Good Hope Through Grace

Please, read the following with a heart full of prayer. There is so much truth we need, so much. It is God's Word that commands the action of faith, not ours. God spoke and it was. God speaks and it is. It is He who desires us to call Him- Father. Our Father! He wants us to be HIS CHILDREN of the heart!  As His children He has given us so many messages and the following message must be taken to heart. His words must be words we cherish, words we believe!

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  That ye be NOT SOON SHAKEN IN MIND, OR BE TROUBLED NEITHER BY SPIRIT NOR BY WORD NOR BY LETTER as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3  LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and SHALL DESTROY WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING:
2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with ALL DECEIVEABLENESS of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS in them that perish; because THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  THAT THEY ALL MIGHT BE DAMNED WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH, BUT HAD PLEASURE IN  UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
2Th 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because GOD HATH FROM THE BEGINNING CHOSEN YOU TO SALVATION THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT AND BELIEF OF THE TRUTH:
2Th 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Th 2:15  Therefore, brethren, STAND FAST, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2Th 2:16  NOW UNTO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF AND GOD EVEN OUR FATHER WHICH HATH LOVED US AND HATH GIVEN US EVERLASTING CONSOLATION AND GOOD HOPE THROUGH GRACE,
2Th 2:17  Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

*******

We need to RECEIVE the LOVE of the TRUTH!

Our Lord Jesus Christ HIMSELF AND GOD even OUR FATHER WHICH HATH LOVED US and HATH GIVEN US EVERLASTING CONSOLATION AND GOOD HOPE THROUGH…. GRACE!

Do we believe?! We must believe!

Lord we believe, help Thou our unbelief! Please!

Chief of Sinners

Sinners of whom I am CHIEF.

1Ti 1:14  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
1Ti 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

*******

Are you a chief sinner? Seriously, are you?  We have a tendency to believe that those we would classify as 'chief sinners' are those who are murderers, abusers, torturers etc -- the really awful people. Yet every sin warrants death, every sinner deserves death. The chief sinners are us all really.  My sin of self righteousness may be worse than a thief's sin, yet we don't want to believe that. We want to just label sin - one through ten- and not get into the heart of what sin is. Jesus came and gave us the answers to what the heart of sin is. Anything that keeps us from LOVING our God and LOVING our neighbor is SIN. ANY act even if it’s a bad will thought towards God or a fellow human being, it's SIN.  Is there any wonder we cannot save ourselves?!  We are awful sinners and our ONLY HOPE is CHRIST JESUS!

The GRACE of our LORD- EXCEEDING ABUNDANT with FAITH and LOVE in HIM, OUR SAVIOR!

Jesus came into this world to save YOU, to save ME, to save ALL OF US- SINNERS!

We can OBTAIN mercy just like the Apostle Paul, just like all others! We can obtain MERCY, and we can BELIEVE ON JESUS CHRIST TO LIFE EVERLASTING!

We can have life everlasting in our SAVIOR!

EVERYTHING unto our KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, the ONLY WISE GOD, be HONOR and GLORY FOR EVER AND EVER AMEN!

We are sinners!
We can obtain mercy!
We can have grace!
We MUST BELIEVE!

Too many want to believe in themselves, but we CAN'T!  We have to believe in our SAVIOR to SAVE US!

We will forever fail ourselves if we look to ourselves. We will forever disappoint ourselves. We must look to CHRIST! He is PERFECTION, HE IS RIGHTEOUSNESS! HE IS EVERYTHING!

Please SAVIOR be our all in all! Help us to BELIEVE all in YOU!

AMEN!

According to His own purpose and grace

2Ti_1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

Before the world began Christ Jesus was promised to us.

How can that be so?

Just tell me one thing, haven't you ever made a contingency plan? Or if you haven't, you must have heard of contingency plans. They are plans that are made should something not go the way it is intended.

To not have contingency plans especially when you are undertaking something extremely important with possibilities of things not going correctly is really - for lack of a better term- stupid.

Our God is the furthest thing from stupid as you can get.

Before the world began Christ Jesus gave us GRACE.

Our Creator was also our Redeemer from the beginning.

He SAVED us.

He CALLED us.

He called us with an HOLY CALLING.

He called us not because He looks upon us and believes our works are good. He called us with an Holy Calling for His purpose and grace. He called us… and in that call we are to answer. Calling doesn't include forced answering. A person can be called and never answer. A calling is not a sure thing to acceptance of that call. We have to answer.  And we don't answer with our works. We don't tell our Savior to notice our behavior. His call to us is an Holy Calling. His call to us is a call to believe in Him and His holiness. His call to us is to understand that He is calling to save us because we absolutely CANNOT save ourselves.

