This is FREEDOM day. I celebrate Dad in the FREEDOM you procured for me and everyone through Jesus Christ!
The awesome, terrible, glorious condescension of your son into flesh, humanness, culture, sin, suffering, death and grave.
He battled it out with urges, emotions, desires, temptations, will, law, satan, religion, torment, abandonment, sin, and death and came out as VICTOR, REDEEMER, and SEAL OPENER.
That is worth some fireworks!!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Independence Day Eve
This is Independence Day Eve and I am in the mood to add to my WineEchoJazz blog. I asked my family who they thought of in history as TRUE Americans. Some of the responses: Abe Lincoln, MLK Jr, Jackie Robinson, Pocahontas, Evel Knievel, Johnny Cash, Billy Graham. When I hear those names, certain qualities and character traits come to mind: Integrity, Honesty, Fearlessness, Heart, Visionary.
This land has been "given much" wouldn't you agree? Tonight I am not thinking about how "awesome" America or Americans are, but rather how generous Almighty God has been to this land and nation. We have natural and human resources galore. We have (mostly) had political stability and freedom to make the most of those resources. God has granted a very long season of receiving from him, and often this country and its people have been generous and willing to be generous to others.
On this July 4th I am eager to do much with the much that I have personally received from Father God. I have had great family since I came into this world and tomorrow I have the opportunity to enjoy them and bless them and love on them. I probably won't do it as well as I see it in my mind right now, but by the grace of God I will be intentional and generous toward others.
Enjoy your 4th Celebration!
This land has been "given much" wouldn't you agree? Tonight I am not thinking about how "awesome" America or Americans are, but rather how generous Almighty God has been to this land and nation. We have natural and human resources galore. We have (mostly) had political stability and freedom to make the most of those resources. God has granted a very long season of receiving from him, and often this country and its people have been generous and willing to be generous to others.
On this July 4th I am eager to do much with the much that I have personally received from Father God. I have had great family since I came into this world and tomorrow I have the opportunity to enjoy them and bless them and love on them. I probably won't do it as well as I see it in my mind right now, but by the grace of God I will be intentional and generous toward others.
Enjoy your 4th Celebration!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Sufficient Grace
When Paul wanted God to solve his problem by removing a source of pain and discouragement, God answered with a strategy that he also uses in our lives. He let the difficulty continue and instead directed Paul to his SUFFICIENT Grace.
Really knowing by experience and trusting in God's sufficient grace is a treasure once we discover it and EMBRACE IT. It isn't easy though! We usually expect that God will clear our path and deliver us out of pain and discouragement and "loss". It doesn't come naturally to suppose that God will answer our prayer with: "No. I have something better for you than rescue. I have perseverance in my sufficient grace."
Give some thought today to hard situations in your life and ask the Lord to give you the gift of seeing and experiencing his grace. Ask him for courage to lean on him more fully. And give him thanks that he is completely trustworthy.
Really knowing by experience and trusting in God's sufficient grace is a treasure once we discover it and EMBRACE IT. It isn't easy though! We usually expect that God will clear our path and deliver us out of pain and discouragement and "loss". It doesn't come naturally to suppose that God will answer our prayer with: "No. I have something better for you than rescue. I have perseverance in my sufficient grace."
Give some thought today to hard situations in your life and ask the Lord to give you the gift of seeing and experiencing his grace. Ask him for courage to lean on him more fully. And give him thanks that he is completely trustworthy.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Greater Grace
James 4:6 says that God gives us greater grace. Greater than what? I won't be dogmatic about this but my reading of the context indicates that the grace is greater than the intense desire that our nature has for the things of the world.
Fights and quarrels originate from desires within us. We covet and even kill but still don't get what we WANT! WANT!!
This intense desire puts us into enmity and hatred with God. We are cozy with the world but hard and cold toward God.
Scripture has told us that we have a spirit within us which envies intensely and we agree with this often in our experience when we give excuses for our behavior and act as though there were no other option than to cave in to sin . . . but . . God gives us greater grace than even the intense desires that wage a war within us. We are equipped!
Let's humble ourselves and ask for and receive this GREATER GRACE.
Fights and quarrels originate from desires within us. We covet and even kill but still don't get what we WANT! WANT!!
