tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60841952380590568752023-11-15T09:06:56.216-06:00Abundant GraceAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.comBlogger1319125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-70165074138099239282018-08-08T00:30:00.000-05:002018-08-08T00:30:01.724-05:00A Note to My Readers <span style="font-size: large;">Dear Friends and Faithful Readers,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have been privileged to greet you morning by morning since 2013 with daily <i>Abundant Grace</i> devotions. There have been over 500 original posts with some of those posts reused on special days or when I needed to take a break and renew my creative juices. I will be taking a longer break for the next six months or so. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">On the side bar of this devotion you can track the past posts back to 2013. If you want to pick up where we left off yesterday, you can select 2013 and select May. Starting with <b style="font-style: italic;">Comprehensive Grace, </b>you can follow along daily throughout all of 2013 and find renewed blessing in previously published Abundant Grace devotions. Thank you for sharing these posts with me over the years and may God bless you in the months to come. And remember, you can always find a good book to read to give you encouragement and joy in your daily walk with God at my website. </span><a href="http://www.davidccraig.net/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">www.davidccraig.net</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">David Craig</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Until the future, my friends, may
the good God envelop you with His grace, strengthen and keep you in His loving arms,
and shelter you beneath his tender protective wings. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-69383099397457805122018-08-07T00:30:00.000-05:002018-08-07T00:30:01.944-05:00Grace to Move Us Forward <br />
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In Annie Coghill’s revival hymn
“Work, for the Night Is Coming” we are constantly reminded to work. How are we to work? We are to work zealously. Paul told Titus to tell his congregation to
be zealous for good works. Why are we to
be zealous for good works? We are to do
this in response to God’s grace to us.
We were saved by grace to be zealous for good works so that men might
see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. We conclude our alphabet today with “Z” for
zealous grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In many of the ways that we have
seen grace going through the grace alphabet, it has been the work of God’s
grace toward us. But grace toward us is
also to be grace in us and grace through us.
We are now to manifest the greatness of God’s grace as we live in this
world. He did not extend His wonderful
grace to us that we might just soak it up like a sponge. A saturated sponge is a soggy thing. We are to keep the sponge busy spreading
around the grace of God and then get our sponges refilled to spread it around
some more. That spreading around of
God’s grace is called good works and we are to be zealous to do them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We see that Jesus was Himself
zealous for the work of God. John
records in his gospel that when Jesus cleansed the temple it fulfilled the Old
Testament prophecy that He would be zealous for His Father’s house. Today we are His Father’s house. We have become the temple of God. We need to be zealous in doing good works for
those in the church first. But we are
also servants in the Father’s field which is the world. We need to be as zealous to reap in His field
as we are to do good works for those who are His temple. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Annie Coghill’s song reminds us that
we only have so much time to work. We
should not put off getting it done until some more convenient time. Satan will lure us with many things that will
mean we will never find a convenient time.
Paul wrote, “Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of
salvation.” Not only do we have a
limited time to do God’s work, others have a limited time to hear it. Let us sing joyfully and zealously as we get
about the work of God. “Work, for the
night is coming. Work through the morning hours. Work when the dew is sparkling. Work mid springing flowers . . . Work for the
night is coming, when man works no more.”
Go forth with zeal and work with zealous grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-22034674221150401732018-08-06T00:30:00.000-05:002018-08-06T00:30:18.368-05:00Satisfying Grace <br />
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In her sweet testimonial hymn
“Satisfied!” Clara Williams clearly captures the condition of humanity. Her opening stanza “All my life long I had
panted for a drink from some clear spring that I thought would quench the
burning of the thirst I felt within” paints an accurate picture of the desires
of mankind. While not seeking for God,
which Romans 3 emphatically points out that we do not do, we search for the
benefits of the grace of God. We yearn
for grace. Yearned will be our “Y” in alphabetizing grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What do we yearn for that grace
provides? We yearn for forgiveness from
all our sins against God and man. People
realize that simple self forgiveness is not enough. In Christ we have complete forgiveness
through the grace of God. We yearn for
hope. The macro-world and the
micro-world often set us into a state of despondency. All is not right and the future is very
uncertain. Where is hope? The Bible says hope comes from God and His
abundant grace. When both the
macro-world and micro-world are spinning out of control both now and the
future, God is the same and offers the constancy of hope. We yearn for a certainty of a positive
outcome after death. The Bible tells us
that that certainty is heaven and it is reached by grace through faith in the
work of Christ on the cross. We yearn
for a constant friend. Worldly friends and family can often be fickle or
unresponsive to us. This is why Joseph
Scriven’s hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” resonates so loudly. The world wants a constant friend and by
grace God has given His Son to be ours. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Technically we do not yearn for
God. We do, however, yearn for the
blessings of God. We should take heart
that the God of those blessings came to seek us out and give them to us. One of the simplest and easiest to remember
of all verses in the Bible is this verse of comfort, purpose and hope in Luke
19:10. “For the Son of Man is come to
seek and to save that which was lost.”
Grace sought us that we might have the yearnings of our hearts fulfilled. With Clara Williams sing her triumphant
chorus, “Hallelujah! I have found Him Whom my soul so long has craved! Jesus
satisfies my longings – through His blood I now am saved.” O the great fulfillment of yearned for
grace! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
visit <span style="color: #cc3300;"><a href="http://www.davidccraig.net/"><span style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.davidccraig.net</span></a></span>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-5165917727846506452018-08-03T00:30:00.000-05:002018-08-03T00:30:00.780-05:00X Marks the Spot <br />
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In any good treasure hunting movie
we learn that “X” marks the spot. Our
“X” is for Xaris, the Greek word for Grace.
It is pronounced with a “CH” sound as in Christian. Our English letter “x” comes from this
letter, but it did not keep the sound.
