grace

Be Strong 

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2 Timothy 2:1
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

It seems as though men have always been fascinated with strength. We have all seen images of Greek or Roman statutes, they look like they have come off the pages of a body building magazine, making us wonder if every Roman official looked like the Incredible Hulk. We have also seen images of rockets blasting off, volcanos erupting, or a nuclear explosion. The sheer force involved in these phenomena is mesmerizing. Psychologists and business gurus encourage us to recognize our strengths in order to find happiness in life or success in business. It is not difficult to find lists of character strengths by which to measure ourselves. However, it has been my observation, the things Paul tells us to be strong in are strangely absent. While it is important to be strong in things like decision-making, seeing a task through to the end, or being creative, Paul exhorts us to be strong in other areas which have far more eternal value.

2 Timothy 2:1 “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

Grace can be defined as the giving nature of God. The Bible teaches us, God loves us and desires to give what is best to us. The highest expression of His grace is seen at the cross, where He gave His Son to pay for the sins of the world. It is when we recognize we are sinners, and He has provided a way of salvation, that we become partakers of His grace. Sadly, many who have trusted in the grace of God for salvation, live out their Christian life as though grace was used up on the cross. They seem to live like Jacob, who was constantly striving and manipulating to get ahead, rather than walking with, and trusting in, the Lord. One of the greatest lessons to learn in life is, once you have received Christ, you are accepted in the Beloved. You are a recipient of God’s favor, and as you walk daily with Him, you will derive the benefits of His matchless grace.

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

The phrase “be strong in” is used one other time in Paul’s writing; he refers to being strong in the Lord. One of the realities of life is there are many times when I am not strong enough. The other day I attempted to carry a piece of furniture out of the house, only to realize I would have to wait for one of my boys to get home. It was simply too heavy for me. Weakness is something we all have, and it stands in the way of us doing what God calls us to. Rather than failing to do what we have been called to because of our weakness, we must be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Whatever He calls us to, He will equip us for.

Pastor Jim

 

Throne Of Grace 

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Isaiah 30:19
“He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you”.

At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, Israel was resisting the Lord. They decided following God restricted them from really moving forward, so they began a quest pursuing the gods of other nations. Sadly, their pursuit not only left them empty, but at odds with God. Part of the Prophet’s ministry was to remind the people of the blessings that would become theirs once they returned to the Lord. One of the greatest of these benefits was experiencing grace.

It seems the focal point of heaven is a throne. Whenever we are given a glimpse into eternity, we see God, His throne and the multitudes engaged in worship. While the cry of the angels is “Holy, holy, holy is The Lord.” The throne itself is called “the throne of Grace.” Heaven wants us to know that grace begins the moment we cry out to God.

Grace might best be defined as the giving nature of God. His grace drives Him to give only that which is best for us. James wrote,

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Instead of thinking that following God will restrict life, we must realize God has a ‘best’ for our lives, and that best is found when we choose to follow Him. It must sadden the heart of God when we constantly rebel against His word, do things our own way, and endure unnecessary pain and suffering in our lives.

Whatever challenges you might be facing, whether they are self-inflicted or not, turn to the One who sits on a throne of grace. Cry out for Him to do a great and marvelous work in your life

Pastor Jim

 

Avoiding Opposition 

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Galatians 6:12
“As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.”

fight.jpgGalatia was located northwest of Syria. It was a region consisting of such places as Tarsus, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. It was the location of Paul’s first missionary journey. As Paul and Barnabas traveled throughout Galatia preaching the Gospel, many trusted in Christ and churches were birthed. While nothing matches the thrill of seeing someone come to Christ, the preaching in Galatia came at a very high price. It was there, Paul was beaten and left for dead. Some suggest, the vision problems that plagued him, were a result of the severe beating he endured at the hands of those who rejected Christ. This persecution was initiated by the Jewish people who refused to accept that Jesus was the Christ. After Paul and Barnabas departed, these young Galatian converts were left to endure this hostility. They would be ridiculed, bullied, harassed, threatened and more, all because they were living in a way that was not deemed culturally acceptable.

Not long after Paul departed from Galatia, a group of men arrived from Jerusalem and gathered the churches together. Exploiting the fact they were from the church in Jerusalem, and claiming this as their authority, they instructed these new believers that they must observe the ceremonial laws of Moses. These laws included diet, days of worship and circumcision for all male believers. This message, while unbiblical, was widely accepted because it would cause the Christians to better fit into the culture.

