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Friday, 31 December 2010

The Manifold Grace of God

December 31

The Manifold Grace of God

The manifold grace of God . . . but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . . . Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (1Pe_4:10; 2Pe_3:18 and Gal_6:18)

The manifold grace of God is such an appropriate truth for our concluding meditation for this year. It is both humbling and faith building to be reminded of the majestic diversity of God's grace.

God's grace is manifold. Manifold means many and of several different types.
It is like a heavenly diamond with innumerable facets. Every vantage point reflects a new insight into the gracious resources of our Lord. From some biblical viewpoints, the justifying grace of God is seen: "justified freely by His grace" (Rom_3:24). Yet, our devotional studies have concentrated upon sanctifying grace, grace for growing. "But grow in . . . grace."

Many scriptural vistas display this sanctifying grace in its manifold beauty. It can be seen stabilizing the inner man. "It is good that the heart be established by grace" (Heb_13:9). It can also be seen in its edifying ability. "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up" (Act_20:32).

From another angle, God's sanctifying grace can be seen for its strengthening capacity. "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2Ti_2:1). It can also be observed in its fruit producing role: "and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth" (Col_1:6). It can also be seen in its ministry developing function. "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1Co_15:10).

From still another viewpoint, the sanctifying grace of God can be seen sustaining through the agonies of one's "thorny impossibilities." "My grace is sufficient for you" (2Co_12:9). What heavenly riches await us in a lifetime of observing, and appropriating, God's manifold grace.

What final words would be fitting for us now? The closing benediction in so many New Testament epistles would be perfectly suitable. "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" (Gal_6:18). Ultimately and essentially, grace is found in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and it is experienced through His work in our hearts, as we humbly seek to know Him more and more. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Prayer
Dear Lord of manifold grace, I earnestly yearn to grow in every aspect of Your grace. Lord Jesus, I humbly desire to find increasing intimacy with You. Please work Your grace deeply into my heart and manifest it fully through my life, in Your matchless name, I pray, Amen.

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Jesus is the way

The Lord is my Shephered..Psalm 23
Lord God Almighty is love. Whenever love is around, be sure to know, it is from the grace of the Lord. God is love, love is not created bby feelings, but love itself is a Spirit, and this Spirit, the only Glorious Spirit, is God. Love is Jesus, and Jesus paid the price, that he may gain your love in return.

His love was lifted up for all to see on the hill of Calvery, when He was crucified. This was the greatest act of love ever to be done, and ever will be done. And Jesus said..

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13


If there was any other way for us to be saved, Jesus didn't need to go to the cross.

This is how you know that the Lord God Almighty sent His son to die for our sins to be reconciled with Him, because in the garden of Gethsemany, when Jesus prayed with sweat like blood unto the Lord, if there be any way that the cup of God's wrath would pass from Him, let it be done, but there was no other way for us to be saved, so Jesus said not my will, but your will be done.

If buddaism, muslim, hindu or any other false religion could save you from your sin and reconcile you to God, then the Lord Jesus wouldn't have gone to the cross. But there was no way only through the death he was to take for you.

Jesus said,

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Believe in Jesus,

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

We are saved by His grace that he gave us when he suffered for our sins, and was nailed to the cross, and rose the third day in all Glory.

Praise the Lord!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, let your truth and knowledge fill our hearts, let our hearts be made of good soil, so that your seed of word, when it is sown, it does not fall by the way side, on the rocky road, or snatched and withered by the weeds, but it is sown deep into our hearts, and it lives in Us. Let your grace be upon our lives Jehova in Jesus name. Amen

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

An Invitation to Pray at the Throne of Grace

An Invitation to Pray at the Throne of Grace

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb_4:16)

If we are going to live by grace, we must relate rightly to the God of all grace: namely, by walking in humble dependence. Continual, Spirit-led prayerfulness is the basic way to express humility and faith to the Lord. How fitting it is, then, to consider God's invitation to pray at the throne of grace.

The throne to which we are invited is the throne of God, revealed to the Apostle John. "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne" (Rev_4:2). This honored King of the universe is the Creator of everything, exercising His sovereign will by His infinite power. "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created" (Rev_4:11).

This is a throne of everlasting holiness, as declared constantly by angelic creatures. "And they do not rest day or night, saying: 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!' " (Rev_4:8). For the godless, this will become a throne of judgment. "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it . . . And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God . . . And they were judged, each one according to his works . . . And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev_20:11-13, Rev_20:15).

