God is creating a beautiful tapestry within our lives, though at times the thread of the tapestry appears to be unraveling. The tapestry cannot be seen with the naked eye, so to give us hope, God has given us glimpses of His grace.
Thursday 5/30/13 Grace For Today Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 (NIV)
Albert Einstein once lost his ticket while boarding a train. The conductor said "Relax, Dr. Einstein, we all know who you are." Einstein replied, "It's not that I don't know who I am, I know exactly who I am, I'm looking for my ticket becaue I don't know where I'm going." Can you honestly say that you know you are going? Is it heaven? If not continue to study the book of John, it will show you the way to Jesus. It you do know where you are going, will you please point someone who is lost, to Christ? Stay in His word and stay on your knees.
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.~Jesus Christ
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wednesday 5/29/13 Grace For Today For The Glory Of God
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
As believers in Christ we must be disciplined in our time with God. We must practice discipline in our prayer lives and in fellowshipping with other believers. All of these things are commanded by God. We are also commanded to be disciplined in our jobs, and in doing so, we are doing it, to the glory of God. This is not a suggestion but a commandment!!! Hang in there, the Lord is on your side. Stay in his the word and stay on your knees.
What if an army were run with the same lack of obedience, order, and discipline that we often see in the local church? It would never win the war. If soldiers attended drill whenever they felt like it, they would never be equipped to face the enemy. If the recruits disobeyed their officers' orders the way some church members disobey the Word of God, they would be court-martialed.~The Bible Exposition Commentary
Monday, May 27, 2013
Monday 5/27/13 Grace For Today The Good Shepherd
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. John 10: 27-30 (NIV)
I once heard Michael Youssef tell the story of someone luring off a shepherd's sheep. He said as the shepherd looked upon the hill and saw his sheep being led astray, he called out to them and instantly the sheep turned and ran to their master. All we like sheep have gone astray, but once we turn to the Good Shepherd there is no one who can lead us astray. He know us and calls us by our name and we cannot resist His call. We serve a beautiful Savior who is full of mercy and grace. Stay in the race and stay committed to His word.
I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary.~Jesus Christ
Sunday, May 26, 2013
5/26/13
Grace for Sunday: God's Unmeasurable Grace
I will never forget the advice I received from my Mama when I decided to marry my husband to be, she said "Gladys, don't marry that boy." Well being the wise 19 year old that I was I didn't listen to her. When she saw that I was serious about marriage her words to me were "you can always come home". When the marriage ended in divorce, she never said I told you so. But, what she did say was "Gladys, you and those babies are not thrown away." I knew without a doubt that my Mama loved me. But her love for me does not compare to the love that the Father has for us. If you have friended people, places and things that God does not approve of, what He is saying to you is "abandon it, I am the only One who can fill that void in you life. Although you have left me, "I will never leave you nor forsake you". Always Remember Beloved of God, you will always have a place in the Father's house. Abandon it!!! Get out of there!!! It's time to come home. Run into His loving arms. There you will find unmeasurable grace.
I received the book Tower of Babel By Bodie Hodge for free from Attic Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group, and in return I am sharing my honest opinion in my review of this book. Tower of Babel is filled with both biblical and historical evidence that shows existence for the people and the tower of babel. I walked away from this book feeling how can anyone deny the existence of God and his personal involvement in our everyday lives. This books shows God does not sit idly by and watch us do thing that would be detrimental to His plans for our lives, yet He is a loving God who is looking out for our good and for His glory.
The author makes it clear that denying the account of Babel, is really all tied up in our denial of the total authority of God and His Word. Bodie Hodge begins the book by looking at the pronunciation of the word “Babel”. He shows how over the years, languages were altered, and certain words lost their meanings and correct pronunciations. Case in point is the word "Babel". Mr. Hodge makes it clear that even if a word changes, it true meaning remains the same. Even if we try to change the pronunciation and the meaning of the word babel, the account in Genesis clearly reveals God's intentions for the people of Babel.
Bodie Hodge presents well researched viewpoints showing why God dispersed the people at Babel. He makes it clear that the people at Babel was blatantly disobeying God. They were well aware that God wanted them to spread through the world but in their own words in Genesis 11: 4 "Then they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." Who else but God were they referring to when they said "lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth"? They knew what God wanted them to do, but just like the people who deny this account they wanted to have it their own way.
It is obvious that the problem with the people at Babel is the same problem that has haunted mankind since the time sin was introduced into the world, and that is, we want to be the masters of our own destiny and to sin without any consequences. In Chapter 28, Mr. Hodge stated Atheists and Humanists view the incident at the tower of Babel as mythology and he feels the reason for this is "because they have bought into a false worldview, so when they read the account it is foolishness to them." I totally agree with him, to any unbeliever the things of God is foolishness and that is why they are perishing.
Mr. Hodge did an excellent job of presenting biblical and historical evidence for the existence of the incidence of the people and the tower of babel, but it is my believe, that even if the historical evidence did not exist, the word of God can stand alone and until a person decides to examine the word of God for themselves and allow the Holy Spirit open their eyes they will never believe therefore they will forever wander in darkness.
