God's Inexhaustible Grace.

 This is a quote from the book " Disciplined by Grace" By J.F. Strombeck.
              "The discipline of grace brings to mind and the soul the goodness and beauty of God, His unfailing lve, and His all inclusive provision. When the heart sees this goondess of God and riches of His grace; the pleasures, preferment, and honor and wealth fo the world lose their glamour. They are seen as temporal in contrast to the eternal values of God. The believer who realizes that through grace, and grace alone, he has been saved out of the lost and condemed world unto an indescribably glorious eternity with God sets his affection on thins above-- not ont hings of this earth. It is the work of grace to create and sustain this attitde.
              Ethics can teach men to deny the dishonest, immoral, and debased things of this world; but grace alone can teach the believer to deny himself the beautiful, attriactive and pleasant things with which God is not identified. By grace the believer has been called out of th unglodly world and delivered form the condemnation resting upon it. By grace he is alos delivered from the things of the world, and his desires become centered in Christ and the things of Him. ......... True Christian liberty is delieverancefrom the law of sin in the body with its desires for the pleasures of the world."

The topic of God's grace has been something that has been rocking my world. This page in this book says it all. God's grace is bigger than I think it is and bigger than I could ever imagine!!!
PRAISE HIM!!

Enablement

God has also been teaching me a lot about His ability and my inability. I have heard one definition of grace put this way, " God's grace is the encouragement and enablement of God to live and serve God."
How true that is. God's grace is sufficient. It is not only sufficient to forgive out sins. But it is sufficient to enable us to love and serve others. In and of ourselves we are not able to love. In and of ourselves we are not able to serve. In and of ourselves we are not good.


In the book by J.F. Strombeck "Disciplined by Grace" grace is defined another way. Stombeck says, "Grace is more than love; it is love operating righteously in view of the fact that the penalty for sin has been paid for." God's grace enables us to love others on the basis of HIS forgiveness. God's grace enables us to love others by looking past their shortcomings. How amazing is that!

I am learning that God's grace is so big and it is so vast. There are many ways God's grace is displayed, especially in the lives of believers. God's grace is manefested IN us becuase Christ is IN us.

Just some nuggets I've been mulling over.

God's Love

The Lord has been teaching me so much about His love and His grace the past few weeks. One thought I was mulling over is how we are called to love as Christ loved. Jesus was whipped, beaten, spit on and crucified by the ones he created. The ones he loved the most and were so dear to His heart. He WILLINGLY went to the cross. Can you imagine not only the physical pain but the emotional pain as well?
The only way that Christ finally died (physically) was when the Father turned his back. It was when God forsook him that He died and since Jesus is God, this shows that God forsook himself on behalf of the human race. He forsook himself to show his love. He forsook himself to shed his blood. And In scripture we are called to love and God has loved us. We are called to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. WOW. I don't know about you but that renders me speechless and totally inadequit. And thats a good place to be. God's love is so big and so great that I can't even begin to think about loving somone else like that. Thats where the Holy Spirit comes in. If I yeild to Christ, who lives in me, he will manifest his own life through me. Galatians 2:20 says, " I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
I am nothing apart from HIm.

Another thought that came to mind as I was typing this out was that Christ died because the Father forsook him. That shows the relationship that Christ had with the Father. They were so one that Christ died without Him. Shouldn't our reliance on God look the same? That we would died with out the Father?

I challenge you to dig into this. To dig into the love of God in the Word of God. He loves you. Experience it. Live in it. Dwell there. There is no better place to be.