This intense desire puts us into enmity and hatred with God. We are cozy with the world but hard and cold toward God.
Scripture has told us that we have a spirit within us which envies intensely and we agree with this often in our experience when we give excuses for our behavior and act as though there were no other option than to cave in to sin . . . but . . God gives us greater grace than even the intense desires that wage a war within us. We are equipped!
Let's humble ourselves and ask for and receive this GREATER GRACE.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Let's Admin!
God's grace is administratable. He has gifted each one of us so that we are equipped to serve others in the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10). I consider this to be one of the awesome privileges of my life - to be able to deliver the lavish grace of God to another person.
Sometimes it comes through use of a spiritual gift such as teaching. Sometimes it happens by saying that word that you feel burns in your heart, or maybe by lending a hand in service. The amazing thing of course is that God has chosen to let his rich, pure grace flow through one fragile human vessel to another.
When this happens you will know the unspeakable thrill of being one with God in his loving and perfect purposes. You will taste his kingdom and rejoice in his glory, all the while being sure that it is all because of our Lord and Savior, who reconciled us to our Father in the first place. Without him and his costly intervention we are unworthy.
Show us today, Lord, where and how we can administrate your lavish grace.
Sometimes it comes through use of a spiritual gift such as teaching. Sometimes it happens by saying that word that you feel burns in your heart, or maybe by lending a hand in service. The amazing thing of course is that God has chosen to let his rich, pure grace flow through one fragile human vessel to another.
When this happens you will know the unspeakable thrill of being one with God in his loving and perfect purposes. You will taste his kingdom and rejoice in his glory, all the while being sure that it is all because of our Lord and Savior, who reconciled us to our Father in the first place. Without him and his costly intervention we are unworthy.
Show us today, Lord, where and how we can administrate your lavish grace.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Grace conversations
Starting now, and for eternity, the conversation is about God's incomparable grace that he lavished on us in and through Jesus Christ. God has it in mind to DISPLAY this grace (Eph. 2:7).
The conversation has many different entry points and excludes no one as we shall see in the blogs ahead.
Today we start with the concept that we are God's poem by his grace. He has saved us and raised us up and is crafting a unique and beautiful poem through our life. Eph 2:10 uses the word "workmanship". We are his crafting, or Poem.
Be sure today that there is nothing in your story, or Poem, that God is not able to touch with his grace and make it part of the heavenly conversation for time and eternity. Reflect today on the grace you can see in your Poem.
The conversation has many different entry points and excludes no one as we shall see in the blogs ahead.
Today we start with the concept that we are God's poem by his grace. He has saved us and raised us up and is crafting a unique and beautiful poem through our life. Eph 2:10 uses the word "workmanship". We are his crafting, or Poem.
Be sure today that there is nothing in your story, or Poem, that God is not able to touch with his grace and make it part of the heavenly conversation for time and eternity. Reflect today on the grace you can see in your Poem.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Lavish
In Ephesians we are told of the lavish grace of God that he has poured out on us. In this Christmas season I want to explore that a bit.
First, let's look at the word lavish. A synonym is prodigal. You have heard of the prodigal son? He wasted his inheritance, and was thus "prodigal" ( it wasn't b/ c he was lost). Well, this is the "prodigal" Father! He is so GENEROUS with his kindness and love, that it borders on crazy wasteful.
Another way to think of "lavish" is the word "downpour". Have you ever been caught in a torrential rain? Our family got caught once in a memorable spot - London Tower. The rain came down furiously and fantastically, providing forever a visual image of our Prodigal Father.
In the next several days, I will be sharing gifts of God's grace. It is multi-dimensional and amazing. Each day will show another angle on God's goodness.
First, let's look at the word lavish. A synonym is prodigal. You have heard of the prodigal son? He wasted his inheritance, and was thus "prodigal" ( it wasn't b/ c he was lost). Well, this is the "prodigal" Father! He is so GENEROUS with his kindness and love, that it borders on crazy wasteful.
Another way to think of "lavish" is the word "downpour". Have you ever been caught in a torrential rain? Our family got caught once in a memorable spot - London Tower. The rain came down furiously and fantastically, providing forever a visual image of our Prodigal Father.
In the next several days, I will be sharing gifts of God's grace. It is multi-dimensional and amazing. Each day will show another angle on God's goodness.
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