The Beautiful Grace Of God.

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” 2 Peter 1:2 – 3

I am simply amazed every time I see Gods grace in my life. Paul said “But by the grace of God I am what I am” 1Cor. 15:10 if I am what God wants me to be then how can I ever complain? God has made me His child, I understand the trials of life, the persecutions of life, even the heart aches of life, but I am a child of the Living God, what else could I want. This is how I see it, even with all the sufferings of life, God chose for me to send His Beloved Son Jesus to this evil world and to suffer death on my part to give to me eternal life. Look at what God said through Peter, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man...For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Hebrews 2:9 – 10 Now give this a little thought, Jesus who created all things, whom is the image of God, who is God, gave His life for me. He came to this world, lived here for about 33 years, and allowed His own creation to crucify Him, to give to me eternal life. God said through Paul that Jesus is “…the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Jesus is the Captain of our salvation because of His living and dying for our righteousness. By Captain it means He is also our leader in life, death, and resurrection. We as Christians ought to live our life for the Father, because Jesus did. We need to live in the steps of Jesus, even if life leads us through much tribulations and eventually to death. If God did it, then should we also do it. Listen to Jesus because as a Christian’s this should be our pattern in life, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John 5:30 Jesus came to this world to do the will of His Father, NOT TO DO HIS OWN WILL. Sometimes as Christians, we seek our own will over our Fathers will, this is a no, no. God saved us, Jesus died for us, therefore we belong to God, our personal will in life, our personal desires in life do not matter, only God’s will matter. Jesus was not selfish, He gave His life in a very horrible way because His Father sent Him here to die for our sins. We look at our life and we say that God has brought me to it, and My Father will make sure to walk me through it. God does not ever leave us, and we should never leave the Lord for personal reasons or any other reason. Even if it leads us through the fires of life, Jesus is our Captain, He leads the way, we just need to follow Him, even to death. God’s grace is powerful, and we need to lean on His grace in every trial, tribulation, sickness and even death. Grace, oh how wonderful is Gods grace to us. If it were not for God’s wonderful grace I would still be lost, and hell bound. If it were not for God’s grace I would be naked and without. God’s grace is everything to me, so if God leads me through the fire I will walk through it by His beautiful, marvelous grace. Folks never forget what God told us through Peter, “his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,”. What happens to me is happening because God brought it to me, He chose it for me, and I will suffer it for my Father. I pray that my Father will not ever allow me to put self’s will and desires before His will and desires for me, no matter what. Let us remember the words of John Newton “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me....I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see. T'was Grace that taught...my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved How precious did that Grace appear...the hour I first believed…” Jesus our Captain leads the way lets just follow the captain through life, even if it leads to death, and eventually will.            

God’s Spiritual House.

1 Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Peter here speaks of a “spiritual house” spiritual meaning -  non-carnal – in nature, or one that has been saved, once saved we are spiritual and non-carnal. Now the word “house” means - a dwelling, by implication a family – It is like your family living together in a house, except this house is spiritual and not framed together in one location for dwelling. God said we who are saved are “lively stones, and are built up a spiritual house” which means we are spiritually built together to make a spiritual building. Now what makes us spiritual stones, and bricks in this spiritual house, we are “acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Lost people are not spiritual, they are spiritually dead and cannot be a part of this spiritual house. The Lord said in verse 6 “…I lay in Sion a chief corner stone…” which is Jesus Christ, as well as the foundation. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 He is also the foundation of the church, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 Peter is not the foundation of the church, Jesus was comparing himself “a Petra - mass of rock” or a massive rock, which Jesus is to Peter which is a “Petros - a (piece of) rock” now if you where to build a house would you want a massive rock (Jesus) or a small piece of a rock like Peter? We are all Peters of the church and of this spiritual house, with Jesus being the Chief Conner Stone and foundation. About 99% of the entire Christian churches are built on little Peters or pieces of rock, there is no real foundation to them because there built on a man instead of Jesus, whom is the sure foundation. If we are built by Jesus, if He is your salvation, if you have been washed by His blood then “…he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” V. 6 The word “confounded” means - to shame down, that is, disgraced – Because you stand, live, have your being, and walk, in Jesus Christ. Jesus is your foundation, your cornerstone, He is your life and your salvation, therefore you cannot fall from the spiritual house. It is not Peter, it is not you, it is not me, it is Jesus Christ, whom is also the “masterbuilder”.  “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.” 1 Corinthians 3:10 God, not Paul is the Masterbuilder, read it again don’t miss it. God is the one who builds the spiritual house, He sets every stone in it as He elects to insert it. “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious…” V. 7 because God has chosen you and inserted you into the spiritual house. Just as God has built the churches and inserted the membership as He has elected, from the Pastor down, He builds His spiritual house made-up of elect vessels. We are indeed precious unto the Lord. The Lord went on in verse 7 to say “…but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed…” these are none-elected stones that the builder God will never allow to be part of the spiritual house. It’s like you are building a house, and the out side is made of stone, and you pick-up an ugly defaced stone in the bunch and elect not to use it because it is ugly, this is the same line of thought here. The only worthy ones, the only precious stones are the ones that have been chosen and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Folks, the only truth is God’s word, it matters not who says it, if God did not say it then it is worthless. God is building churches, and He is building the spiritual house, and if you have not been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and set in place by the Masterbuilder then you are not in God’s spiritual house.

