Forward In Grace
This month I want to talk to you about Grace once again. I find my myself needing more of it, the imperfect being that I am, and am thankful abundant grace has been supplied. As my friend, Pastor Charles once told me, “There is enough grace for that,” after I had confessed to a discrepancy in my life.
2 Timothy 2:1 says, Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Grace must be accepted, received, appropriated. Man would rather earn God’s gifts. Grace is freely given, it is unmerited favor. We must be strong in it. If we rather give way to guilt and regret, we will be weakened. Grace re-strengthens us after a fail.
Grace is the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. (Strong’s)
Ephesians 2:8,9 is mostly quoted to the prospective Christian.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace made it possible that only faith would be required to be saved. Works were disqualified by grace. And yet as believers we try to earn pardon by a work, be it guilt, suffering, or some act of penitence. We put ourselves in the penitentiary for a few days rather than accept the grace of God and continue forward in grace. We ignore 1 John1:9:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 5:2 speaks of the joy of grace:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
It would behoove us to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
It is amazing grace. It is abundant grace. It is actual grace. It is afterlife grace. Grace from the new birth to the resurrection.
You don't know how bad you are until you try to be good. That is why we need the Cross. God himself had to come down from heaven to die for us in the form of a man. John 3:16 had to be written.
Noah in the Old Testament, was not sinless. But he found grace. Before the law. Before faith with Abraham. Before Abraham was, I am, Jesus said. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Grace allows me to be human, while I strive for perfection and holiness. Paul's thorn kept him human, needing grace. Otherwise he would be perfect, standing alongside Jesus. There is only one good, only one perfect, only one Jesus. While we want to be like Jesus in his likeness, and we shall be one day, we cannot because while human He is also God.
We can attain to Christlikeness and to Godliness, even be partakers of divine nature, and be filled with all the fulness of God, but we cannot make the cross unnecessary, or make grace valueless. It is actual, current, because we require it. For in sin did my mother conceive me. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. In me is no good thing. My righteousness is as a filthy rag. But grace can make me the righteousness of God in Christ. Then we are complete in Him though still a faulty human being.
The man with an addiction, a seemingly unovercomable habit, best exemplifies the need for grace. Most people are not addicted but all deal with various and sundry nonconformities to God's standard which prevent and preclude perfection, so we remain in need of grace.
While grace is not a license to sin, it is an allowance to be human. Products are built to tolerance, allowances fall within certain strictures, but not precisely to a perfect model. So we. Not flawless. Only Jesus is. So, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.-PJF-
And now a word from our Pastor…
Bible Reading Plan
These two verses from Psalm 119 provide good reasons for believers to read and be familiar with the Word of God, the Bible.
v. 11, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
v. 105, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
There are several Bible Reading guides or plans you can follow to read the entire Old Testament or New Testament in one year. You can find some that will help you read the entire Bible in one year. If you have done one or any of those plans, give yourself a big high five.
I have never kept a record of my Bible reading, I just read the Bible. This year I want to be different, so I am planning my Bible reading for the month and I am keeping a record of what I have read. In January I completed a reading plan that Emily and I had in December. We finished reading John and began the book of Leviticus.
Then I began to plan what I will read for February. Since there are 28 days in the month, I chose books with chapters that equaled 28. This was my plan:
February 1-6 Galatians
February 7-12 Ephesians
February 13-16 Philippians
February 17-20 Colossians
February 21- 24 I Thessalonians
February 25-28 II Thessalonians
February is pretty much gone, but March is right around the corner. This plan could easily be followed in March, or any month since February has the least number of days in it.
Try it. Let me know how it goes. -SAF-
Purpose! Ministries in India
Over a year ago we were contacted by a ministry in India that wanted to connect with Purpose! Ministries. They have been following our services on Facebook and on YouTube for years and wanted to communicate directly with us. We have been holding monthly Bible Studies on Zoom for almost six months. The ministry is called Reaching the Unreached. They minister to orphans, widows, and local pastors. They have an evangelistic ministry to AIDS victims, drug addicts, and in feeding the hungry.
Right now they are in need of 100 Bibles in the Telugu language for some of the local pastors and the new believers that come in to their ministry.
Each Bible is $4.50 USD. We want to help them in every way we can to equip the saints. Would you consider making a special offering to Purpose! Ministries this month to help us reach our goal of purchasing 100 Telugu Bibles? Visit our website at www.purposeministriesinc.com for various ways to give. Please mark each offering “Bibles for India" to ensure that it is applied appropriately.
As always, we appreciate your prayers and support for us and for those in India.
Leaders praising the Lord. Pastor Baburao on right.
The orphans and some of the local pastors.
Widows, orphans, and the ministry workers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immovable – Psalm 125
1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. 2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. 3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. 4 Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. 5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
Number one: There is steadfastness to the true people of God. They may go through this, and they may go through that, they may stumble here and they may stumble there, but they remain in Christ, in the gospel, and in the church. There are some of you like that reading this today.
You have weathered the storms of life, and walked through enough valleys, but there you are, still faithful to God, and more knowledgeable of his ways. You have put your trust in God and as mount Zion, you are immovable and eternal.
Second:
Those that trust in the Lord stand because as the mountains round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. We become partakers of his divine nature. The forever God indwells us. We remain in him. The old song had truth. I shall not be, I shall not be moved.
Third: That reciprocal relationship shall remain intact for God will see to it that the wicked will not rule long over the righteous so that God's people will not be burdened to the point where they throw up their hands in surrender to the ways of the wicked.
That is an important point in America right now. I will refrain from waxing political but the wise will understand.
The wicked are temporal. Soon they are gone and powerless.
Fourth:
The Lord will do good to the good and upright in heart.
Those of crooked ways shall end up with all the other wicked in hell.
And, God's people shall be at peace.
Are you at peace today? Jesus promised peace to his followers. Find peace and rest in him today. Amen.
Purpose! Ministries Inc.
16605 Sunrise Lakes Blvd Suite 6
Clermont, FL 34714
Sundays 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Join us in person or live on Facebook
Pastors PJ and Shirley Flores
Purpose! Ministries
A Praying Church - A Healing Church - A Holy Spirit Church - A Preaching Church
© 2023 Purpose! Ministries Inc. All rights reserved.
Commentaires