-One Hundred And Twenty Nine- Passing Grace On

Passing Grace On

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Focal Verse: 2 Corinthians 1:4

.who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

I can write this book with confidence because I know God’s grace firsthand.  I have personally known it in many of the ways I have written about.  I have seen it in the lives of those to which I am close.
There have been years of my life that were very troubling, but those years were also very sweet.  I grew to know my Lord in a much more intimate fashion.  I have seen His hand at work in miraculous ways, and have also seen it work in ways I didn’t understand at the time.
With the comfort He has given me, I now can comfort others.  With the patience He has had with me, I can now have more patience with others.  With the endurance He has graced me with, I can now encourage others to endure.  We were intended to pass on His grace.
Lord, please use me to pass grace on.

God has given each of us grace in some very unique ways. 

 You may be in someone’s life who needs that grace passed on to them.

Ask God to show you.

-One Hundred Twenty Eight- Grace in "Disaster"

Grace in “Disaster”

Today’s Reading: Acts 16:25-34

Focal Verse: Acts 16:34b

…he rejoiced, having believed in God…

God can take what looks like disaster and bring grace from it.  Many times with the loss of a job, a broken marriage, a natural disaster, the death of a loved one, alcoholism or addiction, an arrest, an accident, an ongoing illness, a mental breakdown (you continue the list), someone comes to know the Lord for the first time, or they come to know Him more intimately.
The Philippian jailer was ready to take his own life.  God was ready to give him eternal life.
If you are in the midst of a disaster, believe in God and His promises to His children.  He will give you grace to bring you through and you will be blessed with a greater knowledge of who He is.
If you know someone in the midst of a disaster, let them know you are there for them.  Paul reassured the jailer, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are here.”  As believers, we need to tell each other the same thing…and mean it!
When trials come, you can go through them with God or without Him…but you will go through them regardless.  Let the God of grace bring a blessing from your disaster.

If you are currently going through a difficult time, call on God.  Seek His word for His promises.

If you know of someone going through a difficult time, call them and tell them, “I am here”, and mean it.

-One Hundred And Twenty Seven- Grace To Carry You Through

Grace to Carry You Through

Today’s Reading: Acts 12:5-19

Focal Verse: Acts 12:7b

…And his chains fell off his hands.

If you are on mission for God, you will encounter obstacles.  Some may be minor irritations, but others may be more serious attacks that need earnest prayer.  You may even reach a stage of such severe attack where your hands seemed chained and you may even question the mission.
I hope that you have a close Christian friend or two that pray for you and your ministry.  Prayer is vital to any ministry, and faithful righteous prayer during attack can help break chains.
God can take whatever obstacles come to your ministry, even those where you feel chained, and use them to glorify Him and spread His gospel.  Your faithful endurance, as God sees you through to the end of your mission, is an encouragement to the many followers of Christ that His grace will see them through also.
His grace to His children never ends.

Do you have believers committed to praying for your ministry?

Are you committed to praying for someone else’s ministry?

-One Hundred And Twenty-Six- Grace To The "Religious"

Grace to the “Religious”

Today’s Reading: Acts 9:1-18

Focal Verse: Acts 9:4

Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

My heart is heavy with the multitudes of people trying to work their way into heaven who will be turned away because they don’t know Jesus.  Some of them are leading moral lives.  They may teach a church class.  They may sing in a choir.  They may go up and down streets knocking at doors seeking converts to their faith.  The Lord will say, “I never knew you; depart from Me.” (Matthew 7:21-23)  The story of Saul gives me hope for these because it is a story of a religious man who met Jesus and was changed.
Saul was very religious.  He followed all the right traditions and ceremonies.  He knew Scripture.  Even when he was persecuting Christians, he did it in the name of God.  And he was completely, utterly, totally lost.  It took a dramatic experience for God to get Saul’s attention, but He used an obedient servant, Ananias, to complete the job of Saul’s conversion to Christ.
Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?  Or are you merely religious, staying busy with religious works and moral behavior that you hope will stack up in your favor?  Your works cannot justify you.  Only Jesus can (Acts 13:39).  If you don’t know Him, click on Behold, I Stand At The Door And Knock.  Find a faithful servant like Ananias to share your conversion with.

