Friday Morning Prayer:). October 16, 2014
October 17, 2014 - 7 minutes readAmazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
Brothers are meeting at Calvary Chapel. 2267 W. Victoria Dr. Alpine. 0730. Come enjoy a time of brief fellowship and a little more time of prayer and worship before our Holy, Holy, Holy God:).
Sisters In Christ are meeting too! Yes! First Baptist. 1912 Arnold Way. Alpine. 0900.
Faithful In Christ, :).
Yes! Amazing! Sweet! I WAS lost, but now FOUND! In Christ, because of GRACE… we sense, feel, touch, taste, even the aroma… a longing to experience with every sense of our being the supernatural love and comforting presence of our God:). Through the highs and lows, pain, suffering, loss… all so inherent in this life… God, because of His amazing grace carries us through. Moreover, the joy, peace, overflowing, rejoicing, bubbling over because of grace…ah… I pray you are experiencing our God… intentionally pursuing our gracious God, who created You and me to love Him with all we have: heart, mind, soul, and enjoy Him forever!:).
Thinking about grace throughout the day today. I decided to read Bob Hough’s study on Romans. He shared many things worth noting as we journey… thought I’d share his comments about grace. Bob is our brother In Christ, he lives in Alpine with his faithful wife Pam. He attends Mt. View Bible. Moreover, he is the brother I always pursue so I can overflow with him and he with me:). He didn’t copyright, so… :)… Thanks for allowing me to share your reflections brother!
Bob is reflecting on Rom 12:3b, “in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” In Christ, God’s grace, we stand confidently and courageously everyday through all things!
“And so, just what has God said about you? Take a few moments and look back over all the tremendous truth given in the first 8 chapters of Romans: We are no longer in Adam, in our spirit, but are now tied to Christ. He lives with us, his power is available to us. The HS has come to enable us to say “no” to all the evil forces and temptations that we come up against, so that sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under the law, but under grace. THAT is the way to think about ourselves.
Remember that you and I are always going to have to be on guard because of the evil of the flesh within us, but we can always win because of the grace of God and the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the gift of the HS which we have.
If I could make a suggestion as to how to cultivate this sort of thinking, it would be this—
1. Remind yourself, “I am made in the image of God. I am not an animal and I don’t have to behave like an animal, because I have an ability within me, given to me by God himself, the ability to react and relate to God. Therefore, I can behave as a person created in God’s image and not as a beast.
2. I am filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God. The most amazing thing has happened! Although I didn’t deserve it in the least degree, I have the power of God at work within me. I have become, in some sense, the bearer of God, and God himself is willing to be at work in me in terms of the little problems and the little pressures through which I am going this day.
3. I can remind myself that I am part of the plan of God; that God is working out all things to a great and final purpose in the earth, and I am part of that. What I do today has purpose and significance and meaning. It is not just a meaningless thing through which I am going to go. Even the smallest incident, the most apparently insignificant word or relationship is involved in that great plan. Therefore, all in my life has meaning and purpose.
To be able to rehearse this reality of whom I am, whom I serve, and to whom I belong fills me with confidence without conceit. I have a sense of being able to cope, of being able to handle life. I know I don’t deserve this gift of worth and grace, and yet I have it. For that reason, I simply cannot be conceited about it, but I can be confident in it.”
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Come pray with us as we ask, seek, knock, crying out to move the sovereign arm of God in our midst and beyond! :).
LoVe YOU! Much!
Randall:).
Sources:
The Cyber Hymnal (http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/a/m/amazgrac.htm)
Faith Publishing House, Evening Light Songs, 1949, edited 1987 (510)
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