What we do like the sound of, however, is the sound of grace as in John
Newton’s hymn, “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Xaris is on the list of frequently
used words in the New Testament. It is
used 153 times. It is the mother word for Xara which is used 59 times, Xairo
which is used 74 times, Xarisma which is used 17 times, euXaristos which is
used 55 times and Xaristao which is used only twice. All forms of this word are used 300 times in
the New Testament. That means that it is
a pretty “x”citing word to learn. Grace
is indeed “x”citing. Just the thought of
God’s amazing grace should get us up and singing a rousing chorus of praise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Xaris is also an “x”ceedingly
important word. Without it there is no <u>joy</u>
(Xara), no <u>thanksgiving</u> (euXaristos), no <u>rejoicing</u> (Xairo) not to
mention none of God’s wonderful <u>gifts</u> (Xarisma). What would the Christian do without these
“x”ceedingly important parts of God’s wonderful grace? These beautiful words are also translated as
favor, gladness, accepted, thanks and variations of these words. All that is part of God’s “x”ceedingly
wonderful and “x”citing grace. When we
think of grace we need to grasp the whole of what it means. It means everything that we find necessary
for a positive outlook on life. It means
everything that makes us really pleasing to those around us. It means everything required for personal
peace. All of this is wrapped up in one
little word “grace”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is no wonder that so many songs
are written about grace. Philip
Doddridge wrote a hymn that is little used anymore. It is titled “Grace! ‘Tis a Charming
Sound”. The first stanza reads, “Grace!
‘Tis a charming sound, harmonious to the ear; heaven with the echo shall resound,
and all the earth shall hear.” The fifth
stanza concludes with a plea to make God’s “x”citing grace an integral part of
our life. “O let Thy grace inspire, my
soul with strength divine; may all my powers to Thee aspire, and all my days be
Thine.” That is truly a proper attitude
toward God’s “x”ceedingly wonderful grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Friday Benediction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop
you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in
the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be
enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-65253888599702859352018-08-02T00:30:00.000-05:002018-08-02T00:30:16.556-05:00Wonderful Grace <br />
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Haldor Lillenas’s great hymn “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” is
aimed at making one point very clear - the grace of God is wonderful. Each stanza begins with “wonderful grace of
Jesus” and each stanza ends with “wonderful grace of Jesus”. We have reached “W” and that will be for the
wonderful grace of Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What does wonderful really mean to us? Its actual definition means to fill with
wonder. It could be used in a negative
way. At the end of a long day at work
the boss brings in a stack of papers that need to be finished before you can go
home. “Wonderful,” you mutter under your
breath. Of course, it fills you with
wonder at how the boss could be so inconsiderate to wait until 4:45 to dump
three more hours of work on you. That
would be a negative wonderful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Then you see the sharpest, speediest and most efficient
worker in the office go past your door.
She looks in and sees what has just happened. She comes into your office and takes off her
coat and says, “We can probably get this done in an hour if we work
together.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wow! You say,
“Wonderful! Thank you so much!” That is positive wonderful and it fills you
with wonder at the kindness, the concern, the care, the camaraderie and the
self sacrificing nature of your co-worker.
You are filled with wonder that anyone could do such an onerous task in
your behalf. It fills you with gratitude
and joy and peace and thanksgiving.
That is the wonderful grace of Jesus.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest.” He has
taken the burden of our sin and nailed it to Calvary’s cross. He has taken the burden of our condemnation
and carried it to hell and rose again to life for our hope. He has promised to never leave us or forsake
us. He has promised to be there as our
burden bearer for all time and eternity.
Isn’t that wonderful? He did all
that for us when we were yet sinners and opposed to him in mind, heart and
body. He did it all by His wonderful
grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We need to sing of His grace. We need to proclaim such
wonderful grace from the housetops. We need to respond in genuine gratitude
demonstrated in our daily lives for such wonderful grace. Indeed we can sing with Haldor Lillenas,
“Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin. How shall my tongue describe it? Where shall its praise begin?” O the wonderful, wonderful exceedingly
wonderful grace of God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-31848067203783376442018-08-01T00:30:00.000-05:002018-08-01T00:30:02.541-05:00Victory Through Grace <br />
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Fanny Crosby’s rousing and
triumphant anthem “Victory Through Grace” proclaims the mighty power of God’s
grace for the soldiers of the cross. The
chorus makes it clear that God’s people will not conquer by strength or
speed. They will have their victory
through the promised grace of God. “Not
to the strong is the battle, not to the swift is the race. Yet to the true and the faithful victory is
promised through grace.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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In conflict after conflict the Bible
promises this victory through grace. In
Ephesians 2 God promises victory over the conflict of death by His quickening
grace. In Romans 5 God promises victory
over the conflict of condemnation by His justifying grace. In Romans 4 and all of Galatians God promises
victory over our conflict with the law by His saving grace. In II Corinthians 12 God promises victory
over the conflict of the weakness of our flesh by His sufficient grace. In Hebrews 4 God promises victory over the
conflict of the despairs of life at His throne of grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As we face the conflicts of life we
must always remember that the God of grace is still our God. Trials, despairs, conflicts, sin, weakness
and all other problems of living in this shell of flesh do not separate us from
Him. He knows our needs and does not leave us alone to face them. Jesus came and lived here and experienced
sorrows, temptations, trials, hurts and rejection. Our God of grace fully understands all that
we face each day. We are not alone. We have One with us, our Ruler, our King, our
Victorious Leader, our Risen Savior who is able to sustain us by His grace in
everything we face both now and unto eternity.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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With Fanny Crosby we need to stand
and sing. We need to raise our voices
loudly in the triumphant proclamation of victory through grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i> “Conquering now and still to conquer rideth
the King in His might! Leading the host of all the faithful into the midst of
the fight; see them with courage advancing, clad in their brilliant array,
shouting the name of their Leader, hear them exultingly say. Not to the strong is the battle, not to the
swift is the race. Yet to the true and
the faithful victory is promised through GRACE!”t<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-70972802260170705622018-07-31T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-31T00:30:11.250-05:00Unmerited <br />
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We return today to Daniel Whittle’s
hymn “I Know Whom I Have Believed”. The
first stanza of this hymn contains the key idea for God’s unmerited Grace. Whittle wrote, “I know not why God’s wondrous
grace to me he hath made known, <u>nor why, unworthy</u>, Christ in love
redeemed me for His own.” Unworthy
clearly states our condition. Grace
clearly states God’s response.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Why was God moved to save sinners
such as us? Was it our good looks? Was
it our natural abilities? Was it our
keen intellects? Was it our good
conduct? Was it our financial standing? Was it our important standing in the
community? Was it the good benefits that we could offer Him? Obviously these were not the reasons. Paul
told the Corinthians that God did not choose the wise, the mighty, or the
noble. Rather, God chose the weak, the
foolish, the despised and those which are accounted as nothing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We bring nothing to God. Our best efforts, Isaiah said, are just a
pile of leprosy infected rags. Peter
said our money can’t buy God’s blessing of Jesus Christ. Paul said that we can’t bring God our works
or we would have something to boast about.
