Wednesday, December 30, 2015
God is in Control
Are you facing some trial right now? Something that is overwhelming you?
I declare to you the very heart of biblical Christianity, that the God
whom you know in Jesus Christ sits upon the throne of the universe and
all power, all authority in heaven and earth belongs to him, is
controlled by him and is subject to him. The world has not gone mad it’s
gone very sinful. But God is in control. The government does not rest
upon Satan’s shoulders, it does not rest on some political
leaders in Washington, or London, or Moscow or Beijing or the Middle
East, the government of this world rests firmly on the shoulders of
Jesus Christ so “WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID, O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH?” This
question applies to Christians today as much as it did to those disciple
that were in the boat with Jesus. I listen to Christians who have have
listened so much to the news media that they do not remember that Jesus
is in the boat with them. Christians have no need to live in fear about
what is happening to this country or any other country because Our God
is in control of every nation.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Hallelujah, I’m ready to go - Bob Dylan
I’m ready [hallelujah] Hallelujah [I’m ready] I can hear the voices singin’ soft and low
Hallelujah [I’m ready] I’m ready [hallelujah] Hallelujah, I’m ready to go.
Dark was the night
Not a star was in sight
On the highway headin’ down below
I let my Saviour in
And He saved my soul from sin
Hallelujah [I’m ready] I’m ready [hallelujah] I can hear the voices singin’ soft and low
I’m ready [hallelujah] Hallelujah [I’m ready] Hallelujah, I’m ready to go.
Sinner don’t wait
Before it’s too late
He’s a wonderful Saviour to know.
I fell on my knees
He answered my pleas
Hallelujah, I’m ready to go.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
The Safety Of God being For Us
Paul is not saying that God is on our side in the middle of our
struggles but that God is “FOR US” and that has nothing to do with
something in us (our merit) or something we do (our works), it is his
attitude to all who are in Christ, all who are his children. Our hearts
are weak and we are prone to legalism and unbelief and at times we have a
hard time receiving the words, “God is for us”. God is for us; we have
failed but He is for us. We are ignorant but He is for us. We are
struggling but He is for us, we are doubting but He is for us. We are
weak but He is for us. We are not as fruitful as we should be but He is
for us.
Some Christians wonder if they can put themselves outside of God’s grace by committing some terrible sin that will nullify God’s redemptive work in them. Tragically some churches teach that this is possible. But if we by our own power or effort were not able to save ourselves or to free ourselves from sin or to make ourselves God’s children, how could it be that by our own power and work we could nullify the work of grace that God himself accomplished in us? Let your heart and mind surrender to the fact that God is eternally for those who believe and he has eternally committed himself to you - without conditions and without requirements. Your life does not affect the fact that God is for you. “MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE: I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME. I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE, AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH; NO ONE CAN SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY HAND” (John 10:27-28).
Some Christians wonder if they can put themselves outside of God’s grace by committing some terrible sin that will nullify God’s redemptive work in them. Tragically some churches teach that this is possible. But if we by our own power or effort were not able to save ourselves or to free ourselves from sin or to make ourselves God’s children, how could it be that by our own power and work we could nullify the work of grace that God himself accomplished in us? Let your heart and mind surrender to the fact that God is eternally for those who believe and he has eternally committed himself to you - without conditions and without requirements. Your life does not affect the fact that God is for you. “MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE: I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME. I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE, AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH; NO ONE CAN SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY HAND” (John 10:27-28).
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
What does it mean that God is “FOR US”?
What does it mean that God is “FOR US”?
The goal of grace is to create a love relationship between God and us who believe the kind of relationship we were first made for.
The revelation of the New Testament is that God is our heavenly Father, we are His children and He is “FOR US”. We could say that how well a person understands Christianity is related to how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If God being your Father doesn’t motivate, and control your worship and prayers and your whole outlook on life. You don’t understand Christianity very well.
God being for me has nothing to do with my ability, my performance, or my obedience. Once you set qualifications for God being for you, you have left grace and have put yourself back under the law. If you don't know or believe that God is for you because of what God decided about you in eternity past and then sent his own son to become a man and take your place, pay for your sins on the cross and rise from the dead to secure your justification and secure your place in the Father's family. Then you don't really know the God of the bible and you will live in fear and insecurity. I get up every day thanking God that he is for me!
