GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION
NO WEAPON! Come on friends, let’s be a generation of Believers who really believe that what the Bible says is true…is true! #MeditateOnTheWord #RightBelieving If you have not yet made Jesus your Savior and received the wonderful joy that His finished work on the cross has provided for you to live in, please visit my […]
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Evidently there is a vast number of people who have occupied this earth who believe that their purpose is to be good. They suspect that whatever god there might be has determined that he likes good people and detests bad people, and that he is planning a final test where the bad guys will be enthusiastically thrown into the fire and the good will get rewarded because of how good they proved to be.
I say that because so many still feel so badly because they do bad things and don't do enough good things. There have been so many religions created because bad people are trying to be good.
Even in our predominantly secular culture, people are always trying to be better. The best-selling books tell us how to be better at something. Even if it's not for God's judgment, we want to do better because we will feel better about ourselves. It's secularism's version of heaven.
It is a scary question, but what if that isn't what God wants? What if badness and goodness were not the issue? What if being good were not the goal? It sure would take a lot of pressure off. But, someone will argue that we tried that in the 60's when we trashed responsibility and thumbed our noses at rules, and boundaries. That didn't pan out so good. Someone is probably about to mention that much of our society is already rejecting any morality and that we are amid a culture war because of it.
Before we get too far, let me point out that being bad is not the only other choice.
The truth is that God is all about humans knowing him and being loved by him. He created Adam and Eve to know him and partner with him in a great project. Their role on earth was to be the image-bearer of their creator.
We can get back to being his image-bearers on earth as we partner with him in getting the truth of his real purpose delivered to the whole world.
It was after they believed a lie about him and his intentions that they started trying to get back in his good graces by being good the way they assumed he wanted. Since that time, humans have speculated as to what it would take to appease the gods, or they have taken God's own instructions and turned them into ladders they could climb toward goodness.
In time, God sent the Son to be the perfect human who lived in love and righteousness. He died as our substitute so that his goodness could be transferred to us. We can't be better than he, and he has paid for our badness. We are free to know God without guilt, shame or fear.
We can get back to being his image-bearers on earth as we partner with him in getting the truth of his real purpose delivered to the whole world. We can lay aside our dead works that never impressed him anyway. He loves to show off his mercy when we sin. His glory is made manifest when in our weakness he is strong.
Our failures don't put him off. They are opportunities for him to show any who are watching how much he loves to restore the broken and pick up the fallen.
Oh, we don't try to be bad, or just do bad things because we can. We are constrained by the love that he has shown. It changes us. We long to honor his name, and we find that we love the same people he does. Some might look at us and say we are good people, but that is not our goal. It is just an observation. We are known and loved by him.
If anyone ever tells you that Jesus does anything to you that does not line up with this verse DO NOT BELIEVE THEM. Jesus came to give you life and give it to you abundantly! #Receive #Receive #Receive #JesusCameForYouBecauseHeLovesYou
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Is anyone besides me tired of hearing about “fake news”? You would think it was a new discovery on the level with fire. It isn’t It's been going on for a long time.
The serpent wove a pretty fantastic story in the Garden of Eden. After all, fake news is simply a false narrative constructed to incite people to follow a specific agenda. The recent political campaign had more than its share of such. The current headlines do too.
The media has been exposed as less objective than we thought or hoped. Who could believe the accounts presented about Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton or President Obama? If the story fit your bias, it was tempting to certify it as true, and even pass it on as legitimate news.
During my early high school days, before I had a driver's license, I had to catch a ride for the ten miles home after football practice. My uncle who lived just a mile away was a good prospect. He was the clerk of the district court and left for home at 5:00 p.m. most days. Sometimes when court was in session, he would be forced to stay later, and I would sit in the courtroom and watch the proceedings.
I was always amazed at how an attorney could take the presented evidence and create a narrative to account for it in such a way to benefit his desired conclusion. The jury had to decide between competing narratives. This has been going on a long time.
Back to the Garden. The serpent reinterpreted the circumstances and wove a story about how much better it would be if the original pair would distrust God and believe his version of reality instead. Later in history, Jesus said that the devil was a liar from the beginning, and “the father of lies.” All alternative narratives come from him, through the minds and mouths of those who, like the serpent, reject God's word as final truth.
Sadly, many don't even admit that such a dynamic is going on. They ignore the reality of spiritual deception and walk headlong into issues they have no ability to discern.
You are blessed in Christ. Your circumstances are opportunities to discover His grace and sufficiency.
On Christmas night, the shepherds heard real news and it was good. A new day had come! A new King had arrived. Blessings would come from His reign. Sin would be forever defeated. Life as designed would be possible for those who submitted to Him. They would be given His name as authority and His Spirit as power to live.
You might have heard some fake news. For instance, the accuser, Satan, likes to broadcast that God is angry with you and that you should probably avoid Him. After all, look at the circumstances around you. Why are you having all these problems? Surely this is incontrovertible evidence that God doesn't want to bless you.
The good news that Jesus brings is that He took upon Himself the wrath of God for your sins. If you trust in Him, you are now viewed by God as righteous as Jesus. You are blessed in Christ. Your circumstances are opportunities to discover His grace and sufficiency.
Or, you might have heard that evil is so pervasive that it will ultimately win. Again, if you look at the circumstances, with all the bad things going on, it’s easy to wonder, if God is ruling, why so much evil?
But try looking at the good things going on. God is using His people to address issues of injustice and hostility, and will ultimately vindicate His own. Give thanks for the blessings and your eyes will open to more.
Finally, you might have heard that life is just unfair and random and you are one of the victims. Look at how the wicked are blessed and the righteous are ignored.
Far from being a victim, you are God's delegated representative on earth. As one who trusts in Him, you carry His approval and His name. He is using you to address the issues that you see with the truth of the good news that is real.
There is real news and it is good. You can trust it if it aligns with the word of God. He can be trusted and so can His word. When you know the truth you can be free.
Well, I have done the unthinkable! I have decided to go off social media…for now. Here’s why: First of all, nothing is wrong. I’m doing great! I just felt it would be a little weird for those who have received encouragement through my posts if I simply dissapeared without any explanation. Secondly, I am not […]
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I’ve met some people who really like to make New Year’s Resolutions and some who say, “Nah, that’s not really my thing.” With this being the last day of the year, I was thinking this morning about how my New Year’s Resolution list would look different now, under grace, from how it used to look. […]
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God’s Love Blows My Mind! Last night we attended the JUMP Christmas production at our church, St. Louis Family Church, which was fabulous by the way! Standing room only! Before the producton started I had gone into the restroom and was standing there in front of the mirror at church trying to figure out how to […]
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I would definitely have to say that one of the most pivotal and life transforming moments in my husband’s and my life was the moment we came into an understanding that our complete forgiveness for all of our sins – past, present and future sins – was made possible for us by Jesus Christ alone […]
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