Testing

Our human tendency is to avoid pain, suffering, and trials. However, if we face the tests of faith by relying on God’s grace, He will strengthen us through them, and we will experience a greater measure of His power in our lives. Therefore, by looking at difficulties from God’s perspective, we can see that they are not intended to destroy us, but they are actually opportunities to have more of His power flowing through our lives!

James revealed his understanding of this perspective when he wrote:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers [various] temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2–4).

Remember, when going through various trials and testing that:

1 - God is! When Moses needed a name for God, God said I am. When they asked Jesus who He was He said I am. God is. He is supreme, all knowing and all powerful. Nothing is impossible for Him. And He knows the end from the beginning.

2- God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him! God is always looking to reward and bless you. He cares for you as He does His own son Jesus. While The Father allowed Jesus to suffer many things and be tempted and tested in all areas even as we are, Scriputure says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He knew the Father is faithful, loving and compassionate and that He would not allow Him to endure such hostility for no reason.

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcs.blogspot.com/

The Power of Grace

God knows our struggles and our inability to overcome them on our own. He has extended to us His powerful grace. Yet, we must first stop depending on our own efforts before He will demonstrate His power and might in our lives. Only when we recognize and acknowledge our total weakness can we ask for and receive the power of God’s grace.

If we were totally honest with ourselves, most of us would probably acknowledge that we try to live for God to the best of our abilities, and then when special problems come we ask God for the strength to get through them. However, herein lies the problem! Living for the Lord is not our works plus God’s grace; it is completely a work of God’s grace in our weaknesses. In order to remind us of our inability to do any acceptable work for God apart from His grace, He gives us inborn weaknesses.

God is allowing us to see our total need and dependence on Him and His grace through our weakness and through the incongruencies in us and in those we live and work with. Three times the Apostle Paul appealed to God to remove his particular weakness, which he called a “thorn in the flesh.” However, God explained: “… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness …” (II Corinthians 12:9). The Greek word translated as strength in this verse is dunamis. It means “force … power.” The phrase is made perfect is a translation of teleioo, which means “to complete … accomplish.” It denotes “to bring to the end (goal) proposed.” When Paul comprehended the great potential of God’s power being perfected in his weakness, he exclaimed: “… Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power [dunamis] of Christ may rest upon me” (II Corinthians 12:9).

The Greek word translated may rest means “to tent upon.” It carries the idea of abiding and dwelling with. As long as we are in the “tent” of God’s grace, we are enabled to accomplish great things for Him. However, if we try to live the Christian life in our own energy, frustration and failure will be the results.

God’s grace is His divine favor toward us, and it gives us the desire and power to do His will. Jesus declared, “I can of mine own self do nothing …” (John 5:30). Yet, He was “full of grace and truth” to carry out His heavenly Father’s will. (See John 1:14.) Paul stated the same thing: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (I Corinthians 15:10).

We must recognize and embrace our total inability to do anything for God apart from His grace, and “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Grace , grace wonderful grace

grace by which I stand

Grace, grace wonderful grace

Keeps me in His plan

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

The Grace of God

The grace of God is the life and Spirit of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And ministered to the soul, breathed into the heart, transmitted to the life, man becomes like Christ, because the Christ of God is moving in the heart of him, generating and regenerating, and man comes forth a finished product by the hands of his Lord, saved from sin, healed of disease, kept by the indwelling Christ, who is the power of God.

God's grace is the Divine enabler. As I apprehend the grace of God by faith I am endued with power from on high. I receive favor with God and with man.

15 When the turn came for Esther ethe daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what fHegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set gthe royal crown1 on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king hgave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.
e ver. 7; ch. 9:29, f ver. 3, 8, g ch. 1:11; 6:8, 1 Or headdress, h See ch. 1:3
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Es 2:15-18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.realfoodforlife.blogspot.com/

Surrender to the Grace of God!

It is the grace of God that brings salvation, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:12). This is possible only as we acknowledge our total weakness and surrender ourselves to the reign of God’s grace in our lives. That grace will give us the desire and the power to overcome sin. “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21).

If you have been striving to live the Christian life in your own strength, and failing, let’s remember what baptism represents, our death, burial and resurrection with Christ and acknowledge your total weakness as we yield the members of our bodies to God as “servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Romans 6:19).

Each day seek to be. Seek to enter into rest, His rest. Seek to reveal the Risen Christ in you, the hope of glory! Come Lord Jesus....Come!

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.com/