Necessary, but not deserved! Day 13

Please read Ephesians 1:3-10

When you work for eight hours and get money for the eight hours, those are wages. When you practice, practice, and practice and then compete against an opponent, win and receive a trophy, that is a prize. When you serve others, labor at your job, or excel in an art, your efforts are recognized and you get an award. When a man has no ability to work and earn wages, no skill or power to win a prize, no beauty, personality or talent to win an award, he can still be recipient of God’s grace, because God loves man.

It was grace when the Father showered his love (Luke 15:22-23) on the unworthy prodigal (Luke 15:18-19). The rich father gave his son not what he deserved but what was necessary(and more).

It was grace when the Samaritan went out of his way for the injured, ignored and disregarded Jew (Luke 10:30-35). The kind Samaritan showed grace upon grace to the Jew.

It was grace upon grace when Jesus came to this earth for you, suffered on the cross and died for your sins, rose from the dead for your justification, gave you His Spirit for your wisdom and walk, and gave you the right to be called the child of God.  And it will be grace upon grace when He comes back for you, gives a glorified body, and gives you the mansion He is building for you right now.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, in this age of crowing and vaunting about self, can we truly understand grace upon grace without the help of God the Holy Spirit? Ponder anew!

Dear Holy Spirit God, you taught this undeserving sinner about Jesus and his sacrifice, and brought salvation, joy and peace to me. Please guide me to respond your grace by bearing the right fruit in my life. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjfToqk5w5g

Blessing upon blessing? (Exercise and Video) Day 12

Please read John 1:16-17

Rowland Hill was a British pastor and an evangelist in the 18^th century. One day he was given large amount of money to give to a poor pastor. Thinking that the amount was too much to send all at once, Rev. Hill forwarded just a portion along with a note that said simply, “More to follow.” In a few days the poor pastor received another envelope containing the same amount and with the same message, “More to follow.” At regular intervals, came a third, a fourth and they continued, along with those assuring words, until the entire sum had been received.

C. H. Spurgeon, the great preacher, used this story to illustrate that the good things we receive from God always come with the same prospect of more to follow. He said: “When God forgives our sins, there’s more forgiveness to follow. He justifies us in the righteousness of Christ, but there’s more to follow. He adopts us into His family, but there’s more to follow. He prepares us for heaven, but there’s more to follow. He gives us grace, but there’s more to follow. He helps us to old age, but there’s still more to follow.”

Spurgeon concluded, “Even when we arrive in the world to come, there will still be more to follow.”

Dear brother and sister in Christ, this Lent season, as we reflect on God and his work through Jesus in our lives, let us also recollect and reminisce the blessing upon blessing that God has showered upon us. If you are wondering right now, ‘what blessing upon blessing?’ please try this exercise – take a sheet of paper and draw a line in the middle of it. On the left write all the trials and troubles of your life; on the right (please spend some time) and list all that God has done for you in your life, include all the blessings.  I am positive the list on the right will be longer than the one on the left. (If your list on the left is longer than the one on the right please contact me- my email address is on the blog).

Dear God, your graces are many but I do not remember them. Instead I focus only on my real and perceived trials. Please forgive me and hold me that I will never forget you and your blessings. In Jesus name. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=900jWVSWS3M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm_gmEJjHws

Grace in the Old Testament – In the Beginning….. Day 11

Please read Acts 17:24-25

In the Old Testament, we encounter the word chen which means favor, grace, kindness and acceptance. For example, Genesis 6:5-8 we learn of man’s wickedness but God favored Noah.  Grace can be described as the kindness or favor that powerful person shows toward a lower-status person, who does not deserve the kindness or favor. It is the willful act of a king acting kindly towards a lowly subject. It is God stooping down to be beneficent to man.

So where can we first see God’s grace/favor? In the beginning itself! God in His all His wisdom and grace, saw all of His creation and it was very good(Genesis 1:31). And in all that creation, God made man in His image and in His likeness (Genesis 1: 26-27). And even after the fall, God’s grace is evident towards man – God could have destroyed mankind and earth and made for himself another earth and another human race. Again in His grace, God stooped down and came onto the earth to save man.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, God took an earth without form and void, and covered with darkness (Genesis 1:2) and gave us a good place to live. In fact, after every creation God saw it was good. Was it created good for God Himself? God actually made sure that His creation was good for man – you and me. Your creation and my creation and your life and my life, your salvation and my salvation are all about the grace of our God. But do we really acknowledge His grace in our lives, thoughts and prayers or even comprehend?

So let’s always try to remember that from the beginning grace upon grace is being showered upon us until the day God takes us home.

Dear God, it is in your active, loving grace that I breathe and live. Help me never forget this truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

Grace Day 10

Here is another great illustration on grace. It is by pastor Chuck Swindoll (all his words)–

 I vividly remember the last spanking I ever received. Having just broken into the sophisticated ranks of the teen world, I thought I was something on a stick. My father wasn’t nearly as impressed as I was with my great importance and new-found independence. I was lying on my bed. He was outside the window on a muggy October afternoon in Houston, TX, weeding the garden. He said, ‘Charles, come out and help me weed the garden.’ I said something like, ‘No, it’s my birthday, remember?’ My tone was sassy and my deliberate lack of respect was eloquent. I knew better than to disobey my dad, but after all, I was the ripe old age of thirteen. Dad set a new 100-meter record that autumn afternoon. He was in the house in a flash and all over me like white on rice, spanking me all the way out to the garden. As I recall, I weeded until the moonlight was shining on the pansies. That same night he took me out to a surprise dinner. He gave me what I deserved earlier. Later he gave me what I did not deserve.  The birthday dinner was grace.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, next week I intend to write more on grace.

Meanwhile, here are a few texts about God’s grace- Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Hebrews 2:9; John 1:16-17; Ephesians 4:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. Please read them.   

God keep me safe in you love this coming weekend, and teach me through your word and your servants.  In Jesus name. Amen.

Grace Day 9

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Here is an article I stumbled onto when I was studying about grace. It is by pastor Charles Stanley (all his words)–

One of my more memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam with the caution to read it all the way through before beginning to answer it. This caution was written on the exam as well. As we read the test, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough. 

The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard through out the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read, "You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and in so doing receive an A for this assignment."

Wow? We sat there stunned. "Was he serious? Just sign it and get an A?" Slowly, the point dawned on us, and one by one we turned in our tests and silently filed out of the room.

When I talked with the professor about it afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received through the years. Some students began to take the exam without reading it all the way through, and they would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page.

Others read the first two pages, became angry, turned the test in blank, and stormed out of the room without signing it. They never realized what was available, and as a result, they lost out totally.

One fellow, however, read the entire test, including the note at the end, but decided to take the exam anyway. He did not want any gifts; he wanted to earn his grade. And he did. He made a C+, but he could easily have had an A.

This story illustrates many people’s reaction to God’s solution to sin. Some people look at God’s standard--moral and ethical perfection--and throw their hands up in surrender. Why even try? They tell themselves. I could never live up to all that stuff

Others are like the student who read the test through and was aware of the professor’s offer but took the test anyway. Unwilling to simply receive God’s gift of forgiveness, they set about to rack up enough points with God to earn it.

But God’s grace truly is like the professor’s offer. It may seem unbelievable, but if we accept it, then, like the stunned students who accepted the professor’s offer, we, too, will discover that, Yes, God’s grace truly is free. All we have to do is accept it.