Please LORD, save us! We hear You LORD! We hear YOUR CALL to US. Please SAVIOR save us through YOUR GRACE!

Justified by HIS Grace

Tit_3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Made heirs.

An heir -- 'a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.'

Upon the death of our Savior we are made heirs, heirs of eternal life.

Jas_2:5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

We are justified by HIS grace and when we are justified we are made heirs and given a promise and that is the hope of eternal life, it is the promise of salvation.

Justified by his grace.

Easton's Bible Dictionary-

'Justification
A forensic term, opposed to condemnation.
As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom_5:1-10).

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

This is TRUTH!

We can BELIEVE, we can HAVE FAITH!

I was reading something about faith this weekend and one of the things that has stuck with me is what faith is. It's God's word. When God spoke it was so.  The very earth we are standing upon exists because God spoke it into existence. The sky, the water, the animals, all of it exists because of God's Words spoken.  Just assuredly as we exist - our salvation exists.  And as the word above says-  'we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.'   TRUTH!

This life is one tribulation after another interspersed with many plateaus as well as peaks of joy.  This is truth.  The tribulations WILL work patience in us by the grace of our LORD.  That patience will then bring us experience.   Tribulations- help us to understand that life is NOT meant to be this way, there is something better we were created for. And patience through enduring the tribulation gives us this experience, this understanding to get us through the next tribulation and we have HOPE. The hope of salvation in our SAVIOR of a much better life to come, this is not all there is! We have HOPE and we aren't ashamed, we live with this HOPE in us as a REALITY, not fiction, not fairy tale. The Holy Ghost, the HOLY SPIRIT will give us the LOVE of GOD which is EVERYTHING!.

Please, LORD, please through your grace we will be justified!

IN YOU LORD, IN YOU!

Jesus kept all the commandments perfectly

Jesus revealed God the Father to us.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  IF YE HAD KNOWN ME, YE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN MY FATHER ALSO: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but THE FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11  Believe me that I AM IN THE FATHER, AND THE FATHER IN ME: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Jesus live His whole life KEEPING the commandments of GOD.

If we are to live as Jesus lived, we are automatically keeping the commandments of God- all of them, aren't we?

We cannot claim to be a Christ follower and deliberately break the commandments because our Savior did not live breaking the commandments.

He was without sin.

And what is sin--

1Jn_3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin is the TRANSGRESSION of the law.  It is breaking the moral ten commandments!

The Pharisees and rulers of the Jewish people tried their best to attack Jesus for any perceived wrong doing. In each instance Jesus refuted their claims.  Finally they claimed He was blasphemous based upon their MISCONCEPTION of the truth. They were blind to the truth because they wanted to be blind. They never could find Jesus guilty of breaking a single commandment, not really, not in truth. If they could have stoned Him for breaking the Sabbath they would have, if they could have found Him to be a thief they would have punished Him as one. They could find NO real guilt in Him that warranted Him being put to death. They twisted His words to suit their need to destroy Him because He challenged their very self-centered way of living. But to say we ought to keep the moral ten commandments is NO more than saying we ought to live as Jesus lived.  He kept them in all points!

So when someone asks you WHY you keep the ten commandments you can tell them in all truthfulness that Jesus kept them all and you want to live as He lived.  Jesus is our example!

Jesus taught us HOW to live.

Jesus told us to LOVE GOD and LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR- and Jesus expounded on the commandments, Jesus KEPT all the commandments. IF Jesus were going to change any commandment He would have made sure His apostles knew exactly what He was changing and why.  Jesus would NOT have made it hard to comprehend. Jesus would not have made it  difficult, not something so important, He just wouldn't have.

If we want to live like our Savior, we will keep His commandments all by HIS GRACE, all through HIS power!

All IN HIS LOVE may we obey!

Under Grace Without the Law - God Forbid

Do we really need to keep the moral law of God?

God gave  us many laws and people imagine that they were all done away with at the Cross because of this--

Rom_6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

And this...

Gal_5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

People will happily throw those verses in our faces and say- "See, you don't have to keep the ten commandments any longer."

Yet, I have to ask them if sin still exists.  Of course they look at me kind of oddly, as if I'm asking them a trick question. I'm really not asking them a trick question at all. I repeat the question, "Does sin still exist?

And of course they have no choice but to answer truthfully, because to do otherwise would be ludicrous.  They say, "Yes, it still exists."

I nod a little and then smile just a little too, because they just disproved their own belief that the moral law no longer exists. Taking it a step further I ask another question, "How do you know sin still exists?"

You can imagine they're getting a little bit exasperated at this point, but I persist with my imploring stare, I really want their answer.

