About The Author

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Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The God Who is Rich in Mercy

Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.


What an awesome communication this is to us. These few verses are absolutely loaded with revelation!

The thought is one that flows straight from chapter 1 which magnifies the work of Christ and the greatness of His work in us and then goes into chapter 2. But for times sake I am picking it up in chapter 2.

There is a phrase I want us to focus on in this communication of Scripture. It is the phrase “and were by nature,” in verse 3.

We once were something different than we are now. We once were dead.

I love how the Holy Spirit moves Paul to say, “and you He made alive.”

Dead people do not up and decide one day they are going to live.

In every example of someone being raised from the dead I find no evidence of a single one of them crying out for someone to come and lay hands on them. The very thought of that is absurd. No one even considers such a thing.

The picture of being dead is one of utter helplessness. So here we were in a state of utter helplessness.

In that state of helplesness God made us alive!  There is no denying that we were once dead, but now, we are alive.  We could do nothing about it, so God did something.  He made us alive!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Grace Really Matters Cont'd

Acts 20:32 So now, brothers, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Interestingly, this passage appears in the context of when Paul was warning the Ephesian elders about the men among them who would arise, and like ravenous wolves would not spare the flock, but would selfishly seek to gain followers after themselves.

It would stand to reason that after hearing a word so sobering as to being actually warned of this soon to come event that a further word of encouragement might be needed to offset the apprehension created by the warning.

That word of encouragement is what we have here.

Paul by the Spirit commends these brothers to what? To God, for certain that must be, but he goes on to add something else to this exhortation. He says, and to His word of grace!

Whatever it is that is motivating these ravenous wolves, these fleecers of the sheep, these men who want followers of themselves and their own opinions, it will not be combated without being commended to God, and to the word of His grace.

The Holy Spirit could have chosen to say any number of things in an effort to prepare these leaders for the coming onslaught of opposition but He chose this specific exhortation.

We know what it means to be commended to God, but what does it mean to be commended to His word of grace?

I think it merits more consideration, how about you? Especially if the promise attached to it is that it will build us up and give us an inheritance among the sanctified.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Grace Really Matters Cont'd

I am enjoying my examination of all the many affects of grace in the believers life. If the apostles were still alive today I would imagine they would admonish us just as they admonish the believers in their day, to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 13:43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

To encourage one to continue in grace is to imply that a person can live their lives according to something other than grace. You've heard the old saying, "it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind." It would appear there are believers who wish to apply this principle with regard to grace regardless of gender. It is as if they wish to apply this prerogative to themselves and think it will do them no harm in doing so. They do err with regard to the importance of grace by adopting such an attitude toward it.

Were you aware that it was grace that played a major role in the apostles discernment of whether or not the New Testament churches were in Christ and healthy spiritually?

Acts 11:23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

The manifestation of grace in a gathering of believers is a tool for discerning the authentication of Christ's work in their midst. Not numbers, not professional worship, not even gifted preaching. They were looking for the culture of grace.

Were you aware that signs and wonders bear witness to the word of His grace?

Acts 14:3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Those desiring signs and wonders to work should be preaching a gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ! Those claiming to carry that gospel should be believing for signs and wonders.

Do you know what gospel Paul preached? Were you aware that Jesus specifically gave him the ministry of testifying of the gospel of the grace of God?

Acts 20:24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

If anyone ever tries to tell you there is no need to teach about grace, that there is no need for people to understand grace other than becoming saved, then you should be aware that you are dealing with a person who is blinded by their own conceit and ignorant of the Scriptures.

Paul's ministry was not just to testify of Jesus however he wished, but rather to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Paul took the matter of the working of God's grace seriously.

I wonder how we arrived at so many being able to take it or leave it?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

I have heard it said that grace is a given and not so important in the continuing walk of the believer so as to merit ongoing discussion and understanding. I think someone forgot to mention this to the Holy Spirit so He would know to tell the writers of the New Testament not to mention grace quite so much and apply it to so many things in the believers life.

For instance: Did you know that it takes an abundance of grace for us as believers to even reign in this life the way we are told we can through Jesus Christ?

Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Did you know there is no record of the Apostles giving thanks to God for the work of the Law in their lives, but the Scriptures are full of them giving thanks for the work of God’s grace? One example of many is found in:

1Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,

Were you aware that our generosity can be limited or released through our understanding and reception of grace? The Corinthians gave help to those in Jerusalem and the credit for their generosity is attributed to God’s exceeding grace at work in them.

2Corinthians 9:14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

Were you aware that whenever the Holy Spirit is establishing a believers heart in faith towards the truth He does so with regard to grace?

Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

We are instructed and admonished not to pursue various and strange doctrines that lead us down rabbit trails which applaud our efforts. We are instructed and encouraged to have our hearts established by grace. By grace will naturally give all the glory to Jesus as opposed to ourselves, just as it should be. Restrictive seemingly pious other things do not profit, and they point to our goodness and great discipline of life to impress God and others!

In this post we have covered just a few things that grace is directly tied to in a believers life, there are more. The grace of God revealed to us through Christ is of far greater importance than some may give to it.

If grace is being regarded with little significance and given little to no attention, what is the likelihood that the heart that is doing so will be established with grace?

Is it possible to have the gospel without grace? We will visit that question in my next post.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Why Grace Really Matters

In response to an age in which grace has been reduced to a word as opposed to powerful force at work in the lives of believers because Christ incarnate has come and brought with Him this marvelous nature to be expressed in new creatures.

I hope to topically shed some light on this.

2Corinthians 1:12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

Paul says in the authority of the Holy Spirit that it is by grace that they conduct themselves in this world, and grace enabled them to conduct themselves this way more abundantly toward the Corinthians. So in this case grace is something more than just an entry point into relationship with God it is also a maintaining force that enables the followers of Jesus to live their lives in fruitful ways. Living sacrificially is not a manifestation of my greatness towards God but rather the greatness of His grace at work in me. Grace is the means of God for bringing forth His nature within me to an outward expression.

Dying to ourselves and becoming living sacrifices unto God requires that we walk in His grace. If Jesus could not embrace death without grace how shall we?

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

Jesus tasted death for everyone by the grace of God! This makes the cross a manifestation of the work and nature of grace. Remove grace and the cross is likely to become missing from history. Those who brag about the sacrifices they make in life for God are putting the emphasis in the wrong place. It places the emphasis on them as opposed to the nature of Christ they received through faith as a result of the work of grace.

It is still the work and the nature of grace that enables us to lay down our lives in worship to God as living sacrifices.

Grace really matters!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Well Meaning But Wrong!

James 1:22 (JB Phillips) Don’t only hear the message, but put it into practice; otherwise you are merely deluding yourselves. 23 The man who simply hears and does nothing about it is like a man catching the reflection of his natural face in a mirror. 24 He sees himself, it is true, but he goes off without the slightest recollection of what sort of person he saw in the mirror. 25 But the man who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who hears and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness.

