How To Respond To Grace

I've heard it said, "never ask for what you deserve or you just might get what you ask for". In our relationship with God, the Bible is clear that there's nothing we can do to "deserve" His love. His love must be received as a gift...something that cannot be earned. Since we are all sinners, what we deserve is condemnation. Fortunately, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins receive His mercy and grace! We don't get what we deserve, but we receive what we desperately need!

So how should we respond to the gift of God's grace? I believe it honors God if we turn to our neighbors and give them our compassion and love. As a recipient of God's grace, who is in a better position to give it to others?

I received the following note from Janie, our Nurse Practitioner, that exemplifies the attitude of loving service that I believe honors God for the grace He has given us.

We went out to the local Domestic Violence Center last night. We never know what will await us. Some faces are familiar, with the families staying up to a year in some cases. Some faces are new and unfamiliar to us, etched in anxiety, worry, fear. Many still bearing "the battle scars" of what brought them there....fractures, bruises...abrasions. The little ones are precious. A thundering herd of children is usually found frolicking up and down the halls. Gaile (one of our RN's) and I were greeted at the front door by a little one who excitedly cried out, "The nurse is here!" The line started to form early, restless kids, moms trying to quiet and calm them, staff checking in often for any needs that we might have. Opportunities to share the mission and work of the Lexington Rescue Mission. We always hand the mothers one of our information sheets and let her know where we are coming from in service.

Last night we saw about 7 mothers and children. The last mom was a woman, French speaking. I speak enough Spanish to be passable (dolar?), and French left over from a couple of years in high school and college. I got that she thought she had the flu, but thanks to the translator who jumped in to help! We offer to pray with the moms who would like that.

We are always greeted warmly by the staff, so appreciated on these cold winter days.

We walked out of there (I think Gaile would agree) humbled, grateful and realizing that these women truly have a safe refuge in the midst of such a stormy time in their life. We went on home to a late supper (about 10 pm for me), warm bed, heat and all the comforts we could want.

So many don't have the same.

Lord help me today to serve with a humble heart, spread the Good News of the Gospel, and reach out to others who are less fortunate....not forgetting the days that I was the one who was less fortunate.

In Christ,

Janie

It's a little easier being an instrument of God's grace when we remember all that God has done for us. He could have just left us in our sin and His just condemnation. But, instead, He chose to give us His only Son to pay the price for our sin. Let's praise Him by both our lips and by what we do for others!

Your plan or God's plan for you?

Happy new year!

As I turn the calendar from 2010 to 2011, it's hard not to wonder what the new year will bring. The one thing I'm sure of is that God is faithful and He is the source of every good thing that comes into my life. He will also give me the strength to endure the inevitable troubles and battles ahead.

Today I received an email from Brenda, a sister in Christ from my Bible study group. The message was so encouraging to me I wanted to share it with you in full.

The last two days I have been thinking on the many prayer requests that have come to me over the last several months. They have been varied in need, but still extremely important to those requesting the prayer. In the natural, this has been very overwhelming because I want to “fix” things and make it all work for everyone, but in the spirit, I know that God has a plan for each of our lives, and I know that He can be trusted.

Even as I write today, I’m thinking on the goodness and faithfulness of God. It is two years today that I was able to donate a kidney to one of my brothers. I am still amazed that he used me in this process, and both my brother, his wife, my family, friends and I could see His hand all the way through to the end. God is faithful. I share this to encourage all of you, as well as myself, to persevere and continue to draw close to Him because it’s in the relationship not the religion that we will find the strength to keep going when it seems like our prayers are hitting the ceiling and falling back to the ground.

There are times in my own life I have found myself praying the way I want things to work out in a given situation; but as I draw closer to Him, I know in my spirit that He has the perfect plan; a plan far beyond what any of us can think, dream or imagine, and He has a way and path that we would not necessarily choose to take or have our loved ones take to move into this plan. He can be trusted.

Just this past week in a conversation with my daughter-in-law, Christina, she made a statement that really touched my heart. When we are in situations and don’t know what to do, how to pray, how to respond, etc., what do we do. She said, “I always ask myself, but what do I know to be truth.” I ask you, what do you “know” to be truth about Him? I believe we could all look back over our lives and say that he pulled me from the miry clay and set my feet upon “the Solid Rock”; that all of our righteousness is as filthy rags but for the blood of Jesus….we’ve all been there. Were it not for His grace, where would any of us be.