The goal of grace is to create a love relationship between God and us who believe the kind of relationship we were first made for.
The revelation of the New Testament is that God is our heavenly Father, we are His children and He is “FOR US”. We could say that how well a person understands Christianity is related to how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If God being your Father doesn’t motivate, and control your worship and prayers and your whole outlook on life. You don’t understand Christianity very well.
God being for me has nothing to do with my ability, my performance, or my obedience. Once you set qualifications for God being for you, you have left grace and have put yourself back under the law. If you don't know or believe that God is for you because of what God decided about you in eternity past and then sent his own son to become a man and take your place, pay for your sins on the cross and rise from the dead to secure your justification and secure your place in the Father's family. Then you don't really know the God of the bible and you will live in fear and insecurity. I get up every day thanking God that he is for me!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
The Cross Our Only Hope.
If Christ had not come there would be no forgiveness for sin or victory
over sin. “WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS” (Heb.9:22
NASB). The Bible says that He came to seek and save the lost. He saved
us from the guilt of sin. The only thing that can take away the burden
of guilt is the blood of Jesus. “SO, BY VIRTUE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS,
YOU AND I, MY BROTHERS, MAY NOW HAVE CONFIDENCE TO ENTER THE HOLY OF
HOLIES BY A FRESH AND LIVING WAY” (Heb.10:19 J.B. Phillips). Man has
always tried to provide his own atonement but only Christ can wipe the
slate clean and blot out the writing which is written against them. Only
He can remove the heavy burden of guilt that causes so many people to
live under a gray cloud. Only Christ can forgive sin and give victory
over sin. The cross is our hope.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
Jesus Is In Control Of All Of Life
Jesus calms every storm, every wind, and every wave. This is symbolic
that he is in control of all of our life. God never promised his people
an easy life, just read church history or biblical history. There are
mysteries in his providence that we will never understand in this life.
That’s why we’re called to live by faith and not by sight. This
scripture teaches us that the mystery of God’s providence is to motivate
us to exercise faith not to drive us from faith. The great difference
between a Christian and a non-Christian is that all the storms, trials,
troubles, difficulties, sorrow in this life, the Christian, even though
he doesn’t have an answer for each of them, has an over-reaching answer
that God will work all things together for good to those who love God
Friday, November 6, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
Friday, October 23, 2015
The Band - One Too Many Mornings - Dylan Cover
Rick Danko - vocal/bass, Levon Helm - drums/harmonica. Garth Hudson - Hammond B3 organ, Derek Trucks-slide guitar, Jim Weider-guitar, Richard Bell-electric piano, Randy Ciarlante-congas.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Monday, October 19, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Albert King - Blues Power
From the album Albert King - "Live Wire Blues Power" 1968 This is one of my favorite Albert King Albums his guitar sounds so good, much better than many of his studio albums
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Monday, September 21, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
What Do You Know About God?
“Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives.
As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesmen to fly him to London, put
him down without explanation in Trafalgar Square and leave him, as one
who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are
cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about
the God whose world it is and who runs it .The world becomes a strange,
mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant
business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of
God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life
blindfold, as it were , with no sense of direction, and no understanding
of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your
soul.”
― J.I. Packer, Knowing God
― J.I. Packer, Knowing God
Monday, September 7, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Monday, August 24, 2015
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
The 2:30 Report from Austrailia - Our Take On Christian TV
This video is several years old but is still true and very funny
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan
I love this song. There is nothing quite like watching Bill Murray sing this song at the end of the movie St Vincent, priceless.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Friday, August 7, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Monday, August 3, 2015
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
The Working Of God's Word
"In
short, I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will constrain no
man by force, for faith must come freely without compulsion. Take myself
as an example. I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never
with force. I simply taught, preached, and wrote God's Word; otherwise I
did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my
friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that
no prince or emperor ever inflicted such loses upon it. I did nothing;
the Word did everything." Martin Luther
Our confidence must be in the Word of God not our ability, or our programs, or our music, or the latest bestseller, or our advertising, only the Word of God can accomplish God's purposes and change lives.
