Tag Archives: grace of Jesus

Living in Him- 8/2/21

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“Seek His face always.” Hmm. Need to remember that again.

There’s always an excuse to not live a life more for Jesus. Something to fall back on, reasons to not read the Word of God, giving reasons not to witness.

Yet the entire time God is there waiting for us to want a relationship with Him.

A lot of people nowadays who call themselves Christians also don’t even read the bible! It’s like we are living in times where we are going to church and doing rituals yet not even thinking about Him in our spare time.

For many years I have done that. Yet God has so much to offer when we read His word. He wants to tell us so much and we don’t want to use our “ears” to listen to it.

There is more than we might think about what God offers. Thanks to Jesus we have a path open where we can speak intimately to God and He can do things in our lives we might not even realize.

One of those is to ask for wisdom.

It says in James we must do so:

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

The context explaining before that verse “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Wow so we must learn to ask God for wisdom to applied to our lives?

I’ve actually asked for wisdom and He answered my prayer.

That is only because God loves us so much and wants us to live in Him as much as we can. It’s like an adventure to live for Him! There is always something good that comes from it and a life worthwhile living.

This is all possible because of an intimate relationship is something that is worthwhile living for and He wants us to desire that above all other things.

It is worth it to live for Him and to be close to Him in so much of our daily life.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

Why does it seem we desire to sin and turn away while Christ wants to take us in in love?

We must desire the truth and have the God of love fully in our hearts.

Wow seeing the phrase “double-minded” hit home! Before I looked it up I felt I already understood what it could mean.

In valdosdailytimes.com it says it means “To be double-minded is to be inconsistent, vacillating, to be and act one way today and be and act some other way tomorrow.”

Living the life like people during Paul’s is not the way to go. Why can’t we fully immerse ourselves in the life of a follower of Jesus?

What is holding us back to really live in Him?

Sometimes I had trouble answering that because I was so steeped in self.

But to really “live” we must be mindful of not just the ones we pick and choose but all of His commandments. Amen!

Devotion- 7/3/21

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Doing well. Physically I still need to get stuff worked out but…

To believe in the One who has changed you brings amazing changes. Just like to know a friend and you might have certain qualities. Over time, those qualities are like mutual changes: you become like them, they become like you.

But this is a completely different kind of relationship: You change for the better and God stays the same. But you have every moment to be newer to be “better” than you were before.

And this “Friend” just wants the best for you.

The opening verse is from Romans, possibly my favorite writer in the bible:

Do not be conformed to this world… but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

From ‘whichever version I use.’ No one could guess it, haha. Just kidding it’s from the NKJV, the New King James Version.

Note that I separated it a little. That was not a separation in the text but it is important.

We must not be like the people in this world. There are people so stuck in sin they might need someone to talk to at the very least, while this world it is hard sometimes to even fake interest!

There are many though in the opposite spectrum who do care, but is there anyone who can tell them just what changed their lives? More importantly is there a Godly Person who has completely turned them around, or might they equate their experience in life as “I just changed my attitude…” and that’s the end of their personal story?

I hate being stuck in my own sin. It’s no fun. I shared that before, how I was feeling like I was being dragged through my old life and it would not let me go..!

I don’t want anyone to not know there is a love in something that will be like the shackles of sin have been removed and a love moves the heart and will change their life in a way that they couldn’t have imagined!

Because by the grace of Jesus I was shown there was a life that was worth living for my own self.

We must also know that His yoke is easy His burden is light:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ‘For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.'” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus had amazing words to share to the people He loved dearly who He wanted them just to have a close relationship with His Father.

He guided them and knew that what the Father wanted was what He grew up learning about and He knew they needed for their persnal lives too.

We need to remember that His way is perfect (Psalms 18:30). We must shine like stars in the sky (Philippians 2:15) if we want to really live for goodness. Sure if you “fall” there is mercy to speak to Christ and be picked back up, there is such wondrous grace in Jesus that it is worth telling in this awful disease-spotlighted world.