Reckon

Following the process of knowing is reckoning. Paul continues in romans 6:9-10 to say, "Knowing that Christ, being raised form the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him, for He died, he died to sin onece for all, but the life he lives he lives through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Its only when we know the truth about the effects of Christ's death that we can then take it into account as truth and then begin to live in the light of it. Knowing the thruth about Christ's death then allows us to reckon that sin has no power over me any longer. Christ's death frees me from the penalty of sin and reckoning myself dead to sin and alive unto God in Christ frees me from sins penalty. I didn't know the difference between knowing and reckoning in the christian life for a long time untill recently. knowing means seeing God's word as truth and reckoining means we apply those truths to our life personally. Romans 6:11 says, "Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alie unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord" There is action that shoud following our reckoining because in Romans 6:12 Paul goes on to say, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof"
When we KNOW our what Christ did, we then put on our new identity and identify with Christ. Since no our new identity is in Christ we then have to live accoridingly. Who you are determins what you do, not the other way around. What you do DOES NOT determine who you are. It just shows what you are and who you are. Thats why knowing and reckoning who and whos we are comes before our action and yeilding.
Rekoning is accounting God's truth as fact. We ARE dead and God calls us to 'reckon' or 'account' it as truth. Watchman Nee says it this way, "God tells us to reckon ourselves dead, not by the process of reckoning we may become dead, but because we ARE dead. He never told us to reckon what was not a fact."

Know.

Identity is a huge thing. Who you are determines how you act, what you wear, what you do and who you hang out with. But do those things determine who you are?
The truths of who I am in Christ have transformed my life drastically. In the past year my life has been torn down to the ground and built back up agian on the foundation of Christ. My life was a mess before I learned the truths I did in God's word. I was living out of "Adam's expeience"  I was living int he flesh. I didn't even think that there was another way to live. I thought that this life would continue to be a cylcle of sin, repentance, good works, restored fellowship with God and then having that experience over and over again. What I didn't realize was that I was continuing to walk in the flesh and in doing so I was strengthening my bonds to sin. I thought I was living in the freedom Christ offers in scripture. It's no wonder I grew weary of the Christian life and sought happiness in other places rather than God himself. I wasn't satisfied with my walk with the Lord because I truely wasn't walking in the new creation life he had for me. Before I came to know the Lord as my savior all I knew was sin. All I knew was bondage and all I knew was devistation. I didn't know anything else. After I came to know Christ as my savior though, I was made into a new creation. I was born again. But I didn't know what kind of inheritance and life I was born into. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says, " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the ressurectin of Jeuss christ form the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable , undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." That is only a couple of verses of what the new life in Christ entails but Thats not enough to walk in light of every day. There is more truths believe it or not! It was once explained to me this way. If you had a great uncle who was a billion heir and he died and left all the money to you and no one ever told you, it really wouldn't change your life much and you would probably still be struggling to pay your school bill. But if you were told that you had been left all this money, you would then put on the identiy and title of  a billion heir and then live accordingly. You would live in the fullness of your inheritance. Even more so, We have been born into a new life in Christ and an inheritance that is unspoiled and unfading, that is eternal and is worth the very blood of Christ to pay for.
It all starts with knowing these truths. It doesn't help to appropriate truth you doint know about.
The most important truth for a Christain to KNOW is to know that Christ died for the forgiveness of your sins. The reason you are a Christian is because you came to the knowlege that God became man, and died  upon a cross and rose again for the sake of our soul and to pay for the sin of the whole world.  Watchman Nee in his book "The Normal Christian Life" says it this way, "You did not beeseech Him to come and die for you, you realized that He had already done so."
Not only did Christ's death pay for our sin debt, but we also need to recognize that His death placed us "IN CHRIST"meaning that when Christ died, we also died. This requires us to take God's word by faith. Taking God at his word. You entered the Christian life on this knowlege.  Paul adresses us knowing these truths in various verses in Romans 6. Romans 6:6 says, "Knowing this, that our old man is curcified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that hencefoth we should not serve sin."

Identity.