Our confidence must be in the Word of God not our ability, or our programs, or our music, or the latest bestseller, or our advertising, only the Word of God can accomplish God's purposes and change lives.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
The Only Way People Can Be Saved
‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God.’ Let us look first at the positive statement. Here
is his assertion positively, that we are Christians entirely and solely
as the result of the grace of God. Let us remind ourselves once more
that ‘grace’ means unmerited, undeserved favor. It is an action which
arises entirely from the gracious character of God. So the fundamental
proposition is that salvation is something that comes to
us entirely from God’s side. What is still more important is this, that
it not only comes from God’s side, it comes to us in spite of
ourselves—‘unmerited’ favor. In other words, it is not God’s response to
anything in us. Now there are many people who seem to think that it
is—that salvation is God’s response to something in us. But the word
‘grace’ excludes that. It is in spite of us. The apostle, as we have
seen, has already been very much concerned to say this. You notice the
interesting way in which he, as it were, slipped it in in the fifth
verse. He interrupted himself, broke the symmetry of his statement, and
was guilty of a serious blemish from the standpoint of literary style.
But he was not interested in that. Listen to him: ‘Even when we were
dead in sins, he hath quickened, us together with Christ’, and then,
instead of going on to the next step—in parenthesis ‘(by grace ye are
saved)’. Here, he puts it a little more explicitly. Salvation is not in
any sense God’s response to anything in us. It is not something that we
in any sense deserve or merit. The whole essence of the teaching at this
point, and everywhere in all the New Testament, is that we have no sort
or kind of right whatsoever to salvation, that the whole glory of
salvation is, that though we deserved nothing but punishment and hell
and banishment out of the sight of God to all eternity, yet God, of His
own love and grace and wondrous mercy, has granted us this salvation.
Now that is the entire meaning of this term ‘grace’. BY MARTYN
LLOYD-JONES
Friday, July 10, 2015
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
The Original Garfield Blues Band - Late 1968/early 1969
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
“Hot Tub Religion”
I was reading a book by J.I. Packer called “Hot Tub Religion”, in the
book, Packer is dealing with crucial questions that Christians may not
be clear on. The title of the book is from a chapter that deals with a
theology of pleasure. His choice for the most fitting symbol of
contemporary western culture is a hot tub.
When I hear the words “hot tub” it reminds me of the Eddie Murphy skit on an old Saturday Night Live show called “Celebrity Hot Tub”. Murphy enters playing James Brown dancing to James Brown music saying “Hot Tub”. If you were a James Brown fan you can hear his voice in your head saying the words “Hot Tub”. Packer retells his first experience in a hot tub with some of his student advisers from Regent College. Packer said, “As I sat there savoring hot-tubness, cracking small jokes and adjusting to the feel of being bubbled over from all angles it struck me that the hot tub is the perfect symbol of the modern route in religion. The hot tub experience is sensuous, relaxing, floppy, and laid-back: not in any way demanding whether intellectually or otherwise, but very, very nice, even to the point of being great fun.”
“Many today want Christianity to be like that, and labor to make it so. The ultimate step of course would be to clear church auditoriums of seats and install hot tubs in their place; then there would never be any attendance problems" This was written 30 years ago and you could add a lot of descriptions to the current Christian hot tub experience. But sometimes I wonder if what the Church is doing is caving in to the low level of biblical intelligence in the people attending the services. Instead of building people up in their most holy faith, we spoon feed them self-help Pablum and some “How to” messages— how to prosper, how to feel better about yourself, how to have a great marriage, how to raise swell kids, how to have it all, and it remind's me of the sleazy salesman Art Fern from
When I hear the words “hot tub” it reminds me of the Eddie Murphy skit on an old Saturday Night Live show called “Celebrity Hot Tub”. Murphy enters playing James Brown dancing to James Brown music saying “Hot Tub”. If you were a James Brown fan you can hear his voice in your head saying the words “Hot Tub”. Packer retells his first experience in a hot tub with some of his student advisers from Regent College. Packer said, “As I sat there savoring hot-tubness, cracking small jokes and adjusting to the feel of being bubbled over from all angles it struck me that the hot tub is the perfect symbol of the modern route in religion. The hot tub experience is sensuous, relaxing, floppy, and laid-back: not in any way demanding whether intellectually or otherwise, but very, very nice, even to the point of being great fun.”