We see much of the same things happening today. As Christians, we are constantly ridiculed by the media and seen as a group of backwards-thinking, intolerant, Bible-thumping simpletons who must be silenced. I heard a man say, the reason he did not accept the Bible’s viewpoint on marriage is because he is not from the past. This constant attack can become very tiring. When we are continually looked down upon and classified as intolerant extremists, we can grow weary, cower and even be tempted to alter the Word of God, in order to fit in. Just as Paul warned the Galatians against accepting the aberrant teaching of their day in order to avoid persecution, we must remain faithful to the teaching of the Word of God, even as we see hostility against it on the rise. Keep in mind,“the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for any who believe” (Romans 1:16). We are still seeing people’s lives transformed as they make decisions to follow Jesus.

Stay the course, keep the Word, follow Jesus, and let’s see Him transform our world, one person at a time.

Pastor Jim

 

 

Visions Of Grace 

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2 Corinthians 12:9
“ My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Every few years someone writes a book about how they died, went to heaven, and returned to tell about their experiences. The story usually includes something about radiant light, warm feelings, and the awareness of all their loved ones awaiting their arrival. The authors are heralded as experts on the subject of the after-life and their books often become best sellers. Two thousand years ago Paul had an experience where he was “caught up” into heaven. As he reluctantly relates his story, two things stand out to me.

2 Corinthians 12:4 “. . . how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

Rather than giving a detailed description of heaven, Paul explains that it would be unlawful to attempt to express even the sounds that he heard. Imagine your favorite song, let the sweetness of the singer’s voice enter your mind, then imagine what that song sounds like if we had church Karaoke night, and I was singing. You might say “he is murdering that song, that should be against the law.” Any attempt by Paul to relate heaven to earth would not do it justice.

Scarcely any of Heaven’s glories can be compared to earthly experiences. However, we do find a few. We read of streets of gold, gates of pearl, glorious thrones and a glassy sea. We are also told, heaven will be a place without sorrow, pain, death, sin, or the need of a sun, because the glory of God will be enough to illuminate the skies. Additionally, Scripture describes the inhabitants of heaven. The saints will be in their glorified bodies, and angelic beings, beyond any earthly comparison, will be there, and the central focus of eternity is a throne where God sits as King and Judge. It interests me, when people write of their supposed experiences of visiting heaven, they never seem to mention that God is sitting on a throne as judge. Perhaps what validates Paul’s vision more than anything else, is his unwillingness to talk about it.

2 Corinthians 12:7 “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.”

When the revelation ended, Paul found he was afflicted with some sort of physical infirmity. What exactly it was he does not say. For two thousand years Bible students have been trying to piece together the puzzle and uncover to what he referred. While I do not pretend to know what he did not tell us, it is clear he is speaking of a physical infirmity that made life difficult for him. The suffering he experienced was so great he pleaded with the Lord to remove it, and he pleaded with persistence. Imagine the apostle on his knees crying out to the Lord to remove the infirmity which slowed down his progress in sharing the Gospel with a dying world. Then imagine as the silence of heaven is broken as God says,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Instead of receiving healing, Paul was given grace. He went on to describe how, in suffering, Jesus shows up to provide strength. For Paul, it became a common experience to be weaker than the task required, and to experience the grace of God, which would give him more than was necessary to accomplish what he was called to do. He uses two words that we do not usually associate with suffering. The first is boasting and the second is pleasure. It was not that Paul was a masochist who loved suffering, but he had found that in his weakness, he would experience God’s strength.

Perhaps it is not a vision of heaven that we need, but a realization that in our weakness God wants to show His strength.

Pastor Jim

 

Full Of Grace 

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2 Corinthians 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Grace is a beautiful word. We use it today to speak of the beauty of motion. We might refer to the “grace” of a gymnast or a figure skater. The word used in the Bible speaks of the giving nature of God. Webster defines it as, “the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.” In other words, grace is the character trait of God that causes Him to want to give what is best to men. This grace is immeasurable. Paul wrote to the Ephesians regarding the giving nature of God,

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. . . “ Ephesians 1:7

“. . . that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7

Notice, he spoke of the riches of grace, and of the exceeding riches of grace. Riches refer to having a great amount. The term exceeding, means too much, or an over abundance. We could say, God has too much grace. So much, He cannot help but pour it out on those who belong to Him.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

While His grace is more than we could ever completely fathom, it is also something we can measure and experience. It is measured at the cross. It was on the cross, ‘the exceeding riches of His grace” was poured out; Jesus used the simple phrase “He gave His only Son.” Because of the gift of Christ, the grace of God should never be questioned. Instead, it should be scrutinized. We should take our experiences, and measure them in light of the cross of Christ. While I will not even pretend to understand why each of us experiences the particular trial we are facing, I will take my trial and look at it through the eyes of grace, or the shadow of the cross. At the place where Jesus laid down the riches of His glory, in order to pave a way for me to come to God.

