Grace for your spirit 10-31-17

Grace for your spirit

A false witness will not go  unpunished, and he who tells lies will not escape.  Proverbs 19:5

From "thou shalt not bear false witness" in 10 commandments, to the punishment for liars in the lake of fire in Revelations, liars are universally condemned.  The web we weave when we first start to deceive just gets worse and worse.

Grace for your spirit 10-30-17

Grace for your spirit

Your boasting is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?  Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump.  I Corinthians 5:6-7

Good and bad leaven can both work the same.  They take over the whole lump for better or worse.  Here the church was letting evil take over the whole body.  Christ was supposed to be good leaven to change the people, but first the old had to be removed.  We may want God to "bless our mess", but His plan is repentance first.  When we die to sin, He will wash it away and fill us with His Spirit 

Grace for your spirit 10-27-17

Grace for your spirit

Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?  Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?  Proverbs 6:27-28

The stench of sin sticks with us like smoke and fire.  Many people "kid" themselves thinking they can play with sin without any consequences or anyone knowing about it.  When we covet things we should not have, the smell of that sin lingers.  The Devil makes us think we can do anything and no one will ever know.  Like everything else, the Devil lies. 

Grace for your spirit 10-26-17

Grace for your spirit

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by.  Psalm 57:1

It is great to have a bomb shelter and a fall out shelter if war comes our way.  A storm shelter is a great place to ride out a tornado, but the ultimate shelter is the refuge God offers.  Our lives will be subject to destructive attacks at times.  When we choose to take refuge in God, He knows how to bless us and keeps us.  It is great to have that access until trouble passes.  He is gracious.  We just need to be receptive.

Grace for your spirit 10-25-17

Grace for your spirit

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.  Genesis 50:20

Life is not easy, certain, or fair, but don't give up the ship.  God is in it all.  Noah, Abraham, Esau, Job, and all those who lived by faith learned that.  Joseph lived in captivity without his family most of his life. It was not easy, certain, or fair.  Everyone eventually discovered that God hand and purpose was in it to save their lives.  Let's not be like a child who stomps their foot and says "Not Fair".  Stick with God.  Ultimately we will see God's truth when we trust in Him.

Grace for your spirit 10-24-17

Grace for  your spirit

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.  II Cor 1:21-22

The Spirit that God left with us and in us, is His pledge that He will return to redeem us.  One translation renders this "the earnest of the Spirit" in our hearts.  When we buy some property and leave a down payment, it is called "earnest money".  Our guarantee that we will return to pay the rest.  The Holy Spirit is a down payment.  A pledge that Jesus will return to redeem us. Established with Christ, anointed by God, and sealed with the Holy Spirit.  Let's wait with confidence.

Grace for your spirit 10-23-17

Grace for your spirit

Ah Lord God! Behold You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You.   Jeremiah 32:17

Jeremiah is warning up for prayer during a very difficult time.  Jerusalem is falling apart while Babylon is knocking on the door.  People are making preparation,  while Jeremiah approaches God.  When we are going to make an appeal to God, it is profitable for us to praise the Lord and proclaim that we believe He can help.  God is big enough to handle our biggest need.  Nothing is too difficult for Him.  Really !