We come to God naked, poor, needy and sick. We come to God as completely tainted failures. We come, as Daniel Whittle said, unworthy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That is what makes grace so
wonderful. We do not merit it. God gives
it. God pours out His matchless love,
His matchless care, His matchless provision not in response to our value but in
response solely to His grace. Such a
gift is too high for us to comprehend.
Such a sacrifice is too great for us to understand. Our comprehension or understanding, however,
is not necessary. What God wants is for
us to receive His grace. He wants us to
take the gift He offers. He wants us to
become His children. He wants to display
His grace to the world by displaying His grace in us, unworthy, unfit, unclean
sinners who have been changed by the grace of God. Let us respond to this great grace by having
our lives conform to the familiar words of Elvina Hall’s great consecration
hymn “Jesus Paid it All”. The third
verse and chorus read, “For nothing good have I, whereby Thy grace to claim.
I’ll wash my garments white in the blood of Calvary’s Lamb. Jesus paid it all;
all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson
stain; He washed it white as snow.”
Thanks be to God for His unmerited grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-46064475269168730352018-07-30T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-30T00:30:04.883-05:00Songs of Thanksgiving and Praise<br />
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My favorite holiday of the year is Thanksgiving. It is a time for family and feasting and
singing great songs of praise. When we
consider the origin of some of our favorite Thanksgiving hymns, it inspires us
to give ever more heartfelt praise to God for His grace. Martin Rinkart who wrote “Now Thank We All
Our God” did so in the midst of the 30 Years War in Germany. At the time he wrote this hymn he was serving
as the only pastor left living in his city and there was a plague going on. Think of that as the backdrop for your next
Thanksgiving Day celebration. Another
great Thanksgiving hymn is “We Gather Together”. It was written in the Netherlands during the
brutal attacks by the Spanish king against the Dutch Protestants. War ravaged their land for two
generations. It was called the 80 Years
War. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How could these people be so
thankful in the midst of such overwhelming calamities in their lives? They were thankful for the care they saw
coming from God each day. They were thankful
for the certainty of His grace toward them.
They did not equate God’s grace and care with having everything they
could imagine in a material way. They
understood that grace and care are ongoing in adversity. They understood that grace and care were
eternal and that what they were experiencing was not what they would always
experience. They were convinced that the
words of Paul in Romans 8:36-39 were absolutely true. They were thankful for a sovereign God who
would undergird them in life and keep them in death. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanksgiving is totally integrated
into God’s grace. The very word
“thanksgiving” as found in our New Testament is a derivative of the word
grace. Without the word “grace” there is
no word “thanksgiving”. The New
Testament word “eucharist” is translated thanksgiving. It is the same word that we use “Eucharist”
to describe the thanksgiving feast of the Lord’s Table. Perhaps a very literal translation of the
word could be “built upon grace”. That
is what thanksgiving is, an attitude of the believer founded on the sure grace
of God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With Martin Rinkart we can joyously
sing with hope and thanksgiving, “O may this bounteous God through all our life
be near us. With ever joyful hearts and
blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in His GRACE, and guide us when
perplexed, and free us from all ills in this world and the next.” Let God’s rich grace produce genuine
thanksgiving in His people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-69554421367805173592018-07-27T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-27T00:30:17.034-05:00Haven of Rest <br />
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If I could travel back in time I
would like to meet two great women hymnists, Lena Sandell and Frances
Havergal. Their hymns of worship and
consecration have greatly enriched the singing of Christ’s church. Their heart of devotion and faith minister
the hope, grace and peace of God to all who will meditate on their words. One of my absolute favorite hymns is by Lena
Sandell, “Children of the Heavenly Father”.
The first line reads, “Children of the Heavenly Father, safely in His
bosom gather. Nesting bird nor star in
heaven such a refuge e’er was given.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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God’s grace is the safest place to
be. Men seek refuge in all manner of
things. They seek safety in financial
security. They seek safety in military
might. They seek safety in medical
technology. They seek safety in political power. They seek safety in knowledge. They
constantly seek safety in the things that they can make or hold. Lena Sandell knew that safety comes from none
of those. Safety comes from the grace of
God. It is only as we throw ourselves on
the mercy of His grace that we will ever learn or ever possess true safety.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus tells us that the world of
Noah’s day is no different than the world of today. People were running around doing all the
things that people do to have a happy and secure life. One man, however, sought something different. He sought God. That man was Noah and Genesis six tells us
that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
By grace he and his family were saved when all the rest of the world
perished. Grace was the safest place to
be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Grace will comfort us with its
safety in every storm of life. Grace
will assure us with its safety in every trial we face. Grace will uphold us with its safety in every
need that we confront. Grace will wrap us safely in the arms of Jesus where our
hope and peace and joy is secured by His mighty power forever and forever. America’s greatest female hymnist, Fanny
Crosby, wrote these words that echo those of Lena Sandell. “Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His
gentle breast; there by His love o’er shaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.” Rest in the safe arms of God’s grace
today. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Friday Benediction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop
you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in
the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be
enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-10464365176398581782018-07-26T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-26T00:30:01.726-05:00What a Friend Grace <br />
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Whenever we have a hymn-sing at
church, where people can choose the songs they want to sing, one of the first
ones always chosen is Joseph Scriven’s “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. The message of this hymn resonates with
everyone. All of us have sins, griefs,
trials, loneliness and cares. All of us
at some point need a friend to come alongside us and comfort us, lift us up,
care for us and help us on our way.
Jesus is that someone and He has His grace ready to give us in every
need. His “ready” grace will be our “R”
in alphabetizing grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The author of Hebrews says in 4:16,
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.”
The offer has been placed on the table by God. If you need grace to help, ask and it shall
be given. If you need mercy, ask and it
shall be given. If you need to talk,
talk and I will listen. He is ready to
hear and to meet our needs with His grace.