There is a message indicated here that many often misinterpret what the message should be. They see the word law and then it clouds their ability to see anything else. They emphasize that this is saying we should keep the commandments. They are well meaning but they are wrong.

The message referred to here has to do with a different law. The law of liberty.

What is the law of liberty? Well, in another place in Scripture we read that there is a law of liberty of life in Christ Jesus.

So what is it I am being encouraged to look into? It is the good news! it is the gospel I am being encouraged to look into! I can look into the law and see myself as undone in the mirror. I go away and forget what manner of man I was made in Christ. I no longer identify with the new creature He supernaturally designed me to be in Himself. So I go out and begin to live as the man in the mirror. I will live as a man undone, a failure.

But when I look into the perfect law of liberty I am released to identify with something far greater than an image marred by the standard of the law. I get to see Christ!

I do not know what you might prefer, but I personally would much rather see Him than see sin all the time. His law of liberty has set me free from condemnation and identification with a past so regrettable and miserable it could never produce anything good.

I get to stand in thanksgiving and praise before Him with open arms boldly approaching His throne of grace because of what He has done!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Grace, not License

It can be troubling to see how some when they hear about the grace of God have a tendency to think that now they can do whatever they wish because all consequences have been removed.

Nothing could be further from the truth and this line of thinking reveals deception at a great depth in ones life. Grace never rids us of the responsibility, or the consequences of choice.

My teenage son had to receive instruction and correction this morning for not acting responsibly. I asked him if he enjoyed being told what to do all the time. I assume his answer would be the answer of every teen around the world, he responded by saying, "of course not." I responded by calmly telling him that his mother and I do not enjoy having to bring these things to his attention any more than he enjoys hearing it, but it is a consequence of his not acting responsibly. If he would weigh his decisions before acting and choose the proper thing in the moment we would not be forced to bring to his attention how much he is squandering his time and rushing towards consequences he will not find pleasurable. This momentary conflict that arises out of disobedience did not take away his right of being my son nor did it remove from him my love for him. Thus my desire to bring to him correction and instruction. If I did not care it would not matter and I would allow him to pass on and be punished in life by someone without mercy.

Likewise God the Father chastises those who are His children. He loves us so He instructs us a disciplines us in this life for our good. He adjusts and corrects us and often He does so through the process of consequences. Grace does not come to us to enable us to sin or misbehave and never suffer consequences. It will enable us to choose right and avoid the consequences of disobedience and irresponsibility.

It will always be there to enable us to maintain right relationship with God and have open access to the throne of grace in our time of need. We all will need this access in life. None of us do perfectly. But perhaps if we were to allow the work of grace to instruct us towards the consequences of our choices and thus lead us towards greater responsibility we might find ourselves chastised less by the Father in our walk with Him.

God's grace in our lives is so rich that it even seeks to encourage us in our chastisement. The Scripture says that the Father chastises those whom He loves! So, I encourage you today to realize that if you are currently under His chastisement know that you are loved by your Father in heaven and learn from your mistake. His allowing difficulty to arise in your life from poor choices you may have made is His love being shown to you. He will not leave you undone. But, next time, simply choose differently, I think it might make the process much more pleasant.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

It Is Finished

Romans 4:1 ¶ Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: 7 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. 8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”

Isn't it amazing that Abraham could be made righteous by faith 430 years before there was ever a law from God?

The pattern of faith revealed in Abraham's life is the same pattern of faith that is to be followed now that Christ has come. To try to mix two covenants is to destroy the work of faith and lean to one's own understanding.

The lasting covenant was not the covenant of the law given by Moses to the children of Israel. The everlasting covenant is the one God made with Himself at the cross when Jesus hung between heaven and earth as the final sacrifice for sin.

Hebrews 9:12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Jesus spoke the truth for all time when He said from the cross, "It is finished!"

Are you living in the faith that recognizes the finished work of Christ on your behalf?

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Dwell on this!

Romans 4:22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 ¶ And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. 24 It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
Romans 5:1 ¶ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Based on this amazing revelation of Scripture given to us,

Why did God count Abraham as righteous?

When God did this was it only for Abraham’s sake?

Who else is it meant to benefit?

Why?

Why did Christ die?

What did His resurrection do for us?

How are we made right in God’s sight?

Why can we enjoy peace with God?

What is it that makes us privileged in God’s sight?

How do we stand in this privilege?

What enables us to joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory?

Monday, September 28, 2009

Wineskins

Luke 5:36 Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.37 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.38 "But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.39 "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’"

I have heard so many messages on this subject of wineskins and each one has always stressed the importance of doing things differently.

I have heard it used to validate the idea of having church anywhere but a corporate setting with the argument that this statement deals with the end of the synagogue gathering styles.

Actually this has been one of the most popular uses for it I have run into. I have also heard it used anytime someone wishes to make a "paradigm shift," in the way we view the church.

How about we allow it to speak to what it was intended to speak to. Jesus is addressing the religious leaders who have questioned him regarding his disciples and their lack of observance of certain Jewish customs, such as fasting and sabbath related matters.

The old wine refers to the administration of the Spirit under the old covenant and the new wine refers to the administration of the Spirit that will come through Christ in the new covenant. The Spirit came in the new covenant and dwells in us and on us. We become the temple! The old wine skin tore when Jesus died on the cross, this is represented in the tearing of the veil in the temple.

Being born again by the work of Christ that is ours by grace through faith is given the emphasis with regard to this new covenant. Salvation is the work of the Savior who brings it, not the man who receives it. Thus the verse that speaks of how the ones who have had the old wine do not immediately want the new for they think the old is better! Still yet today there are people who want the old ways of the old covenant thinking that the law and the writings of Moses will bring us closer to God by leading us into proper behavior. Like the religious leaders they want to draw us back into antiquated powerless ceremonies as opposed to living in the faith that is ours in Christ.

To make this parable about anything else other than the new life and new covenant that is to come through Christ is an attack on the glory it gives to Christ for the work He performs on the cross for redemption.

Let's not make wine skins about structures or meeting venues. Let's allow it to remain to be about the release of the Holy Spirit into man through a better covenant in Christ, a covenant that is only realized by new creatures in Christ.

Friday, September 25, 2009

I Wonder

I can only imagine the grief Jesus would have been given in this modern age had He come in our generation.

I would guess he would be challenged with regard to his people skills and ability to relate to others. After all many were offended at Him.

Think for just a moment, He is in a boat with the guys who have left everything to follow Him and a storm comes up that is violent and threatens to sink the boat with the prospect that everyone in it will perish. They are far from shore!

