Grace For The Journey

  The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most beloved stories in Scripture. In that story we see two sons who seem quite different on the surface, yet both were lost and looking for love in all the wrong places. Today I’d like to look at the other son in the story who just might minister to you today, right where you are.

In Luke 15:11-13, 25-32 Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living” . . . “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The younger son was in a faraway country, squandering an inheritance he did not deserve. The older brother was in a faraway condition, busily engaged in working his way into the father’s heart, not realizing he was already there. Both sons were lost; both of them were in desperate need of a Savior.

Some of us can relate to the prodigal; we’ve wandered off into some far country, seeking to satisfy the sinful desires of our hearts. Some of us would have to confess that we’ve acted a lot like the older brother; we’ve languished in a faraway condition, cold and indifferent to the Father’s love.

But as I said, there’s a third son not mentioned in the story . . . and we all know who he is. He is not far off or in a faraway condition; he is just adrift. With no intentional departure from His father’s presence, nor any real desire to win His favor, this son is simply going through the motions. He is making a living but not even close to making a difference. For this son, Wednesday is “hump day,” and the beginning of the weekend is marked by the letters TGIF.

Many of us are neither running away from nor running toward the One who has given us everything. We aren’t openly sinful like the prodigal, nor are we insufferably self-righteous like the older brother. We are simply floating on the surface of the sea, at the mercy of the strongest wind that is blowing at the time.

So . . . which of these three sons have you been acting like lately?

• Have you been running away from God?
• Have you been running toward God?
• Have you been ambling along on the proverbial treadmill?

We don’t need to be any of these three sons!

• The Gospel frees us from the need to run off to find our satisfaction in anything other than Jesus.
• The Gospel liberates us from the need to work our way into God’s divine favor.
• And the Gospel releases us to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit that flows from a heart that overflows with love and thanksgiving for all God has done.

We are finally and fully freed from the “doing” in order to get – because we have already been given everything!

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Grace For The Journey

  Today is Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the United States. It occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veteran’s Day. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veteran’s Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

To be sure, our freedom isn’t free and every brave man and woman who have lost their lives defending this great nation proves this truth. They gave up their hopes. They gave up their dreams. They gave up their future plans. They gave up the families they had and the families they never got the chance to have. They gave up their lives to serve this great nation to give to us the freedom we enjoy today.

Sadly, far too many in our country today have forgotten or never learned what Memorial Day is all about. Some see it only as a 3 day holiday to hang out with family and friends for a barbeque. Others see it as merely an extra day off from work and a time to catch up on a little extra sleep. Still others spend their time working through the countless advertisements to find the best Memorial Day sales from mattresses to automobiles. How easy it is to get so caught up in enjoying our freedom that we forget the fact that it wasn’t free. It cost many much…and it cost far too many all. When you think about it for a moment, pausing today simply to say thank you is a good thing, but it really doesn’t seem like enough. But let us at the very least do that.

The Bible records Jesus saying these words in John 15:12-13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

In these words we find the One who truly understands best what it means to sacrifice it all. The Lord Jesus Christ lived out the truth of this command demonstrating “no greater love” but there is something quite amazing about what He did. Jesus did not just lay down His life for His friends. He laid down His live for those who were His enemies. He died for those who hated Him, for those who hurled insults at Him, for those who dishonored His mighty name, and for all those who put Him to the most horrible death by slow suffocation while hanging nailed to a cross.

The Bible states in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Bible also declares in Colossians 1:21, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of you’re evil behavior.”

As we go throughout this Memorial Day let us pause and take some time to remember and appreciate all those brave men and women who gave it all for our freedom. Pray for their families and find ways to participate in the process of helping all of our veterans and their families who suffer a lifetime of the after effects of the horrors of war.

As we do this, let us also remember the greatest sacrifice of all, the one paid by our Lord Jesus Christ for all those who would put their trust in Him for salvation. His perfect life and sacrificial death not only gave us the freedom we enjoy today from the reign of sin and death, the freedom to live a life that is pleasing in His sight, but secured our freedom for all eternity.

Remember, because of what Jesus freely did on our behalf, there is a time coming when their will be no more tears, no more suffering, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more wars, and no more death!