If you are a believer, don’t give up on the Sauls of this world.  Pray for them and be ready to share with them The Way.

-One Hundred Twenty Five- Grace In Unity

Grace in Unity

Today’s Reading: Acts 4:32-35

Focal Verse: Acts 4:33b

And great grace was upon them all.

Unity seems to be a foreign concept today.  People are busy looking out for themselves.  They don’t really care about what happens to the groups they belong to, the company, and sometimes their own families, as long as they come out on top.
Unfortunately in many churches it is no different.  Each pastor or ministry has their own following, and someone looking in would think they are in competition, instead of working towards the same goal.
One key to unity is for everyone to have the same goal: sharing the gospel so that others can believe and receive the grace of God.
Another key to unity is to understand God’s ownership of everything.  If we think of His material blessings as being “ours” instead of being a potential to bless others, we will be selfish instead of selfless when it comes to meeting needs.  Unity means giving when we have it to give when needed by those who don’t.
Lastly, a loving concern for each other is necessary for unity.  We must put the needs of others above our own (1 Corinthians 10:24).  If we practice this, we will truly be “one heart”.
When the body of Christ is unified, it results in grace.  Grace to those, observing the miracle of unity, who draw close to hear the gospel; and grace to the body of Christ as they experience God’s blessing in their lives.

Which area of unity is a weakness for you?  Ask God to change your heart to allow you to be a part of the unity in the body that He desires.

-One Hundred And Twenty Four- Grace The Equips Us For Ministry

Grace that Equips Us for Ministry

Today’s Reading: Acts 2:1-4

Focal Verse: Acts 2:4

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Jesus commanded His disciples to be witnesses not only in their own country, but also to the ends of the earth.  That must have been intimidating to a group of men who were not extremely well educated.  They may have wondered how they were supposed to witness to people of a different language.  Jesus promised they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them.
He kept His promise.  The Holy Spirit fully equipped them to meet the language challenges they had ahead.
God may have called you to witness to someone that is different than you.  Maybe they are a different age, a different nationality, a different culture, or a different income.  If Jesus is your Savior, you have the Holy Spirit in you.  Just as He equipped those at Pentecost, you have received power from the Holy Spirit to equip you for your mission.
The Holy Spirit gives us the grace of His power.  Let’s use it!

What excuses have you made for not fulfilling your mission?

Do you believe the Holy Spirit has equipped you?

-One Hundred And Twenty Three- You Have Something To Give

You Have Something to Give

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:1-10

Focal Verse: Acts 3:6a

Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.”

God has equipped you to meet someone’s need.  You many not think you have anything to offer, but you do.
The lame beggar asked for money.  Peter had no money.  Peter could have just shaken his head “no”, but he looked at him with compassion and gave what he did have – healing from God.
Grace demands that we show grace to each other.  Pay attention to those God puts you in contact with.  See how God has equipped you to serve them.  They may be looking for something different than what you have, but what you give may be the miracle they need.

We need to quit giving excuses for not serving others.  No matter what our limitations, there is a way we can serve.  Ask God to show you.

-One Hundred And Twenty Two- Grace From The Denied

Grace from the Denied

Today’s Readings: Luke 22:54-62 and John 21:15-17

Focal Verse: John 21:17b 

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”

I love it when my husband, introducing me, says, “This is my wife, Penny.”  It shows he wants to be identified with me.
We love to be identified with groups.  We like to be identified as being part of a church, school, club, team or workplace.
Sometimes, though, you are around someone you thought you knew well. Maybe you are in a different setting with different people and they ignore you.  That hurts.
Jesus loved Peter.  Even though he knew what would happen in advance, it must have hurt Him when Peter denied Him…not once, not twice, but three times.  I imagine that if most of us had a friend who denied us three times, we would cut our losses and move on to someone else.
But Jesus gives more grace.  He restored the relationship with Peter and reassured him that he still had a place in the kingdom.
Even when we fall hard, like Peter did, Jesus will restore the relationship.  He will reassure you that you still have a place in the kingdom.
Grace gives yet another chance.