The Disciples are frantically doing everything they know to do as fisherman to weather the storm and as expected they are panicking. After all they are human right?

In their panick they awaken Jesus who is asleep during all this, and what is His response? "Oh ye of little faith." You can look it up for yourself in Matthew 8

If a minister stands and challenges someone with regard to their faith he is accused of being heartless and lacking compassion. Insensitive they say.

But the truth is most of what ails us in this life is directly tied to faith in some aspect. If it is by faith that we please Him, and all our life is meant to be lived for His glory and is our most real act of worship, then would it not also stand to reason that faith would play a major role in everything that we do?

How good are we at allowing the Holy Spirit to cut to the chase with regard to where our faith is and what our motives are? Is He able to speak honestly without crushing us?

Only real faith in the finished work of Christ enables us to bear up under the truth and light He brings. He will show us the ugly things about us that He desires to consume with His fire and replace with the character and nature of Christ himself at work in us.

Shaky faith will resist this process and run away when the fire turns up. When light begins to shine on motives and the hidden things begin to get revealed if we are not established in grace through faith we will be unable to stand the heat.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Redeeming the time

WORD MINISTRY INPUT
Statistics show that a good churchgoer averages anywhere between 36 to 44 weeks of attendance at church. Very few if any are 100%. The amount is affected by vacations, sickness, work situations, or circumstances that might interfere with a Sunday here or there.

If the Word ministry at church each week takes up 45 minutes and there is a 100% attendance record it would amount to 2340 minutes, or 39 hours, or 1.65 days which is 0.44% of one’s available time each year.

Remember that would require that a person make it to church 52 weeks out of the year in order to achieve less than half a percent of their overall available time each year.

If we allot for two weeks of vacation taking away two Sunday’s, 3 Sundays missed due to illness, perhaps one Sunday due to a family get together over a holiday, and for good measure we add one more in for circumstances beyond our control. That allots for a total of 7 Sunday’s missed in a year, which would leave us with a total of 45 Sunday’s attended.

That would account for 2025 minutes, or 33.75 hours, or 1.406 days which amounts to 0.38% of one’s available time each year.

If we assumed a 45 week involvement, accompanied by 30 minutes of word discussion in a small group situation each week it would increase to 57 hours, or 2.375 days which is 0.65%

If we are to see an increase of Christian influence in our nation for the gospel I believe we will need to take greater advantage of fellowship and word input opportunities in the Christian community. It is more likely that a professing Christian will know more about current events in Hollywood or politics than they will know the true gospel. It might be accurate to say that distractions are effectively hindering the advancement of the gospel due to ill equipped saints who are anemic in word. Meanwhile it is by the word of God that faith is grown in our hearts. If that word is reduced in amount would it not stand to reason that there will be a famine of faith?

Compare the time figure for word input with something such as the amount of time spent for:

NOURISHMENT
Everyone must eat. This is an area that can serve us in many ways. By eating with others we can turn nutrition into social interaction. Everyone misses a meal every now and again. But we also spend more time on one meal than we would another and it varies from one occasion to the next.

On average we take 30 minutes for breakfast 30 minutes for lunch and 60 minutes for dinner which amounts to 120 minutes each day devoted to meals which amounts to 43800 minutes, or 730 hours, or 30.41 days a year which is 8.33% of one’s available time each year.

If a person watches just one hour of television a day it amounts to 365 hours a year which is 15.2 days each year which is 4.16% of one’s time spent. This is 9.45 times greater than the amount of Word ministry input one might receive in one year’s time.

How should this knowledge affect our ministry in the word if we are a mouthpiece for God?

How should this knowledge affect the time we give to being under the word ministry in the church?

It really is something to think about, wouldn’t you agree?

Friday, September 11, 2009

Traits of Legalism by Sheila Atchley

Legalism masquerades as zeal for God. It substitutes the application of Biblical principle, as being righteousness itself. Every Christian is susceptible to the seductive sickness of self righteousness - since I have battled this sickness in my own life, and encountered it in the lives of others, I've learned to discern a few of its symptoms:

Clever: a legalist is often quite bright. And she always, always sounds right, but there is always, always something wrong with her arguments - they lack depth and they lack a genuine care and concern for people as they are. A legalist loves people insofar as she thinks they "should be". She loves her idea of Christian maturity, without loving her flawed brother, sister, friend, mother, or husband.

Comparison: a legalist will compare herself to others, and compare people with people. She is habitually measuring herself and her spouse, and everyone else.Coldness - a legalist is incapable of sustained personal warmth in relationships. To be warm is to be pliable. To be cold is to be rigid. A legalist is rigid, and therefore ultimately an emotionally cold person. It may take six months, or it may take years and years, but if you "cross" a legalist in any significant way, you'll discover that her warmth quickly fades, and a cool demeanor replaces it.

Conversation: a legalist's primary topic of conversation is herself (or himself...but since I myself was once a legalist, and still struggle with the tendency, I use the female pronoun). So long as you remain in her fan club, and make it "all about her", you will have her as your friend. A legalist's second favorite topic of conversation is "this person or that person"(see the first symptom of legalism: comparison). Remember - great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people. Since the legalist is ego-centric, her world is a small one. She will primarily discuss herself, her problems, her life, her job or her children....and she will then discuss certain people. If you attempt to steer the relationship to a broader horizon, and engage her in an honest discussion of great ideas, she will withdraw (see the second symptom of legalism: coldness).

Cutting Ties: a legalist will cut ties with you, eventually. Wherever legalism exists, you will find a string of broken relationships. You will encounter the slow, progressive separation from even a significant relationship, if she perceives that the relationship is not in her control....which brings me to the next symptom:Control: A legalist cannot help but manipulate. She doesn't mean to, and may not even consciously try to. But she does it. She will attempt to control you by giving or withholding her approval. Giving or withholding her attention or affection. Giving or withholding gifts - because if you cut the "string attached" to the gift, the giving will cease. Giving or withholding love itself. A legalist will begin to act irrationally whenever someone close to her actually lives in a revelation of their gift of righteousness. Why? Because when you begin to believe the gospel, a legalist loses her leverage in the relationship.

Cloying: a legalist is a cloying person. She's happy only when she feels you are admiring her, or her possessions, her ability, or her status. She will assist you time and time again, she will help you more than you need to be helped, so long as you admire her for it. She will take what otherwise would be healthy and pleasant, and she will cling and cloy the joy right out of the experience or the relationship. Every relationship starts well, but almost none stay well. Since most legalists are insecure, they end up maxing everyone else out - no one can prop up their damaged ego consistently enough.

Conditional Contentment: most legalists are ever-so-slightly depressed people. (Ask me how I know!) Their contentment depends on being better than most everyone else ("I thank thee Oh Lord, that I am not like this tax collector..."), and since there is always someone who has a better home life, or house, a better marriage, car, or has more talent than they do, a legalist consequently suffers from constant, low-level unhappiness. Her contentment is conditional, and relative to her ability to control circumstances, or to feel superior. Thus, you don't find a legalistic woman laughing freely and often.