"Just look around you. People sin all the time. We sin all the time, even if we don't want to and repent of that sin. We lie, and of course there are murders and people stealing all the time, the newspapers are filled with those events. Of course sin still exists."

There answer is truthful because there are murders, and robberies, and all sorts of sinning that is very apparent in our lives.  Again, I nod and yet this time there is no little smile, this really isn't amusing in any sort of way.  With a sigh I then ask another question. "How do you know those things are sins? Murder, lying, stealing, how do we now what sin is?"

This time they have to pause for a moment or two.  The just because answer isn't something I will accept and they know this. You have to have a real reason for something being a sin, yes? I could say eating chocolate is a sin, does that make it a sin? No. But I can agree that murder is a sin and it would be truthful for a reason, not just because I said it's a sin.

Instead of waiting for them to give me their answer I supply one, it isn't about causing them to squirm. "The Bible tells us this, 1Jn_3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.  The Word of God tells us that sin is the transgression of the law. So the only way for us to no longer have to keep the moral law of God is to believe that sin no longer exists. Because if the law doesn't exist sin doesn't exist, they go hand in hand with each other.  If you are among those who dont' believe anything is a sin, that there is such a thing as a moral law, that people are either bad or good on their own, well I can't force anyone to believe in God. However if you lay claim to believing in God and believing in His Word then you simply cannot believe that the moral law no longer exists.  Our Savior Himself magnified the moral law. He put it under a microscope and revealed its deeper meaning to those who had forgotten the heart of the moral law.  Jesus said not only is it wrong to murder, it's wrong to get mad at one another without just cause. Here, read it for yourself-

Mat 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:23  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Do you see how our Savior magnified the law! He took the heart of that commandment and said, "Hey, it's not just about murder, it's about all that can lead up to murder and that stuff that leads up to that murder is sin too! Getting angry without a just cause is sin. Calling someone a fool wrongfully, is sin. Speaking out against someone calling them worthless is a sin!"

And all sin is worthy of what?

Rom_6:23 For the wages of sin is death

The penalty of sin is death.

Our Savior knew this and didn't want us to sin.

Remember this spoken to the woman found guilty of adultery yet spared by death by the Savior--

Joh_8:11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Go and sin no more.

Sin no more.

She was guilty, but He forgave her of that guilt and then told her to STOP sinning.

So if sin still exists that means the moral law still exists and we don't get to pick and choose which parts of the moral law we are obligated towards, we are NOT God, it's not OUR law we are following, but HIS.  We can't sit back and say, "Let's keep this one, this one is okay, but hey, let's get rid of this one here because it's just silly."

The moral law is the same law that was placed in the Ark of the Covenant beneath the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place of the Temple.  There were only TEN laws written upon those stone tablets, yet many, many ceremonial laws, dietary laws, and other laws were given to the people, but only TEN were given HOLY placement in the Ark of the Covenant. Jesus kept every single one of those Ten Moral Laws and we know this because He remained SINLESS!  He could have sinned- read this--

Heb_4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus was tempted to sin just like we are, and if sin didn't exist He couldn't be tempted. If He came to do away with the law that can be transgressed to cause sin, then He couldn't have been tempted. If no law existed, no sinning exists. If sin exists the law exists to transgress. It's really logical when you look at more than just the fanciful notions of what you want to believe so you can sin without guilt.  Just because man has chosen to take a few verses and twist them, rather than study the Bible as a whole and get into the heart of the matter, doesn't mean they're right.

Our Savior did NOT come to do away with the law, but to show it can be kept, that is it holy, it is just, it is all things good. What He came to do away with was the need for man to offer animal sacrifices thinking those sacrifices offered them forgiveness without any real need for repentance. They'd turned sinning and sacrificing into a business, and the heart of the message had been lost. Our Savior came and He became the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE for our sins. He did NOT come and say sin no longer exists, but offered a way to overcome through HIM.  Read the following and tell me if the Apostle Paul thought sin no longer existed-

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Our Savior delivers us! Our Savior makes forgiveness possible! Forgiveness for transgressing the moral law He gave us, because sin is all about transgressing that law!  And our SAVIOR came to tell us that the LAW means to LOVE GOD and to LOVE OUR FELLOW MAN.  Anything that is not done from that love, anything that is done to God or others that is NOT loving is SIN. Jesus MAGNIFIED the law, He took the law and revealed its TRUTH.  Not only are we not to murder we are not to do ANYTHING selfishly against another person, not even call them a fool.  So if you think it's fine to harm someone just because there is not- Thou shalt not pinch your neighbor- or abuse your wife- or disrespect your husband- think again. Jesus covered it all when He took the moral law, the Ten Commandments and magnified them- revealed them in their fullness. He did not do away with a single commandment. Even the Sabbath commandment He said this--

Mar_2:27  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath

He revealed that it is STILL a moral commandment, just not one that was twisted by mankind into something it was never meant to be.