If this throne were only characterized by sovereign power, holiness, and judgment, we could never approach it with any expectation of blessing. Yet, for those who will humbly receive eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, this is a throne of grace. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace." We can approach this throne with spiritual confidence, because Jesus is seated there with the Father. "And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne . . . stood a Lamb as though it had been slain . . . Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (Rev_5:6, Rev_5:12).

The worthy one, who died for our sins, has opened the door to an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father' " (Rom_8:15).

Dread of God is replaced with boldness, by the grace of Jesus Christ: "in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Eph_3:12). Now, this throne is to us an altar of prayer for mercy and grace!

Abba, Father, I bow before Your throne, acknowledging You as the sovereign Creator and the holy Judge. Yet, I boldly approach You as my dear, intimate Papa! Although I deserved judgment, now through Jesus, I humbly expect mercy and grace!

Monday, 27 December 2010

It is a work unto the end.

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy_3:17)

The Lord has paid the price for all to be saved by the shedding of His blood. He has built the bridge, and given us the promised Holy Spirit. He has given us permission to ask for all we need, and has given us power to overcome all that is against us. There is nothing we can do for God. But God has done more than everything for us.

When you are saved, your name is written in the book of life, and Jesus dwells withing you through His power. If you were saved, then before you must have been in danger. The danger was to burn in the lake of fire, with all unrighteousness and wickedness. It is a wage from the sin you have committed. But God have showed you grace and has given you the gift of eternal life, when you believe in the Son.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now having said all this, you can see that God has given everything we need to be saved. He has given us His word, and His commandments, His grace, His power, His life.

But all of this, does not mean we will STAY SAVED.

The scripture 2 Timothy 3:17 clearly states that we need to be thoroughly furnsihed.

The scripture 2 Timothy 3:17 tells us, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in in righteousness.

If there is nothing more for us to do then why is all this scripture telling us there is more. That we need to be made perfect. You see, Jesus has started a great work in us, and it will be Jesus who finishes it. But you need to give Jesus yourself in order for Him to thoroughly furnish you. A carpenter cannot fix a table if it is running away from Him. Jesus is our carpenter, He was a carpenter on earth in more ways then using wood, He is the carpenter from the beginning of time at the right hand of His Father, creating the world as He, IS the word of God that spoke all things into existence. And He IS still the Carpenter of your salvation, you are the wood, and he bought you a the Highest rate going. But if he paid for you, and you begin to become mouldy, how can he carve anything good.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. -Matthew 7:21-23


Jesus said my Father removes any branch from me that beareth no fruit. A sinner can't be a branch of Jesus. A saved Christian can be a branch of Jesus, so it must be the saved Christian who is not bearing fruit, which indicates you can be removed.

So How do we avoid being removed?
It isn't as hard as it might look, but it will cost you your life, it will cost you all your heart, all your feelings, all you have on this earth, to throw it all to the side and give yourself whole heartedly to the one who died for you. Don't believe you can do this without Him, because you can't, it is only by His Spirit that dwelleth in you that you will be able to do this.

Let Jesus thoroughly furnish you, by giving you the gift of His word, STUDY HIS WORD. Pray always. Praise the Lord in your heart. Give thanks for everything. LOVE JESUS.

It is impossible for man, but WITH GOD all things are possible. Matthew 19:26
PrayerHeavenly Father, may your abundant grace shed upon us, may you lead us in the path of righteousness. May we never slide away from you O God, may we be a branch that bears fruit for you O God. My Lord, I pray that we make ourselves open to Christ, to finish the good work he hath started in us, He is our salvation, the starter and finisher of our Faith. Your mercy endures forever my Lord, let us not take advantage and become ignorant of our sin and iniquity. May we always be humble before you our Lord.

Sunday, 26 December 2010

A Biblical Example of Spirit-led Praying

December 26

A Biblical Example of Spirit-led Praying

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. (Col_1:9-10)

As we have seen, the Lord calls us in various ways to pray without ceasing. Every day in every way, every issue of life is to be engaged through continual, Spirit-led prayerfulness: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph_6:18).

In addition to this extensive call to prayer, the word of God also gives us heavenly insight concerning the general content of our prayers.
The Apostle Paul prayed consistently for the believers at Colosse: "do not cease to pray for you." God's will was the primary issue the Holy Spirit impressed Paul to pray about: "to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will." Such praying will ultimately lead people into the word of God, where the will of God is revealed. "This is the will of God, your sanctification . . . in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1Th_4:3; 1Th_5:18).

Truly understanding God's will requires heavenly insight: "in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Of course, this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (Joh_16:13).

The Lord does not inform us of His will merely for our curiosity. Knowing God's will is to lead to living God's will: "that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him." Our Lord desires that we walk in a manner that is appropriate for identifying with Him and His great gospel of grace. "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ" (Phi_1:27).

