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"Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Phil. 1:2) |
Hello,
sweet friends.
Have
you seen the news? Have you been hearing? Can you see and believe
all the damage that happens when a life has ended abruptly, suddenly, without
warning, without understanding?
We
hear of tragedy and displacement of people who may or may not have known the
Lord. We encounter people one day, sometimes to find out such an
encounter was the last. And...
Suddenly,
we feel it.
Small.
Fragile.
Temporary.
Vulnerable.
Mortal.
"Famous"
and "non-famous" alike, lives around us fall; we lose the presence of
someone who impacted us, or possibly had no bearing on our lives at all until
the moment we found out they passed…
Not a big fan of basketball myself, I was still struck with sorrow upon hearing about Kobi Bryant. That's how much a death can impact someone.
When
life seems to take us on an unexpected and unwanted journey of loss and sorrow,
an element of time comes to play. Questions of how we're using our time -
what our time goes to; how we allocate and divvy it up between tasks and
checklists, vacations and sabbaths, investments and relationships - launch
themselves forward from what used to be a less conscientious
platform.
We
may even realize that though we make plans and stake plans, something bigger
and more powerful than our strongest efforts is truly in control; a Higher Up
is moving; Someone else's plans are unfolding. To this, the Bible helps
us:
"A person's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps."
(Proverbs 16:9)
Things
that happen around us shape us, change us, cause our trajectory to shift - and
so it should! The reality of our finite-ness should turn our trivial
pursuits into deep searches for something more; something bigger; something
permanent and less fleeting!
Jesus.
"You are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the
house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in
heaven." (Matt. 5:14-16)
To be clear, being light in a dark place is not to the
exclusion of the event of death or disaster. Being the unhidden lampstand
is something that is commanded of us because we have received the Light, who is
Jesus. Our mission is to become like the Light, that others may see the
Light and turn from their darkened paths.
Certainly, however, the power of these forces
typically lend themselves as potential catalysts for the proclamation of God,
His love, and His truths, namely:
God is holy.
God is kind.
God is good.
God is not partial - He does not respect one person
over another (Acts 10:34-38), and as such desires that all would turn and receive
His grace (2 Pet. 3:9). All. Which is why there are still
outreaches and ministries aimed at the "lost." Groups of people
all over the world sacrifice much to bring the Holiness of God to unreached and
unsaved. By God's grace, He tarries that more would find Him.
This is also why I continue to make and share cards of
this nature, that by some chance - in some way far beyond my scope of
understanding - they may be used to bring others to know and/or love the Lord
our God more and better.
It's why this project is called, "Showing
grace."
God's grace.
God's favor to mankind.
So, what is God's grace about?
Well, I've heard it explained many different
ways. One way being "grace" defined as the ideal of co-existing
with all people, the condoning of all lifestyles and beliefs, the extinguishing
of moral absolutes, and the relenting of personal standards that all may live
in "harmony." As though all of us may have our own
"way" and none of us must submit to any certain grouping of precepts
and statutes.
Sadly, this is the direction our culture has traveled. The true grace of
God has been diminished by our desire to "keep the peace." Our
disinterest in confrontation, in defense of God's holiness and love, has faded
under a non-eternal view of relationships, for the here and now.
Oh, my friends. Let's not tarnish the power of
the cross in the name of tolerance. Let's not continue in thinking
that your way and my way is
"ok," lest Jesus conquering death and hell mean nothing to you or to
me! Here's a number of verses talking about that very thing: https://www.openbible.info/topics/jesus_conquering_death_and_hell
We are SAVED by the grace of God, to live victoriously
by the grace of God, out from under the power of sin and death, not to live
enslaved to the flesh.
The Bible (in the letter of Paul to the Romans) says,
"What shall we say
then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!" (Rom. 6:1-2b)
Grace - God's UNDESERVED, UNEARNED favor - is given us
in abundance that we may better live the life He's given to us in Jesus. The time we have is to live in prophecy and
testimony of the One who has come and made all things new; the One who became
the first among many to raise from the dead; the One who conquered death and
sin on our behalf that our lives may reflect His life and glory!
"The word 'grace' in biblical parlance can,
like forgiveness, repentance, regeneration, and salvation, mean something as
broad as describing the whole of God's activity toward man, or as narrow as
describing one segment of that activity. An accurate, common definition
describes grace as the unmerited favor of God toward man…
"While all of this is in the
context of the grace of God as a gift versus the Law of God as a work,
nevertheless grace is viewed as reigning even as we live the life we are
supposed to live in Christ." (biblestudytools.com/dictionary/grace)
Grace is not God's favor moving among man at the
expense of His holiness; grace is God's favor toward man that man may become
holy. Set apart. Like Jesus.
The grace (both broad and narrow) that the Lord shows
us, and subsequently the grace that we ought to show each other, is founded and
administered in truth - His Word.
My sweet friends, I love you. I love you so much, and this is one of the hardest things for me to talk about. Mainly, I have close friends and relatives who refuse the grace of God to live in sin; to live in lies; to live in unrepentance and hardness of heart. It hurts me, and I know it hurts the Lord...
God is love, and God is truth.
Who do you know that needs to hear of God,
who needs to know they have a Savior,
who needs to understand better the power of the Holy
Spirit unto salvation and holiness, that, if you only had this time to tell
them, would be able to understand and receive the grace that draws them to the
Father?
Do you know how much time you have to tell them?
Is next week guaranteed?
What about tomorrow?
We are not saved, save it be for God's grace toward
us.
For the sake of God's glory and holiness, share
Christ, though it may be through confrontation.
For the sake of their eternity, show grace, though it
may cause "disharmony."
For the sake of the Gospel, "speak the truth in
love," that perhaps by God's grace, one may hear and turn from death to
Life.
"Grace and peace to you from God
our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil.1:2)
Deeds
IG: @mercies_journaled
Please DM me with any questions!