His grace is always ready to be poured out to His dear children. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus likens this need meeting grace
to a father’s care for his children. If they need bread he will not give a
stone. If they need fish he will not
give a scorpion. So it is with God’s
grace. He isn’t waiting to disappoint
us; He is waiting for us to ask that He might pour out the fullness of His
grace to meet our needs. Ask of Him and
He will be ready for He loves His children so much that He gave His own Son to
die for us. What then can His gracious
hand withhold? <o:p></o:p></div>
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The readiness of Christ to bestow
grace in the hour of our need reminds me of an old Gospel song written by
Frederick Lehman that the Willow Wood Boys (a Gospel group I sang with) used to
do. “The Royal Telephone” has this first verse and chorus: “Central’s never
‘busy,’ always on the line; you may hear from Heaven almost any time; ’Tis a
royal service, free for one and all; when you get in trouble, give this royal
line a call. (Refrain) Telephone to
glory, O what joy divine! I can feel the current moving on the line, built by
God the Father for His loved and own; we may talk to Jesus thru this royal
telephone.” Talk with Him today and find His grace “ready” in your time of
need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-10395571285366558572018-07-25T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-25T00:30:17.899-05:00Quickening Grace <br />
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William Sleeper’s great evangelistic
hymn “Ye Must Be Born Again” expresses a clear message of our spiritual
state. It can be summarized this way,
“Once born, twice dead; twice born, never die”.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the
kingdom of God. That which is born of
the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” Paul amplifies this explanation in Ephesians
2:4-5, “But God . . . even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together
with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Quickened is an old fashioned word
meaning to “make alive”. We were dead in
the spiritual realm and needed to be born again, quickened or made alive, in
the spiritual realm. Paul tells us that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus says that that which is born of the
flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. God’s spirit enters a person and gives them
rebirth. This is done by the grace of
God. We are quickened by grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This passage in Ephesians 2 is a
young preacher’s delight. It has the
simplest 5 point outline of God’s grace. We are <b><u>Dead</u></b> in our trespasses and sin. (Vs 1) We are <b><u>Disobedient</u></b>
in our conduct before God and man. (Vs 2)
We are <b><u>Doomed </u></b>to the
wrath of God. (Vs 3) We are <b><u>Delivered</u></b> by the grace of God.
(Vs 5) We are<b> <u>Designed</u></b> (by grace – vs. 8) for service to God. (Vs
10) Anytime a simple devotion or Bible
study is required on short notice, there is this great passage on grace in
Ephesians 2. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Having been quickened, born again,
by God’s grace we can sing a new song of praise to our Redeemer. John W. Peterson gave us a great new song for
just this occasion. The chorus resounds
with the joy of being born again, “New life in Christ, abundant and free! What
glories shine, what joys are mine, what wondrous blessings I see! The past with its sin, the searching and
strife, forever gone, there’s a bright new dawn! For in Christ I have found NEW LIFE!” This is
the blessing of quickening grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-72350322517011662032018-07-24T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-24T00:30:05.793-05:00All the Time Grace <br />
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In Gary Paxton’s Gospel song “He Was
There All the Time” he makes this simple statement about God’s grace, “He was
there all the time, waiting patiently in line”.
In chapter after chapter and book after book in the Bible we see the
unimaginable patience of God towards the subjects of His grace. He calls; He woos; He pleads. God’s loving grace is seen in the patience of
His grace. Our letter “P” will be
patient grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Imagine if God’s standard were “one
and done”. Humanity would have been
wiped out in Eden. When Moses asked
Pharaoh to let His people go, Pharaoh made their labor harder. The Israelites did not respond in faith
toward God when that happened. Israel
would still be in bondage to Egypt.
David’s kingdom would have come to an end after the incident with
Bathsheba. Peter, the Christ denier,
would be a footnote to the history of the church. The apostle Paul would have been struck dead
by lightening instead of being struck down by light. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Imagine if God’s standard were “one
and done” in our life. How many received
Christ as Savior on first hearing the Gospel?
How many have walked obediently with Christ every day since coming to
Him for salvation? How many trust Him
fully in every situation of life? We are
no different than Adam and Eve, the Israelites, David, Peter or Paul. We are human as they were. We may think it remarkable that God could be
so patient with them while we also need to be honest in how remarkable it is
how patient God is with us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This patience of Grace, however,
cannot lead us to two false conclusions.
The first is that God’s patience extends beyond our death if we have
rejected His grace. It is appointed on
to man once to die and after that the judgment.
Judgment will be based on what we did with Christ. The other error is to think that God is
somehow so kindly viewing our constant rebellion that His grace will never
allow Him to correct it. Parental care
requires the correction of rebellion in the home and God’s loving parental
grace and care requires it in our lives as well. Still, His Grace is seen in His great
patience toward us as He woos the lost and shepherds His sheep. Sing through Gary Paxton’s song today and
praise God for His patient Grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-25311010547493695622018-07-23T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-23T00:30:06.846-05:00Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent Grace <br />
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In his stately hymn “Immortal,
Invisible” Walter Smith lays out in beautiful pictures the grandness of
God. He uses phrasing like, “Most
blessed, most glorious . . . almighty victorious” and “Unresting, unhasting nor
wanting or wasting”. We get a picture of
a grand and glorious God who is unequaled.
We see the great God of the three O’s that we teach children are some of
His key attributes: Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent. Since God is those
things, so is grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When we think of the greatness of
God’s forgiveness, we must realize that He knows all our sins. He is omniscient. There is nothing that we had ever done in
open or in secret that He does not know.
We have never thought a thought that He did not hear. All of the vileness of all of those sins was
on our known record before God. But in
grace He sent His Son. In grace He loved
us. In grace He forgave us. That is the grace of omniscience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How could He do something as
unimaginable as that? The most powerful
court in the world could not erase and forget every thought, word and deed that
offended God and man. It would require
someone who is all powerful, omnipotent, to accomplish that feat. Our sins can be forgiven because He can. He is powerful enough to accomplish all His
will, and His will is to redeem sinful man from the curse of the fall and
forgive all who will come to His Son in faith.
