His Grace Alone

John 1:17 - For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

(I may get back to the Psalms one day!) But for now it's whatever comes my way...

I pray scales would fall off eyes and that tunnel vision would become more peripherally possible, deaf ears would be open to hear, hearts would be softened to receive and selves would be humbled, in Jesus' name.

I was delving into Ephesians. Sometimes you want to just read the whole book but the Lord has other plans and keeps you focused on smaller parts. Ahhhh. I was in chapter 1; couldn't get past it.

I've written about this before but it's worth writing again. Long before the beginning of time God had us on His mind. He knew and knows just who will hear His truth and allow themselves to respond and be set free from the hands of the enemy. Someone needs to know/hear this. It's a message from old and one for today...and tomorrow...but best for now! Oh, the promises, if....

He chose us...before the foundation of the world...predestined us...to become holy...according to the good pleasure of His will...by His grace...His acceptance...enabling our redemption...forgiving of sins...obtaining an inheritance...sealed of Him because of our belief...giving us wisdom and prudence...allowing us to know the mystery of His will...according to His good will...to become in Him.

This is for those who are called saints, those who believe Jesus Christ is Lord over all. This will not be for all people. It's offered to all, but not all will receive. These are not some arrogant words. They are part of the narrow truth that Jesus preaches. Hard words? Yes. Jesus, as I've said over and over, did not always preach easy words. That's why He was so despised...and it continues today.

These words are for those who have truly received Christ, whose lives are filled with His Word and meditated on daily and whose thoughts are on Him frequently...or more! Not all people believe this. Not all people will consider this. Some will think it's taking it a bit too far. But it's what's required...

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) was the scripture that stood out on April 18, 1999, when by God's grace alone, by His will, I became one of the saints mentioned in Ephesians, verse 1.

Micah earlier states that it is not our offerings that will please the Lord. No works, just His grace. The definition of grace according to Webster is unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. Unmerited, yet making us righteous saints. We don't deserve it for the sinful people we are. However, when we come to the end of ourselves, acknowledge there is One greater than man and self and admit we need a Savior, then we are so welcomed into the Kingdom of God. We are, getting back to Ephesians, blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places...in Christ.

To only know who Jesus is just doesn't cut it. It's all about knowing in our spirits...having true faith in God...attaining the spirit of wisdom and revelation...having the eyes of our understanding enlightened...that we might know the real hope of His calling...knowing what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance and exceeding greatness of His power (the anointing I wrote about yesterday!)

All this comes through Jesus Christ. It does not come until we allow ourselves the full knowledge of Him. Don't turn away from these words. If they can be imparted to me, they can be yours also. You only need to believe on the One whose words these are, who has spoken them, who wants to share them with all people. Let the eyes of your understanding be open to receive and not be turned away by what could be considered arrogance.

Jesus was not arrogant. He was humble. He was a servant to all, fully man yet fully God. He lowered Himself...took Himself off the throne in Heaven to live among us that we might see Him and get to know Him. How can we look arrogantly or pridefully into His face and say we don't need Him? 

This earthly life has nothing lasting to give us. It has treasures and riches that can be lost in an instant. Look around today. Is there absolute confidence or protection? Absolute peace? Good is being replaced in greater amounts by evil. It is believed we might be seeing the last days, that we are living in the last days. We need to know we are safe from all the hatred and evil in this world. We need to know that we know that Jesus has given us every opportunity to be counted among the saints in heaven and blessed with every spiritual blessing...not earthly but spiritual. And the hope only He brings.

A friend of mine and I comment regularly about what we see happening in the world, how it sure looks like what the Bible tells us the last days will be like. And yet we still go through our days enjoying what we have, not fretting about what we see. We can have moments of anxiety about what we will be faced with, what we might have to go through...in addition to the daily things that bring impatience, frustration, sadness, anger...but there is always a deep-seated sense of peace because we know Jesus has us covered! All things are under His feet, which puts us right up there with Him, protected under His wings, if we choose to do receive Him.

Matthew 16:26 tells it like it is: For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world (money, prestige, fancy home, best clothes, expensive car...all that money can buy), and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Remember, we cannot bring anything but our own selves to Him so His grace alone can save us. It is shaking off our pride and self-determination or self anything that gets us where He wants us. He humbled Himself and died for our sakes; let us humble our selves and in the process die to our own selves for His sake.

At the end of the first chapter of Ephesians we are encouraged in our true knowledge of who Jesus is for those who are called by His name: all things are under His feet (He is utterly and thankfully in complete control)...He is the head of all things...He fills all in all. He is all we need. Our provision. When we have Him, the most important need is met...eternal life.

Matthew 16:25 - For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

More Warnings?

