Category: Grace

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God’s Garden

When I was a child, I heard my dad say on a number of occasions, “knee high by the 4th of July”. He was talking about the corn they raised in Iowa on the farm. Years later, Dave and I worked eight summers in Iowa, and the corn would be shoulder high by the 4th of July. There was just something about that black Iowa soil, the humidity and the summer sun.

Not only did the cornfields produce an amazing bounty but the family gardens were abundant with all the vegetables you could possibly desire.

These are the images that came to mind when I was reading in I Corinthians this morning.

” I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. 7 What matters isn’t those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow. 8 The one who plants is just as important as the one who waters. And each one will be paid for what they do. 9 Apollos and I work together for God, and you are God’s garden and God’s building.” I Corinthians 3:6-9 CEV

Paul and Apollos had both been teaching the Christians in Corinth about the ways and words of the Lord. Paul didn’t want there to be any division in their midst by considering one teacher more important than the other.

Boy, that happens so much today. I go to this church and we believe this way. You go to another church – and so there is division. That shouldn’t be so. It’s God who makes us grow.

And here’s what He wants to see growing in our lives.

“ But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

“ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him, now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:18 ERV

“ You accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, so continue to live following him. 7 You must depend on Christ only, drawing life and strength from him. Just as you were taught the truth, continue to grow stronger in your understanding of it. And never stop giving thanks to God.” Colossians 2:6-7 ERV

We are God’s garden. Some plant the seed of God’s word in our hearts, others water it by their teaching and their prayers, but it is God who causes it to grow and produce a harvest. A harvest of grace, knowledge, love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, and understanding.

Those beautiful gardens that I referred to earlier had to be weeded and protected from varmints that wanted to nibble away at the crop. We need to do the same with the seeds that have been planted in our lives.

The harvest that comes isn’t just for our benefit; it will also feed and strengthen those around us so that they can benefit from God’s goodness.

Grow strong and tall and give thanks to the Father for His increase in your life!

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Sin is Sin

Doesn’t that sound profound? Of course it is, what God has shown me in my many years is that He doesn’t classify sin. It’s not a white lie or a major sin like murder; sin is sin.

Let’s look at the story of the prodigal son and his brother.

Sin is sin! The younger son in the story was guilty of some pretty “big” things while the older son looked respectable, he was obviously holding bitterness in his heart toward his younger brother. So, which was worse?

Neither! Sin is sin.

Kind of like a broken window; you can throw a rock through it and it shatters, or shoot it with a bb and leave a little hole, it’s still broken.

“One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ If you obey this law, you are doing right. 9 But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law. 10 You might follow all of God’s law. But if you fail to obey only one command, you are guilty of breaking all the commands in that law.” James 2:8-10 ERV

The Old Testament teaches us that gossip and murder are both hated by God yet we find one is more socially acceptable than the other.

Sin is sin and we are all guilty. The penalty for sin is not on a sliding scale.

“ All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 CEV

Jesus words were so powerful when he spoke to the Pharisees about the adulterous woman that they wanted him to stone.

“They were saying this to trick Jesus. They wanted to catch him saying something wrong so that they could have a charge against him. But Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7 The Jewish leaders continued to ask him their question. So he stood up and said, ‘Anyone here who has never sinned should throw the first stone at her.‘ 8 Then Jesus stooped down again and wrote on the ground.” John 8:6-8 ERV

The wonderful news is since God sees all sin the same, it makes the payment for that sin the same as well.

“So that one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people. But in the same way, Christ did something so good that it makes all people right with God. And that brings them true life.” Romans 5:18 ERV

We have forgiveness, payment for our sin, with the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That sacrifice is available to all – we simply need to receive it!

“12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” John 1:12 KJV

I’m so glad that God doesn’t grade on a curve, but He accepts us all based not on what we’ve done but on what Jesus did!

Yes, sin is sin but God’s grace is greater!!!

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From Earth to Heaven

There will be many Father’s Day greetings posted in the next few days. This one will be a little different. Join me in sending a Father’s Day greeting to our heavenly Father.

