Sunday, March 31, 2013

Easter part 2. Grace.

What is Grace anyways.

In his book "What's So Amazing About Grace" author Phillip Yancey tells a story that is hard to hear.
It's about a woman who has been renting out her two year old daughter. He is shocked, overwhelmed and asks "why didn't you go to the church for help?" The reply is worse then the actions of the mother "why would I go there?" She retorts "They would just make me feel worse"

Hopelessness leads to horrible acts but the grace of God is bigger then both.

Grace is giving love that could not be earned to those who don't even want it.

I have been wrestling with the concept and the application of grace in my life this last while.

As a Christian I think about grace as a gift, a gift from God in the form of Jesus making a way out of death into life by his death I understand that grace is free and I realize that it cost Jesus his life to give it but until recently I didn't realize there is a flip side to grace a side which as a broken per christian I never had reason to acknowledge and as an immature christian I didn't encounter.

My need to give Grace.

Grace given in accordance to Gods measuring cup means without reason, without end and without reserve.

Grace given this way changed my whole life it changed the world and it is still changing the world.

Grace costs the giver everything.

Nothing in life is free, nothing of value is free so of course grace can't be free not really.

Grace is a free gift to receive but not to give. That truth hits me so hard that sometimes I can't breath.

This last while God has been asking me if I am willing to give grace as it has been given to me, lavishly, shamelessly, without thought of reciprocation?

I have recently started the process of restoring relationship with my mom it's been about eight years since the relationship crashed.

My grace is enough is all I would get from God when I asked him how I was supposed to make headway toward restoration do I want this enough to fight in the face of her not wanting me back, it's been harder then I could have imagined.

"My grace is enough"

When the Holy Spirit told this to Paul he was telling him "No" to release from "a thorn in the flesh" a tormentor in Paul's life.

The message to Paul then is true for me now. The trial is here its not going away and my grace will sustain you but it will also be the thing that will be the corner stone for the work that God is doing in my life, as it was for Paul.

The flip side of grace is the cost of giving it, everything.

If I truly am a follower of Christ and called to be as he is and do as he does then I have to give grace as he does and as oftain as he does.

Jesus gave everything to us on the cross and he did it knowing we may not accept it and even scorn his gift.

As a crucifier of my savior I spit into the face of that gift for years and saw the love never ending poured out from his heart through his body here on earth, the church, and it's now my turn to show grace.

It's Easter now and this weekend we take time to acknowledge our saviors death and resurrection and the hope it gave to us and the grace he gave and gives.

Ask yourself what is required of me now that I see how much grace was given and at such a cost.

This Easter what is God asking of you?

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Easter part 1. Faith.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

(Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 TNIV)

What makes us up (atoms) is held together by something we cannot see.

Do I have faith to believe that what God says is true and do I see things as God does or do I just see it from my perspective?

When I trust that what God says is true and start to look at my mountains from his perspective I know that a mustard seed amount of faith is more then enough to do all I am called to do.

So why do I doubt?

Why do I sway from the truth that everything I am called to do I have the streanghth to do?

Why do I live in fear that I don't have what it takes?

I think for me and most likely others too its because we don't see God correctly.

We don't see him as a all loving, all powerful father we have been warped by poor relections of love and provision.

We also don't see ourselves correctly.

We have been built up and torn down by validating and unvaladating. We don't see that God the all powerful and all knowing one has given us a promise.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b NIV)

This promise was given after the great commission was given a mission we would not do alone so I feel the verse fits for other contexts of knowing our God is with us when he calls us to something.

On my journey to the cross this year I felt that God has been asking me to give up some stuff to Him and embrace my calling as a servent and a missionary of his gospel of hope.

That takes great faith, knowing who He is and knowing who he has made me to be.

What is the King asking you to do this Easter?