James 4:6 - But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

I have written previously that the Bible is our instruction book. It was written by men through God's instruction, His words spoken to the hearts and spirits of men, the prophets. As old as the book is the words spoken then are just as important for today. It has always been part of His plan.

There are some who know without a doubt there is a connection, a tie between Israel and the United States. It’s a spiritual tie which I’m not even sure I fully understand. We have been told that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who do not will be cursed. Is our nation going to receive a blessing or a curse for its support, or lack of, of Israel?

In a book I just finished reading called The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jew, he points out several things. It’s truth couched in fiction. Perhaps it’s Cahn’s way of getting more people interested in reading this book. I’m sure there will be many who chuckle at this man’s findings and try to say it’s only coincidence.  

I believe America has always been a plan of God’s. I’m sure some biblical expert might say the same thing and have a very excellent reason why. 

That God would use the United States for some great thing does not seem implausible. We have been used to do great things. Our greatness was because we were founded on the Word of God, the promises of God, the truth of His Word. God was the very foundation of this nation. Well, do you see the foundation crumbling? Do you see where our security has been breached? Do you also see where we are also choosing to do things in our own way and not God’s? 

I love this country but I don’t love where we’re taking ourselves and if God sees us pulling away from Him, there’s absolutely no reason for His judgment to not fall upon us. I don’t think I’m wrong in believing this. Others have been criticized for thinking this. We have always been a proud nation, but that pride once was a good thing, a patriotic thing. Nothing wrong with that. But now there is a pride emanating that is uprooting the good pride and replacing it with arrogance and defiance...against God. When we started taking God out of schools, office buildings, prayer, we starting rejecting God. When we start wanting to impose laws that would go against certain organizations’ beliefs, we are in trouble even more.

Our God is a jealous God. Webster defines jealous as intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness. God desires us as people, even as a nation, like Israel. When we turn our backs on Him we are being unfaithful to the One who sustains and protects. We all have to admit despite all the churches and “freedom” of religion, it’s not like it used to be. We have slacked off. We have allowed false preaching to enter the pulpits. We have created new churches that preach so as not to offend anyone. Jesus has been watered down. For the sake of tolerance all roads now can lead to God. 

Another thing I came across was that jealousy can bring on a change of color of the face, the rising of heat of emotions. This can be defined as zeal...an intense fervor over something dear to us. This is what God is over us! Over us! Imagine that. He loves us and He wants nothing more than to protect what is precious to Him. This goes for all people, all nations. The United States, however, has been precious to Him, like Israel. We should be so grateful for this. We should be praising Him for His love for us. He only desires for us to desire Him more. He wants us for His own and we are turning our backs. 

Instead of pushing Him aside for man’s “great and wondrous” ways, we should be humbling ourselves and seeking God as a nation for what He desires for us. We once considered ourselves “one nation under God.” Well, how’s that working out nowadays?? Where’s God role in government, in our own lives, even in some of our churches? We are wandering a path that will not be a blessing for us unless we turn back to Him.

I strongly believe God is sending out warnings to us. I have believed this for some time; some of us understand this and take notice. I'm sure, however, this goes against the grain of most individuals. God’s Word to His people 2,000 years ago can also be a guide for us today. How many times have I pointed this out? He’s the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. He never changes. So why should we think otherwise? Are we, after all, truly smarter than God?

There are warnings in the Bible for people and for nations. These warnings, like terrorist attacks, extreme weather, economic troubles, are for our good! God is looking for us to turn back to Him, to humble ourselves, to lose our arrogance and impenitence against Him. As with Israel, so with the United States, so with us as individuals. This is what makes God so huge, us so small and His Word so important. It's still so all about Him...if we choose to believe that. If we don't, well, it's our choice, our life. The biggest problems we have is our pride and arrogance to think we are better and know better than God, and to think we can live without His guidance.

In order for us to understand His plan we must have a Bible. We must understand what is in the Bible, which means we must read it. We must understand the Old Testament because it develops God’s plan for the Way of salvation in the New. It shows us Jesus in sacrifices, feasts and more. We cannot fully rely on the Church to show us these things. We cannot think that if we don’t know we are innocent bystanders. 

When you buy something with assembly instructions, you can't always put it together without first reading those instructions. How many times have any of us tried to do so without reading them? Guilty...until the frustration of defeat causes a need to better understand.

Let me just say this: America has been a blessed nation. Israel has been a blessed nation. There IS a connection. There has been pride and arrogance in both nations, whether you want to hear this or not. 

With all that said, I’m going to quit! Here’s another scripture that says the same thing as the one above. Give it some thought. God’s Word is true...and just.

Matthew 23:12 - And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.