As we each lift up our hearts to God on behalf of loved ones, situations in our own lives and the lives of others, what do we know to be truth about Him? I challenge each of us to meditate on the truth about Him and what he has already done in each of our lives; He is our hope. It’s time to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Walk in the truth that you know. Be encouraged and allow Him to work His plan.

Love and blessings,

Brenda

Are you Hot, Cold, or Lukewarm?

The Bible warns us in the Book of Revelations that the churches, as represented by the church in Laodicea, can become lukewarm, and because of that Jesus is about to spit them out of his mouth. Although they consider themselves to be rich and not needing anything, Jesus characterizes them as wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. He commands those in this condition to be earnest and repent.

As I reflect on this warning, I wonder if this would be Jesus’ verdict on the way we live today. Have we watered down our beliefs and doctrines so we can no longer distinguish the truth from lies? Here’s a couple of questions worth asking ourselves:

• Are we convinced that we have utterly failed to live up to God’s required standard for our lives, and therefore we deserve eternal punishment?

• Do we believe we cannot save ourselves. We have nothing good to offer God for our own salvation. In other words, we must come to God empty-handed as sinners in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace. Our salvation is solely a free gift that must be personally received by faith.
• Our faith must solely be in the person and saving work of Jesus Christ, who took upon himself the punishment we deserved for our sins by suffering and dying on the cross. The Father demonstrated his approval of Jesus’ saving work by raising him from the dead and proving the ressurection through many eye-witness testimonies.
• Do we know that our faith and baptism identifies us with Jesus Christ, who we acknowledge as our Lord and that God raised him from the dead? This means that we have given Jesus the “title deed” of our lives. We no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died for us.

If we are convinced of the above truths, won’t our love and concern for others prevent us from approving the contradictory claims of others for the sake of tolerance and unity? Can we share unity and fellowship with those who reject Jesus by claiming there is another way to Jesus other than by faith alone or that there is another way to God other than by Jesus Christ alone? Can we really stand in agreement with those who come to Jesus as their Savior but refuse to follow him as their Lord? Is there really a mediator between the sinner and God other than Jesus Christ? Is there really a second chance for sinners once they die? Isn’t Christ’s work on the cross complete and sufficient for our salvation?

Although it may be politically correct to be inclusive of anyone who sincerely or zealously holds to contrary beliefs, if we do so we risk watering down our faith to the point of being lukewarm.

Standing firm for our faith requires courage and the risk of being labeled narrow-minded or even worse. I don’t know about you, but I’m much more concerned how Christ judges me than how the unsaved world judges me.

At this Christmas time of year, I hope you will show the highest form of love by gently and lovingly pointing people to the Christ of the Bible. Allow the truth and power of the Word of God to show the truth to those in error. It just might eternally save their lives.

In Everything Give Thanks!

After serving Thanksgiving dinner to more than 450 people, it's time to reflect and give thanks. So many people in our community gave generously to make this special dinner possible! Our dinner guests, many of whom were homeless, were very thankful for the delicious meal they were served.



Nearly 100 volunteers helped prepare and serve the meals. We heard many comments from the volunteers about how meaningful it was for them to serve. Some volunteers had given financial support for years but had not volunteered until now. One couple I spoke to expects to become regular volunteers next year.



About 45 minutes before meals were served, we had a full group seated in the dining room for a short praise and worship service. We read Psalm 100, a portion of Psalm 107, Romans 8:28, Phillipians 2:13, and Phillipians 4:6-7. We sang How Great Thou Art and To God Be The Glory. I shared the need for God's people to rejoice always, pray continually, and thank God in every situation. Several guests gave their testimony, and the Gospel was shared. I'm thankful that the crowd was engaged in this time of worship, and I believe God was glorified.



I was also blessed to see a former employee, Lindsey, who left the mission to pursue her Masters degree at the University of Chicago. Also, Jonathan blessed us by answering a last minute request to come and play the guitar to help entertain our guests.