That is the grace of omnipotence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How far does this grace extend? We can hear it in His Word at church. We can read about it in His Word at
home. What about at work where we are
rightly concentrating on our jobs? What
about at play where we are concentrating on safety or a good time of
camaraderie with our friends. Yes, His
grace is there as well. His grace is
there because He is there. He who said,
“I will never leave thee” meant it.
Where we go His grace goes with us.
It must because He is there with us as well. That is omnipresent grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Samuel Davies and John Newton
combined in the great hymn “Great God of Wonders!” After extolling the very
greatness of God they address the very heart of His glory as expressed in His
grace. “But the fair glories of Thy grace, more Godlike and unrivaled
shine.” All the power and knowledge and
presence of God shine forth in His grace.
Praise Him with the chorus of this Davies/Newton hymn, “Who is a pardoning
God like thee? Or who has grace, so rich and free? Or who has grace so rich and
free?” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-53549929226812626602018-07-20T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-20T00:30:07.905-05:00Blood-bought Grace <br />
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In Robert Lowry’s revival hymn
“Nothing but the Blood”, the simple question is asked, “What can wash way my
sin?” and answered, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus”. Nothing could be more simple, straightforward
or theologically correct. We have a
need. We are doomed sinners. In loving grace God sent His Son to die for
our sins. There was no other way,
absolutely no other way, by which we could be saved from our sin and our
doom. What God did in grace was
necessary for us and our eternal destiny.
Grace is necessary. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is not that man hasn’t tried to
reach God without grace; it is just that man has and always will fail in the
attempt to do so. Adam and Eve bought
into the satanic lie that we could be like God or equal to Him. We have kept that same egoistic mentality for
all the history of humanity. Men have
attempted to be gods by self declaration.
They have created gods more amenable to their own condition to feel more
able to measure up to a godlike expectation.
Even when they consider the one true God they remain futile in their imaginations
by assuming that they be worthy in themselves of His approval and
acceptance. All of this is a fantasy and
leads to failure, death and doom. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, that is not the outcome desired
by God. We can never, we must never,
forget the words of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son!” Our church choir
sang that yesterday as a beautiful reminder for us all. Paul puts it this way in Romans 5:8, “But God
demonstrated His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.” To restore men to
fellowship with Him; to save them; to redeem them from the enemies possession;
God had to do something. It was
necessary and He did it. He gave His
only Begotten Son. It was the only way
to buy back man from sin and its condemnation.
God’s grace excels all other graces in that He has done what is
necessary even at the cost of the cross of His own dear Son Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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It was and is necessary grace. Nothing else can ever satisfy God’s demand
for justice and righteousness. Ask it, “What can wash away my sin?” Answer it,
“Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” When
nothing else can do, then that particular something is necessary. Grace is God’s necessary response to our
need. Praise Him for it today. Sing these lasting words of praise, “O
Precious is the flow that made me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing
but the blood of Jesus.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><b style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </b></div>
<br />
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The
Friday Benediction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop
you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in
the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be
enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend. Amen<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
visit <span style="color: #cc3300;"><a href="http://www.davidccraig.net/"><span style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration-line: none;">www.davidccraig.net</span></a></span>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-51517183814181499462018-07-19T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-19T00:30:07.259-05:00Totally Matchless Grace <br />
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Samuel Medley’s beautiful hymn of
worship and praise, “His Matchless Worth”, concludes with this magnificent
declaration, “Triumphant in His grace, Triumphant in His Grace.” Haldor Lillenas in his epic hymn “Wonderful
Grace of Jesus” begins his chorus, “Wonderful the matchless grace of
Jesus”. What can compare to the grace of
Jesus? What can stand alongside it and
say, “I am just as good as that.” What
else could gain eternity for sinful man and bless him on his way? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! The grace of Jesus Christ is matchless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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The author of Hebrews tells us in
chapter 11 that there are passing pleasures of sin. The King James Version calls them “the
pleasures of sin for a season”. They
look all shiny and bright. They beckon
us from every TV ad, every billboard, every magazine or computer ad we
see. They shout out, “Come to me and be
satisfied. I will meet your need. I will make you happy. You deserve me.” People pay thousands of dollars on seminars
to learn how to be happy. The things break. The next seminar comes along with a new idea
because the old one just didn’t work that well after all. They all offered things to the flesh and the
flesh perishes and all that feeds the flesh will also perish. They look good. They sound good. But they don’t match up to their hype. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus isn’t like that at all. His offer is matchless. He surpasses all expectations. He never fails. He never breaks. His truths don’t need an update. Jesus does not perish and those who come to
him will never perish either. Every
promise that He makes is a lasting promise.
They are heaven guaranteed promises.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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The things of earth are bought with
a price. The more we value them the
higher the price. Jesus gave a matchless
price for us. Peter says that we have
not been redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold (how odd that
what we covet God calls corruptible) but with the precious blood of
Christ. Don Aldridge in his song “It
Wouldn’t Be Enough” includes this line, <span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“And I couldn't pay
the price<b><span style="color: teal;"> </span></b>for one single drop of blood<b><span style="color: teal;"> </span></b>that was shed for my salvation.” Why wouldn’t
it? The triumphant and priceless grace
of Jesus is truly matchless. Not gold
nor silver nor the passing pleasures of sin for a season are enough. The wonderful grace of Jesus is matchless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
visit <span style="color: #cc3300;"><a href="http://www.davidccraig.net/"><span style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.davidccraig.net</span></a></span>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-87508349247072910382018-07-18T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-18T00:30:20.354-05:00In Loving Kindness <br />
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Among the many of Charles Gabriel’s
hymns and Gospel songs is the stirring “He Lifted Me”. The chorus comes to a crescendo as it sings,
“O praise His Name, He lifted (hold that note) me.” The song begins, “In lovingkindness Jesus
came (and we saw kindness yesterday), my soul in mercy to reclaim. And from the depths of sin and shame, <u>through
GRACE He lifted</u> me.” Praise God for
lifting grace, our “L” in alphabetizing grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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In a long past and forgotten America
I used to wend my way around the country using my thumb. People would stop and crank (yes, crank) down
their window and say, “Do you need a lift?”