How worth it is to tell of this wonderful transforming grace? It’s worth everything!

Transforming Grace- 7/2/21

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The love that first loved me. That is what I hope to be. One day we will completely rid our old selves and be completely new! But sadly that will only happen after the end times. Those times will be tough for ones who especially never saw that hope here. There is a chance many Christians who have done things in the wrong heart (without Christ) will wonder why they weren’t with their fellow believers. It’s a scary sad time and will feel like the end for a lot.

But in those times within there is still somehow God’s mercy. He could have taken the earth apart and completely killed everyone who wasn’t without His grace but God’s Word does not say that will happen after the Lord is getting ready to come, to rule on earth and be back in bodily form. There in the midst of all the sorrows of loss and terrible tribulations following what has come right before it will have the chance to still know Jesus.

Why don’t we listen to what Christ wants for us today? We must be one who will be guided by His father, God. And what we can do for that is reading the bible. He can speak to us if we do that.

But the heart must be changed first before we could ever know the truth.

I was just thinking about a hymn about the transforming grace of Jesus. He can change a person from the inside out. The person and their soul does absolutely nothing to end up believing. God can get us as we are but by the power of the Holy Spirit (it’s like a “whisper” or a leading from the heart to know Him) that only He can do will a person find out they need Him, the Father.

He takes us as are, which is full of sin. We are the reviled, the awful, the worst people in all the earth even as much as early as the moment we are born to the world.

I think of my own sin. It is selfish, pitiful, it is so vile I hate is so much as I try to follow the One who’s ways are so much better than my own.

I see such deep pits of selfishness. But when I want to follow Christ, I see such depths of His heart that His father has for us.

It is amazing. It is awesome grace. It is worth living for!

We cannot live for God with our sin so we must know that Jesus died on the cross for it so we don’t have to live without him forever (and end up in hell) but accept that Christ died for you and take His love like a gift. Jesus also had risen again after He took the punishment though he was perfect. He showed that He had power even over death! Don’t you want your life to end up in a world where you get to see heaven?

Then pray if you need to like this:

God, I realize that anything I do in life is just selfishness and is not enough to go to heaven. I also know that by the love of You and through Your Son Jesus who died on the cross He paid for not just the world’s sin but for all of my sin too. I want to live a life to be a believer in Christ and be guided by what You want me to do. Thank You for hearing me. Amen.

I pray your life had been transformed by the grace of Jesus today!

Who Are We “In Christ?”- 6/17/21

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Gonna put this up, then hopefully will go to bed afterwards!

Do you believe you have an identity? What could that mean…?

I have an identity. It’s called an I. D. Identification. It has everything on it including my name. If I had someone ask who I was and I wasn’t sure, I’d check that and say “This should tell you everything you are concerned about me. All the info on there is enough!”

Is it though? Is it really all there is “about” me? Could I rename myself? Better yet could someone in my life give me a new “identity”…..?

The news is so matter of fact about how people according to their facts “are.” It seems that many may feel that it is impossible to change. Hey whatever experiences people have is what people from there will expect.

I “can’t” change.

Well if one can’t change, I hope they realize the wonderful love of Jesus. If you follow His path and even want to live for Him wholeheartedly it will be amazing what He can do!

Now I have another thing to ponder. If we can, if we might gain a “new” identity… what will be involved with that?

The answer to that is simple. It will be like a beautiful dream only you HAVE woken up.

You realize that with Christ you have a new way of life, a way you didn’t think could matter! You see in yourself a change to the point you feel He has turned you completely around.

How can that happen? By trusting in Jesus in what He did on the cross!

Life without Him is horrid but life in Him is wonderful…

I’ve felt like I was without the Lord. Many times.

If you ever feel tempted, stay away from this stuff. It’s no different than alcohol in my opinion:

One of my biggest regrets was jumping into looking at pornography.

