Grace for your spirit June 30, 2009

Grace for your spirit

And are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. I Corinthians 3:13

When Moses appeared before the Lord, his face would shine. Moses would then wear a veil, so the people could not see that the shine would quickly fade away. It allowed Moses to maintain his authority with the Law even though the old law was quickly fading. It was a symbol that the Law of Moses would fade and come to an end. Christ on the other hand, does not need to hide behind a veil. The glory of Christ is forever and will never fade away. The shine of Christ and that glory will transform all believers, so that we may shine into the darkness of this world. Shine on.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit June 29, 2009

Grace for your spirit

But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again Luke 15:22-24

Our family is the ultimate care group. When we nurture and love our families they will be there for us to enjoy in good time and in bad. When was the last time you were helped, or visited when you were sick and in need? It was probably either your earthly or your church family. When the runaway son came home, the past time, honor, and nurturing gave him a soft landing. The bad past was forgotten and the celebration began. May we take the time and effort today to nurture our earthly and church families. When we find ourselves over the edge of a cliff, a soft landing is very nice.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit June 26, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. Ephesians 4:26-27

Is it possible to be angry and not sin? Is it possible to be angry without giving the devil an opportunity to get the best of us? Yes it is possible. We need to learn God’s will about separating our issues. We cannot be angry with people, but we can express anger about their actions. In Revelation, Jesus said He hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, but He never hated them. We can be angry at sin, but still love the sinner. We need to slow down and let God’s Word direct us the next time we are led to anger. By loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves, all the commandments can be fulfilled.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit June 25, 2009

Grace for your spirit

But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'" Luke 15:32

These stories in the book of Luke are all about celebrating. Rejoicing and celebrating over the lost being found, and the sinner repenting. There is a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. In each case, when the lost is found, there is rejoicing in heaven and on earth. All of us should be excited and ready to celebrate along with the angels in heaven when one sinner repents, but it is not always that way. Not everybody wants to come to the party. Many times the self righteous are unhappy when the party starts. They want to know why no one is having a party for them. Such was true of the older brother in this story. At the end of the day, the older brother was unhappily on the outside looking in. Where are we when our brother comes to repentance? Rejoicing or unhappily slumping in the corner? Let’s get with it.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit June 24, 2009

Grace for your spirit

But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" Luke 13:15-16

Jesus was often challenged helping people on the Sabbath Day. Jesus knew the hearts of His enemies, and He knew they were only trying to find grounds to condemn Him. They didn’t honor the Law with their lives, but only with their lips. They didn’t care about people, they only cared about what directly affected them. We need to care for people. When Jesus’ showed the people such grace and truth, His enemies were humiliated, but the multitudes rejoiced. People will still rejoice today when God’s grace and truth is displayed. The display is best seen living in our actions.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit June 23, 2009

Grace for your spirit

Only Luke is with me Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. II Timothy 4:11

John Mark and Paul had a troubled past. John Mark has deserted Paul on their first missionary journey, and Paul didn’t want to travel with him anymore. Barnabas sharply disagreed and that caused Paul to leave with Silas. Barnabas took John Mark on a separate missionary trip. Who was right about John Mark? Was he still useful as a worker for the Lord? As Paul’s life winds down, he writes to Timothy about those who are helpful to him, and those who have hindered him. Mark makes the list on the “plus side”. Paul had changed his mind and Mark would be useful to Paul again. Let’s be careful not to mark anyone off our list too soon. We all have bad days and make mistakes. With God’s grace, anyone can rise again and be useful in the ministry of the Lord.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23

Grace for your spirit June 22, 2009

Grace for your spirit

He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. John 3:30-31

John the Baptist knew his place and his mission. His message and his baptism were for a limited time and a specific purpose. He was pointing others to Jesus Christ. When his followers tried to elevate him above Jesus, John put a stop to that immediately. John declared that Jesus was the bridegroom, Jesus was from heaven, and Jesus must increase. It is a difficult challenge for anyone when we receive the praise of men. It is hard to resist the attempt of others to elevate us as great people. May we remember John the Baptist. We too are earthly, and still hoping for that heavenly status. We will only get there by giving Jesus first place in everything. Let’s know our place.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Philippians 4:23