He wants us to be interested in what pleases Him, not what pleases self or the world: "proving what is acceptable [well-pleasing] to the Lord" (Eph_5:10). The Lord wants to work in us the heart seen in David's Messianic confession. "I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart" (Psa_40:8).

Bringing the will of God into the heart of man is what the new covenant of grace accomplishes. "I will make a new covenant . . . I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts . . . who also made us sufficient as ministers [servants] of the new covenant" (Jer_31:31, Jer_31:33 and 2Co_3:6).

Living in prayerful dependence upon the grace of God will make us true "servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart" (Eph_6:6).

Prayer
Dear Lord, I want to be fully controlled by Your will, pleasing You in every way. From Your word, grant me Holy Spirit insight into Your will. Teach me to pray in this Spirit-led manner, that Your grace might lead me to do Your will from deep within my heart.

Saturday, 25 December 2010

Jesus is the light of the world.


Jesus is the light of the world.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said " I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

Backsliders, non-believers and anyone who simply chooses to give up on God, is not in the light, but they are in the dark, and it is a choice they have made, by their life-style, and their relationship with Jesus, if you are following Jesus, or have followed your own shadow into a dead end.. If you remain in Jesus, He will remain in you.


If your life-style as a Christian, or a non-believer is not according to God's will, then the light that you have will become dimmer and dimmer, because you are continually feeding your fleshly desires, and your heart becomes corrupt by fleshly desires, which results in depression. It results in depression, and unsatisfaction, because you are craving and feeding yourself with things that were not created to satisfy you.


Do you think God created something that would satisfy you more than he could? He wouldn't, because all His Glory is His, and he will not share it with anyone. When you stop seeking your own desires and start seeking God's, you will definitely feel satisfied in your heart, because it is what you were created with.


Can a plant be growing, and be healthy, and colourful, satisfied, if it is breathing out carbon dioxide, and breathing it back in? No. In the same way, we cannot breath out our own fleshly love, and breath it back in and be satisfied. We need the love of another, and the other, can only be God, because he is the LOVE, that we were created to receive.


Beloved, we must continuously seek God, by submitting ourselves fully to Him, in everything we do, every thought we have, send it to God first, and believe me, He will never ignore a soul seeking after His Heart.

Jesus is the light of the world. Let us put aside every decision and every act that is filling our world with darkness, and we will see this place be filled with the Glory of God.


Prayer

Father God, May you never stop shedding your light into our lives, may your Spirit continually minister to Us, and lead us in the path of Righteousness. We pray O God, that we will not seek the council of ourselves, or the council of Men, but only your council my Lord, and that we will always go to you in prayer with supplication, and an honest and sincere heart.

Lord, be our guide, and show us your Glory, removing anything from Us that is displeasing to you, and covering us in the blood of the Most Holy One, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We thank you Lord for hearing our prayers, and for loving Us the way you do, like no other, and by no other. We give you praise and thanks my Lord, in Jesus mighty name. Amen


God Bless you

Thursday, 23 December 2010

Col 2: 6 - 8."As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ".

There are a whole lot of ministries and men of God preaching and teaching the wisdom of men based on philosophy and vain deceit in fulfillment of their own desires. The Bible warns us of such people and ministries. (Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ").

All they are interested is your money. They have now diluted the True Word of God into sayings of Wisdom of men and to what the congregation want to hear ignoring the truth which brings life, repentance and the righteousness of God. Many ministries can't preach against sin because they will lose members if they do. And the their offering is going to reduce, thus they dare not to.
The Bible says Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matt 5:6).

The hour and the time has come for us to hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God. We need to arise from the deceptions and misleading of we don't need to worry about righteousness because we are the righteousness of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Rom 3:22) and can lead any kind of life.

This teaching is coming from the pit of hell. YES it is through that we are the righteousness of God but shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Rom 6:1-4)

The Bible says He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:8-9).

We all know that we are working towards perfection and there are at times we fall but that doesn't mean we should remain in it. The fact that we feel guilty of the sins we commit is an indication that the Spirit of God is still working it out in our life.
And you have to arise and continue the race.

But the moment you don't feel any guilt what so ever and enjoy doing that which does not subject to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians. 10:5) is an indication that the Spirit of God has left you and you need to watch out because life without the Spirit of God is full of lifeless.
You wouldn't see it now but it's a mater of time. Always remember that, where your flesh leads you, it will leave you.

I pray in the name of Jesus that God grants us a willing Spirit to sustain us in all dimensions of our lives to live, hunger and thirst for righteousness that we may be filled.

God bless you.

Shalom!

Your-In-Christ.

Andy.