of water, and even a large box of "Miracle Grow" and still never grow the plant.  Unless the plant is in the soil, the water applied, and the fertilizer used, the plant will never bloom or bear fruit.  God is most certainly our spiritual Miracle Grow. He can make us grow, bloom, and bear fruit when He is applied to lives.  Plants usually come with instructions for care.  We come with instructions for care too. It is the Bible.  Apply generously and regularly.

Grace for your spirit June 9, 2014

Grace for your spirit

And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous of Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty;  Revelation 15:3

Here is a great scene in heaven revealed to us all.  The redeemed are singing and praising their marvelous God.  The song they sing is of Moses and the Lamb.  Moses was the great deliverer that brought God's people our of bondage to the promised land.  The Lamb of God is Jesus Christ, the great deliverer who brought all His people out of sin, and into the promised eternal reward in heaven.  They lift up the deliverers and lift up the God they served.  May our songs and lives lift up our deliverer before we meet Him in heaven.  That will certainly help get us there some day.