Do you identify yourself with Christ?

If not, ask why.  Settle it with God now.

-One Hundred And Twenty One- Grace On A Cross

Grace on a Cross

Today’s Reading: Matthew 27:26-50

Focal Verse: Matthew 27:42

“He saved others: Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.”

They were wrong.  He could have saved Himself but, because of grace, He didn’t.  He voluntarily hung there.  It amazes me.  He hung there for the ones who nailed His hands and feet.  He hung there for the ones mocking, spitting and watching.  He hung there for you and me.
Why? He knew you and I could never be good enough.  He knew you and I deserved punishment for our sins.  So He hung there.  He took all of our sins on Himself.
They didn’t get it.  Do you?

One of our greatest weapons against becoming self-righteous is to remember the cross.  Thank Jesus for hanging there for you.

-One Hundred And Twenty- Grace To Our Enemies

Grace to Our Enemies

Today’s Reading: Mark 15:16-20

Focal Verse: Luke 23:34a

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

We have had children in these days that have taken guns to school to retaliate against those who have bullied them.  We have adults that have taken guns to the workplace and killed people for what they have perceived is unfair treatment.  Ex-husbands kill ex-wives. Rival gangs retaliate with death.
Jesus had every right to retaliate against those who were abusing and mocking Him.  He could have called for their immediate destruction.  But He didn’t.  Instead, He prayed for them.  Even on the cross, the others being crucified reviled Him (Matthew 15:32).  Yet He saved the one who repented (Luke 23:43).
In this world, there is, and will be, mistreatment, mocking, abuse, etc.  Jesus has set the example for what our response is to be.  He said, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
Before we accepted Christ, we too were God’s enemies (Colossians 1:21).  He gave us grace.  So should we give our enemies grace.

Meditate on Matthew 5:44 (above).  Is this your attitude towards your enemies?  If not, ask God to make your attitude more like His.

-One Hundred And Nineteen- Forsaken

Forsaken

Today’s Reading: Matthew 26:31-56

Focal Verse: Matthew 25:56b

Then the disciples forsook Him and fled.

They left Him.  Three years of intimacy with Him and they left.  He poured His life here on earth into them...and He knew they would leave Him.
He told them they would (v.31).  He told Peter he would deny Him - not once, not twice, but three times (v.34).  He told them He was sorrowful, even to death, and His three closest friends would not stay awake to pray for Him (v.38-40).  One of His disciples betrayed Him with a kiss (v.49), and finally, with His arrest, they all renounced Him and fled.
If these were the people He was most intimate with, and they left, then why go to the cross?  Why not go back to the Father and say, “Wipe them out and start all over again”?  One word: Grace.

Any time we choose our own way instead of His, we forsake Him.  He died for us, anyway.  Humbly thank Him for His grace.

-One Hundred And Eighteen- Not Alone

Not Alone

Today’s Reading: John 14:15-18

Focal Verse: 14:18

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Have you ever had someone pose this question to you: If you were alone on a desert island, what three things would you want there with you? Sometimes, as a believer, it feels like we are on a desert island.  But we are never alone.
In this passage, Jesus is promising the most wonderful gift: His very Spirit living in the hearts of believers.  Because of His Spirit, we are never alone:

-when fighting temptation
-in times of trials
-in sorrow
-in ministering
-when needing wisdom and truth
-when our faith is weak
The list goes on.

Jesus – died for us, put His Spirit in us.  Grace upon grace.

Make your own list of the times when you realized you were not alone.  Spend time in thanksgiving for this precious gift.

-One Hundred And Seventeen- Grace That Warns

Grace that Warns

Today’s Reading: John 16:1-4 and Mark 13:5-23

Focal Verse: Mark 13:23

“But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.”

