Monday, September 25, 2006, 05:22 PM
My Grace is sufficient for you
Please read II Cor. 12:7-10. We do not know what the thorn was for Paul. It might have been physical or maybe it was a sin that he was tempted with. Whatever the thorn was really doesn’t matter. What matters is how he handled it. And he handled it by the grace of God. It kept him humble so that he had to depend on God.
We all have thorns that pick at us. If we approach them as Paul did we will benefit from it greatly. God will work His Grace through it. Only than will we understand the last verse which says: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
We are always trying to do it ourselves. Forget it, it won’t work. God must be the one to do all things through us. We are only effective if we hand it over to God. We will fail if we rely on our own efforts, talents or energy. When we are weak God is doing His greatest work in us. This is because we have no where to turn for our answers. So, we turn to God. This is always God’s goal. He loves us so much He wants to do everything for us. Pride is the enemy to all God desires for us. Pride must go for God to work in us in a very personal way. We must give up our own “power” so God can fill us with His power. Wouldn’t you rather have the power of the creator of the universe working in you rather than your own puny created self made power? Think about that. Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
God’s goal is that we are an effective witness and we must have the Holy Spirit working in us and through us to do this. That is when we find all joy and peace. When we are not in God’s plan our goals are not His goals. We do not experience all of the joy and peace that He wishes to shower on us. Acts 1:8 foot note says it this way: “Power from the Holy Spirit is not limited to strength beyond the ordinary—that power also involves courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability and authority. The disciples would need all these gifts to fulfill their mission. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.” It goes on to say, “Witnessing is not showing what we can do for God. It is showing and telling what God has done for us.” I might add through us.
When God carries us He will turn our troubles into very beneficial things for us (Rom. 8:28). Contrary to what people believe is that God’s purpose is not to make us happy. We are to fulfill His purpose. And His purpose is to go to all Nations with the gospel. And this can and in many cases will bring about persecution and false accusations from others. Satan and the sinful nature of man in each of a believer twists things trying to destroy what God is accomplishing through His servants that love Him above everything and everyone else. And it may look rather bleak for awhile but God does work through all things for the good of those who love Him. Think about this. Do you love God above all things? If you do He will work through all things for your good and His glory.
When we are humble and dependent on God He can use the thorn to His glory and we will experience God’s presence in a very personal way. We will be able to watch Him work in our life and in others lives and there is no doubt that it is Him.
Our focus will be on Him and not on the thorn. Our emotions will be lifted on high by His Holy Spirit. Our situation may remain the same all the days of our lives but our eyes, heart and mind are looking at God’s grace and that is sufficient for us.
We will experience such faith that our hearts feel they will explode with the joy. We have peace knowing and trusting in God’s wisdom in all things. We are intimate with God. There is nothing on this earth to compare with this special friendship and intimacy we can have with God. He will not allow anything that we cannot handle happen to us by His grace (I Cor.10:13). God loves us with a love that we cannot understand. The thorn that He leaves is not so we suffer but so that we rely and depend on Him for all things. He wants our hearts and minds to focus on Him for solutions and for comfort and for peace and joy. And if we do this by His Holy Spirit we can endure the thorn we carry.
You can reach Nancy at:
Crossing the GAP
PO Box 384
Marshall, IL 62441
art@nancysgallery.com
Monday, September 18, 2006, 05:21 PM
Application for Heaven
You are standing at the gates of heaven and you’re handed a form to fill out to see if you qualify to go to heaven. You think that this shouldn’t be too difficult and begin.
Q. 1-have you done anything bad? Have you sinned?
A. No, I haven’t. I tried to do good for others and never committed any real bad sins.
Q. 2.-How do others see you?
A. I think they see me as a good religious person that tries to do his best.
Q. 3.-Could you name some of the good things you have done?
A. I go to church. I believe in God and that is a big plus for heaven. I’ve tried to live a good life and help others.
Q. 4-Do you have anyone to vouch for you?
A. I have my family and a lot of friends to vouch for me.
Q. 5-By these questions and answers do you consider yourself a Christian?
A. Oh, yes, very much so.
You look your answers over and think that was easy. WOW! Heaven bound! You step back up to the gate to have your answers checked over. God looks at you and shakes His head with tears running down His face. He says that you cannot come go to heaven. You are devastated and ask him what you did so wrong. God reads each question and answers.
1. God says, “One sin will condemn you, no matter how small and you have many. You cannot outweigh your sins with good deeds (Eph.2:9; Titus 3:5; Gal.2:16).
2. Others see you as a good guy but their testimony about you cannot save you. They are also sinful and so they can do you no good. A religion will not save you (Eph. 4:5).
3. This is kind of a trick question. You can do nothing good without Christ. Your works are to be done for God (Col. 3:22-24).
4. You listed family and friends to vouch for you. Their recommendation will never help you. They are sinful also. Only My Son, Christ can vouch for you (Heb. 12:2).
5. All of your answers tell me that you are not a Christian. You only have a religion. And all other religions say the same thing. They say you can go to heaven by your own good deeds. And they do not have a solution for sins (Mark 7:15). They are man made religions and will not bring you into heaven.
You argue and it does no good and finely you ask what the right answers to the questions are. God says:
1. Sin is always sin and it does not matter if it is a small sin or a large sin. All sin condemns. Christ took all of your sins on the cross 2000 years ago. He lived the perfect life in your place. You can only be free of them if you believe (Rom. 14:23) this message of what Christ has done for you.
2. Others may see you as a wonderful person but your sinful nature is not only in your actions but it is in your very existence (Ps.58:23). You inherited it from Adam and Eve. Your every thought word and deed is sinful without Christ (Col.1:19-23).
3. The only good thing you can do is to come in the name of Christ. If you come by your own merit you will stand alone (Titus 3:5). If you come in the name of Christ He will stand in front of you and shield you so that I only see His righteousness and not your sins (I John 2:23).
4. There is only one person that can get you into heaven. Only He can vouch for you. He is my Son. He is true man and true God (Heb.2:14-18; Heb.1:5-13). He and I are One. And only by Our Spirit can you know who We are and what We have done for you (I John 4:2-13). There is no other that can do this.
5. This is the correct answer to gain heaven: Jesus Christ was born perfect (Heb.9:14). He was not born in sin as we are (Heb. 9:23-28). He fulfilled the law perfectly in your place (John 3:4-6). And he who had not sinned became sin in your place (Heb.2:10). He became the murder, liar, adultery, thief, gossiper, molester and rapist. He also took the sins of the crucial and the unforgiving spirit. He took your pride and arrogance, your unrighteous anger, envy, lust, idolatry and your haughtiness. All of your sins were laid on Him (Titus 2:14: II Cor.5:21). And he took those sins to the cross for you. He suffered what you should have to suffer (Heb. 9:28). He experienced hell in your place. He was separated from His Father for the first time in all of eternity. He went willingly and lovingly to the cross for you (Mark 19:45). And he died for all of mankind (I Tim. 2:3-7Heb.2:5-9). He rose from the dead in three days in victory. To go to heaven, just believe in your heart all that God says to you (Mark 2:5; II Tim.3:15). Trust in His words (Prov.3:5; Ps.32:10). Repent of your sins (II Tim. 2:25). And you cannot do this on your own (I John 5:11, 12). It is a gift from God given to you by His Holy Spirit (I John 4:6-13).
We can never trust in our own goodness or our ability to be saved (Eph. 2:8-10) Heb.7:25-28; 8:12; I John 2:12; Mark 2:7.
You can reach Nancy at:
Crossing the GAP
PO Box 384
Marshall, IL 62441
art@nancysgallery.com
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