I would hop in the car and away we would go somewhere toward my
destination. Without that “lift” I would
make very slow progress. I even
“thumbed” it to candidate for my first pastoral position. Believe me; I always appreciated the “lift”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In life we are all on a road to
eternity. Everyone starts out on the
wrong road, the broad way that leads to destruction. That road, while seemingly filled with the
glitter of promise, has very dark skies and many horrible terrors. We find no real peace, joy or hope on that
broad way. We are all hitchhiking to
hell. We need someone to pick us up,
give us a lift, and drive us to a different destination. We all want hope, peace and joy. We need a driver who can really take us
there. Jesus is the One who can do
that. He came to seek and to save that
which was lost. He has died that we
might have the peace of forgiveness, rose that we might have the joy of
justification and lives that we might have the hope of a real heavenly
eternity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Jesus has commissioned us to ride along with
Him picking up the lost. He has
commissioned us to go before Him and pass out notices to others on the broad
way that He is coming along that road to give them a ride to somewhere where
promises are real. He died to give a
true and eternal “lift” to a lost and truly hopeless humanity. He did it all in grace. As Charles Gabriel
put it so beautifully, “From sinking sand He lifted me. With tender hand He lifted me. From shades of night to plains of light, O
Praise His Name, He lifted me.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-21801659249917091272018-07-17T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-17T00:30:11.069-05:00A Holy Kindness <br />
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<span style="color: #000033; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/artistdetail.php?artist_id=1768"><span style="color: #000033; text-decoration-line: none;">Keith and
Kristyn Getty</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> begin
“Compassion Hymn” with these words, “There is an everlasting kindness You
lavished on us.” That is indeed what we
find in the wonderful grace of God – kindness.
Kindness is such a simple idea but such a powerful and transforming act. We have been transformed by God’s kindness to
be kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Paul
wrote the Ephesians, “But be ye kind, one to another, tenderhearted forgiving
one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” (4:32) As a pastor
of nearly 40 years I can testify that one place that sees far too little of the
kindness that Paul describes is the church.
Of all places where it should be easiest to manifest the kindness of
God, it should be in the house of God.
It should be where we hear of His grace and are strengthened in the walk
of grace. We need to practice kindness
in the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">In
Luke 6:35 Jesus uses this same word to describe how God is to those who are
unthankful and evil. Kindness is an
integral part of the great grace of God.
It is a manifestation of His grace that we can participate in daily.
Think of those to whom Jesus was kind.
There was the outcast leper who no one would help but Jesus. There was the woman caught in adultery that
the Pharisees wanted to unlawfully execute.
There was Syro-Phoneician woman who was a despised Gentile whose
daughter Jesus healed. There was Matthew
the tax collector, Mary Magdalene the prostitute, the Mad Man of the Gadarenes
and we cannot forget Peter after he denied Christ. He was kind to them all. Do we know many people who are “worse” than
these? We need to show the kindness of
Christ to needy people in streets of our life each day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Peter
also uses this word “kindness”. When we
find it in I Peter 2:3, however, it is translated “gracious”. The idea of the words is truly inseparable. I would like to add another verse to Kate
Wilkinson’s lovely devotional hymn “May the Mind of Christ, My Savior”. Sing this with the same tune. <i>“May
the grace of Christ my Savior flow from me for Him each day; that the world may
see my Jesus, find in Him the way.” <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-24335489938531778592018-07-16T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-16T00:30:14.262-05:00Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee <br />
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Whether it is the classic hymn by
Henry Van Dyke “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” based on Beethoven’s 9<sup>th</sup>
Symphony or J. Edward Ruark’s Gospel song “You May Have the Joy-Bells”, there
are a lot of songs and hymns based on joy.
The simple Scripture chorus “Rejoice in the Lord Always” based on
Philippians 4:4 gives a brief and easy way to remember to sing about the joy
that God has given us. Today we will use
joy for our “J” in alphabetizing grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the Greek New Testament, from
which our English one is translated, the word “joy” is a derivative of the word
“grace”. If there were a family tree of
vocabulary words then “Grace”, that beautiful woman we met at the start, is the
mother of “Joy”. Grace has other
beautiful children we will meet along the way as well. It is not just linguistically, however, that
grace and joy are connected. It is the
very essence of the truth of grace that we should be filled with joy because of
it. John Newton wrote, “I once was lost
but now I’m found.” What profound joy to be found after being lost! What ecstasy in being safe! Imagine being lost in the mountains, or on
the vast ocean or in a dark forest for days.
Hope is all gone. Then out of
seemingly nowhere a rescuer finds you and returns you to hearth and home. Joy!
We are lost in sin and our rescuer is Christ. What absolute joy to be found! <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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Now, what would you do for that person who
rescued you? Would you walk away from
them with indifference? Would you send
them a thank you by email? Would you hug
them and remember their name forever? If
they were ever to ask for your help with a real simple task, would you give
it? It would be your joy, your great
joy, to put their picture on your mantle.
It would be your joy, your great joy, to go to the reception given in
their honor. It would by your joy, your
great joy, to help them if you could.
Joy, like her mother Grace, becomes an action, not just a
sentiment. Oswald Smith expresses this
joy in his wonderful hymn “There is Joy in Serving Jesus”. He uses such rich phrases as “Joy that throbs
within my heart”, “Joy that triumphs over pain”, “Joy that never will
depart”. This is the joy of grace. This is joyous grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-82168113683193081112018-07-13T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-13T00:30:00.178-05:00Infinite Grace <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
We return today to Julia Johnston’s
hymn “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”. As we
continue to alphabetize the various ways we can see grace, we come to the
fourth stanza of this hymn: “Marvelous,
infinite, matchless grace!” For today we
will choose Infinite for the letter “I”.
Infinite grace is quite a grand thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The question has been asked by the
world for many ages, “How big is God”.
Philosophers pose the question to ridicule Him. Atheists insist that since He can’t be seen
He must not be big enough to believe.
The hurting want to know if God is big enough to meet their needs. The Bible answers the question with
clarity. The psalmist says there is no
place we can go to escape Him. That is
just one place we see His omnipresence.
God challenges Job to match His ability to lay out all the heavens and
control the affairs of all the earth.
