Enough is Enough

On April 14, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Titus 3: 4 – 5

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Brother this is the good news of the gospel. We were not saved on the basis of our deeds, our righteousness or our worthiness. God’s sweet mercy saved us. God sent His own Spirit to wash us clean. The Holy Spirit has regenerated and renewed you. What is so interesting about this is that he did this for you before you were ever born. That is why no amount of future sin can steal your salvation. Only you can give away your sanctification. Jesus has already paid for the sin that you commit tomorrow or next Tuesday. He has already paid for the sin of the person who is right now unborn, even unconceived. No one has to earn this salvation and no one could. We know that intellectually but we sometimes stumble over our day to day application of it.

It was God’s kindness and His love for humanity that saved us. Some people who have already been saved run around trying to be worthy of that great and awesome gift. Stop! There is nothing any of us can do to merit all that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have done for us. This is simply an expression of our guilty conscious. Why are we trying to earn what they have already given us for free? We should want to be a blessing to God’s kids because of the happiness which overflows as result of all God has done for us. None of that, however, will ever make us worthy of the great sacrifice God and Jesus made for us. So, we just need to get used to the idea that despite our unworthiness, our Father loves us and He sent His beloved to save us. That was enough for Him and should be enough for us.

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Judgment

On April 11, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 43: 25

I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

There is so much confusion about judgment but what you need to know is that you have already been redeemed. Yes, we were guilty in our sins and didn’t love God but even when we didn’t love Him, He sent His only begotten son to die for us and Jesus took our guilt upon himself. He became our sin so that our sin was nailed upon that tree and our sin went to the grave and Praise God, we are now free.

This is hard for man to understand because this is not the way we think but remember Isaiah 55: 8 where God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” We keep wanting to put ourselves under judgment but God says, “I don’t remember your sins.” When God looks at you, He sees that the blood of the beloved has washed you clean. He doesn’t see sin. He sees Jesus. As hard as it is to understand, God doesn’t judge. 

And there will not be a great day where you will be judged because you have already been redeemed. God isn’t going to resurrect all of your old sin and judge it. He already did and pinned it on Jesus and on the cross. Does it sound outlandish when I say, “God doesn’t judge?” Consider John 5: 22, “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.” That quote from Jesus establishes two things: God isn’t judging and all judgment has been given to Jesus.

But hold on a moment before you throw yourself at the foot of the judgment seat again. Jesus has something to say about this, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3: 17 – 18). Come on!! Let’s get a revelation of this! We are not slated for judgment. The blood speaks for us. Glory to God I am saved!

Listen. I am not saying that the world is not judged. I am telling you that you have been saved by the grace of God, saved from judgment. Hallelujah! You don’t have to face the judgment seat of terror. You are going to see your Dad. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5: 24). It really is this simple. You have been set free from the curse of sin, death and the grave. You are free. You are loved. Glory!

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Abundant Grace

On January 12, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Timothy 1: 14                   (Amplified Version)

And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord actually flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are to be realized in Christ Jesus.

This passage was written by the Apostle Paul. He was recounting how he blasphemed the Lord and persecuted the church. Yet nonetheless, Christ, through grace, showed him mercy. How is it that the Lord was willing and able to show such kindness to this man even while he was torturing and murdering Christians? The mercy of the Lord and of our Father is beyond comprehension. Jesus poured out on Paul superabundant favor and blessing. It certainly was not because Paul earned it. It comes just from the Father’s deep love.

Paul, unlike so many modern Christians, was able to receive God’s abundance. Why? I believe the answer is two-fold. I think that one of the reasons Paul was able to receive God’s abundant, beyond measure grace is that he, first, completely knew that he was unworthy and undeserving. This freed him to just receive by grace. He did not try to earn God’s favor because he knew that he was way beyond that.

Secondly, I think that Paul was so humble and grateful that his heart was wide open before the Lord of grace. I deeply desire for the church to draw close to God just as Paul was intimate with him. We see the abundant love and grace that the Father has for us. Now if we can sincerely open ourselves to him the way Paul did, we might also walk in the kind of grace that was afforded Paul. Let us not wait for God to knock us off our donkeys though. Let us all, with blind faith, reach out to the source of all and invite him into the deepest part of our beings.