God doesn’t try to “trip you up”.  From the very beginning, He has been revealing His plan to the world.
The Bible is a book of the past, present and future.  It reveals how God has acted in the past, how He is working today, and what will happen in the future.  It was written so that we would believe (John 20:31).  It tells us what to expect in life.  It also tells you how to handle problems and situations you didn’t even know would occur.  But God did, and in His grace, He gave you a guidebook.  Trying to negotiate life without it just leaves you feeling lost.  Open it today.

Without the guidance of God’s word, it is incredibly easy to make mistakes and fall back into sin patterns.  Make a commitment to read it and live your life with the fullness God wanted for you.

-One Hundred And Sixteen- Labels

Labels

Today’s Reading: Luke 11:27-37

Focal Verse: Luke 11:37b  

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

If you go into the store to buy beans, you will see all different kings of labels.  Open up the cans, and what do you find inside them all? Beans!  Regardless, they have different labels because most people pick their favorite label to buy.
People have all kinds of labels and, many times, they separate us: Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Pentacostal, Muslim, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, rich, middle class, poor, pretty, plain, ugly, fat, thin, tall, short…and it goes on.  If you take off the label and look inside, they all are the same thing – “our neighbor”.
God doesn’t look at labels and we aren’t supposed to either.  We are to show mercy to all of our neighbors.  We can’t pick and choose who to show mercy to.  Take the labels off.  Be merciful as your Father has been merciful.

Really, there is only going to be one “label” that matters in the end – whether or not someone was a believer.  Be a good neighbor to all and spread the gospel where you have opportunity.

-One Hundred And Fifteen- Grace That Gives More Than We Ask For

Grace that Gives More than We Ask For

Today’s Reading: Luke 18:35-43

Focal Verse: Luke 18:42

Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! 

 Your faith has saved and healed you!” (MSG)

When he started out his day, he just wanted some food.  He sat by the road, unable to see, but able to hear and beg from those who passed by.
But this day, things were different.  He could hear a crowd and, asking, found out that Jesus was passing by.  He got excited.  Everyone knew Jesus could heal and he began to cry out.
They told him to be quiet, but he knew this might be his only chance.  And then the remarkable happened.  Jesus noticed him!  Jesus had him brought forward.
Jesus asked him what he wanted Him to do.  He asked Him for his sight.  I am sure he must have been thinking that if he only had his sight, he wouldn’t need to beg anymore.  And he waited for the answer.
Jesus gave him what he asked for – his sight, and then He gave him something much more precious – salvation.  The blind man started out his day begging for food to sustain his life.  He ended it by following the One who gave him eternal life.

Read Ephesians 3:20.  Ask God to answer your prayers, not necessarily as you would ask them, but as He, in His wisdom and goodness, knows best.

-One Hundred And Fourteen- Unashamed Of Grace

Unashamed of Grace

Today’s Reading: John 9:1-25

Focal Verse: John 9:25

He answered them and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

You don’t need to be a theological scholar to tell others what Christ has done for you.  You don’t have to be defensive about Him or pretend to know everything.  You simply have to tell the truth.
God can spread the gospel in any manner He chooses, but He chose to do it through us (Matthew 28:19-20).  Are you spreading it, or are you making excuses?
Our hearts should be overflowing with thanksgiving for God’s grace to us.  We should be thankful for every opportunity to share it with others.  He wasn’t ashamed to die for us on the cross.  We shouldn’t be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16).

Spend time in thanksgiving that God was not ashamed to be called your God (Hebrews 11:16).  Read Romans 10:14-15 and ask God to show you what your part is.