May that truth fill our hearts today and every day with thanksgiving for the One who laid down His life for us. The freedom we enjoy in our great nation wasn’t free. It was blood-bought by the brave men and women of the Armed Forces. And make no mistake, the freedom we enjoy as Christians wasn’t free either. It was blood-bought by the precious Son of the Most High God. May God bless you this Memorial Day!

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Grace For The Journey

  Did you know that the power of the Gospel frees us from the fear of evil?  Do you know why?  It’s because even in the evil we face day in and day out, our God is with us.

That what the Psalm 23:4 proclaims clearly and with certainty!

On the darkest road we travel, we need not fear evil because God is with us.  Even in the shadow of death the Christian heart still beats in time with the Master’s music, because He is not only our comfort but He is our companion.  He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).  And he who has God as his companion has nothing to fear.  What a beautiful promise we have from the psalmist – a promise that propels us further in and further up into our redemption, independent of all outward circumstances, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In fearing no evil, we are to include the evil one – the devil himself.  Satan can do only what God allows, and God only allows what is useful for demonstrating His glory, our sanctification, and service to others.  Sure, the devil comes as a roaring lion, seeking to devour anything in his way.  But he comes without teeth and claws, because he comes under the complete control of Christ our companion.  You will remember in the story of Job: the devil was allowed to do only what God allowed him to do, all of which ultimately worked for God’s glory and Job’s good.  And this is true for every child of God born-again of grace.

To be sure, there are times we find ourselves in dark valleys, deep waters, deserted highways, and desolate places, but we never find ourselves alone . . . which is cause for courage and cheer, not fright and fear.  It’s important to note that Jesus is not only with you, but He has gone before you.  Jesus faced every imaginable evil and conquered it as our King.

• Jesus faced the evil of the religious leaders
• Jesus faced the evil of His neighbors
• Jesus faced the evil of His friends
• Jesus faced the evil of His followers
• Jesus faced the evil of the Roman soldiers
• Jesus faced the evil of the thieves that hung on either side of Him on the cross
• Jesus faced the evil of evil itself in His wilderness experience
• Jesus faced the evil of our imputed sins
• Jesus faced the evil of death
• Jesus faced the evil of hell

Not only is Jesus our companion who has faced every evil, He is our King who has conquered every evil!  Not one evil could stand up against His perfect Righteousness.  He sits at the right hand of God the Father (Romans 8:34), which is the place of power in heaven and on earth.  And it is that power that overcame every evil and will one day overthrow it, making everything that is bad good; everything crooked will be made straight; darkness will be turned to light; the dead in Christ will live; and all that was meant for evil will display the glorious righteousness of Christ!

Let the testimony of our lives be one that fears no evil, knowing we face it with our conquering King, who has vanquished every foe.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

 

 

Grace For The Journey

The Bible knows nothing of the solitary saint – the “holy hermit” who seeks the quiet solitude of the monastic life. To be sure, we are all saved individually, but we are saved to community. Christianity is a team sport!

Let’s see what Scripture has to say on the subject . . .

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:12-13, and 19-22, “Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

When God said it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18), He was not speaking only of marriage; God is instructing us as to the importance of community and fellowship in the family of faith. As someone has said, “Everyone who belongs to Jesus belongs to everyone who belongs to Jesus.” Because “the church” is a body and not a building, we need to stay connected to each other if we are truly going to be the church Christ died to form.

As a pastor, I have noticed that one of the very first symptoms of spiritual deficiency and decline is the inconsistency of attendance at worship services and other church gatherings. And what starts as an infection (missing an occasional worship service), winds up a disease (missing months at a time). We must keep the truth before us that we have been called by Christ to do more than believe; we have been called to belong to His body. When we withhold ourselves from His body, the entire body is diminished.

We need each other! One of the best ways to discover your personal role to play in the body of Christ is through relationships with others already serving in the church. Remember, the church is God’s Almighty Agenda for the world. We have been saved for service; as a community of believers, we are to be influencing and impacting the community around us. Holy hermits hold no hope for making this happen!

What do you need to today to deepen you connection, or reconnect, with Christ’s local body?  The Bible says that Christ “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25)  If it is that important to Him, shouldn’t it be important to us?

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Grace For The Journey

  I once heard a martial arts instructor say that one of the most serious errors one can have in this field is a habit of making their fists so tight that their knuckles on both hands turned white.  The instructor made it clear that white knuckles are a sure sign of too much tension – not only in the hands but throughout the entire body, which would limit ones ability to perform.  White knuckles are counterproductive to high-level performance in the martial arts.

