Salvation

I’ve been thinking a lot about Salvation lately and how to put it into “words”. How does one become saved anyway? Is it something we do or something God does? It is something God does! “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” Eph 2:8

It comes down to two words FAITH and GRACE. Salvation comes by FAITH ALONE (which is believing) and by GRACE alone (God gives the grace for us to have the Faith). I came to Christ by FAITH but because of God’s Grace.
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day”. John 6:44 A true believer is made right in God’s sight because he is reconciled with Christ (no more sin blocking the relationship with God and the person). That peace with God is only possible because of what Jesus did, He paid the price for the believers sin through the death on the cross. Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. ² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

God created us with a will. We have to make a choice. We have to have faith. However, God makes that faith possible. He is sovereign and one who causes the Christian to follow Jesus.

So, when it comes down to it … By Faith alone, By Grace alone. Its two concepts that is believed but in reality the end result is that God’s Grace came first. Because of God’s mercy he gave us the Grace to have the Faith.

Raising Thirsty Children!

A verse that we often quote, especially when our kids are going astray, is Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" (NKJV).

We think the way to do that is to raise our kids, basically from birth, in a Christian environment. So, from their very early days, we send them off to Sunday School. We send them to Christian camps. We enroll them in Christian schools. We only let them listen to Christian music, and we try to make sure they have Christian friends. We seem to be doing all of the right things.

Even so, when they get a little older, they go into rebellion in some cases. We think, Wait a second! Where did I go wrong?

But maybe it's a failure to understand what it really means to train up a child in the way that he or she should go.

The phrase "train up" in the original Hebrew speaks of the actions of a midwife who would dip her finger into crushed dates and then put it in the mouth of a newborn child. The purpose of this was to stimulate the infant's thirst for milk. So drawing from this concept, we see that to "train up" a child means to create a thirst within him or her.

Also, the word "child" used in Proverbs 22:6 is used in different ways in various passages. In one passage, the word relates to an infant. In another, it speaks of a young boy. In another, it references Joseph at age 17. In another, it is associated with a young man ready for marriage.

So this verse is really speaking of training children from their infant stages all the way into young adulthood. So, to put it all together, the verse is saying, "Create a thirst in and also give your child external boundaries from the beginning to the end, from infancy to young adulthood."

That is what God has called us to do. We are establishing external boundaries for our children's protection, but we are also seeking to develop within them an internal motivation to know and love the Lord.

What is the best way to create thirst? The same way you stir an appetite.

Imagine going out with friends who want to go get something to eat, but you aren't all that hungry. You go to the restaurant with them anyway, where they order big hamburgers, fries, and shakes.

When the food arrives, it smells so good. So you ask, "Mind if I have one of those fries?" The next thing you know, you've ordered your own meal. What happened? Their food came. You smelled it. You tasted it. And then you wanted your own.

In the same way, the best thing we can do to create a hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ in others is to live it ourselves. It is to be what God has called us to be.

If we are being the salt of the earth (see Matthew 5:13), then we will create a thirst for spiritual things in others, and they will see something in us that they will admire. So, in leading our children and training our children, the most important thing we must do is to live it first.

Moses said to the people of Israel, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:6–7 NKJV).

Moses is saying that what you teach your children must be real to you first of all. Faith in Jesus Christ is something that permeates every area of our lives, and it is something that we should be talking about—not just at church or at a set time, such as family devotions.

It should be all of the time, when you sit down . . . when you rise up . . . when you are walking on the way. It is a part of our lives, and we need to teach our kids that Jesus Christ is to be a part of everything that we do.

As we model that for them and teach it to them, it will create a thirst in them as well. But first, we must be good examples.

By Greg Laurie

Fresh Each Day

By Ron Hutchcraft
OK, I'll confess. I can drive by the candy store. I can drive by the ice cream shop. I can pass up the pizza place, but it's very hard for me to not stop at the bakery. Yes, bakeries are my weakness, and it's a good thing I don't work in one - I'd weigh 500 pounds. Now most bakeries have this discount stuff in a corner; it's the day old baked goods. Oh it's cheaper, but there's a reason. There's a big difference between day-old and fresh baked. That line at the bakery early in the morning; that's not for yesterday's goodies, let me tell you. Those folks are there to get the doughnuts or the bread that just came out of the oven. And I might be right at the head of the line. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fresh Each Day."

Getting it fresh - that's not only a good idea at the bakery, but also when it comes to picking up your provisions from heaven, too. God's got new resources for you each new day; mercies that are according to the Bible are, "new every morning" (Lamentations 3:23 ). The reason so many of us are spiritually up and down, lacking the power we need, the strength we need, constantly being overwhelmed by the day's events is that we aren't stopping at God's "bakery" each morning to pick up that day's "bread."

God gives us an enlightening picture of how to stay spiritually strong in our word for today from the Word of God. Exodus 16 , beginning in verse 4, records God's delivery system for feeding His people as they wandered in the desert: "'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day'...So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites...'In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord.'"
Through Moses, the Lord went on to command His people not to store any of His manna overnight. "However," it says, "some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell" (that is day-old at its worst!). But God's plan worked. The Bible says, "Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed."