That is just one place that teaches His omnipotence. God tells Isaiah that He knows the end from
the beginning. That is just one place
that teaches His omniscience. The answer
to the question, how big is God, is that He is big enough to be all present,
all powerful and all knowing. This is
the God of grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Grace then is as big as God is. God is infinite in scope. Grace is infinite in scope. There is not a place where God cannot extend
His grace except hell. Those who have
rejected His grace will never have another chance. God has elected to exclude hell from His
grace, but He pours grace out freely so that no one need go to hell. Grace is as infinite as His
omnipresence. There is no need so great
that in omnipotent grace He cannot meet it.
Grace is as infinite as His omnipotence.
There is no need so deep or vague that in omniscient grace He cannot
understand it and care for it. Grace is
as infinite as His omniscience. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Stuart Hamblen’s country classic,
“How Big is God” is a fine way to think of how big God’s grace really is. Hamblen points out that God is big enough to
do everything. God is also “small enough
to live within my heart”. That is where
we find God’s infinite grace so precious, “within my heart.” Sing the praises of God’s infinite grace
today. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Friday Benediction<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop
you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in
the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be
enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-28653000565887158232018-07-12T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-12T00:30:51.599-05:00Holy Grace <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
When I grew up I thought the first
song in every hymn book was Reginald Heber’s classic “Holy, Holy, Holy”. There is such majesty in those few
words. The angels in glory cry, “Holy,
Holy, Holy” and their eternal song is recorded for us in both Isaiah and
Revelation. God, the Lord God, the
Triune God is holy, holy, holy. The last
lines of the first and fourth verses of this hymn also declare Him to be
“merciful and mighty”. Yes, the Holy God
is the merciful and gracious God. The
grace of God is holy grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Being a holy God, Our Father cannot
tolerate sin. Sin cannot remain in His
presence. It will be cast out and driven
into everlasting hell. All mankind are
sinners. Because of that mankind can not
dwell with God. His holiness demands
that sin be removed. But God is also
merciful and gracious. In His mercy and
grace He devised a way that man could be accepted in His presence. Man’s sin could be removed if there were to
be a perfect sacrifice made to atone for it.
So our holy and gracious God sent His own Son, who is also perfectly
holy and gracious, to come to this world and live a completely sinless
life. Then His Son died a merciless
death on the cross of Calvary and God accepted that death as our own. Instead of our sin He gave us the very
righteousness of His own Son in order for us to live with Him. That is holy grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">
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Our permanent standing with God in
heaven is the holiness of Christ. God
also wants us to live with a standard of holiness before men. In Leviticus God charged the people to “be
holy for I Am Holy.” That same
commandment is given to us again in the New Testament in the book of I Peter
1:15-16. “But as He who called you is
holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy,
for I Am Holy.’” The holy grace of God that
saved us calls upon us to walk in His grace by living a holy life. After worshipping God today by singing “Holy,
Holy, Holy”, add a little time of silent reflection while also singing William
Longstaff’s well known consecration hymn “Take Time to Be Holy”. Reflect on the holy grace of God today. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-87002499995836047062018-07-11T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-11T00:30:19.924-05:00Make Me a Blessing <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
In Ira Wilson’s famous Gospel song
“Make Me a Blessing” the third verse goes, “Give as ‘twas given to you in your
need, love as the Master loved you.” In the fullness of the grace of God, our
Master laid down his life for us. Jesus
said to his disciples at the Last Supper, “Greater love has no man than this,
than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
It was a bold challenge to them and to His church to lay down our lives
as Christ laid down His. He did not ask
us to die in a physical sense, but to die through Him to our own selfishness
that we might live through Him in effective service and care to others. He asked us to take on the form of grace and
give of ourselves as we have been given.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Grace gives. Grace is giving. That is our “G” word for grace. God loved the world and gave His Son. By grace we are saved. It is His gift of salvation to all who will
believe. When God tells us in Ephesians
2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith, He goes on in verse 10 and
says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works that
He has before ordained that we should walk in them.” We were saved to manifest the grace of God to
the world. We were saved in order that
we might give unto others as He has given unto us. As Jesus told His disciples, “Let your light
so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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We will never do a good work to save
our soul. Jesus blood has done all the
saving that can be done. God’s grace was
given to make it happen for our eternal salvation. Our good works are not done for us. They are done for Him that He might magnify
the hope of His salvation to a lost and dying world. Paul exhorts us in Titus to be “zealous for
good works” and twice to “maintain good works”. He says, “Let those who have
believed” do this. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><br />
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Ira Wilson didn’t just write a
“sweet” song; he set the clear command of Scripture to simple singable
music. “Make me a blessing, make me a
blessing, out of my life, may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Savior I pray, make me a blessing to someone
today.” As grace has been given to you,
go on in the giving of grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-38241629640529191512018-07-10T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-10T00:30:10.263-05:00Grace Greater Than Sin <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
In Julia Johnston’s hymn “Grace
Greater Than Our Sin” she writes in the chorus “Marvelous Grace, Infinite Grace”
(those are the harmony part words), then in unison, “Grace that will pardon and
cleanse within.” Every day people become
overcome with despair at the depravity of their own sin. Such guilt is manifest
in many negative ways. But there is a
remedy and it is found in the theme of this song and the words of the
chorus. Grace and pardon can change
despair to a life filled with hope, victory, joy and everlasting peace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
If you have ever been pulled over by
a police officer for some “minor” offense, and when we commit them they are
always “minor”, what are you hoping when the officer approaches your car? The most common response is that people hope
the officer will be gracious and just let them off with a warning. People don’t want a blot on their driving
record. After all, it wasn’t really
serious; it was just momentary slip of responsible driving. Don’t let my parents know; don’t let my wife
know; don’t let my insurance company know that I had this “minor” mistake
today. That is how people feel and they
really want the officer to extend them a little grace and pardon for their
behavior. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
What about all the other “mistakes”
we make in life? What about our complete
failure to keep the two great commandments to love God supremely and love our
neighbor as ourselves? This kind of law
breaking isn’t just an occasional lapse; it is engrained in our nature. We are sinners and there is just punishment
for all our sins – death. Our sins are a real offense against a holy and pure
God. Whether they are “minor” to us or not, they are ugly to a holy God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
But God in grace sent His own Son to
die for our sins! In that horrible
death, Jesus Christ shed His blood and that pure blood can wash away sin. In that blood, and that blood alone, is the
full atonement for all sin and the sole means to find forgiveness. Forgiveness means that we will not be held
accountable for that sin forever. It
means that God has chosen in His power to not only forgive our sin, but He also
will forget our sin forever. By faith in
Jesus Christ we stand new and pure before God and it is a forever secured
position granted by God’s grace through His Son’s sacrifice. Indeed we can sing with joy the opening line
of Julia Johnston’s hymn, “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds
our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured – there where the
blood of the lamb was spilt!” Rejoice
today in God’s great forgiving grace.
