Category Archives: Grace

CORD=HOPE

Christ's rest, Discouraged Christian, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Trials, Troubles, , , , , , , ,

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A cord, an attachment….

When you think of a cord, what comes to mind? Is it a telephone cord? (Then you are my age).  Could it be a computer cord? (You might be in your 30’s).  How about the cord to charge your iPhone? (You are much younger).

What do all these cords have in common?  What is their purpose?  What do each of them do?  They attach to something!  The telephone, the computer and the iPhone.  All are attached to the power source with a cord. Here is where it gets good.

“Find rest , O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.”  Psalm 62:5.  

The word “hope” in this verse is “tiquah”, which literally means “a cord, as an attachment.” (Strongs)  So our “CORD” or “HOPE” must be attached to GOD alone!  A cord is strong.  If we hang onto any thing else, it is like hanging on with a thin string.  

There seem to be so many people right now without “hope”.  They are “hopeless”.  But friends, if we have Jesus Christ, we have HOPE.  We are attached with a cord to HIM.

My song, or the song that the Father has used in my life for years is “In Christ Alone”.(Shawn Craig and Donald A. Koch, 1991) The words in that song have ministered to me in so many crisis in my life.  It would play on the radio at just the right time…always.  Micheal English,(http://www.michaelenglishmusic.com) my all time favorite artist, sings it best…

“In Christ alone will I glory …Though I could pride myself in battles won. For I’ve been blessed beyond measure and by His strength alone I’ll overcome. Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands, But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand.
[chorus]In Christ alone …I place my trust ..And find my glory in the power of the cross …In every victory …Let it be said of me …My source of strength, My source of hope ….Is Christ alone 
In Christ alone do I glory ..For only by His grace I am redeemed. For only His tender mercy, could reach beyond my weakness to my need.  And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more, and to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord!

Dear friends, our attachment is strong, our cord will hold.  Our HOPE is in Christ.

Blessings dear ones,

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

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*google image, Strongs, IN CHRIST ALONE lyrics by Shawn Craig and Don Koch)

And It Begins

Grace, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Encouragement, Trials, Troubles, , , , , , ,

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And it Begins!

Silly me. My heart is beating at a rapid pace. Why you ask? The wind is blowing and we are under a tornado warning. I have made progress though. I am not hiding in my closet. However, my purse is around my shoulder, cell phone in pocket, and dog on leash.

As I have posted on a previous blog, we lost our home to a tornado in 1982. Then, in 2009 a huge oak tree fell through our roof and we had to move out and have major renovation. So, I do have an aversion to wind.

People who have NOT been through storms like this think I am over reacting. It use to make me mad, but now I understand their feelings. They have not experienced my storms.

It is not much different from our emotional storms. I have learned that I have not experienced other people’s storms, so I have no idea how they feel. I have to legitimize their feelings, their fears, their troubles. I have no right to minimize their storm. And even if a person has been through a similar situation, I still don’t totally understand, but I can empathize.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I can then minister to those people. I can love them with the love of Jesus. I cannot fix it, I can not always make it better. In fact, most times I cannot. But the peace that passes all understanding can be present. I have personally experienced that peace many times. And I know it was the Father, because the circumstances would dictate otherwise.

How wonderful to know that Jesus has overcome the world! My storms, your storms….He is our strength and our peace. He doesn’t always calm the storm, but He will calm the child. And just maybe we can be part of that calm through Christ.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

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So get ready…storms will come!

Blessings~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

Dusty Furniture

Christ's rest, Grace, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, , , , , , ,

 

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All furniture gets dusty at some point in time.

Do you dust your furniture and then have to turn around the next day and do it again?  Where does all that dust come from?  I go from one piece of furniture to another and I am amazed at the layers of dust I sometimes find.  How can the table I just dusted 15 minutes ago already have some dust on it and require yet another swipe?  Nah.

There was something I noticed though.  We continue to use the furniture even with the layers of dust.  We do not require that it be perfectly clean and dustless before we use it.  We never say, “Stop, don’t sit that drink on the table, it is too dirty and dusty!”  Nor do we comment, “This furniture is worthless now since it is soiled, let’s just throw it out!”  That would be silly!

And there is never, ever a time I say, “The side table should be completely and totally perfect before I will even think of using it.”  If that were the case, my house would be totally void of any furniture.

So, how is dusty furniture spiritual?

This illustration so reminds me of the redeeming love of God.  His grace and how He saves us.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

We may be soiled and layered with dust.  We may be a bit dirty.  We do not have to get all cleaned up before coming to Christ!  We do not have to be perfect to be used by Christ.  He delights in allowing us to be a part of His work all over the world. And if we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation through Him, God sees us dust-free anyway…through grace!

Ephesians 2:8-9 ~”For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

There is nothing you have done, or will do that can make him love you any more of any less.  If you have made a mistake in the past, dust yourself off and get up again.  Don’t let the enemy convince you that you are too far gone to ever be used by God.  Don’t be deceived into believing that you are worthless because of your past, all lies.

One of my favorite teachers/authors is Brennan Manning, who passed away April 2013.( http://www.BrennanManning.com) His books spoke to my heart in volumes.  He put it this way:  “The Good News means we can stop lying to ourselves.  The sweet sound of amazing grace saves us from the necessity of self deception.  It keeps us from denying that though Christ was victorious, the battle with lust, greed, and pride still rages within us.  As a sinner who has been redeemed, I can acknowledge that I am often unloving, irritable, angry and resentful with those closest to me.  When I go to church I can leave my white hat at home and admit I failed.  God not only loves me as I am, but also knows me as I am.  Because of this I don’t need to apply spiritual cosmetics to make myself presentable to Him.  I can accept ownership of my poverty and powerlessness and neediness….Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about trying to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing is guilt are nauseating to God and a flat denial of the gospel of grace.” (Ragumuffin Gospel)

May we understand the Good News, the gospel of grace.  Christ makes us clean, not what we do, but what He has already done.

And why not check out your furniture right this very minute.  If it is dusty, I bet you use it anyway!! 

Blessings dear ones

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*NIV Bible, brennanmanning.com. THE RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL, google image*