Doing good on the Sabbath is a wonderful thing, and when the priests put such strictures on the Sabbath that even doing good was forbidden, Jesus knew He had to magnify the truth of the Sabbath as well, HE DID NOT DO AWAY WITH THE SABBATH!

So, do we live under a law?  We live under a moral law by the GRACE of our SAVIOR, the same moral law HE lived under and kept while He walked the earth admonishing others to sin no more.  He didn't tell them sin would no longer exist, but that they were to sin no more, and the only way they could sin was if there was a law to transgress.  

Please LORD help us to fully comprehend YOUR truth.

We know that Satan would have us follow HIS truth, not YOURS.  Satan wants us to follow his twisted, distorted ways that so closely resemble the truth we can scarcely tell the difference. But the differences become apparent through the grace and mercy of the Holy Spirit enlightening us to Your Will. Please, let us always want to know and do YOUR will, not our own, not anyone else's.

Help us to know Your Way and follow in the Way.

Without You we can do NOTHING.

In YOUR love SAVIOR, may we live all by YOUR grace and mercy!

Christ has the power

There is POWER in Christ.


This is TRUTH.


Eph 3:20  NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US


All glory, honor, and praise unto our GOD! No glory, no honor, no praise unto US! Seriously, it's not about us!


Read that again.


IT IS NOT ABOUT US!


He, our SAVIOR alone, is ABLE to do exceeding abundantly ABOVE ALL that we ask or think!


All according to the POWER that WORKS IN US.


The POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT, the POWER of CHRIST IN US, the POWER that enables us to become the sons and daughters of GOD the FATHER!


He does ABOVE all that we ask or think.  We are prone to asking amiss, He never is! We are prone to thinking our OWN thoughts as if they are of paramount importance, as if our thoughts can accomplish anything, they cannot, it is CHRIST who can accomplish anything that is good in us.  We can succeed in focusing on self above all- if we rely upon ourselves, and this is something we should NOT want to do.


We need to focus on our Savior's power to save, He who is able to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ASK or THINK!


Isa_55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isa_55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.


God's will, not ours.  And when we truly want God's will and not our own done, we are accepting that everything no matter how horrible, no matter how horrific, no matter how inconvenient, no matter how troublesome, worrisome, bothersome it is- God, who knows the very end from the very beginning, He knows how things are supposed to work out for good. WE DON'T HAVE TO KNOW!  Yes, we want to know and often this gets us into a lot of trouble, our wanting to know. Our wanting our thoughts to be God's thoughts, our ways, His ways.  They are NOT!  And what we are calling awful and terrible, He may be calling a searing hot, consuming, refining fire. What we can choose to allow to incinerate us, He may intend to perfect us! He has the POWER above and beyond all that we can imagine.


We might see darkness with no light to come, but He intends us to walk by FAITH not SIGHT, allowing the only LIGHT we truly need to be HIM.


Our strength is to be from the INNER MAN.


Read all of the following, please--


Eph 3:1  For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, Eph 3:2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: Eph 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Eph 3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; Eph 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Eph 3:7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the EFFECTUAL WORKING OF HIS POWER. Eph 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be KNOWN by the church the manifold wisdom of God, Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: Eph 3:12  In whom we HAVE BOLDNESS AND ACCESS WITH CONFIDENCE by the faith of him. Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye FAINT NOT AT MY TRIBULATIONS FOR YOU, which is your glory. Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Eph 3:16  That HE WOULD GRANT YOU ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY TO BE STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT BY HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN; Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; Eph 3:19  And to  KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, WHICH PASSETH KNOWLEDGE THAT YE MIGHT BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD. Eph 3:20  NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US, Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.


'Faint not at my tribulations for you'1Pe_1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ1Pe_4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you



Fiery trial, trial of our faith.


Why do people imagine just because they accept Christ as their Savior that they are now to expect only good things to happen?


The ASK and want to receive- but it's not God's will they want to receive but rather their own desires, desires they may even claim are goodly and pure.


Yes, we are to ask, but we are to ask that God's will be done, not ours.


Please, Lord, please Father, please forgive us for our many failings. Forgive us for believing we know what is best. Forgive us for wanting power of ourselves. Forgive us for so many, many things. We would be YOURS.  Please teach us to be Yours!


We submit to You. Thine is the glory and the power, forever and ever.


Amen.