Likewise, “white-knuckle living” is counterproductive to living the Christian life at the highest level.  Consider your life for just a moment.  Is there anything you are holding onto so tightly that your knuckles are turning white?  Are you holding something or someone in a vice-grip – something that if you were to lose it, your life would be turned upside down and cease to exist as you currently know it?  Could it be . . .

• A job?
• A relationship?
• Position?
• Power?
• Prestige?
• Health?
• Achievement?

We all white-knuckle certain things in our lives from time to time.  We all look to things other than Jesus to give us what only Jesus can give us.  This is precisely why He has called us to die to ourselves.  When we die to self, we relax our grip and release the things of this world, in which we once believed we needed to find significance and satisfaction.  Only Jesus can give us everything we need.

So . . . is there anything other than Jesus battling for first place in your heart?  Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The happiest state of a Christian is the holiest state.  As there is the most heat nearest to the sun, so there is the most happiness nearest to Christ.  No Christian enjoys comfort when his eyes are fixed on vanity – he finds no satisfaction unless his soul is quickened in the ways of God.”

If there is anything you are “white-knuckling” in life right now, remember this: the only thing that should cause white-knuckles is our vise-like grip on the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is God’s Word … This is Grace for your Journey …

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

 Pastor Terry

 Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

 

Grace For The Journey

   In the Lord’s Prayer we utter these words: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”(Matthew 6:10)

Many of us have been reciting these words since we were children . . . but do we really know what we are praying for? Do we understand how dangerous and radical these words really are? Do we realize how the truth of these words actually lived out in our lives would turn our world upside down?

Why is this so? Because, as children of Adam and Eve, our sinful nature would infinitely prefer to build our own little kingdom, rather than build the Kingdom of God. And this self-centeredness does not cease when God grants us the faith to become children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7); even after we are saved by God’s grace, our old sin nature still fights to continue construction on its little kingdom of one (Galatians 5:17).

So . . . what kingdom have you been building lately? “Thy” kingdom? . . . or “my” kingdom?

You won’t know whose kingdom you are advancing simply by measuring it against the challenges, obstacles, persecutions, and storms you may be facing. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you’re doing God’s work! Everyone on this side of the grave faces trials for countless reasons. But when you face these difficulties for the glory of Jesus Christ, you can be sure you are working toward the expansion of His Kingdom and not yours.

Working for the expansion of God’s kingdom means death – death to self and our own desires. Instead of ordering our own lives, we take our orders from another . . . and His name is Jesus Christ. He tells us to go where we often would rather not go. He tells us to speak up when we would rather remain silent. He tells us to plug into the lives of others when we would rather remain unplugged. Yet it is only in this kind of death that we actually find life! Death to self leads to life in our Savior, and life in our Savior leads to expanding His Kingdom, not ours.

When we earnestly pray for God’s kingdom to come we are asking God to reorient our hearts away from the love of self to the love of God and others – all others! And it is only the grace of God that can accomplish the monumental task of removing self from the throne of life and putting Jesus there.

As a pastor, I often walk with others through difficulties in life; people will ask me, “How do I overcome this?” I’ll often encourage them to unpack this portion of the Lord’s Prayer. This is the place where we begin to slay the sin in our hearts. Desiring God’s will above our own is the secret to slaying sin – as we surrender control of our lives to the One who nailed them all to a cross.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

 

Grace For The Journey

  Those of you who have lived for a few decades – or perhaps you like to watch the “T.V. Land” channel – may be familiar with the 1950s hit sitcom that sprang out of a popular radio show, Father Knows Best, which portrayed a middle-class family living in the Midwest.  The father was played by Robert Young (you may also remember him from Marcus Welby, M.D.), who was the picture of wisdom as the head of his family.  His three children would always come to their father when they needed advice on anything.

Today’s message is not about a fictional father on a television show, but it is about our true Father.  God our Father really does know best, and He delights when we come to Him seeking wisdom, understanding, and advice on any subject.  He also delights when we trust in Him, even when His counsel is contrary to our plans.  His understanding is limitless; His wisdom knows no bounds; His plans and purposes are perfect.

Think back over your life and consider a time when you were disappointed your plans did not come together.  At the time, perhaps you could not understand why.  But God knew why, and He kept your plans from coming together because He had something far better for you.  I simply cannot count how many times in my life has God showed up and delivered me from my agenda, only to deposit me in the middle of His.