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Free Admission

On January 11, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 4: 16

Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Do you know that you can enter God’s throne room? Do you realize that you are actually invited to do so? Father God has made access to him available to each one of us so that we may receive the help we need. Not only that, but we are also to enter boldly with confidence. He is our Father not a far off, removed deity. We can be like any child entering her Father’s office. Children just barge into their parent’s offices without waiting just as if it was their own office. In like manner, we are to go boldly to our Father’s office to talk with him and get whatever we need whenever we need it. There is no guard at the door and you do not have to make an appointment. He is waiting there for you even at this moment. Whenever you can free up your schedule, He is available. See yourself in your mind’s eye striding purposefully into throne room. Walk in as a privileged guest, not as a meek servant. Have your audience with the God of the universe, your Dad, and receive all that you need for this day.

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Bad Advice

On October 12, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Samuel 19: 5 – 6

Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines, by loving those who hate you.”

Absalom was one of King David’s sons. Though David loved him Absalom plotted against David to take the throne of his father. He was successful in usurping his father so David fled from Jerusalem. Not satisfied though, and the recipient of bad advice, Absalom pursued David to kill him. Absalom was killed in the conflict and when news of his death was delivered to David, David wept bitterly. Some of David’s followers and specifically his general, Joab, were chagrined that David wept for their enemy. David was God’s friend though and the character of God had rubbed off on him. So, although Absalom had rebelled against him and plotted his overthrow, David still loved him.

In the margin of my Bible, next to this passage I have written, “See the advice of the world.” I was struck by how this Old Testament episode marks the problems we encounter today. The world tells us we should hate our enemies but David was a Kingdom man. He knew God and had learned to see through God’s eyes. David loved his son Absalom even though Absalom was not worthy of David’s love and devotion. That is how the Father of all treats us. Although we are unworthy, he loves us unquestioningly. In David’s grief he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you” (2 Samuel 18: 33). This is an exact representation of the Father’s love for us.

One thing I have discovered about the world’s advice is that it usually sounds good. It will always contradict with God’s view though. That is why, if we do not know the Father, we can easily be misled. Here is one rule, though, that we can always go by; that is the rule of love. If you are ever in doubt and one option is love then that is the way because God is love. His counsel will always bring you back to love. Every time! Where there is hate and anger you will not find God or His will. His way is grace and mercy. David understood this intrinsically and that is why he was called a friend of God.

Let this Old Testament event speak to your heart today. You have people who are against you and situations that are challenging but if you will seek the way of truth, life, grace, love, non-judgment and mercy you will find yourself the victor every time. This is God’s way. Don’t let the world view taint your perceptions. We are called to love those who hate us just as our father does.

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Paid Return Ticket

On September 21, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joel 2: 13

Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and relenting of evil.

Are you as close to the Lord as you want to be? Are you as close to him as you once were? Do not worry. He is a God of great compassion and graciousness. This is a great time to draw nearer to him. He does not hold grudges or count passed time. He just wants to be your closest friend. He forgives all even when we don’t deserve it. He sent Jesus to this earth to be the sacrifice for us so that nothing would ever stand in the way of our close, personal relationship with him. Do not let anything in your past prevent you from drawing nearer to him today. There is no hardship and suffering in him, only love and compassion.

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Saved from Ourselves

On August 20, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 107: 17-22

Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all kinds of food; and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.

Just as Proverb 1: 18 teaches, those who plot and scheme and are full of rebellion, lay traps for themselves and bring about their own sufferings. Then when they are weighed down by the misery and torment they have caused themselves, they cry out to the Lord for deliverance. They do not deserve God’s lovingkindness and gentleness towards them. They are only reaping the fruit of the very seed they intentionally and willingly sowed. When the crop they planted comes in, they cry to God for his mercy and deliverance.

Thank God He is so full of grace and mercy and that He is first and foremost love. Because of who he is, He saves us out of the quagmire we have wrought for ourselves. Our part then should be to sing His praises. He has saved us from ourselves. Sing praises to the Lord. Tell of His great works. Don’t let the miracles he has performed in your life be your secret. Offer Him sacrifices of Thanksgiving by praising Him; telling him how appreciative and grateful you are and tell others how great is our God.

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