Live in the joy of His abundant grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-71534607174731791952018-07-09T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-09T00:30:00.301-05:00When By His Grace <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
300 years after the Scottish Psalter
printed “The Lord’s My Shepherd”, John Peterson wrote a newer version of the 23<sup>rd</sup>
Psalm. “Surely Goodness and Mercy” has
become a familiar Peterson classic. The
song actually has a double chorus. The
first one repeats the phrase, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life.” The second chorus,
to be sung after all the verses have been sung, begins with two power phrases
sung with strong emphatic power notes, “And I shall dwell in the house of the
Lord forever” and “I shall feast at the table spread for me”. This chorus takes us beyond the gracious care
of God in this life to the eternal promise of His grace – heaven with Him
forever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
In I Corinthians 15:19 Paul says,
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most
pitiable.” This verse is set in a
chapter devoted to the triumphant truth that since Jesus lives, so too shall
we. The old Gospel chorus says, “This
world is not my home, I’m just a passing through; my treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue; the angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I
can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”
This world is a stopping point on the way to an eternal destiny. If by faith we have embraced the grace of God
in Christ then that eternal destiny is heaven.
Each day that we walk in this dim shadow of our hope, we have the
presence and care of God’s daily grace.
But there is more, much more, to come.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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God’s grace will be fully seen as we
enter heaven’s gate. There we will see
our beautiful Savior, the reflection and perfection of grace. There we will receive the fullness of all the
promises. There will never be need or
sorrow or sin or shame. There will be
the full beauty of eternal forgiveness. There will be the full embrace of
eternal grace with nothing between us and our dear Savior. As Charles Gabriel wrote in his beautiful
hymn about heaven, “O that will be glory for me, glory for me, glory for me;
when by His GRACE I shall look on His face, that will be glory, be glory for
me.” That is abundant grace for today
and for eternity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-65941008931639592242018-07-06T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-06T00:30:07.820-05:00Table of Grace <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
One of the oldest hymns originally composed
in English and still used today is The 23<sup>rd</sup> Psalm from the Scottish
Psalter, “The Lord’s My Shepherd”. Its
graceful melody and well written meter add a rich cocoon of warmth to this most
favorite of all psalms. Some of the
beautiful promises in this psalm surround a banquet we will enjoy with God in
the future and of His presence with us as we feast with Him in the
present. Think for a moment how
delicious the food is that is served by the Savior. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see
that the LORD is good.” No, we are not
cannibals nibbling on God. We are his
children tasting the good things from His hand.
Those delicacies are the outpouring of His grace. Certainly as we come to the Lord’s Table we
find the great riches of His grace in the feast that is set before us
there. Consider the most costly food
that you really REALLY enjoy. The food
set before us at communion is more costly and of far greater richness than
anything we could have named. How
delicious is forgiveness? How delectable
is hope? How scrumptious is the joy of
being in Christ? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
But the feast that God prepares for
us is also for everyday and every needful hunger in our lives. Romans 8:32 poses a strong rhetorical
question, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Psalm 23 points out many of these “all
things”. Count them. Consider the tastiness of each and every
morsel. David can easily come to the
point in his psalm where he says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth
over.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“God,” David says, “you are
good. You satisfy me with good things
abundant and overflowing. You do it
today and you promise it for eternity.
How great is your grace!” <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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The Scottish Psalter, Psalm 23,
Verse 4: “My table thou hast furnished in the presence of my foes. My head Thou dost with oil anoint, and my cup
overflows.” God’s abundant grace is
truly delicious. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Friday Benediction<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop
you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in
the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be
enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084195238059056875.post-62777515748627222292018-07-05T00:30:00.000-05:002018-07-05T00:30:09.134-05:00Confident in Christ <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Daniel Whittle wrote another famous
hymn “I Know Whom I Have Believed”. He
begins each line of this hymn with an honest statement regarding the unknown
things of God. He concludes each verse
with the rousing chorus of what he does know: He is fully persuaded that Jesus
Christ is able to keep whatever we have committed to Him unto eternity. That is confidence of faith. That is related to one of the things Whittle
says he doesn’t know: “I know not how the spirit moves, convincing men of sin,
revealing Jesus through the Word, creating faith within.” The process of God is really not necessary
for us to understand. That the process
has taken place, that is the issue in which we rejoice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Whittle connects convincing of sin
and producing faith in the same verse.
The first verse of this hymn speaks of grace. All of these are really connected. Ephesians chapter two gives us a wonderful
commentary on these combined truths. We
were dead in sin. The Holy Spirit quickened us; He made us alive. By <u>Grace</u> He <u>Convinced</u> us to
place our <u>Faith</u> in Jesus Christ.
He awoke us from our stupor of sin and death to see and understand God’s
love for us and respond in faith to the promise of forgiven sins and eternal
life in Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The Greek root word for faith is a
word meaning “to be convinced or persuaded”.
King Agrippa, in Acts 26:28, says to Paul, “You almost persuade me to
become a Christian.” It wasn’t Paul’s
persuasion, however, that was needed to make Agrippa a Christian; it was
God’s. When God persuades us to believe,
that is grace moving us to faith. How
the Holy Spirit works through the medium of His word to convince us of the
truth regarding our need and His grace is not really our concern. Our hope is in the effect of this
convincing. Our hope is faith in Him,
His truth, His righteousness, His word and His promises. By grace God has convinced us of saving
truth. By faith we respond. We truly need to be thankful for convincing grace. Then we need to sing with Daniel Whittle,
<i>“But I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able, to keep
that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day!” </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09447019645157250591noreply@blogger.com0