Christian: most legalists are Christians. The very recipients of such amazing grace, often do not know just how amazing it really is. You have to know that you need grace, to understand grace. You run to a throne of grace in time of need. Most Christians are chronically un-needy. These un-needy believers are also unaware that they are miserable, poor, blind and naked, and ever in great need of great grace. Subconsciously, a legalist relegates grace to be the solution for non-Christians, the unfortunate, uneducated or immoral. Meanwhile, the proud need grace the most, and yet perceive their need the least.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

How Paul Worked to Overcome Slavery

By John Piper September 3, 2009

The historic and contemporary reality of slavery is never far away from how we think about the Bible. Instead of a frontal attack on the culturally pervasive institution of slavery in his day, Paul took another approach, for example, in his letter to Philemon.

Onesimus was a slave. His master Philemon was a Christian. Onesimus had evidently run away from Colossae (Colossians 4:9) to Rome where Paul, in prison, had led him to faith in Jesus. Now he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon. This letter tells Philemon how to receive Onesimus.
In the process, Paul does at least 11 things that work together to undermine slavery.

1. Paul draws attention to Philemon’s love for all the saints. “I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints” (1:5). This puts Philemon’s relation with Onesimus (now one of the saints) under the banner of love, not just commerce.

2. Paul models for Philemon the superiority of appeals over commands when it comes to relationships governed by love. “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you” (1:8-9). This points Philemon to the new dynamics that will hold sway between him and Onesimus. Acting out of freedom from a heart of love is the goal in the relationship.

3. Paul heightens the sense of Onesimus being in the family of God by calling him his child. “I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment” (1:10). Remember, Philemon, however you deal with him, you are dealing with my child.

4. Paul raises the stakes again by saying that Onesimus has become entwined around his own deep affections. “I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart” (1:12). The word for “heart” is “bowels.” This means, “I am deeply bound emotionally to this man.” Treat him that way.

5. Paul again emphasizes that he wants to avoid force or coercion in his relationship with Philemon. “I would have been glad to keep him with me...but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord” (1:13-14). This is pointing Philemon how to deal with Onesimus so that he too will act “of his own accord.”

6. Paul raises the intensity of the relationship again with the word forever. “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever” (1:15). In other words, Onesimus is not coming back into any ordinary, secular relationship. It is forever.

7. Paul says that Philemon’s relationship can no longer be the usual master-slave relationship. “[You have him back] no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother” (1:16). Whether he lets Onesimus go back free to serve Paul, or keeps him in his service, things cannot remain as they were. “No longer as a slave” does not lose its force when Paul adds, “more than a slave.”

8. In that same verse (1:16), Paul refers to Onesimus as Philemon’s beloved brother.This is the relationship that takes the place of slave. “No longer as a slave...but as a beloved brother.” Onesimus now gets the “holy kiss” (1 Thessalonians 5:26) from Philemon and eats at his side at the Lord’s Table.

9. Paul makes clear that Onesimus is with Philemon in the Lord. “[He is] a beloved brother...in the Lord” (1:16). Onesimus’s identity is now the same as Philemon’s. He is “in the Lord.”

10. Paul tells Philemon to receive Onesimus the way he would receive Paul. “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me” (1:17). This is perhaps as strong as anything he has said: Philemon, how would you see me, treat me, relate to me, receive me? Treat your former slave and new brother that way.

11. Paul says to Philemon that he will cover all Onesimus’s debts. “If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account” (1:18). Philemon would no doubt be shamed by this, if he had any thoughts of demanding repayment from his new brother, because Paul is in prison! He lives off the gifts of others. Philemon is the one who is to prepare a guest room for Paul! (1:22).

The upshot of all this is that, without explicitly prohibiting slavery, Paul has pointed the church away from slavery because it is an institution which is incompatible with the way the gospel works in people’s lives. Whether the slavery is economic, racial, sexual, mild, or brutal, Paul’s way of dealing with Philemon works to undermine the institution across its various manifestations. To walk “in step with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14) is to walk away from slavery.

Walking with you toward Jesus,
Pastor John Piper


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Monday, August 31, 2009

Colossians 2:6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

“Abounding in it with thanksgiving” When we receive something of great importance and value to us we cannot help but be appreciative. Appreciation is vocalized so that the one who has benefitted us knows their efforts were not in vain. This means that thanksgiving flows from faith. What we believe should be so real to us that we act in faith and give thanks.

Jesus modeled this activity for us.

Luke 10:21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

Have you been shown and believed His goodness and His grace? Then what should prevent you from giving Him thanks today?

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Through Christ Alone

Blind to my sin I wandered through life, stumbling in darkness and filled with strife
Surrounded by conflict within and without, overwhelmed by my fears full of worry and doubt
Then His Spirit came and confronted my sin and I felt so unclean without and within
A heart full of evil is all I had known, not even the good I had done was worthy to own
Guilty and unworthy I was brought to the cross, and witnessed God’s justice for all who are lost
God’s wrath pouring out on His beloved only Son, the sin of the world the reason He was undone
All I could do was to kneel and confess, it was my sin bearing down on His chest
Helpless to help and humbled so completely, I surrendered my life and His grace entered sweetly
Cleansing my heart and opening my eyes, His Spirit entered me and I came alive
Now, as a new man no longer bound by the past, no longer dead and cold
I hear His voice so clear, “it is finished” He said, all things are new away with the old
He who knew no sin became sin on that day, not just for me but the whole human race
As many as believe can be made sons of God, brought into glory through faith now isn’t that odd
In the natural a mystery but by the Spirit so wise, that we could be righteous and holy in His eyes
Only through Christ can this be mine, no righteousness of my own at any time
But in Christ I’ve been the very righteousness of God, I know to the natural mind that all seems so odd
But it is true and it is sure and by it I will stand, having favor with God I am held in His hand
It is the work of the cross and the merit of Christ that has offered me freely this eternal life
I did nothing to earn it, so it wasn’t my works, it was by grace through faith despite all my quirks
Remembering His cross reminds of this, it is through Christ alone that I can be His.

By Tim Atchley

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Just a Thought

I run into folks from time to time who would really enjoy sticking a label on my forehead as though I were a book in a library. That way someone can come around and, based on my label, know whether or not they want to check me out.

I have them say, you are Reformed, you are Charismatic, you are Armenian, you are Calvinist and on and on it goes.

Someone might say how can a man be confused as both a Calvinist and an Armenian?