-One Hundred And Thirteen- Grace For The Prodigal

Grace for the Prodigal

Today’s Reading: Luke 15:11-32

Focal Verse: Luke 15:20

“And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

If you went out on the streets and asked people if they believed in God, the majority would say “yes”.  Most people understand that something greater than themselves made this world.  They just don’t want to admit their need for God.  They think they can take care of and run their life on their own.
God made us wonderfully and gave us minds and bodies capable of great things.  Each of us will come upon a time, though, when we realize that isn’t enough.  The difference is what decision we make in that moment.  When we come to the end of ourselves, when we are wallowing in the muck of this world and we realize our hearts are like this muck, we are faced with a decision.  Will we still insist on running our own lives (Mark 10:17-22), or will we confess our sin and run to the Savior?
I love the part where the son begins to come home.  The father doesn’t sit there and wait!  While his son is still far off, the father goes to him…just like God does with us.
Amidst this beautiful story of grace is an ugly fact.  The older brother, who was faithful to the father, resents the attention the father gives to the prodigal son.  Sometimes believers act the same.  Instead of rejoicing with the Lord over a repentant sinner, we act like we resent that they broke into “the club” (Matthew 20:1-16).  We think things like, “They ought to be sorry after the life they have led,” or, “I’ve been faithful all of my life.  He doesn’t deserve that position. He lived an awful life before now.”  Believers sometimes forget that they needed, and still need, the Savior’s forgiveness as much as anyone.
Rejoice with your Savior over the prodigal son. Cook the feast. Help to clothe him by teaching him what God has already taught you.  Show that you are a child of God.

Are you following the example of your Father in welcoming the “prodigals” of this world, or are you more like the other son?

With God’s help, this very day begin to use what God has taught you in your life to encourage others.

-One Hundred And Twelve- More Time, Sir?

More Time, Sir?

Today’s Reading: Luke 13:6-9

Focal Verse: Luke 13:8

But he answered and said to him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.”

Jesus intercedes for the lost.  He even intercedes for the lost who are in the church.
No matter that they have heard the gospel many times already.  No matter that they have seen miracles and are still unbelieving.  We may have given up on them, but Jesus hasn’t.
Yes, there is a time when judgment comes on unbelievers.  Until that time, Jesus is interceding for a little more time, and God, in His grace, is giving it.

Only God knows the time when a person’s chances are up.

As believers, we should pray for the lost, for a little more time.

-One Hundred And Eleven- Grace To The Unbelieving World

Grace to the Unbelieving World

Today’s Reading: Luke 9:52-56

Focal Verse: Luke 9:56a

“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”

If you walk as a true disciple of Christ, you will suffer persecution (1 John 2:6).  If you say that Jesus is the only way (John 14:6) to heaven, you will be accused of being narrow-minded and intolerant.
As you hear Christians slandered and reviled in the media and in your daily life, remember that Jesus said, “A servant is not greater than his master.” (John 15:20)  As Christ came through the Samaritan village on His way to worship in Jerusalem, the Samaritans were offended that Jesus insisted that Jerusalem, where His Father had commanded, was the proper place to worship.  They had their own self-made temple with their own humanly altered religion.  They rejected Him.
As you stand for Christ, you also will be rejected by some.  Respond as Jesus did.  Not with angry, hurtful and destructive words, but with His loving grace.  Look at them as lost and dying people who need the salvation of Christ…just as you did.

It is easier to listen to media stories and get mad and debate, rather than get on your knees in prayer for these people.  Commit to pray for those that the Lord shows you need Him.

-One Hundred And Ten- Never-ending Forgiveness

Never-ending Forgiveness

Today’s Reading: Matthew 18:21-35

Focal Verse: Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

One of the saddest things to see is strife and divisiveness in the church.  One member hurts another member.  Neither one is willing to forgive and it becomes an ugly feud that usually draws others into it.  It is like a cancer spreading…and it is ungodly.
Jesus told us we are to forgive seventy times seven, or basically unlimited, times.  Before you roll your eyes at how difficult that is, let’s look at Christ.  He wronged no one.  He has never wronged you, yet how many times have you had to ask forgiveness?  Seventy times seven?  He has forgiven you every time.
So when you are finding it hard to forgive someone, go to Jesus for help.  Ask Him to remind you of all the times He has given you grace.  Ask Him to help you extend that grace to the one you need to forgive, and experience the peace of a forgiving, forgiven heart.

Forgiveness is a command, not a suggestion.  Spend some time praying.  Thank Jesus for the times He has forgiven you.  If there is someone you haven’t forgiven, ask His forgiveness and His help.