Grace for your spirit September 10, 2014

Grace for your spirit

But go, tell His disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told  you.  Mark 16:7

It had been a bad night for Peter.  He denied Jesus three times and deserted Him in His time of need.  Now Jesus is missing.  Peter separated himself and wept bitterly.  Perhaps he thought he had forfeited his apostleship, and God knew he would need a special invitation.  Thankfully, he was listening for his name.  Maybe we have felt like Peter now and then.  In our sorrow, we need to remember God's grace, and be close enough to hear our name called.  He is calling.  Are we somewhere listening for our name?

Grace for your spirit September 9, 2014

Grace for your spirit

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza."  Acts 8:26

The message of the angel was for Philip to go see a man from Ethiopia who was traveling.   At the end of this story, the Ethiopian who connects with Philip, hears of Jesus, believes, and is baptized.  This is just one of many examples where God equips people to spread the good news. Even Jesus sent Saul to be taught by Ananias. The example seems to be clear.  God has chosen people to spread the good news of Jesus.  Jesus, angels, and the Holy Spirit, stand ready to equip us for the task, but not to do it for us.

Grace for your spirit September 8, 2014

Grace for your spirit

From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done."  John 4:39

At the beginning of her day, she was a despised adulteress, sinful woman, separated from her community.  By the end of the day, she had led more people to Jesus than all the apostles put together. How, we might ask?  She opened her life to Jesus, He changed her, and she shared that testimony with others.  Do we want to make a difference in our world, but have a bad track record?  Turning that negative into a positive is as easy as 1-2-3.  Open our lives to Jesus, let Him change us, and share that testimony with others. 

Grace for your spirit September 5, 2014

Grace for your spirit

"Lord God, please pardon! How can Jacob  stand, for he is small?"  The Lord changed His mind about this.  "It shall not be", said the Lord.  Amos 7::2-3

Amos saw a vision of locusts and fire on Israel that would consume them. He pleaded for them and the Lord changed His mind.There is an old gospel hymn, "Rescue the perishing."  One verse calls for us to "weep o'er the erring one, and lift up the fallen." As prophets and priests of God, He calls us all to rescue and restore the fallen.  Two things I wish for all of us today.  That we are praying for someone, and someone is praying for us.

Grace for your spirit September 4, 2014

Grace for your spirit

And when your children say to you, "What does this rite mean to you?"  Exodus 12:26   Joshua 4:6

One of the priorities of God's people is to pass our faith on to the next generation.  When a remembrance is established, it is to help everyone remember God's provision, and pass it on. Unfortunately, the children won't ask about something they never see practiced.  When we forget, the children won't ask.  From the passage through the Red Sea to our redemption in Jesus Christ, the more we practice, the more we talk about it, the more others will ask.  What kind of questions are we generating about God's faithfulness?

Grace for your spirit September 3, 2014

Grace for your spirit

I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.  John 4:38

In the farming community, when the crops are in the field and the one who planted cannot reap, family, friends, and neighbors pitch in. Nobody wants to see the crop die in the field and see all that has been invested wasted. Jesus uses this example for us.  The kingdom has been planted, the seeds of generations have been sown.  It is our turn to step up and be a part of a great harvest.  People need the Lord. May we not let them die in the field on our watch.

Grace for your spirit September 2, 2014

Grace for your spirit

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worth to suffer shame for His name.  Acts 5:41

Suffering and persecution seems to have been the fuel of the faithful in the first century.  The more people tried to stop them, the better they got.  We seem to be filling our tanks with ease and prosperity.   We must think if they world sees our health and wealth, they will want come right in.  Is that working for us? Our evangelism engines have come to a halt.  When we get out into the world, and suffer shame for His name, that's the boldness that draw souls to Christ.