Loved. Cherished. Free, Veiwed in the eyes of the only one who is Holy. God sought me. Pursued me.Beheld me. I dont deserve Thee. Beautiful only because of CHRIST'S light. Strengthened only by the most High. Humbled, feeling shame for my wrong, Where I should be kneeling down at the throne. Blood shed for all my sin, Bought with a price. Not of this world Not the old life. Sin binds me NO longer. My identity is in Christ

He knew me before the foundations were laid, He wanted me to seek Him, to know His love and His grace. He searches me and knows me, and all I keep secrete, He knows my heart and my mind and all I keep in it. My actions and feelings are not easily concealed, when you come into His presence all is revealed. How He longs for my devotion, my love and my all, I'm so easily distracted, I slip and I fall. I forget what He's done, How He died and how He won. The battle of dark and light are no longer, so why do I let the sin in my life grow stronger? I am CHOSEN and HOLY, all because of Christ. So why do I let sin reign and have any claim on my life? I am saved from the pit, and the death I deserve. So shouldn't God be the only one that I serve? 

I am not perfect. NO I am not. But I'm a daughter of the King. I am a CHILD of God. Forgiven only by the blood. Every day living in dependence on God above. There is no other way by which to be saved. So there is no reason to be living like sheep gone astray. But Jehovah is good and he is sovereign. He is patient with me And redeems all those who are fallen. Be then, an example. Be the light. Be strong in the LORD.  Give up your OWN LIFE! 

 YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN. YOU HAVE BEEN MADE NEW. GO TELL THE WORLD OF HIS GLORY. EXCHANGE THEIR LIES FOR THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH! 

Dream

- One night after having a really deep conversation with a dear friend, I went to bed and I had this dream. It has deeper meaning for me, but hopefully it will be a blessing to you. -

As I laid my head down on my pillow, trying to drift off to sleep. Thoughts of deep conversation filled my head, filled my thoughts has I lay down in bed. The music began to sound, symphonies of beauty begin to surround .me. My vision still blurred, In that moment Only music was to be heard. Two paths lay ahead of me, one narrow and one wide. One hard, one smooth, one covered one clear. The one wide and covered looked beautiful and bright I then chose the one that was appealing to my sight. I traveled then, along the road. It was Fall there, there soon would be snow. I reached the top, the highest point. What lay in the meadow was that of beauty, it was that of charm, It was a place that I didn't;t think would harm. me. I stood in a place that I called mine. It was my place of refuge, with no care of the time. Time was ticking, and that it was, But it was time that was wasting, being so consumed without a care of true love. Then out of the darkness, appeared the likeness of bears, but I knew they were not because of their stare, They looked more malicious more bitter, more jealous of me. I Looked for my own way out and all I found was a tree, But when I climbed it’s branches, I was about to fall, but the beast was right behind me, ready to devour my all. It caught my leg with one painful scratch, It would leave a scar, and a piece of myself I would never get back. I fell out of the tree and ran to another, Thinking I could save myself if I only climb further. I did this time, and I thought that I had won, but much to my surprise this beast had some sons, they were more cunning, more convincing, more charming than most, I thought I could pet them, hold on to them, but I would have to let go. When I did though, to reach out for them, they scratched my arm, falling from the tree leading me into MORE harm. I grabbed and I groveled to the leaves on the ground, searching even more for an answer to be found. I came to the edge, of the cliff from that place, The beasts shied away like they had seen a ghosts face. A voice then I heard, loud and authoritative. I couldn’t ignore it, no matter how much I hated it. It wasn’t me doing the persisting, or me being scared, it was the sin that was within, that was binding me there. But with one loud command of his voice broke my chains, He said “ Trust me, just trust in my name” I spoke out against Him, forgetting his claim, his claim on my life, and the grace that he gave. I shouted a retort as loud as I could, “ But your way is to hard Lord, how do I know that your good?” how many times has he shown me his glory, and how many times have I blinded my eyes? How many times has he given commands and how many times have I asked why?

 “ My grace is sufficient, and my power is yours, All you have to do is come, Child, I’ve already conquered the world.” 