Easy I am neither. I am a man who loves the New Covenant. I am a man who loves the Gospel as it is revealed in Scripture. I am a man who believes that Christ centered preaching is more than just merely throwing His name into a sermon much like putting sprinkles on an ice cream cone.

I believe in His finished work on the cross and all the glory that was released into the church once and for all when He ascended and sent forth the Holy Spirit in power to inhabit believers. I believe in an open heaven because His work is finished. there is nothing to add.

I believe faith is far more important than the attention it receives on any given Sunday. I believe that the glory of the New Covenant is not a fading glory like that of Moses, but that the word of God spoke the truth when it declared it to be an ever increasing glory in Christ.

I believe that all camps of thought have been guilty of constructing a belief based mainly on their experiences, or the lack thereof.

May the Holy Spirit breath fresh revelation and reform the modern church to walk in all that God has provided her through Jesus Christ.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Seek First

Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

There is a righteousness of God that is only available to us through faith. It is only that righteousness that will please Him. There is none good but God. So believe, and receive His goodness on your behalf. Then change will come.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Romans 10:1 ¶ Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)7 or, "‘Who will descend into the abyss?’" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

The way of salvation has been set and made clear through the gospel. Only through faith in Christ can a person be saved. The gift of eternal life becomes ours when we put our faith in the finished work of Christ.

The three most powerful words evr spoken came from the cross when Jesus said, "it is finished."

Sunday, August 16, 2009

HYPOCRISY

Hypocrisy - is expecting from others what I am unwilling, or unable to do, or to give, myself.

To expect sinless perfection expressed outwardly in the flesh from others when I myself fail to meet it is hypocrisy. The Pharisees were called hypocrites by Jesus because they bound burdens to hard to bear on the backs of the people and were unwilling to remove them or help with them. They boldly declared the law to others while failing to keep it themselves and refused to acknowledge such.

If I offend in even the smallest part of the law I am guilty of breaking the whole of it. One lie can constitute the equivelent of being a murderer, and a God hater under the law. No one keeps the Law perfectly. It does wonderfully at convicting men as sinners because we have never kept it.

This is what makes justification through faith and grace through Jesus Christ of absolute importance. Without them we have no hope!

Having a standard that one can't even keep 100% themselves and then treating others badly for not keeping it is not so strange to the church. Performance Christianity is hypocrisy at work and even the world turns it's nose up at it.

Acts 15:9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” (NLT)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Gospel is Important and Needed

A good friend (Mark Freer) posted this recently on his blog (Bluesman) and I found it too good to pass up. His blog link is on my page.

To a group of pastors in London, Tim Keller explained the inner workings of an old Coke machine in his Manhattan apartment building. After inserting the proper coinage, Keller explained, you must pound the side of the machine with your fist. After a couple of smacks the coins can be heard trickling down into the heart of the machine. A Coke falls into the bottom tray. Without beating the side of the machine, the coins don’t settle and the Coke will not fall.
Keller takes this metaphor into the pulpit. While preaching, he thinks of his audience as an assembly of Coke machines. His audience needs a little pound on the side of the head to get the truth of the gospel to sink into the heart and to produce spiritual fruit. He laughs when he says this, but the point is true.

Luther knew this centuries ago. He wrote,
“Here I must take counsel of the gospel. I must hearken to the gospel, which teacheth me, not what I ought to do, (for that is the proper office of the law), but what Jesus Christ the Son of God hath done for me: to wit, that He suffered and died to deliver me from sin and death. The gospel willeth me to receive this, and to believe it. And this is the truth of the gospel. It is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consisteth. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.” *

I am thankful to God that I am surrounded by pastors, friends, and a wife who are skilled at swinging the gospel hammer. I’m always in need of it.

So who swings the gospel hammer in your life?

Monday, August 10, 2009

Getting to the Root Issue

It would appear abundantly evident from Scripture that the way the Father works in His children is from the heart out.

When I came to Christ I had a very supernatural one on one encoutner in which I debated with the Lord on the basis of what I thought I could never live.

I told Him that I could never live like the Christians I had encountered seeing I was confident that most if not all were nothing more than hypocrites based on their outward imperfections. Even though I myself was a vile sinner, I still had the notion that I was in some condition to critique and criticize those who had receieved Christ.

From that basis I formed my argument against God's call to me to be saved thinking it was solid and could more than end His call to me that day. I argued with Him that whatever I did, I did all out. I sinned all out, all my vices were engaged with abandonement. I then gave Him the line of reasoning that I thought would forever quiet His voice.

I said to Him, "I could never see myself living the Christian life all out, I could never see myself being like the Christians I have encountered who say they believe in You but live what I think are messed up lives."

His answer to a chief of sinners such as myself was more powerful than I could resist. He said to me simply, "Tim, I have to change you, you cannot give me 50% at your best effort I must change you on the inside."

Well that ended my crafty argument and here I stand today in Christ held secure by His grace and love. I am so thankful God chose to bring me into His kingdom through the work of Christ and establish me as a son to Him on the merits of Christ' obedience.

That day, when I surrendered to His call to become His, my life forever changed. Mind you, I did not become outwardly perfect and am still not outwardly perfect. In my flesh dwells no good thing. But I am no longer characterized by the sin that once dominated me. I have the life of Christ and I am His because He has made it to be so.

Through the work of His Spirit in my heart I am ever growing and changing as He reveals Christ, to me, and in me, in order to bring me into conformity to His image. I can run the race He has given me in the confidence that He will see me through based on the promises He has made to Jesus who lives in me.

Though my outward man perishes, my inward man is being renewed day by day as I enjoy the sweet fellowship of God because of the grace that is mine through Christ!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Stand Fast Part One

Galatians 5:1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Last week we completed chapter 4 of Galatians and it ended with,

Galatians 4:30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

It is with all that in mind that the Holy Spirit declares stand fast in vs1 of chapter 5. It has the same tone as Hebrews 4 which says strive to enter into His rest!

It advises us to not be entangled again! The use of the word again implies that freedom was their experience at the beginning but now they are yielding to a yoke different than the yoke of Christ.

Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The law never brought rest and never will. It cannot set free because it cannot save, and it cannot save because it cannot make alive.

We were dead in our trespasses and sins. Those who have not received Christ are still in that condition and although the law can convince them of their sin, it can never deliver them from their death and sin. Why would I want to go back under something that had no power to deliver me when I have the promise now?

Listen to how verse 1 reads in the NLT Galatians 5:1 ¶ So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

This is powerful and very important because it involves that which threatens to replace Christ after He had been received by faith at the beginning.

Galatians 5:2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Some would like to say that Galatians is only dealing with the act of circumcision. It is true that the false teachers desired these Galatians to be circumcised, but the issue at hand is much broader than that, as is clearly made evident here. The whole law comes into play.