His grace is not only measured at the cross, but can also be experienced daily by the believer. Paul wrote, “for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…” This grace was something they were experiencing; because He became poor, they were becoming rich. Now, it is important we understand the language that Paul is using. He is not stating that following Jesus is the path to financial success or great earthly wealth. This is not a get rich quick scheme where, if you follow Jesus and are a faithful tither, you will end up the richest guy on the block. Paul is referring to the wealth of spiritual blessings that belong to the child of God. Earlier in the chapter, he spoke of the Macedonians who, though they were very poor, they were big givers and filled with great joy. As you daily walk with Jesus, you will experience the abundance of His grace flowing out to minister to you, regardless of the difficulty you are facing. If you are questioning His grace, go back to the cross and measure it. Reflect on how God gave His Son.

Pastor Jim

 

Ransom 

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Job 33:24
“Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’. . .”

Jesus explained to the religious leaders, that while they searched the Scriptures thinking they would find life, in reality, the Scriptures testify of Jesus. In other words, we should be able to see Jesus throughout the Bible. Sometimes, He is subtly behind the scenes, other times, He is front and center, and cannot be missed. Here, in the testimony of Elihu, we see a wonderful prediction of the work of Christ. Elihu points out, the real problem with mankind is that we are sinners and as such, are under a curse, and headed for what he calls the pit. The solution presented by this young man is that God Himself will provide a ransom for fallen men.

As the pages of Scripture continue to unfold, it will be very clear that the ransom of which he spoke, is nothing short of God sending His own Son. Jesus declared that his reason for coming was to seek and save lost men by becoming a ransom for them. It was on the cross where Jesus paid the debt we owed God, with His own life. He paid a debt that He did not owe, so that we could have a future we did not deserve.

This ransom is sufficient enough to provide atonement for all mankind. There is no person who will come to Christ and be rejected. The New Testament records the testimonies of religious men and common men, as well as murders, prostitutes and idol worshippers, all coming to Christ, being received, forgiven, transformed and sent forth as messengers to the world, telling  of the wonderful work of Christ. What a joy to know that God has paid our ransom. The debt of sin has been settled, and all mankind can now come to trust in Christ and be forgiven.

This is the message given to the church to declare in the world. Take a few minutes to pray for an opportunity today to tell someone about the grace and love of God, who has paid their debt so they can be forgiven.

Pastor Jim

 

 

Liberty

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1 Corinthians 8:13
“Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

One of the controversies the Church in Corinth faced had to do with diet. Animals were offered to pagan gods, then the meat was sold at the local butcher shops. This created a real problem for many Christians. For some, their conscience bothered them knowing that the animal was offered to false gods, while for others the issue was much more tangible. Since the butcher shops were often located close to the temples, and the temples were places of sinful activity, some knew that visiting that area would lead them right back into sin. For others, the idol issue was something of their past, and they had no problem eating the meat with thanksgiving. To them, it mattered very little what the farmer did with the animal, since they received it with thanksgiving as from the Lord.

Paul points out that the issue was much bigger than what a person has for lunch, or where they choose to go to dinner. The bigger picture was the conflict between Christian liberties and the law of love. Webster defines liberty as, “the power to do as one pleases.” As Christians, we are free to practice anything that is not forbidden by the Word of God. While there are some movies whose content certainly puts them in the category of forbidden, Christians do have the liberty to attend movies. The same could be said of television, music, and the Internet. However, there are some who, because of their past experience, or recent decision for the Lord, would stumble if they practiced the same liberties. It is here that Paul introduces a principle bigger than liberty, the principle of love.

“Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

As much as Paul might have enjoyed a juicy steak, or French dip sandwich, he was willing to lay those aside for the sake of others. Rather than touting about his rights, or how ridiculous it was for them to make an issue over food, Paul saw everything as a means to minister to others. Every Christian has been called to invest in the lives of others, in order to make disciples. For that to happen, we have to be willing to set our freedoms aside for the sake of their growth. Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Within the spiritual realm, we might better choose death over liberties for the sake of the Gospel. My freedom to do what I want with my time, could be laid aside, and I could choose to meet with a struggling believer for coffee and the study of the Word. My freedom to sit alone in service and reflect upon the message, could be set aside to sit with a visitor, or someone I know might be struggling or lonely. My freedom to watch the service online from the comfort of my couch, might be set aside to show up early and help get the church ready for others, or to teach a child’s class.