That's been God's plan ever since; that each of His children would gather each morning all the spiritual resources he or she needs for that day. Speaking of Himself, Jesus said, "The bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:33 ). Each day, we are to get a fresh helping of Jesus: His thinking, His perspective, His strength, His outlook. And that means consistent time with Him, through His love letter, the Bible, each new day. You can't store up the resources to live the Christ-life anymore than the ancient Jews could store up manna. You can't let your personal Jesus-time be something you do occasionally or when you feel like it or when you can fit Him in to your busy schedule. Make your daily time with Jesus Christ non-negotiable. Everything else is going to have to revolve around your time with Him instead of what usually happens, your time with Him having to revolve around everything else.

If you will anchor your day to a personal time with Jesus Christ, you'll start to experience a realness, a closeness, a consistency, a victory in your relationship with Him that you've always wanted but maybe never had. You need to hear from heaven each day if you're going to live for heaven while you're on earth. And day-old or week-old stuff just won't cut it for this new day. You need what Jesus has prepared for you fresh each day!

Meaningless!

I’ve been studying Ecclesiastes and going through it has been a real eye opener for me. It’s a book of Solomon looking back over his life and realizing all the “stuff” in his life that was meaningless! Makes me think about all the things in this world and how everything apart from God means nothing! Nothing apart from God will make us truly happy! So many people put so much into material things, and education it’s actually pretty sad.

Studying this book of the Bible has made me think more eternal. It makes me think of the things that really matter. It makes me think of why I’m really here on this earth. It makes me want to change things in my own life. It makes me desire to be more content. Enjoy the time I have with my boys and husband. And spend that time raising them up to love God and desire a relationship with Him! It makes me want to pray more, and pray with a purpose, and specifically too! A neat quote I came across “We must not build our life on perishable pursuits, but on the SOLID foundation of God!” We have to take each day as a blessing from God. Each day and all it holds for us, and we must have a true Christ-like perspective on life, no matter what the circumstance may be!

TRUSTING GOD

Seems like all my Bible studies have been flowing together nicely lately. I love how God works! One of the things God is really showing me is how to TRUST Him completely. God is sovereign over everything! God has a plan and reveals it to us in HIS timing. Even the hurts and trials we go through, God has a purpose for them all. He intends all adversity to profit us in one way or another, and in the end bring HIM GLORY! God knows our hurts, our every tear, and He cares (Psalm 56:8). I take comfort knowing that He’s got the plan, He’s in control, He is sovereign, and that He cares. I can fully lean on Him and trust. In our women’s study we memorized Phil. 4:6-7! This is one of my all time favorite verses to cling to and have hidden in my heart! “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, thanking, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guide our heart and our minds in Christ Jesus!”

Now to continually put this verse in to practice! It’s a daily thing! It’s all about trusting God with everything!

I needed this today!

Why Does God Allow Trials in our Lives?

Today's devotion is taken from a recent post on Pastor Greg's blog. To read more of his postings, click here to visit Greg's Blog.

Why Does God Allow Trials in our Lives?

There are many things that could be said in response to that particular question, but here is one you may not have considered: God allows trials and hardship in your life so you can help others. As a result, whatever difficulty, challenge, or suffering you may be going through need not be wasted.

Paul writes, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer" (2 Corinthians 1:4-7).

James MacDonald at Harvest

For the last few weeks, Pastor James MacDonald has been speaking at our church on the topic of turning your trials into gold.

What makes this series especially poignant is the fact that James is delivering these messages while undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

Therefore, there is a power and authenticity to his messages that has powerfully resonated with all who have heard them. That is because he is giving them in "real time," personally living the truths he is proclaiming.

But James has also found that there is no better time to minister to others then when you are hurting.

That doesn't make sense!

It seems that when we are in need, when we are facing crisis, the world should just stop what it is doing and think about us. We think that we need to be cared for, encouraged, even catered to.

But the reality is that when you are hurting, if you will reach out to someone else, you yourself will be replenished and helped.

Jesus said, "If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving–large or small–it will be used to measure what is given back to you" (Luke 6:38).

There is always someone worse off than you

People have commended me and our family for continuing to minister, despite our pain over the death of our beloved son Christopher. While I appreciate those kind words, I must tell you that it actually helps me to help others.

My heart goes out to other people who are suffering like it never has before, especially if it is the death of a child. So it helps me to help them. Even writing these words help me, knowing that they may minister to someone, somewhere.

I'm sure you know of someone who is hurting right now. Perhaps they have cancer, or have recently lost a loved one, or their marriage has unraveled. Go to them and seek to be a friend and encourage them today.

Don't waste your experiences

God is in control of your life, and allows trials to come our way in order to strengthen us spiritually and make us more like Jesus.

Whatever you are facing, know that someone else is facing it too. Perhaps you could share with them some of the things the Lord has shared with you, and "be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

Time to refresh!

I got this in my email today and totally needed this!

