What message am I embracing?

We don’t like to think about it but there are a number of messages delivered by men of God that aren’t good news. There are many that are at odds with the gift of grace that the Messiah Jesus has bestowed on us. It happens easily. It only shows our fickleness.

We need to know what the message of good news is. We need to stick with it. We must reject anything else. May we stand firm today.

“I can’t believe your fickleness—how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message!” ~~Apostle Paul (Galatians 1:6 The Message)

What is your God-created identity?

Jesus had a great way to simplify what He was saying. He was very direct and didn’t beat around the bush.

So, He challenges us to grow up. We know we are children of God and live in His World (Kingdom). We know He is in charge of our lives when we let Him be. So what is holding us back? Actually doing what we know to do. Jesus challenges us to live out our God created identity. We are His children. Are we living like it?

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:48

May we grow up and live our God created identity every day.

Today’s challenge: Major in the grace of God.

Will God restore me?

I need to keep a cool head. I should be on the alert at all times. I must keep my guard up. No napping when it comes to my enemy. God has a great plan for me. My challenges won’t last forever. It is true with all my brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I must get a grip. A firm grip. Faith in Jesus will see me through. He has put me on my feet. He gets the last word. Yes, it is His way and His plan.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in the Messiah, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:8-10

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“He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty.” ~~Jesus

God’s generosity extends to everyone. He includes the evil, the bad and the nasty in His plans to redeem and restore. He is not like us, good to those who are good to us but vindictive to those who hurt us.

He gives his best to everyone. Think about that. In our world, we dole things out in a hierarchical way. Average things to most people and the best for a few. Not our Father. He gives his best to everyone. No distinctions.

“He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 5 The Message)

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How can I be a blessing to others?

We need to get back to using blessings when we greet people and leave. How powerful it is to be a blessing to others and speak a good word into their day.

Paul did this and frequently blessed others with

Grace – χάρις – meaning a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ, favor, gratitude, thanks, kindness.

Peace – εἰρήνη – meaning peace of mind; invocation of peace a common Jewish farewell, in the Hebraistic sense of the health (welfare) of an individual.

How powerful for us and those we know. May I great others with that blessing.

“So I greet you with the great words, grace and peace!” ~~Apostle Paul (Galatians 1:3 The Message) 

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Will I grow?

What a gift it is to know our Master Jesus. It isn’t anything I have earned. Our Father just loves me so much that He gives me this amazing opportunity. That is His grace (gift).

May I grow in knowing Jesus today.  To know Him is to love Him. And to be able, because of that love, to love others. I am not there yet. I can grow in knowledge of Him. That is the focus.

Grow is the charge.  Grow. Grow in grace. Grow in knowledge. That is the glory I must focus on.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.  2 Peter 3:18

 

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Can peace be multiplied?

It just keeps rolling on. Over and over again. His grace. His peace. Multiplying infinitely and never stopping. This happens as I deepen my experience with God and Jesus. This is what I want to experience in a life of pleasing God. My relationship with Him should be personal and intimate. We should be friends. Jesus has given me a ticket to participate in the life of God. I have turned my back on a corrupt world.

May I see His amazingly divine POWER!!!

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:2-4

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Should I go back to “rule keeping” religion?

I grew up in a “rule keeping” church. It was pretty clear that if I didn’t do certain things I could find favor with GOD. So I tried. And tried. But …

I can’t do anything to “win” GOD’s love. It is free. Jesus, our Master, paid the price to win it for me. It is that straightforward.

My relationship with GOD is a gift. I can’t earn it. No amount of Church attendance will get me right with GOD.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.  Galatians 2:21

“When grace moves in… guilt moves out.” ~~Max Lucado

Things way over my head

That God has done something in my life is a real surprise, Him handling every single detail. It is nothing but a gift, His riches which I have a hard time understanding, coming to me every day. I am writing about things that are way over my head.

My task is to bring out into open what He is doing. His generosity is amazing. It is hard to get my arms around it. The credit goes to Him. It is His work for sure.

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8

Special agents

God has a plan for us. Under His plan, we are special agents of Jesus. His assignments for us aren’t “normal”. They are special. Planned out just for us. How amazing is that?

Now that is some very good news for today. That brings some much needed grace and peace to our lives.

I, Paul, am under God’s plan as an apostle, a special agent of Christ Jesus, writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus. I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:1-2

May I understand the role God has for me and serve as His special agent.

Here today, gone tomorrow

Some times it seems like we just can’t make it. Yet, perseverance rules the day. Even if it looks like things are falling apart, they aren’t. Sometimes others can’t see what is going on inside. God is making a new life for us. He is doing it now. Not a day goes by that God’s isn’t giving us everything we need for the day.

There are things that we see now that have no lasting value. They are here today but may not be 5 years from now. Or even tomorrow for that matter. Unrealized gains and unrealized losses. What is important is what lasts forever.

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

 

May I stick with God today and forever. May I experience His grace.

The Law

“The Law is that word by which God teaches what we shall do, as for instance, the Ten Commandments. Now, if human nature is not aided by God’s grace, it is impossible to keep the law, for the reason that man since the fall of Adam in Paradise is depraved and full of sinful desires, so that he cannot from his heart’s desire find pleasure in the law, which fact we all experience in ourselves. For no one lives who does not prefer that there were no law, and everyone feels and knows in himself that it is difficult to lead a pious life and do good, and, on the other hand, that it is easy to lead a wicked life and to do evil. But this difficulty or unwillingness to do the good is the reason we do not keep the Law of God. For whatever is done with aversion and unwillingness is considered by God as not done at all. Thus the Law of God convicts us, even by our own experience, that by nature we are evil, disobedient, lovers of sin, and hostile to God’s laws.” —Martin Luther, sermon on Matthew 11:2-10, #19

Small Potatoes

Looks can be very deceiving. Sometimes, on the outside, it can look like things are falling apart. But God is working on the inside. He is making, in me, a new life. Every day His grace is working. It is a gift, His doing, but He IS doing it. Not always seen, but real nonetheless. The same is not only true for me but others as well. A good reason not to judge for sure.

So any turmoil I am going through right now is small potatoes compared to the good times that He has in store for me right around the corner. Todays mundane, ho hum stuff will turn into an amazing celebration when He completes what He is doing in me. There is far more going on than meets the eye. I know that things are here today and gone tomorrow. The unseen things that God is doing are going to last forever. And that is a VERY long time.

 

I …

I am always stunned by God’s grace. He is always amazing. End of story.