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord established his steps.”

Looking back now over my life, it is both astonishing and humbling to see what God has done.  It never ceases to amaze me what God can and will do when I get out of the way!

So . . . where in your life today is God establishing your steps in a direction you had not planned?  No doubt it makes you uncomfortable.  It can even be a little scary!  But your heavenly Father knows best and He will not stop short of giving you His best.

Listen to these precious instruction from God’s Word . . .

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”  (Proverbs 16:3)

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”  (Proverbs 19:25)

Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you figure out why.”  Only in following God’s plan for our lives will we ever figure out the why.  And that means we will be living surrendered lives.  We surrender to the One who created us and what He created us for, following obediently wherever that leads, regardless of the cost or circumstance . . . even when it leads us in a direction we could never have imagined.

God led the Israelites to the Red Sea after freeing them from bondage.  With the Egyptian chariots thundering up behind them, the situation looked absolutely hopeless.  But God the Father knew best, and He displayed His power for all the world to see.  The Israelites walked across the Red Sea on dry ground, but the pursuing Egyptians were swallowed up by it.

When God is leading the way, the way is good when it seems bad . . . right when it seems wrong . . . best when it seems the absolute worst.  Sometimes the long road is the best way; at other times the rocky road is the best way.  Our Father in heaven is calling us into the adventure of a lifetime in following His plans for our lives.

Are you willing to let go of the reigns and allow God to direct your steps?  Only the power of the Gospel frees you to live for something bigger than yourself . . . or more accurately, Someone . . . and that Someone is Jesus.

The Bible says in Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

God the Father knows best, and He has your best interest in mind, regardless of what you are going through.  And you will actually get through what you are going through and come out the other side!  Your heavenly Father will not forget you . . . He will not forsake you . . . and He will always be faithful to you.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Grace For The Journey

  When Jesus saved you, He placed you into His body – the church.  The Christian life was never meant to be lived in intentional isolation – which, sadly, is how far too many Christians live.  As a member of the body of Christ, each person is as needed and as valuable as the next.  And one of the most important roles we can all play in one another’s lives is to be an encourager.  I call encouragement “Christian Vitamin C.”

The Bible says in Hebrews 3:12-14, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”

Everyone is carrying a burden.  Look closely into the eyes of the people around you and you will see their desperate longing for a little encouragement . . . a kind word . . . a pat on the back . . . a warm smile.  Encouragement is to the soul what vitamin C is to the body.  “Gracious words are like a honeycomb,” Proverbs 16:24 asserts, “sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

There’s just one problem: we are not encouragers by nature.  Our sinful self-centeredness keeps us from encouraging others.  We are consumed with OUR dreams, OUR goals, OUR desires, OUR sorrows, OUR suffering, OUR success, OUR doubts, OUR fears.  Our mantra is Jesus and ME . . . not Jesus and we!

Only the power of the Gospel can free us from the suffocating prison of self-absorption.  The Gospel shifts our focus from self to the Savior; when we are focused on the Savior He redirects our focus to others so that we might minister in His name.  And one of the greatest ministries we can all have, regardless of our gifting and calling, is to be an encourager.

The Bible is quite direct on this point: “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

One Christian leader put it this way:

“One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement.  It is easy to laugh at man’s ideals.  It is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm.  It is easy to discourage others.  The world is full of discouragers.  We have a Christian duty to encourage one another.  Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet.  Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”

So . . . what about you? Are you such a person?  Do you speak encouragement into the lives of others?

Here’s another crucial question: do you have an encourager in your life?  Someone who speaks life into your life?  If you can say yes, get on your face before the Living God and thank Him for this incredible gift!  I thank God daily for the many encouragers He has given me: my beloved wife and best friend, Kay; my other family member; and several brothers in Christ.  There is one man whom I’ve nicknamed “Brother Barnabas” (Barnabas means “son of encouragement”), because of the daily dose of the Christian Vitamin C he gives to me.  I thank God for all those who pour words of life and love into me.  And I also make it a point to give heartfelt thanks to my encouragers.  Those like Barnabas, who are wired as encouragers, need to receive encouragement every bit as much as those to whom they deliver it.