Refueling Your Soul: Time Alone With God

by Charles F. Stanley

Have you lost your spiritual motivation and drive? Has ministering to the needs of others become a chore rather than the joy it once was? Do you feel bored at church? If so, you may need to renew your commitment to spend time alone with God.

Jesus knew that time alone with the Father was essential. As busy as our Savior was with His mission, He often withdrew to pray. In those private and intimate moments, Christ found strength for what He knew lay ahead.

Many believers call these one-on-one meetings with God “quiet times” or “devotions.” They are a basic ingredient in a maturing relationship with the Lord. Quiet times change our approach to God from intellectual, detached, and “religious” to relational. When we give Him an opportunity to do so, the Father will speak to us through His Word and times of prayer in a real, personal way.

One by-product of a strong devotional life is a heightened sense of accountability to God. Spending time regularly with Him is strong motivation to keep sins confessed and bad habits in check. It is also a powerful incentive to resolve broken or damaged relationships. Holding a grudge against someone makes it impossible to have genuine intimacy with the Father.

When We Don’t Draw Near to God

As with any relationship, communication is the key to knowing the Lord better. Where there is no communication, there can be no relationship. Where there is no relationship, there can be no trust. And the less you trust someone, the harder it is to follow that person. So a Christian with no devotional life generally struggles to have faith and obey the Lord.

Christ came not only to reconcile all people to God (2 Cor. 5:18-20), but also to establish oneness between mankind and Himself. Without a devotional life, the relational side of the Christian faith fades away.

Practical Steps for Effective Quiet Times

Here are some things that make my devotional life richer:

1. Schedule time with God. Like anything else you intend to do, devotional time usually won’t happen unless it is planned. How often have you said to a friend, “Hey, let’s get together,” but failed to follow through? If you are like me, those plans seldom materialize. When I’m serious about getting together with someone, I make an appointment.

Specifically, before you go to bed, try to decide on a time and place to be alone with the Father the next day. Personally, I find mornings to be the best time to meet with God. I enjoy getting up early and beginning my day listening to and talking with Him. There is something extraordinary about focusing on the Father first thing.

2. Choose a place. If possible, conduct your quiet time in the same location every day. Eventually, this spot will take on special significance. Being there will affect your mood and your ability to concentrate. It will create an attitude of expectancy in your spirit.

Choose a place off the beaten path of your daily activities. It may be a spare bedroom, your living room, or even a closet. You need a place where the only thing you do there is meet with God.

I know a man whose special place is under the stairs in his house. A college student I know pulled his bed away from the wall and made that his spot. For me, it is a corner in my study at home. No matter where you live, you can find a spot to be alone with God.

3. Use a variety of methods. People often tell me that their personal devotions have become dry, routine, or even boring. God is certainly not uninteresting. And chances are, you are not dull either. So if spending time with Him becomes monotonous, the culprit is probably your method. The cure is to modify your routine.

For example, if you’ve been reading a devotional book, put it down, and instead, journal your thoughts and prayers. If you’ve been following a plan for reading through the entire Bible, take a break and read straight through one book of your choice. If you have been praying, supplement your prayers by memorizing Scripture. If your devotions have turned into in-depth Bible studies, find a devotional book to lighten things up for a while. Remember, this is a relationship. Look for ways to keep it fresh, and your quiet times won’t become stale.

One life

Quote

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. ~Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family

THE WEB OF A MINGLED YARN

THE WEB OF A MINGLED YARN

Grit & Grace by Janet Chester Bly

Copyright©2000,2008

My husband and I had just left for a trip to the National Finals Rodeo when I bit into an apple. One crunch and a piece of tooth broke. At first I laughed and teased about tucking the particle under my pillow for the tooth fairy. But as the hours wore on, I was in torment.

Out in the boonies of Nevada, far from a dentist, the sharp edge got sharper as it scraped against my tongue. I could barely talk or eat. I tried everything I could think of, such as dental glue and wads of bubble gum. These brought temporary relief. I suffered through until we returned home—six days later! How grateful I was to have that tooth smoothed by a pro.

You have heard the lament, “It’s only a band-aid solution.” Yet you know how wonderful a bandage protects a sore place, a wound, a cut that keeps getting bumped. You can keep going with a measure of comfort while your body heals itself.

What if you lived in a world with constant irritations but not a single resource for help. What if mishaps happened and no creative solvents, no cures to be had? But you’re not stuck. There’s multitudes of aids for your masses of misfortunes.

William Shakespeare wrote, “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.”

Alice, a young mother, struggled to manage a home and two preschool children. Overwhelmed, she felt defeated by the never-ending responsibility and fatigue. “One night I fell exhausted into bed and began to pour out my frustrations to God,” she recalls. “The kids didn’t listen. The house was a mess. My husband didn’t seem to care. On and on went the list. Then suddenly, as clear as a spoken word, I heard a distinct voice: ‘Which one do you want Me to take away?’”

In that instant Alice realized her complaints centered on precious gifts. She thanked and praised God for each member of her family. She expressed gratitude for the work their existence required. Then she prayed for a good night’s sleep.

adapted from Hope Lives Here

by Janet Chester Bly

Copyright©2000,2008

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