Every man who becomes circumcised is a debtor to keep the whole law!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The True Gospel Part Two

Only the humble can recognize their need for it and realize the need is so great there is only One who can meet it, and thus God gives grace to the humble, but He resist the proud.

Harry Gilreath said it best when he stated, “grace is God’s ability made available to us through the pipeline of faith.”

Insisting on the pacemaker of the law to complete what Christ has already done for us will disrupt our heartbeat for God. This is why the Scripture calls it falling from grace.

Galatians 5:4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

James says this about the Law. James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Have you ever heard of the rule of non-contradiction. It is the rule that something cannot be both true and not true at the same time when dealing with the same context. For example, this table in front of me, cannot be made of wood, and not made of wood at the same time. For example, in the gospels we have two statements about Judas’ death. (1) Judas hung himself. (2) Judas fell down and his bowels spilled out. Neither statement about Judas contradicts the other. That is, neither statement makes the other impossible because neither excludes the possibility of the other. The statements can be harmonized by stating: Judas hung himself and then his body fell down and his bowels spilled out. In order to make the set of statements contradictory, we would have something like: (1) Judas hung himself. (2) Judas did not hang himself. Since either statement excludes the possibility of the other, we would then have a contradiction.

If you believe the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and you should. Do you think He would contradict Himself concerning law and grace, or would He make the gospel clear?

Monday, April 20, 2009

The True Gospel

Why should the Gospel of grace be important to us?

Let’s imagine we know someone with a diseased heart and the only thing keeping them alive is the pace maker they’ve been given to buy them time until a suitable donor can be found. Now let’s pretend that you are the only suitable donor in all the world. Let’s pretend you agreed to give them your heart as an even trade, your good heart for their bad one, on one condition. They must simply receive it as a gift from you and enjoy the new life it gives them.

What would you think if after receiving it they offered you a price as if it could measured in value and questioned whether or not this new heart was not enough for them to fully live? How would it make you feel if they insisted on keeping their old pace maker in place and active just to be sure?

God went to the greatest lengths imaginable to remove the barrier between us and Himself through the work of the cross on which Jesus died. To give us a heart of flesh for a heart of stone. To usher out the Old Covenant that had served it’s purpose but was no longer needed and to usher in a New Covenant of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

But still today there are those who want the pace maker of the Old Covenant whose power is based in the law, and they want it to dwell along side the New Covenant heart of grace they have been given in Christ.

They fail to understand how dangerous it is to put a pace maker with a good heart. It will upset the rhythm of the good heart to do so. We do not need a new heart to accent the pacemaker. We need it to replace the pacemaker altogether!

Like the diseased person in the story we come to God with our need for grace, and I have good news! God’s grace is attracted to our need. God has chosen to bring Himself glory by giving us the amazing gift of grace through Jesus Christ!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

This should be pondered again and again!

Galatians 2:11 ¶ But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.
12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.
13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles.
16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not!
18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.
19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law––I stopped trying to meet all its requirements––so that I might live for God.
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Galatians 3:1 ¶ Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.
2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.
3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?
5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
6 ¶ In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”
9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.
10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”
13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

The Galatians were already believers in Christ that much is clear so the argument is not that they were trying to be saved by the law. The argument is that after having received Christ by faith they were trying to add to their standing before God by keeping the law. Jewish teachers had come to them teaching something else is needed and they bit the hook. Beware teachings that try to add to what Christ has already completed in Himself.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Released From the Snare Part Three

Romans 14:1 ¶ Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord’s help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval. 5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose––to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. 10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’” 12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. 14 I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. 20 Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. 22 You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

The opinions I am set free from are those that oppose the work of Christ and His will. Those that would oppose even the very work of salvation in my life, or the message I now carry because of my new life in Christ. But I am not set free to make others stumble in their faith.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Released From the Snare Part Two

Now, here’s what happens sometimes if this snare is not broken through grace.

When I became a teenager and began coming into my own, I had become frustrated and felt used by others. Now I had set this up by my own doing mind you. But something in me snapped in reaction to the bondage I had been in so long and I decided I didn’t care what anyone thought I was my own man and going to whatever I wanted regardless of how it effected others.

To deal with this snare in the flesh one must surrender to rebellion. That is what I did. I began to hold authority in contempt saying all they were trying to do was hold me down and keep me from all that I was entitled to.

See we must never forget that the root of rebellion is pride. See I wanted free from the snare because of selfish reasons. I wanted free so I could serve myself, not God.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that by being a rebel they are doing it for the right reasons when if they allowed the Holy Spirit to probe their hearts on the matter they might discover they are acting selfishly.

To break free from the snare just for my self is not a good premise. But to break free because I have come to realize that the only opinion in all the universe that truly matters when it comes to who I am and what I am doing is God’s, then that puts me in a position of trusting God for how that reality will be mine.

To be free to act in obedience to Christ without worry over what someone else may think about it is liberating. To be free to live by faith in Christ and to walk according to what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me about His purpose is true freedom. Not free to disregard accountability in the body but free to enjoy it. When I walk in faith with Christ I am properly connected with His body.

But notice this is not a rebellious attitude of release from opinions, it is a surrendered heart to Christ. A surrendered heart is submitted to the one to whom it is surrendered and we can be assured that it will act in accordance with His will as opposed to feeling free to act according to it’s own will.

So rather than going around fearful of what others think it is set free to by faith walk in an obedience. Instead of doing things out of fear of others opinions and wanting to be liked and approved it, through love, considers others and is set free to serve.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Released From the Snare Part One

In our modern culture there has been a snare that many have found themselves gripped by.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in GOD protects you from that.

Currently it is a common practice for churches to guilt people into activity, to utilize pressure to produce obedience to a preferred program, or event.

But is it pleasing to God for someone to act just because they’ve been made fearful of not doing it?

Do we actually get the mind of the Lord when we act from fear?

I cannot begin to tell you how often leaders themselves have been unable to get the mind of the Lord due to fearing the opinion of others.

The fear of man (other peoples opinions) is a snare. It disables our ability to clearly hear from the Lord about what we should be doing.

When I was a child I had this really bad. I was so afraid of others opinions I could not do most things I would have otherwise liked to have tried to do.

I was known around town as the friendly kid who was unselfish. But what most people did not know about me was that many times I let someone ride my bike, or borrow my toy, or use my stuff, it was because I was afraid of what they might think of me if I were to say no, which is what I really wanted to say sometimes.

I have witnessed more work done in churches that is rooted in the fear of man than I have seen works rooted in faith.

The fear of man disabled me as a child from doing many things I might have otherwise done had I not been afraid of the opinions of others about me.

Friday, March 20, 2009

It's Time To Believe Part Four

Your crossing the finish line of this journey depends on you getting it right when it comes to what Jesus has revealed regarding the goodness of God. That my friend is effected by grace.