Our heavenly Father is beyond description! His works are marvelous and His love is never ending!!

When I was younger I loved to sing and spent countless hours practicing and memorizing song lyrics. Looking at the morning sky my heart and my head are filled with melody.

” My Father is omnipotent, and that you can´t deny;

A God of might and miracles, ´tis written in the sky.

CHORUS:

It took a miracle to put the stars in place;

It took a miracle to hang the world in space.

But when he saved my soul,

Cleansed and made me whole,

It took a miracle of love and grace.” John W. Peterson

I see my Father’s presence all around me. It’s in the song of the birds, in the beauty of a sunset or a sunrise; it’s in the refreshing of the rain and the colors of the blooms. His love is wrapped in every smile and hug, and His mercy is shown through every act of forgiveness.

I marvel that He cut the canyons and prepared the landscapes for my enjoyment. He knew I would love the panoramic vistas He set before me. He gave me the desert, the mountains and the oceans for my playground.

How I love that He chose me, He adopted me and gave me the privilege to call him Papa Father.

I love that there is nothing in my life that keeps Him from loving me. He knows my past, my present and my future. He knows my successes and my darkest moments. His love is unconditional, each day brings new mercy and His forgiveness is complete. Once for all.

“14 The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15 The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba,Father.” 16 And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:14-17 ERV

“ So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.” Hebrews 10:10 CEV

 “We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. 10 When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. 11 In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.” Romans 6:9-11 CEV

From earth to heaven, I lift up my hands in praise of You. Thank you, Papa, for your amazing love. Thank you for adopting me. Thank you. Happy Father’s Day.

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We are God’s Inheritance

Have you ever been the recipient of an inheritance? An inheritance is something meaningful, valuable either in sentiment or monetary worth.

Did you know that God, the Father, sees us as an inheritance? He received us as His own when Christ died on the cross and redeemed us.

“ I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.  23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” Ephesians 1:16-23 CEV

There’s a lot to unpack in those seven verses. Before you read it again, and I hope you will, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to make these words come alive in your heart.

Because of Christ, we have become God’s rich and glorious inheritance! We are valuable to Him.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

Then the Apostle Paul goes on to say that He prays we will understand the greatness of the power of God for us. For our daily living – for our very breath and every thought. There is nothing in our lives that God’s great power cannot change.

But it doesn’t stop there.

“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.  23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.“

Christ has authority over all things, for the benefit of the church, His body, who we are. And as His body we are made full and complete in Christ because He fills us with Himself!!!

Amen, Amen, Amen!

Make these verses a part of your daily Bible reading. The truth of this prayer will impact everything you do and every circumstance that comes your way.

We are a people filled with Christ and we have been given to God, the Father, as His rich and glorious inheritance.

We matter to God!

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A New Way of Living

God knows that my life has been varied.

As a child, I grew up in a construction worker’s home. We moved frequently because my dad was a heavy equipment operator and primarily worked on road construction projects. We never had any formal vacations but instead spent our time camping, fishing, hunting and exploring the outdoors. I loved it!

Once Dave and I were married we lived in a beach community for a while, after leaving a more rural life of farming alfalfa and living among working cowboys and ranchers. That was an adjustment.

We have lived in big cities and also so far out in the farmland and country that we said only people who were really close friends or completely lost could find us. All of these experiences changed my life; most of them for the better.

After we retired, we became fulltime Rvers for a few years and now we live in a tiny home. New experiences and adventures have been the course our lives have traveled. But the one thing that has changed our lives most completely was finding out who we are in Christ.

He has designed a life for all of us. And although the location, the people and the day-to-day experiences may vary, the lifestyle is the same for all of us who have a relationship with Him.

“Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. 11 It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

12  God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13  Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.

15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16  Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:10-17 CEV

There will never be a greater adventure than following Christ. Will it always be easy? No! Will there be challenges and problems to overcome? Yes!

