Sep 13 2016
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Devos

God’s grace… Not only saves me, but provides everything I need to please Him and do His will!

amazing-grace“Amazing Grace” … the best known hymn of all time! John Newton (1725-1807) – former slave trader, blasphemer, and profligate sinner who experienced God’s marvelous, life-transforming grace wrote the song. He never ceased to marvel at God’s great, generous, undeserved favor! If you’ve never read the book, “John Newton” by Jonathan Aitken, you really should… My quote after reading the book: “If God can save John Newton, he can save ANYONE!”

Grace brings salvation to undeserving sinners (and we ALL are sinners! Romans 3:23-25)! But it does MORE… It teaches – It trains us how to live our lives as Christ followers! It enables us to live righteous, godly lives, for the Lord in any and every age, culture and situation! It sustains us in “our blessed hope” as we wait for the Lord’s coming!

So you see, grace is not only what we get from God that we don’t deserve – it’s also EVERYTHING He freely gives us that we desperately need in order to do His will and please Him! … EVERYTHING!!! Wow!!! Hey, It’s grace from beginning to end!
I read about it this morning in the Bible during “coffee with the Lord!”

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works!” (Titus 2:11-14 ESV)

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I’m found,
Was blind, but now I see.

“’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 that brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead us 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.

“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 first begun.”

John Newton – Traditional

Sep 12 2016
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Devos

“Sound doctrine” … What’s included anyway?

sound-doctrine
Apostle Paul in his advice to Titus, who was leading the church in Crete, emphasized the importance of “Sound doctrine.”
 
Usually that term is associated with orthodox doctrine – things the Church through the centuries has believed about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, sanctification, and other theological themes. Some of them have big, high-fluting, terms: Christology, pneumatology, soteriology, anthropology, hamartiology, angiology, eschatology, to name just a few. It is often Intimidating, sounds stuffy, and tends to communicate that “sound doctrine” is out of the reach of the average person!
 
That, however, is NOT how the Bible uses the term “sound doctrine!” To be sure, the core beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, and our future as Christians are all included… But it should be noted that Jesus never resorted to technical sounding terminology to communicate the truth of the “Gospel!” And Apostle Paul in writing to Titus, didn’t either when He talked about “sound doctrine.”
 
I read about it this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”… It was the stuff of practical Christian living in a work-a-day world! It had to do being a consistent Christian, a faithful spouse, raising kids, being a godly-good neighbor, paying your bills, doing good, watching your mouth, being an employee with integrity… that was “sound doctrine!”
 
Doubt it? Here, read it for yourself!
 
“But as for you, TEACH WHAT ACCORDS WITH SOUND DOCTRINE. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, SO THAT IN EVERYTHING WE MAY ADORN THE DOCTRINE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR!” (Titus 2:1–10 ESV)
 
Believe me, that’s the kind of “sound doctrine” I was to exhibit! Don’t get me wrong, I want to believe what the Bible teaches about the other things – that’s really important. But I want to “adorn the doctrine of God my Savior” with practical Christian living as well!
Sep 10 2016
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Devos

Ever had to face something all alone… I mean ALL ALONE?

no-never-aloneI don’t know if you’ve ever had to face something alone… I mean ALL ALONE! It was unpleasant, it was filled with tension and danger, there was great risk involved. You desperately wanted someone to be there with you – to help you, to support you, to defend you, and to encourage you. But there was no one! Everyone abandoned you! Scary… unpleasant… and probably disheartening!
It happened to Apostle Paul… that’s right, the great apostle Paul! Who would have imagined it! Imprisoned for sharing the Gospel and he has to appear before the authorities to make his defense. A life and death matter! Here’s his testimony about what happened…
“At my first defense no one came to stand by me [no one to defend him – no one to speak on his behalf – no one to support him!], but ALL deserted me! May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me! [The Lord was there and He strengthen and enabled him!] …so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth [probably in that instance rescued from immediate death]! And the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom! To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:16–18 ESV)
There’s some really good stuff in Paul’s testimony… Did you see it? Stuff that can help you and me when we feel all alone and abandoned…
1. Did you pick up on Paul’s forgiving spirit? It’s in there… “May it not be charged against them.”
2. The faithful, promised presence of the Lord in times like that! (Joshua 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:7-8; Hebrews 13:5-6)
3. Situations like that can actually became an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel! (Check out Matthew 10:19-20 for Jesus’ promise in situations like this!)
4. Confidence in the Lord’s promised care and protection (Matthew 6:25-34; 10:28-30)
5. And finally complete confidence that regardless of what happens God will “bring His faithful followers safely into His heavenly kingdom!”
6. Reason to praise the Lord, eh? …When you have to stand alone! “To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen!”

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