When we set the law of love above the law of liberty, we will see others impacted for the kingdom of God.

Time is short, eternity is forever…

Pastor Jim

 

For Nothing 

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Job 1:9-10
“So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.’”

Job is described as the greatest man in all the East. His greatness was measured by his success and his character. He is described as a man who feared God and shunned evil; one who accumulated great wealth. When the scene shifted from earth to heaven, we find Satan called into question the motive for Job’s faithfulness to God. He asks, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Then he gives a list of reasons why Job trusted in, and followed after the Lord. I am thankful the answer to Satan’s question is no.

None of us “fear God for nothing”. If we carefully consider our lives, we will see the good hand of our God upon us. The success we have is directly attributed to the grace of God. Some people consider themselves “self made”, yet fail to consider the gifts and opportunities afforded to them are given by God. An athlete, while he must work hard to hone his skills, has been given the athletic ability by grace, apart from his own work. There is an old saying among basketball coaches that ” you can’t teach tall”. They recognize height to be a gift, not something to be earned.

The same is true of a business man, a family man, a successful teacher, doctor or other professional. What we have must be attributed to the grace and goodness of God. The only question that remains is, how will we react to all we have been given? Will we stand upon the walls of the city, like king Nebuchadnezzar of old, and claim our accomplishments are our own; or will we, like Job, choose to fear God and shun evil?

Without question, we do not “fear Him for nothing”. His goodness, grace and mercy, while immeasurable, can, in some ways, be measured by looking at the blessings He has poured into our lives.

Take some time to thank Him for all He has done for you.

Pastor Jim

 

Request

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Esther 5:2-3
“So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter. And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”

Esther was given access to the king. She was allowed to make a single request that seemed to be limitless. With all the wealth of the Persian kingdom at her disposal, her request was for the salvation of her people. Imagine if you had access to a wealthy and powerful king, who allowed you to ask for anything up to half of all he possessed. What would your request be? Now stop imagining. If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, the Bible promises you have access to the King of Kings. You can make constant requests before God. You have continual access to God and are exhorted to come regularly to His throne.

Hebrews 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.”

Whatever our needs are, we are invited to come to the throne of grace and receive. The Apostle James declared, one reason we find ourselves in want, is because we simply fail to come to the throne and ask. Jesus explained, we should ask consistently and persistently, until our requests are answered. If your need is physical, spiritual, emotional, if it has to do with provision, strength, guidance, comfort or anything else, the answer will be found at the Throne of Grace.

When Esther approached the throne, her request was for something bigger than any personal problem she was facing. Her request was for the salvation of her people. While it is necessary to spend time at the Throne of Grace praying for our personal needs, it is also important that we spend time praying on behalf of those who have not yet received Christ. Make a list of people that you know personally; people from your family, work, neighborhood, and places of recreation. Pray daily for their salvation. Pray for their hearts to soften to Christ, and pray for opportunities to share Christ with them, and invite them to church.

Pastor Jim

 

Drowning

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Ezra 9:6
“And I said: ‘O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.’”

After some initial reforms, the remnant, who had returned to Jerusalem from captivity, soon began to drift from the Lord. The ways of the world are always tempting for the child of God; as such, many of the people began to pick up the customs of the day. Soon, it was difficult to see any difference between believer and unbeliever. News of the people’s behavior devastated Ezra, and he began to cry out to the Lord. His prayer reveals what to do when we find ourselves overwhelmed by our own failures.

There are times in the life of many believers when we are drawn away from the Lord, and find ourselves caught up in sin. Tangled like Jonah in seaweed, we find ourselves caught in sin, with seemingly no way to escape. The guilt can be so great we are ashamed to even begin steps of repentance. I think Ezra was experiencing this. He realized how they had taken advantage of the goodness of God by pursuing the ways of the world. Instead of remaining in his failure, Ezra reminded himself of the grace of God, and His desire to restore the fallen saint. It was the grace of God that caused Ezra to seek forgiveness, even when he was neck deep in the guilt of sin.

Perhaps you have failed in a big way. Perhaps the guilt of past, present, or continual sin, is keeping you from moving away from it, and toward the Lord. Can I encourage you to do what Ezra did? He went before the Lord, confessed his sin, trusted in grace, and made the appropriate changes in his life. God is willing to forgive. Are you willing to return, receive and repent?

Pastor Jim