Following Christ will take us to new heights as we faithfully obey – greater joys, giant-slaying victories and a peace that controls our thoughts and keeps us worry fear. This new way of living works for rich and poor, highly educated or not, male or female, those who are free and enslaved.

No matter our occupation or profession. Whatever we say or do, our new way of living has us living in Christ.

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Oh Glorious Day!

Woke up with joy in my heart and wanting to praise the Lord. Maybe you woke up with a heavy heart – well then, it’s time to offer a sacrifice of praise! Praising not because you feel like it but because He ALWAYS deserves it.

“Let all who run to you for protection always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those who truly love you and let them rejoice. 12 Our Lord, you bless those who live right, and you shield them with your kindness.” Psalm 5:11-12 CEV

I can hear some “sad sack” say but those verses are for those who live right and I’m not sure that includes me. Well, if you have Christ as your Savior, you’re living right! He made you a new creature in Christ – the old has passed away and all things have become new.

So with a joyful heart lift your song of joy to the Lord and it will definitely change the way you look at life today. This song, Glorious Day, was written in 1910 by a Methodist minister. It’s a good one.

1 One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!

Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely, forever;
One day He’s coming: O glorious day!

2 One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected,
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He! [Refrain]

Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely, forever;
One day He’s coming: O glorious day!

5 One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glory will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine! [Refrain]

Remember yesterday’s teaching – overwhelming joy! We can’t help but praise when we are overwhelmed with joy!

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The Gift of Grace

Yesterday I shared with you on mercy. Today I want you to see grace, love in action.

Some teach that if we are “good christians” we will never face the hard things in life. But that just isn’t true. All we have to do is look at Jesus – He was maligned, misunderstood, hated and crucified.

The Apostle Paul said that he was being buffeted (harassed) by a “messenger of Satan” and that He had asked the Lord three times to deliver him. I’ve heard it said that God basically told him to “buck up”. But I don’t see it that way at all. I see God’s response to Paul as one of victory and deliverance – making him an overcomer and more than a conqueror. You read and you decide.

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10 KJV

Now for the Complete Jewish Bible

“Three times I begged the Lord to take this thing away from me; 9 but he told me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is brought to perfection in weakness.” Therefore, I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses, in order that the Messiah’s power will rest upon me. 10 Yes, I am well pleased with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah; for it is when I am weak that I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10 CJB

Christ was the strongest when He hung on the cross and cried out “Father, forgive them”. Grace is giving others something they don’t deserve – mercy, that we saw yesterday, is not giving others something they do deserve.

Jesus, in His most painful moments, forgave the thief hanging next to Him on the cross. Paul was stoned and left for dead one day and got up and walk to the neighboring town the next day to preach the gospel. He lived out what God had said.

“My grace is sufficient. My power is made perfect in weakness”.

Now, let’s look at grace and mercy together.

“ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV

Thank you Father for your grace being sufficient for me. It gives me YOUR strength for my weakness. Grace is God’s love in action!

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From the Heart

I’m not normally someone who has restless sleep but this week has been a booger!

Tossing and turning all night long.

However, with that as my back story, coffee in hand, quiet surrounding me, except for the birds I have been listening to my heart. And wouldn’t you know it…I heard a song.

“Oh Lord, you’re beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with Holy fear.” by Keith Green, 1980

1980, I was a young mother with two small children, ages 5 1/2 and 4. I had recently experienced a miscarriage and I was learning to lean on the Lord’s strength in ways that were beyond my years.

This song became the anthem of my heart. “Your face is all I seek. Your grace abounds to me”.

The abounding grace of Jesus – His grace that covered all my sin, His grace that brought me into right standing with the Father, His grace that saved me.

“ God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.

7-8  Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because of God’s gift of undeserved grace to us. God has great wisdom and understanding,  9 and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways.” Ephesians 1:5-9 CEV

“ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 NJKV

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:7-11 NKJV

We have God’s promise that when we seek His kingdom, His way of doing things, we will find it and not only will be find it but we will be rewarded for seeking Him.

“ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Good days or bad days. Rest filled days or restless days, it doesn’t matter. We come to Him and praise Him from the heart and He will do the rest.

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. 2 You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3  and you refresh my life.” Psalm 23:1-3 CEV

Yes Lord, You are beautiful and I will praise you with all my heart!

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What Is Love?

The answer is God!!

Dave and I had a wonderful weekend away. We stayed at an historic ranch that is now a guest ranch. The air was crisp in the mornings, the adobe casita was beautifully furnished and the grounds were serene.

We talked of many things.

Life in the desert and in the mountains, our children and their children. Our great grandbabies. Our life and love through more than 50 years. A cup of steaming hot coffee, a plate full of rolled tacos with guacamole. Friends gathered on the deck/patio of our home for good bbq; yes, and the planning of more adventures in the days to come.

I asked the Lord, “Father, all of these images that I see can be described but how do I describe Your love? These are the things that mean love to me.” For the most part, I’m pretty good with words but when I try to describe God’s love I am seriously at a disadvantage. However, this morning I heard the answer to my question and it was “You just did!”

You see, every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father and with Him there is no variable or shadow of turning. Which basically means – every good thing that we enjoy comes as an outward expression of God’s love; that’s the way He’s always been and that’s the way He’ll always be! When I’m thinking on these things that I can describe, I’m describing the Father’s love. In every circumstance and situation that I live, I can sense the love of God and know that He is there because God is LOVE!

“ And now in these last days, God has spoken to us again through his Son. He made the whole world through his Son. And he has chosen his Son to have all things. 3 The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature, and he holds everything together by his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven.” Hebrews 1:2-3

Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to bring God’s love to each and everyone of us. He brought the message that God isn’t mad at us and that God desires to have relationship with us – not some experience that is staunch and unfeeling or condemning and angry – but a real, where-the-rubber-meets-the-road, everyday, I’m always here type of relationship.

I’m not saying that everything will be perfect in our lives because our lives aren’t perfect! But I do know that in the imperfect, trying, challenging, frustrating, ugly times of our lives that God is always there and He doesn’t abandon us! He’s always there to offer comfort, help, to bring wisdom, peace and joy even in the midst of our storms. God is love!

What words can I use to describe God’s love?! This love can’t really be described but it can be experienced. I will leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul:

“I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Now that’s love!

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Removed from Memory

Have you ever been caught up in a chore of some kind and just had thoughts come flooding into your mind?

Maybe you’re doing the laundry or driving to work or out walking, mowing the grass or just daydreaming and something that has brought you pain or guilt comes rolling in like the coastal fog or a wave to the seashore?

I have – and if I’m not careful, I start to mull it over, re-hash it and find that the hurt, worry or pain are still there.

That’s when I realize I haven’t completely turned it over to the Lord.

“Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.” I Corinthians 13:5-7 ERV

Love doesn’t remember a wrong!!!!

Now that’s a hard one to swallow. But thank God He doesn’t. You notice I said He doesn’t because God is love and it’s His character to “Not Remember”. He isn’t holding our sins against us – quite the opposite! When we accept His forgiveness, He remembers our sin NO MORE.

Aren’t you glad that you can come to Him knowing He won’t condemn you for the things in your past? All things are new.

“And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins.'” Hebrews 12:8 ERV

God wipes the slate clean.

Most of us remember the chalkboards that were in our school classrooms. The teacher would put up math problems, penmanship drills, and spelling words for us to copy down. Then she would grab an eraser and wipe the work away.

All that would remain was the chalk dust and a faint impression of what had previously been there. But when she picked up the big eraser with the chamois side to it, the board was completely clean. No evidence of what had once been remained.

That is just a crude example of God’s forgiveness.

“ I, I am the one who wipes away all your sins. I do this to please myself. I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 ERV

” You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God’s people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins. 14  God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 CEV

If your plagued by guilt or past failures, bring them to the cross and let the blood of Jesus wipe the slate clean.

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