“Many today want Christianity to be like that, and labor to make it so. The ultimate step of course would be to clear church auditoriums of seats and install hot tubs in their place; then there would never be any attendance problems" This was written 30 years ago and you could add a lot of descriptions to the current Christian hot tub experience. But sometimes I wonder if what the Church is doing is caving in to the low level of biblical intelligence in the people attending the services. Instead of building people up in their most holy faith, we spoon feed them self-help Pablum and some “How to” messages— how to prosper, how to feel better about yourself, how to have a great marriage, how to raise swell kids, how to have it all, and it remind's me of the sleazy salesman Art Fern from
Monday, June 22, 2015
Friday, June 19, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Paul Butterfield Blues Band -- Mellow Down Easy
So glad to see The Butterfield Blues Band inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. It was great to see Sam Lay the greatest blues drummer make it in. Sam is in the middle of the picture. I had the privilege of playing in the Sam Lay Blues Band in the early 70's
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
The Humbling Reality of Being Indwelt by The Holy Spirit
R. A. Torrey in his book, “The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit” tells
us,
“The conception of the Holy Spirit as a divine influence or power that we are somehow to get hold of and use, leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency. One who thinks of the Holy Spirit and who at the same time imagines that He has received the Holy Spirit will almost inevitably be full of spiritual pride and strut about as if he belonged to some superior order of Christians. One frequently hears such persons say, ‘I am a Holy Ghost man’ or ‘Holy Ghost woman’. But if we once grasp the thought that the Holy Spirit is a divine person of infinite majesty, glory and holiness who in marvelous condescension has come into our hearts to make His abode there and take possession of our lives and make use of them, it will put us in the dust and keep us in the dust. I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of divine majesty and glory dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me.” (Pg. 8-9)
“The conception of the Holy Spirit as a divine influence or power that we are somehow to get hold of and use, leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency. One who thinks of the Holy Spirit and who at the same time imagines that He has received the Holy Spirit will almost inevitably be full of spiritual pride and strut about as if he belonged to some superior order of Christians. One frequently hears such persons say, ‘I am a Holy Ghost man’ or ‘Holy Ghost woman’. But if we once grasp the thought that the Holy Spirit is a divine person of infinite majesty, glory and holiness who in marvelous condescension has come into our hearts to make His abode there and take possession of our lives and make use of them, it will put us in the dust and keep us in the dust. I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of divine majesty and glory dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me.” (Pg. 8-9)
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Friday, May 15, 2015
Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89
Riley B. King, the legendary guitarist known as B.B. King, whose velvety voice and economical, expressive style brought blues from the margins to the mainstream, died Thursday night.
I have always told people I was mentored by the Kings, B.B. Albert and Freddie. I taught myself how to play blues lead guitar by sitting in my room with my record player, Electric guitar and amp. I would listen to B.B. King's album "Lucille" and play along with B.B. When I was living in Chicago in the early 70's and playing in the Sam Lay Blues Band I saw B.B. play live. One of my favorite songs is "Every Day I Have The Blues" One of my favorite albums is "Riding With The King" by Eric Clapton and B.B. King. I still play the blues and I still love the blues, my soul is colored blue.
I almost forgot B.B.'s guitar was named LUCILLE, The lead singer for the Sam Lay Blues Band was LUCILLE Spann widow of the great Otis Spann legendary blues piano player, I owned a B.B. King Lucille guitar and my wife's name is Lucille.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Remember "deflate-gate"?
Remember "deflate-gate"? After the Patriots beat the Colts, 11 of the 12
footballs were found to be deflated. The NFL today released a report.
They found the Patriots probably did it on purpose. Now we have to get
Tom Brady to promise to never do it again, I guess.
I hope deflate-gate is a good lesson for kids. If you cheat and don't play fair you will be the MVP of the Super Bowl and marry one of the most beautiful women on earth. Remember that.