If you don’t have an encourager in your life, why don’t you make a point of being an encourager in the lives of everyone you meet?  Jesus put it this way: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).  If you want encouragement from others, you be an encourager to them.  Everyone needs a daily dose of Christian Vitamin C!

Ultimately, the Gospel is our greatest source of encouragement.  That is why we need to continually apply its truths to our lives.  But as we’ve seen, God has called each Christian to fill the role of encourager in the lives of others.  Encouragement is divinely designed to keep us from being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  That is powerful stuff!

“Let us encourage one another,” the letter to the Hebrews exhorts.  Jesus gave us the Gospel to empower our encouragement through a reorientation toward others and away from ourselves.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

 

Grace For The Journey

  A life without rules and regulations would be no life at all.  I’m sure we all think at times that we would like to live a life without rules and regulations, but it wouldn’t take long for our world to degenerate into utter anarchy.  Our collective despairing cry would be for the return of rules and regulations!

But what is the reason of rules and regulations?  Rules and regulations are designed to create boundaries and protect rights, in order to ensure that everyone in society behaves in such a way that a community can function, regulate, and work appropriately.  When the rules and regulations are violated, consequences follow; for many, the fear of these consequences keeps them from committing violations.  Doing what is right is driven by the fear of the consequence of doing what is wrong.

The result of rules and regulations can indeed control, constrict, and confine behavior.  But rules and regulations can never transform the heart, which is the ultimate source of our wrong thinking and evildoing.  Only the Gospel can do that, as the Bible powerfully explains in Colossians 2:20-23:

“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle!  Do not taste!  Do not tough!”?  These are all destined to perish with us, because they are based on human commands and teachings.  Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

Rules and regulations can only go so far in controlling behavior.  Eventually we all follow the natural desires of the heart, and those desires, if not directed by the Holy Spirit, ultimately lead to destruction and death.  It is only the transforming power of the Gospel that can change the heart . . . only the Gospel which can radically and permanently change behavior.  This change is motivated, not by instilling fear or inflicting guilt, but rather, out of a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to the One who has transformed our life . . . who gave us a new heart and a new spirit.

Rules and regulations were never designed to do for the human heart what only the Redeemer can do: make it alive, make it new, and make it beat for the things of God.  Remember, it’s not about changing behavior.  It’s about changing the heart, which will ultimately change behavior, and only the power of the Gospel can do that.

If you are in a position of influence in someone’s life as a parent, teacher, coach, etc., aim at changing behavior, and you may win the battle.  But if you aim at changing the heart, you will win the war.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

 

Grace For The Journey

  When is sitting actually standing tall? When we are sitting at the feet of Jesus! Mary understood this truth; Martha did not:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Notice that Jesus did not praise Mary merely for sitting down or sitting still. Mary was praised for sitting at the feet of Jesus . . . and that is the time when sitting is standing tall.

Both sisters were working to prepare their home to receive Jesus. The difference between Martha and Mary lay in the fact that Mary knew when it was time to stop working and sit at the feet of her Lord and Master. Do we?

I am painfully aware that there are many in the church today who neglect their duties; they are sitting when they should be standing and serving. But there are some who, like Martha, are always working, working, working, and never taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus. It’s important to note that Jesus was not praising Mary for neglecting devotion to her sister or any of her responsibilities in the home. Our Lord praised Mary for recognizing that there is a time to work and a time to sit . . . and only those who are in close communion with Him can discern the difference.

So . . . when was the last time you took the time to sit at the feet of Jesus? We can become so encumbered with all the work that has to be done. I know this truth personally as a pastor; I’ve written this blog as much for myself as for any of you. It is very easy to become so consumed by service to our Savior that we miss out in sitting as His feet . . . listening to His voice . . . experiencing His love and grace.

We must remember Jesus’s words to worker bee Martha: “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” I pray that our Lord may say this about you and me on a daily basis—that we have chosen what is better. And I pray that “what is better” will not be taken away from us by anything that would work to disrupt our intimacy, fellowship, and communion with Jesus.

Sitting is standing tall when we realize that only one thing is truly needed . . . and His name is Jesus!

If you should happen to be visiting this blog for the first time, it is my prayer that you understand that the name of Jesus is the only name under heaven by which you may be saved (Acts 4:12). There is no good work or service—nor even a lifetime of good works—that will make you acceptable in God’s sight. It is by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, that we receive the gift of eternal life. That is not the “better” way; it is the only way!

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”