Undeserved Grace

 

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'? On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners." Mark 3:16-17

The Pharisees scrutinized and dissected the law. They were Hebrew scholars who prided themselves in their religious knowledge and who believed they were above reproach. The Bible tells us not to be wise in our own eyes. The fact that they called the people Jesus ate with "sinners" (believing they were not), reveals a holier-than-thou attitude. Their hearts also quickly judged Jesus for dining with them.

Christ said He came not to call the righteous but sinners. The word righteous here refers to those who believe they are faultless through their own merit. The Pharisees did not see their need for a Savior. They saw themselves as blameless before God because of their role as spiritual leaders and because they outwardly obeyed God. They knew how to look and act right but their hearts were far from God (Matthew 15:8).

Did you know that it is impossible to attain to a righteous life through the practice of good deeds?  None of us can earn our way to heaven. Instead, we need something outside ourselves to make us right before God. That Something is the Savior. Jesus was the only One who lived a sinless life. His life in exchange for mankind on the cross, brought those who believe, new life.

When we seek Him for the complete forgiveness of our sins, we are made in right standing with God our Father. If we will cease placing our trust in our own good works, and place our confidence in the One who saves to the uttermost, we will experience peace with God, and one day we will abide with Jesus in heaven forever.

If you have already received Christ's forgiveness and been born anew, you can spread the beautiful message of our Lord's redemption to others. We have been given a mission to tell everyone the good news, and it is important they realize it is by grace we are saved through faith not by works (From Ephesians 2:8-9).

Lastly, for those of us who have walked with Christ for a while, let's be careful not to become inflated in the estimation of ourselves. God gives grace to the humble but He opposes the proud. Jesus was profoundly merciful and kind but when it came to the self-inflated religious leaders of his day, He was curt and often angry. Instead of behaving with a big head, let's act like children before our Father God thanking Him daily for his undeserved grace.

A Prayer for Those who Desire to Live for Jesus,

Dear Father God,

I understand that I can never be good enough to earn your acceptance or to find myself in heaven one day. I realize that my good works are filthy in your sight. I ask you to forgive me for I truly am a sinner. I place my trust in the work you did at the cross, and I declare you, Jesus, are my Lord and Savior. Because of your blood, I have received the gift of righteousness. In your name I pray, amen.

 

If this is the first time you have prayed a prayer like this or if you are renewing your commitment to the Lord, please let me know. I would love to help you in your walk with the Savior.

Blessings and Congratulations,

Tom

Living Water Flow

Living water flow through me

To reach a generation

Living water flow through me

To touch a hurting nation

 

Help us pray oh Holy Spirit

You who are without limit

Help us pray oh Father God

The battle we will win it

 

Pray, pray, pray for a nation sinking down

Pray, pray, pray for the people of every town

The gospel is the answer to all we seek to find

The gospel is the answer with Jesus’ light to shine

 

Go and scatter the seed

So the blind will see

Healing for the heart and for the body

Power to set the captive free

 

We will not be ashamed

This is not a game

Jesus is the only way

 

The Importance of Gentleness

“He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” Matthew 12:19-21

 There is a gentleness about Jesus that can be overlooked. Although He is mighty and fully God, Jesus is also fully human, and He has a kind and meek heart. He will not brake a bruised reed, and a smoldering wick He will not quench.  He forgave the woman who committed adultery and saved her from being stoned. He also blessed the little children and pronounced judgment towards those who would harm them.

There are people we meet in our lives that crave God’s kindness. If we are not sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we will miss the importance of treating these individuals with gentleness.  There are people around us who are worn, dejected and emotionally bruised. They need us not only to bring them God’s word they also need us to be the hands and feet of Jesus by offering them mercy and love.

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. It is the antithesis of anger, rage, strife and division. There is a humility in this Spirit fruit that draws people in. Let’s lay down our pride, take up our cross and choose to love others with Jesus’ love. If we do, we can make a stronger impact for God’s kingdom.

Dear Father God,

Give me a heart that embraces the hurting and those who have lost hope. Help me to show them your gentleness and your kindness. Help me to sow your word into their lives with Your love as my motivation. In Jesus name I pray, amen.                      

Qualifications for God's Promotion

Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

There are three important steps towards receiving your next promotion from the Lord. 

First, you must have a humble heart for God to promote you. In Isaiah 66:2 God says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” The only way to go up in God is to go down. We must learn to humble ourselves before the Lord and others. Without this posture, we will not find promotion from God our Father.  

Second, promotion from God only comes to us when we have been faithful where we are. We must attend to all that is under our present responsibility before the Lord trusts us with more. Jesus said, “He who is faithful with little will be faithful with much.” In Christ’s parable of the talents, the manager told his investors who were faithful that he was giving them more money to steward since they had invested wisely with smaller amounts.  

Third, God promotes us in His perfect time. Do you remember the story of Joseph? God gave him dreams that his family would one day bow down to him, but his jealous brothers sold him into slavery and was taken to Egypt. He suffered greatly and was falsely accused. He ended up in prison where he interpreted the dreams of two of the Pharaoh’s officers who were also incarcerated. Joseph predicted that they would both return to Pharaoh where one would be reinstated to his royal position and the other would be executed.

Joseph asked the man whose dream had a favorable interpretation to remember him when he reported to Pharaoh. But two years passed. At this time, Pharaoh had two dreams and the officer finally told him about Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams. As a result, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams and was promoted to second in command of the nation of Egypt.  Later his family did bow before him and he was able to help the nation of Egypt during a great famine.  

But this all happened in God’s perfect timing. It actually took 13 years from the time he was sold into slavery till his promotion in Egypt. It took time, but God was faithful. We too may need to wait for God’s promotion but if we are humble and faithful and wait on the Lord’s timing, we will experience promotion from the hand of Jesus.     

Let’s humble ourselves before God and others, let’s be faithful with all that we are responsible for and let’s surrender to the Lord and his timing. If we do these things, God will promote us and enable us to be a greater blessing to others.

He who has Begun

 …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Our salvation was initiated by Jesus both at the cross and on the day we accepted Him as our Savior and Lord. We responded to Him. We loved Him and we continue to love Him because He first loved us. Our journey in Christ is to be a response to His love and activity in our lives.

This takes the pressure off. We can abide in His presence. We can be confident that He is working in our hearts and lives. When we fall, we can reach for His strong hand and find His forgiveness and gentle voice leading us to a better way.

Let’s remember that the Christian life is not all up to us. Instead, we can lean on the Lord and allow His love, word and presence mature us in His time and in His way.

Be confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ. On that day when He returns or when we die, we shall see him face to face and we will be like him. Let this hope encourage you and lift you up.

Joy and Victory

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! Psalm 21:1

It takes strength to overcome. Strength is required to buoy the storms of this life and find victory. Strength comes to us as we rejoice in the Lord. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

When we enter into praise and worship before God, joy rises within us and strength comes to us as a gift. The enemies of darkness flee in the presence of true praise and worship, and victory comes to us on all sides. Let’s rejoice in God’s strength, then we will experience His victories and then we will find true joy.