It was sick and I know people that go to my church might be quick to judge me but I knew it was wrong. I knew it and know it now!

I was too dern young. I just went through puberty! I was at a new school that year; I was up on the computer one night, I hesitated and then made that choice…

Now some people might think “porn” is no big deal. It is a big deal. It’s a spiritual warfare deal. Demonic things happen when people look at porn!

I entertained lusts in my heart that I should have talked to people about but instead stayed by myself and yearned endlessly to live to keep that evil flame burning.

I found all kinds of ways to get it again and again. It was not even fun. It sure seemed like I was getting some kind of enjoyment but it was never satisfactory!

I gave in constantly. It became a “drug.” It would have felt good if it didn’t feel like some kind of hell, dragging me around, making me feel like I was nothing after I learned slowly more and more that I was addicted to it.

These “freedom” moments in my life felt more like I was given shackles and then dragged through the mud and rocks while strung from the back of a vehicle. It felt like I was a slave to sin, and seemingly without God, but somehow I wasn’t.

It would drag me through nonstop personal mental “pain” and misery until I died if it was possible.

This was no “burden” to bear alone…

But yet it was a burden I didn’t even have to bear at all. Because of Jesus I was able to give it up (yes I fought with it again and again time and time again, but I still struggled against it versus not caring about doing it!). The feelings of being alone. The toiling and anguish in feeling like I was alone it seemed in my struggle.

Jesus took my burden as well as many things on the cross. He had every sin laid on Him so that He would be like a lamb and be “slaughtered”

How could that be?

They describe Jesus as a lamb. He was like a sacrifice but the ultimate sacrifice. He was the only one that worked!

In the Old Testament so-called “perfect” lambs were slaughtered just as a visual image. It brought people to glorify and worship God.

Because they did great at letting people know that God was good and one to worship but it was not spiritually cleansing.

People needed a real sacrifice. One which took on the sins not just of the world but then also for both you and me!

Without the shedding of blood there was no forgiveness.

He was the Lamb of God. He was the one who paid a debt because He was perfect (the real perfect!).

And so all sins were laid on Him so that He would be broken for the cause of Christ. That ones would come to know Him through His Son so that we were no longer separated if we ever felt lost and without God in our lives.

Now if you follow this way there is also a thing called soul liberty. Once you follow Him you don’t have to keep going this direction. Almost like Adam having a decision you can select whether to follow always or not…

you can choose to follow or not follow Christ. You can choose to stay in His body of believers or not.

But to make the choice to follow Jesus is being Christ bound!

It means you want to be bound to the ways of Christ Jesus. You want to follow all of His ways.

You can now know what it is in store to know Him more. Your master is God your father because now You know that thee is a will. It is like a new you!

Check this out. Some Scripture:

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. ~John 15:15

And your old self was on the cross where Jesus died. It no longer is a “part” of you but you have been completely turned around if you trust in His ways.

Scripture:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” ~Galations 2:20

Isn’t that awesome. How marvelous it is to know this Jesus.

Do you want to pray to follow Him? Let’s see what your identity is in Him today!

Father:

I pray for the people who may be following a certain path. I know all about paths. Mine led to endless destruction. God I don’t want anything like that to happen to whoever might be reading this today (or tonight later) and I pray You reveal Your will for this person after they pray this.

Father God… I realize no matter how hard I try I cannot be good like You. I realize that any and all bad was paid for at the cross. IT was so much stuff and I know now You paid for it by the giving of your Son Jesus Christ. May I follow You with my whole heart and seek a place that speaks the truth that will help guide me Your way. I know that He died for my old self. Let me know more and more my new identity which is in You. I hope that in life I will be able to experience that here. . . Thank you for the wonderful privilege of prayer.

My hope now is that you see every day who you are in Christ. Did you know He sees You as forgiven? He sees one without sin! Wow. Now what a new identity. Praise God if you prayed but be encouraged and know how awesome living for God can really be. That is part of my prayer for you!