From Jimmy Kimmel Live!
I hope deflate-gate is a good lesson for kids. If you cheat and don't play fair you will be the MVP of the Super Bowl and marry one of the most beautiful women on earth. Remember that.
From Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
The Good News Of God
The exclusive claims of Jesus Christ to be “THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND
THE LIFE” are sealed when he adds, “NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT
THROUGH ME” (John 14:6) Since mankind is absolutely dependent on Christ
for their knowledge of redemptive truth and also for the spark that
causes that truth to live in their souls (and for their souls to become
alive to that truth) it follows that no one can come to the Father but
through him. When Christ is removed there can be no redemptive truth, so there is no eternal life, resulting in no way to the Father.
This is our human condition— we are alienated from God, ignorant of the
truth, and condemned to spiritual and physical death. The wonderful
truth of Christ’s claim is that it’s the divine answer to our problems
on three levels. Instead of alienation there is a “way” to God. Instead
of ignorance and error there is “the truth”. Instead of death there is
“the life”. So this scripture is actually the gospel the good news of
God.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Friday, April 24, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
God Is Love
Dr. J. I. Packer in Knowing God makes an interesting contrast in two
statements he makes about “God is love”. First of all he says that “God
is love” is not the complete truth about God so far as the bible is
concerned. Secondly he says that “God is love” is the complete truth
about God so far as the Christian is concerned. “God is love means that
His love finds expression in everything that he says and does. For
instance in Romans 8:28: AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR
GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS
PURPOSE. Paul is declaring that every single thing that happens to him
expresses God’s love to him and comes to him for the furthering of God’s
purpose for him”.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
The Nature Of Sin
Oswald Chambers wrote, "The nature of sin is not immorality and
wrongdoing, but the nature of self-realization which leads us to say, "I
am my own God." This nature may exhibit itself in proper morality or in
improper immorality, but it always has a common basis--my claim to my
right to myself." This is our problem we all claim to have a right to
our-self. No one can tell us anything because we know what is best for
us and God help the person who gets in our way! C.S. Lewis put it this
way, "Pride is the ruthless, sleepless, unsmiling concentration on self"
Lord deliver me from myself, and help me to see how much I get in the way of making any spiritual progress.
Lord deliver me from myself, and help me to see how much I get in the way of making any spiritual progress.
Gov't Mule - Simple Man
Gov't Mule's cover of the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit "Simple Man" off the album "Under the Influence" (tribute to Skynyrd cd with various artists)
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Saved by grace alone or not saved at all!
“I AM PRAYING FOR. . . THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN ME FOR THEY ARE YOURS”
John 17:9 Jesus values them simply because they belong to God. Jesus is
saying I am praying for these people because they are yours and I am
concerned for what is yours. We are God’s personal possession, Jesus is
praying for us because we belong to him. How ridiculous for Christians
to worry and fear when the shepherd and caretaker of their souls is
caring for them. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price’ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Believers are the Father’s love gift to the Son. It is unthinkable that the Father would permit this gift of love to fail by one believer being lost. Salvation is totally of God’s grace. If we could not be saved by our good works why should we be condemned after we are saved by some sin or act of disobedience? If God who knows all things knew that we would fail, why would he have given his son in the first place? Either we are saved by grace alone or we are not saved at all!
Believers are the Father’s love gift to the Son. It is unthinkable that the Father would permit this gift of love to fail by one believer being lost. Salvation is totally of God’s grace. If we could not be saved by our good works why should we be condemned after we are saved by some sin or act of disobedience? If God who knows all things knew that we would fail, why would he have given his son in the first place? Either we are saved by grace alone or we are not saved at all!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Contrasts Between Law And Grace Part 2
Let these contrasts between law and grace really sink into your heart and mind and praise God that you are now under grace:
1. The law stops us from coming to God - Grace invites us to come just as we are. “Just as I am, without one plea”.
2. The law condemns the sinner - Grace redeems him.
3. The law says, “Do this and live” - Grace says, “It is done.”
4. The law says, “Try” - Grace says, “It is finished.”
5. The law curses the sinner - Grace blesses the believer.
6. The law kills the sinner - Grace saves him.
7. The law shuts every mouth before God - Grace opens the mouth in praise to God.
8. The law condemns the best man - Grace saves the worst.
9. The law says, “Pay what you owe” - Grace says, “It is paid.”
10. The law says, “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH” - Grace says, “THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE.”