Those Israelites died in the wilderness because they could not go forward with God. In order to go forward you must know His goodness and that He is trustworthy in all that He promises. If we’re not going forward we are going backwards. Back into the wilderness of sin, the wilderness of difficulties and despair.

This is why it is so important to know and to receive His grace so freely offered through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:1 ¶ God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news––that God has prepared this rest––has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. 4 We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” 6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” 8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.
11 ¶ So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two–edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. 14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

We closed out chapter three presenting a position of knowing the goodness of God and that it was what was the real issue. Now we’ve read chapter 4 and find that it is exactly right.

If we are going to fear, the thing to fear is that we would through unbelief miss out on a rest freely offered!

Jesus said, learn of me…...and you will find rest…….

This rest is directly tied to the grace that came through Jesus Christ.

Grace points us to the goodness of God expressed through Christ!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

It's Time To Believe Part Three

It is by faith that we please Him. But it is not an abstract faith it is a faith in who He is, in who Jesus has declared Him to be.

Hebrews3:7 ¶ That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. 9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’” 12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” 16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

What was their unbelief? They believed well enough in the wrath of God and the judgment of God. They had seen Him judge their enemies, they had seen the mountain smoke and felt it tremble and quaked with fear. They had refused the invitation to be kings and priests to God because of this fear they had embraced regarding Him. Then when they come to the edge of the promise land the heritage God has so generously offered them rooted in His goodness, they refuse to go in because they do not know Him aright. They do not see Him as good and therefore they can only see the obstacles before them, the giants of the land.

Having our perspective wrong because we have not been established in grace and rightly understood the goodness expressed through Jesus will result in an inability to take hold of God and to experience Him as we should. Instead of running headlong towards knowing Him we will shrink back for fear we might get it wrong or He might not follow through because we have messed up along the way.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It's Time To Believe Part Two

The warnings of wrath are for the lost who reject Christ not the church who has embraced Him. Those who do not approach the Scripture with an understanding of grace see wrath when they read them. They see punishment and fearful expectation of judgment. Then they preach these things consistently to the church as though they had not received the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

They fail to realize that when these things are mentioned in the New Testament letters they are in reference to those rejecting Jesus not the saved and if they are mentioned to the saved it is in the context of, these things will come upon the children of disobedience of whom you once were…, but now in Christ……

When we read the Scriptures without the understanding of grace we tend to leave off the “but now in Christ!"

2Peter 3:14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. 15 And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him––16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 17 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

Failing to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ causes us great grief.

It is through this means of expression that came to us through Jesus Christ that we can come face to face with the goodness of God.

Jesus brought to us the tangible expression of God’s goodness and thus the gospel is called the good news. Good news in Christ God is not angry or vengeful. He is not out to get us!

Good news in Christ we are no longer under a curse, we no longer are enemies. Good news all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus!

Good news we are more than conquerors through Christ! Good news Jesus paid our sin debt for us by taking upon Himself the wrath of God on the cross for us.

Good news we inherit all that Jesus inherits not because of anything we have done but because of what He has done.

The only we can now displease the Father is to not walk in the faith that knowing His goodness produces.

To not continue to accept His goodness expressed through Jesus and not trust Him is to walk in unbelief.

Monday, March 16, 2009

It's Time To Believe Part One

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

I love the language used here. Do not be carried about. It could have also been said this way, “do not be led about.” What we embrace as truth is what shapes our lives. We act according to our belief and our belief is shaped by the doctrine we embrace.

Being led about by strange and various doctrines occurs when the heart is not established by grace. If we read the Word without having our vision corrected by the grace that came through Jesus Christ we will misunderstand it’s intent.

We are living in a day when various and strange new teachings are emerging continually within the church. Men and women claiming to have received insight from the Holy Spirit bringing some new revelation as it were.

If we have believed grace to give us license to sin then we tend to gravitate towards the reckless teachings that applaud weirdness as though it were a spiritual medal.

If we try to understand grace from a religious spirit we tend to gravitate to the strange teachings that require us to prove our devotion through rigorous strict adherences to rule and regulations written in lists.

We might seek to organize our righteousness before God in a to do list we can check off each day.

When this passage says Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. It is not in reference to the power for miracles, or supernatural phenomenon. Although I fully believe these things are still for today. The passage however, is referring to the grace that came through Jesus Christ. The ministry of reconciliation, the redemption, the atonement for sin. His reason for coming! He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He did not come to condemn the world but so that through Him the world might be saved.

Friday, March 13, 2009

A Greater Glory Part Five

The greatest enemy of the gospel throughout history has been a spirit of religion. It comes across as being so sincere and pious.

It seeks personal holiness at great expense to self, it can be so self abasing. But make no mistake it is full of false humility and moldy holiness. It is unacceptable to God because it opposes His grace.

Colossians 2:18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self–denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. 20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self–denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

You and I will never be beyond our need to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace teaching is not something we need only when we are young in the Lord and then we move on to personal holiness issues.

We must remain connected in relationship with Christ through grace so that as we behold Him we can be changed from glory to glory.

There is no set time or formula for your transformation in Christ. Only God knows your pace and process so there is no list we can give you to follow.

There is just a person (Jesus Christ) we can point you to and an assurance of His grace to keep you coming before His throne for help in your times of need.

Praise Him for His wonderful grace and mercy shown to us through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

A Greater Glory Part Four

Luke13:10 ¶ One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” 13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! 14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” 15 But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? 16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” 17 This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.

Religion was hung up on when this was done and could not rejoice because it did not line up with all the details prescribed for Sabbath worship. They hid behind their holiness excuse.

Unless we walk in the grace we are given by faith and thus begin to see things with new eyes we will have no other choice but to subject who God is and what His word declares about Him to our everyday experiences, and our traditions.

We begin to impose on Him what we believe He is like based on what has happened good or bad to us.

His word gets robbed of speaking out into our lives because our lives impose upon it what we want it to speak.

We can read over and over again how we are the righteousness of God in Christ and how are lives are hidden with Christ in God, but it will have little to no effect on us.

Jesus told the religious leaders of his day that they were blind leaders of the blind. They thought they could see and therefore they could not see. They even had the boldness to call Jesus on the carpet when they felt he was stepping out of bounds with the law of righteousness according to how they interpreted it.

I’m sure they felt they were being good watchmen in doing so. But Jesus called them blind because they could not see the Father being revealed. They could not see things from the vantage point of grace.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, if any man is in Christ He is a new creation and the old things have passed away, behold everything has become new.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

A Greater Glory Part Three

One of the things Jesus came to do was to correct mankind’s perspective of God.

How we perceive things effects how we receive and what we will do with what we perceive.

For instance if a girl goes to her mirror and all she sees is an ugly girl she will carry herself as an ugly girl. Her shoulders will slump and she will walk with her head hung low seldom making eye contact.