Although my wife, Becky, who coordinates this wonderful event, and I were quite tired after the dinner was over, it was definitely a good kind of being tired.



During this season of thanks, I hope you too will recount all the ways God has blessed you and your family. I have found that when you practice being thankful to God, you will be filled with joy. This is my prayer for you as well. God bless you!!!

Living Problem Free?

I just got back from a trip to Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis to see how they operate their men's recovery program. Wheeler Mission is over 100 years old and their program budget is greater than our total organization budget. Having recently spent some time talking with some of their program staff at our national AGRM conference, I knew they had some insights that could benefit us as we strive to improve our services.

We had a long discussion with Al, who is the Hebron program manager. Al is one of those men you could listen to for hours because of the insights he has gained over the many years of training, hands-on experience and background.

One insight that Al shared with us was the common attitude, particularly among people addicted to opiates, that they shouldn't have to experience any physical pain in life. Thus, if they feel any discomfort it's natural for them to automatically reach for theTylenol or other stronger pain medicine. Al stressed the importance of teaching that life has it's fair share of aches and pains. We need to accept that fact and face it, without always trying to medicate the pain away.

As I consider the broader issue of pain and suffering, I find there is also a common notion that either life should be substantially problem-free, or that if a Christian is living as he or she ought to live, then there should be no reason to suffer. The Bible, however, paints a different picture!

Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33.

In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he said "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6:13.

And in his letter to the Philippians, Paul states "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him," Philippians 1:29.

Yes, it is clear problems and suffering will not be strangers to Christians. But the NT writers also state there is good reason for it. For example, James tells us "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4. There is no gain without pain!

Just like a recovering addict should realize that life has its aches and pains that must be endured, so too the Christian must be equipped to stand up under the pressures and adversity of this world. For the world is watching how we, God's people, are responding. Are you bearing up well? If so, you are declaring the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. To God be the glory!

Our time is short!

Time has always been a motivating factor for me. I have usually thought that time is short and I shouldn't waste my life by pursuing things that don't truly matter in the end. The older I get, the more convinced I've become of this.

I don't know how long I'll live. Of course, I could live to a ripe old age, God willing. In that case, I hope to become a more devoted and loving follower of Jesus Christ as the years go by until my dying breath. In this case, my hope is that I can live the way the Apostle Paul stated:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

On the other hand, I know the Lord could take me at anytime--either through death or rapture. Therefore, I must not only be reconciled to God and be at peace with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, but I must strive to live in fellowship with Him through loving obedience. If I'm going to hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant", I will need to live a life "worthy of the calling" and keep "in step with the Spirit". Integrity and a clear conscience must mark each of my days.

I know that one day I'll stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, and my works along with the works of all the saints will be judged, not for the purpose of determining salvation since that's already been settled, but for the purpose of rewards or losses in God's kingdom. Yes, according to Scripture, the Lord will give His children rewards according to their faithfulness to Him during their life here on earth.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

So, what compels me? The love of Jesus Christ! Love can be the only good and true motivation.

To keep my mind on the prize, I decided to personally adopt a life theme that will help keep my life on track and focused. I would like to "make Jesus more famous and more followed" to the best of my ability. If I can strive to do that, my life which the Bible says is like a vapor, will not be lived in vain.

How about you?

We live in interesting times

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' " (Mark 13:32-37)

The command of Scripture is clear. We are to "Be on guard!", "Be alert!", "Keep watch!". Jesus spoke at some length about the sign of His coming and the end of the age (See Matthew 24). As I look around today, it seems that the birth pangs have begun. Earthquakes around the world are happening at greater frequency and intensity, we are hearing of wars and rumors of wars, Israel is becoming isolated internationally, and her enemies are surrounding her and preparing for war like no other. God has promised to intervene and rescue Israel from her demise, which will ultimately bring glory to Himself.

So what are the implications of all this to you and to me? Not only are we to long for our Lord's appearing (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) but we need to remain faithful in our service to God! In other words, we need to live our lives as if we expect Jesus to come for us today.

If you want good insight into world events and how they relate to the signs spoken about in the Bible, I would recommend you read two of Joel Rosenberg's books (Epicenter and Inside The Revolution). Also, a good blog to read on prophecy is www.prophecyupdate.blogspot.com