11. The law reveals man's sin - Grace atones for man's sin.
12. The law brings the knowledge of sin - Grace provides redemption from sin.
13. The law was given by Moses - Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
14. The law demands obedience - Grace gives power to obey.
15. The law was written on stone - Grace is written in the heart.
16. The law was done away with in Christ - Grace abides forever.
17. The law puts you under bondage - Grace sets you free.
I want you to know that I will never give up my position under grace to put myself back under the curse of the law. I will never give up my security in Christ to go back to trying to keep myself saved by good works.
1. The law stops us from coming to God - Grace invites us to come just as we are. “Just as I am, without one plea”.
2. The law condemns the sinner - Grace redeems him.
3. The law says, “Do this and live” - Grace says, “It is done.”
4. The law says, “Try” - Grace says, “It is finished.”
5. The law curses the sinner - Grace blesses the believer.
6. The law kills the sinner - Grace saves him.
7. The law shuts every mouth before God - Grace opens the mouth in praise to God.
8. The law condemns the best man - Grace saves the worst.
9. The law says, “Pay what you owe” - Grace says, “It is paid.”
10. The law says, “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH” - Grace says, “THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE.”
11. The law reveals man's sin - Grace atones for man's sin.
12. The law brings the knowledge of sin - Grace provides redemption from sin.
13. The law was given by Moses - Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
14. The law demands obedience - Grace gives power to obey.
15. The law was written on stone - Grace is written in the heart.
16. The law was done away with in Christ - Grace abides forever.
17. The law puts you under bondage - Grace sets you free.
I want you to know that I will never give up my position under grace to put myself back under the curse of the law. I will never give up my security in Christ to go back to trying to keep myself saved by good works.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
The Contrast Between Law And Grace
The Contrast Between Law And Grace (2 Corinthians 3:5-18)
Paul is speaking about the law in its narrowest sense referring to the Ten Commandments. Paul is contrasting the law with grace, by giving this description of the law:
1. The law is “the letter” - not “of the spirit” (v.6).
2. This “letter kills” but “The Spirit gives life” (v.6).
3. The law is “the ministry of death . . . carved in stone” accompanied by a temporary glory (v.7).
4. The “The ministry of the Spirit” has a greater permanent glory (v.8).
5. The law was “The ministry of condemnation” (v.9).
6. Grace is “The ministry of righteousness” (v.9).
7. The law was “being brought to an end” (v.11, 13).
8. Grace is “permanent” (v.11).
9. The law was a “veil” that prevented approach to the presence of God (v.14-15).
10. Under grace “When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed (v.16).
In the light of this why would any Christian want to go back under the law? Why go back under the ministry of condemnation and death? Anyone who wants to go back to the feasts, to observance of days, to dietary laws etc. does not understand the law and does not understand grace.
Paul is speaking about the law in its narrowest sense referring to the Ten Commandments. Paul is contrasting the law with grace, by giving this description of the law:
1. The law is “the letter” - not “of the spirit” (v.6).
2. This “letter kills” but “The Spirit gives life” (v.6).
3. The law is “the ministry of death . . . carved in stone” accompanied by a temporary glory (v.7).
4. The “The ministry of the Spirit” has a greater permanent glory (v.8).
5. The law was “The ministry of condemnation” (v.9).
6. Grace is “The ministry of righteousness” (v.9).
7. The law was “being brought to an end” (v.11, 13).
8. Grace is “permanent” (v.11).
9. The law was a “veil” that prevented approach to the presence of God (v.14-15).
10. Under grace “When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed (v.16).
In the light of this why would any Christian want to go back under the law? Why go back under the ministry of condemnation and death? Anyone who wants to go back to the feasts, to observance of days, to dietary laws etc. does not understand the law and does not understand grace.
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