Her father may tell her she is lovely, but until she sees it differently for herself she will be what she believes herself to be.

Christ gave Himself to change what we see in the mirror of the Spirit. Before we could only see the sin that fogged the mirror and marred our image. We were even afraid to really look at ourselves in the mirror because we knew we would see an enemy of God. We would see indebtedness so great it could never be paid.

Then Christ came! Here it is in a nut shell, we owed a debt we could not pay and Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe.

He paid our debt and took away our sin and shame nailing our offences to the cross. The instant we truly come to Him in faith believing He did what we could not do for ourselves, we begin to see the fog in our mirror lift and the image that was once marred begins to look beautiful.

The artist, called grace, transforms our image and makes us to be what we could not be otherwise.

Apart from the grace that came through Jesus Christ we had no hope, just the nagging fear of God’s wrath upon us. Everything good that happened was our doing and everything bad was God getting at us for our wrongs.

Still today believers who have a string of bad days begin to recount all the things they have done wrong and then begin to lay down and accept the idea that all this bad is God’s judgment against them for how awful they are. They will even drudge up past offences that have long since been forgiven and begin to wallow in condemnation over it.

Not only that, but when we fail to understand grace we hear of something bad happening to someone else and we immediately wonder what they did to have this happen to them.

The apostles would hear of something bad happening and they would ask whose sin was it that caused this to happen?

Luke 13:1 ¶ IT was just at this moment that some people came up to tell him the story of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with that of their own sacrifices. 2 Jesus made this reply to them: "Are you thinking that these Galileans were worse sinners than any other men of Galilee because this happened to them? 3 I assure you that is not so. You will all die just as miserable a death unless your hearts are changed! 4 You remember those eighteen people who were killed at Siloam when the tower collapsed upon them? Are you imagining that they were worse offenders than any of the other people who lived in Jerusalem? 5 I assure you they were not. You will all die as tragically unless your whole outlook is changed!"

If that is not enough to convince us that looking for fault when bad things happen is not seeing life through lenses of grace, consider this.

John 9:1 ¶ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.

I wonder how many situations have been encountered in churches where it was intended that the power of God could be seen but it was missed because there were no eyes of grace to see it for what it truly was, an opportunity to manifest His glory?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

A Greater Glory Part Two

The beloved Apostle John speaks this regarding the appearing of Jesus.

John1:16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

John the Baptist had just screamed out that Jesus was the One of whom he had been talking about. This is the testimony of the Holy Spirit regarding Jesus.

It says of His fullness we have all received!

It does not say that we receive a portion of His fullness. It does not say that we receive a partial deposit of His fullness. It says of His fullness!

Then it goes on to say and grace for grace! Wait a minute here. We get what? Grace for grace! Now that is mind bending.

But it goes on to help us process the point. For the law was given but grace and truth came! Grace and truth are wrapped up in a person. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ!

Now this is not some deep mystical revelation I am speaking of here. This is super basic truth meant to be understood and believed by every one who is in Christ.

Verse 18 is meant to put some tennis shoes on our understanding. No one! What does that mean? No one! Randy used to use this line on his kids and now I use it on mine, “how old are you? 18 well I knew what you know now 28 years ago and I’ve been adding to it ever since.”

Here the Holy Spirit is letting everyone know right off the bat, religious leaders and common folk alike. No one has seen God at any time! News flash if anyone dares to say they have seen God at this point they have just been told by the Holy Spirit they are deceived.

I love the Cosby Show. I just enjoy the humor of Bill Cosby and the way they portrayed family life with a twist of wholesome humor. Bill would always make fun of how his wife Clair the lawyer would say, “let the record show.”

But in verse 18 we have the Holy Spirit declaring let the record show and he is not joking around. What is it the record is to show?

VS18b The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Jesus would often say, “if you have seen me you have seen the Father.” There is no more authoritative revelation regarding the heart of God for mankind than what Jesus demonstrated and spoke.

Monday, March 9, 2009

A Greater Glory Part One

Make no mistake about it, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most glorious news in all the earth.

If you are someone who hungers for the glory of God then you need to be someone who is awed by, and in love with, the gospel.

2Corinthians 3:5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 ¶ He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. 7 The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. 8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

Moses, the man who God used to deliver Israel from Egypt and give them the law of God, had a glory that was fading. He had been to the mountain and spoke with God, and when he descended, the glory of God was on him so intensely that he had to cover his face. But the glory Moses had experienced that had shone so brightly was fading behind the veil.

When the law came to Israel it came with the glory of God. But the glory it brought was a fading glory!

The glory that Jesus brought with Him is a lasting glory that never fades. It is an eternal glory realized only through Jesus Christ and received by grace through faith. So why are so many believers behaving like Indiana Jones and going on a crusade to retrieve the lost glory?

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Do Not Receive Grace in Vain Part Five

Have you been feeling like you keep hitting a wall of opposition in your walk with the Lord? Those things that have been blocking your life for so long will never be removed apart from grace.

The grace that is ours only through faith in Christ is what will carry us in our most difficult times and keep us when we are enjoying the successes.

There will always be obstacles that will try to oppose us.

Zerubbabel was a man called to rebuild the temple after the Jews had been released from captivity in Babylon. The time had come for them to return home and start fresh with God.

It seemed at every turn they were opposed. The enemy did not want them to enter into the place they had walked with God in times past. He did not want them to experience God afresh.

Zechariah 4:7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"’"

A capstone is what is put in place when the building comes to completion. That completion is brought forth with shouts of Grace, Grace. If you wish to see your building all the way through to completion you will have to do so by Grace!

God is constructing a new temple for Himself in the earth today!

1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy
priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

No man can ever boast of a true spiritual sacrifice. A spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God is one where my flesh had nothing to do with it. It was all grace resulting from faith in Christ.

If you or I intend to never be put to shame we will have to learn to put our trust in Him and cease from trusting in our own works to merit favor with God. You will never be more holy than what true faith in Christ will make you.

No one will ever be able to add to what Jesus did seeing it was the only thing that pleased God to the point of satisfying His justice.

Therefore it is by grace we are saved and that through faith, not of works lest any man should boast.

We receive this grace in vain when we think we can do better ourselves and begin to act independently from the Lord.

I shout grace, grace to your situation. Grace, grace to whatever hinders you today. Grace, grace to uphold you in His righteousness and cause you to see how far He has brought you and not you yourself.

All glory and honor and praise belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ who has purchased us with His own blood and has brought us into right relationship with God the Father by His grace!

We should be giving Him praise!

We should be thanking Him today for His glorious work in redeeming our lives! Glory to Jesus for His abundant mercy and grace! Let’s not receive this amazing gift of grace in vain. Let Him warm your heart with a revelation of His grace and glory through Jesus Christ today.