So it was then I jumped, into the arms of my savior, He carried my shame and he gave me is favor. I was brought to a place more beautiful than the first.  The place of His GLORY, all because he loved first. His way isn’t easy, but it is the way to peace, the way to eternity, there you'll find relief. We as humans are the most underserving, but God says differently, Because He came as a servant. Taking all of my brokenness, he heard my cry. He set me free from bondage, and free from all lies! Just trust in him and he will catch you, he will heal your wounds that have come upon you. And when I woke his mercies were new, May you be in Christ and Christ be in you. 

Answers In Genesis

     

    On Monday, the staff and students at NTBI got the privilege of hearing Dr.Jason Lisle speak during the afternoon elective hour. Dr. Jason Lisle has been involved with Answers in Genesis Ministries for six years. Answers in Genesis is a ministry that comes along side churches and helps train people in apologetics. How to defend the gospel from all angles. Dr. Lisle spoke on evangelism and creation. One of the first points he brought out was that we as a nation have the largest number of churches/seminaries, christian colleges, christian book stores/ resources, and christian radio stations. But we as a Nation have become less Christian. Despite the rising statistics about the number of Christians in the U.S., The Christians that are being “produced” aren’t grounded in good soil so they soon fall away, leaving them just to claim the title of being a “Christian.”

    As a first year College student, I last year, was bombarded with many statistics about young people who leave the church once they leave home. I, however, chose to come to Bible school but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t need to be prepared to give an answer. I was so privileged to have a youth pastor and a church back home in Atlantic, Iowa that prepared us heavily in apologetics and many other foundational truths. 

    One of the basic points Dr. Lisle made was that believers must first have a creation foundation rather than an evolutionary foundation. If you don;t have a foundation firmly based foundation in Genesis, If we as Christians don’t believe in the foundation of the gospel, how are we going to believe the power of the gospel? 

If you went to public  school like I did, you know full well that creation wasn’t even mentioned in biology class. What was taught to me could have been found in a Children's imagination, we came from scum and that scum formed into an ape or a fish or some other creature and then we became man with no explanation of our moral nature, the complexity of our eyes, or the art of language. Its no wonder that when you try and present the Gospel to these people that they reject you because when we defend our faith we hand them, “Just trust in Jesus and it will be ok” 

    Have we lost the art of apologetics? Have we lost the art of creation apologetics? Why have we shifted the emphasis to the power of the gospel and not the foundation of it? The power of the Gospel ( Jesus’ life death and resurrection) will only hold power if it first makes sense. There is no need for Jesus when you don’t see where sin came from. The beginning of the story generally helps you with the plot if you read that first.

Jeremiah 4:3 says , “...Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.” We must first ask the Holy spirit to plow out the thorns in peoples heart and work in us to help with the harvest. Creation Evangelism is a way of plowing up that ground. Preparing hearts for the gospel from the beginning. Dr. Lisle said it this way, “ You cannot separate the gospel from genesis.”

    So how do we prepare ourselves for the battle that we are already in? How do we prepare the next generation for the battle they are in? Six days of the week, people learn that evolution is right and the Bible is wrong, Evolution is right and the Bible is wrong, Evolution is right and the Bible is wrong and on Sundays we learn stories. There is nothing wrong with stories, but when you teach just the stories and no way to defend them, when the storms comes and questions fly, those stories soon become just stories and its seems more logical to believe that evolution is right and the bible is wrong. When we have a biblical foundation, and have been trained to think effectively we can go to college, the work place, or even in the home and refute the questions with confidence. 

    It may not be a salvation issue, but a foundational issue. I hope that Everyone who was listening in on Dr. Lisle speak was encouraged to defend the faith in a more passionate way and I hope that I have highlighted everything enough that you are able to want to dig in for yourselves. With God’s help, we can fight for him. He alone will get the glory, no matter who wins the initial argument. But before you get into a heated debate, ask yourself this, “ Am I trying to win the brother, or the argument?”

http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/jason-lisle/

http://www.answersingenesis.org/

http://www.ntbi.org/

Romans 10:10-15

10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, " Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? 

And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?

and how are they to hear without someone preaching? 

15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? 

As it is written, " How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"