Happy Mother’s Day!

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Proverbs 31:28 

I wish all you mothers Happy Mother’s Day. I believe every day is Mother’s Day and not just once a year. I also agree with this scripture that a mother should be called blessed by her children and her husband should praise her. I would like to share with you all the greatest woman I ever knew, my mother Ora Fay Johnson. While my mother was not perfect she was great in my eyes, there is not a single person on this earth out side of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that ever loved me more than my mother. I, nor my siblings can do anything but call our mother anything but blessed, she worked so hard for us and worried for us until the very day she went to be with the Lord. I could not visit her without her asking “how are you Donna doing” or “do you need anything” or that she did not cry for us, and those were not just words, they were words of love. My Mothers showed her love in her protection of her children, all eight of them. Our father was an alcoholic He cared more about his next drink than he did his family. My mother did everything she could to protect us children from his drunken rages, even getting beat-up by him. Mom would have given her life for her children. While our daddy would drink-up most of the money he earned our mother worked most of her life just to give her children what she could. Mom did not make much, her education level was low, and she did not have many skills. But, mom worked at any job she could just to support her children. I remember when mom worked in a nursing home and walked to work because she had no car that ran. She would walk in the rain, sleet, show, or the heat of the day just to make the money to support her children. My mother was also the one that walked with a big stick, she had her personal “switch tree” and the tree of discipline and discipline was her middle name. When a woman has six growing boys and her husband was a drunk, then she was the one left to discipline her children. Mom did not ever abuse her children, but she disciplined with love. She was Mrs. Discipline, if you got into trouble, failed in school, or backtalked her she would walk right out to the switch tree and she made you understand what she was talking about. Some would call that abuse, I call that love. I do not know if my mother ever knew this verse but if she had it would have been her favorite, Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” I know none of my mother’s children ever brought shame to our mother, she loved us too much. I love my mother and miss her, I will never live a day on this earth that I do not remember my mother and her love for me and my siblings. I will never forget what she did for us all, like a bird that spreads her wings to protect her young ones. I praise God for my mother and I hope you do also yours.

Don’t just think about your mother once a year but you remember her every day. I know all mothers are not wonderful mothers, but you love them as the Lord says because the day will come when she is no longer on this earth to love. I miss my mother, I miss her asking me if I needed anything or worrying about my troubles in life. I love her for her discipline in her attempt to make me a good person, respectful for others, and the examples of her hard-working life to do what she could for her children.

God gave us all mothers to love-us care for us, and to protect us from the evils of the world. Mother are not their child’s friend, they are keepers of their children. I see a lot of mothers that are horrible mothers, but I see a lot of mothers that reminds me of mine. I think I had the greatest mother on earth, so I call her blessed, a blessing from God to me and my siblings. So, mom Happy Mother’s Day, I love you, and Donna and I are just fine. God is caring for us, as He is for you, and there is no greater Father than He is.

Peters Denial

John 13:38 “Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”

Please understand one thing, Peter loved Jesus so much he was willing and did die for him. I have read and heard so much about this denial of Jesus Christ by Peter. Folks, it was an innocent denial, Peter never rejected Jesus Christ, he never denied his Saviour, Peter simply denied being one of Jesus’s disciples. Peter was human, and his human instance took over and the flesh caused him to lie that he knew and was a disciple of Jesus. Jesus knew this because He is God and He knows everything. Please understand denying Jesus Christ is denying who He is, as Saviour, God, and that His blood can cleanse you from your sins. People do not need to explain away what had happened as though Peter had committed the ultimate sin of unbelief. I even heard one preacher say this denial came before he was saved, wrong! Peter was a chosen vessel of God to be a close friend and apostle of His Beloved Son Jesus the Christ. Peter wrote two books of the bible and gave his life for Jesus Christ. 

What this event shows us is that Peter was not perfect, just as we are not perfect. We are all flesh and fleshly things we will do sometimes. The Lord Jesus told Peter he would have this weakness at that time and so he did just as the Lord promised. I believe sometimes believers think of themselves more than they should. The Lord said through the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” The Apostle Paul said that “grace given unto me” which is something we need every moment of every day. The only time we can stand faithful is as long as God keeps giving us grace. I believe the Lord allowed Peter less grace and he had a weak moment. Think about it, If God so chose we would never sin again, but then we would forget the grace. God warned us “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” because without God holding us up we would fall immediately, even the strongest believers among us are nothing without God’s grace. Sometimes the Lord allows us to fall a little, to weaken a little just to remind us that we are living, moving, and having a godly life by his grace. Believe me, if Peter can fall to the flesh and deny being the Lords disciple, then who are we? Remember even the Apostle Paul said, “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 laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10” What Paul had just told us is that “I know that God’s grace has made me what I am, and I can say God’s grace was not in vain because I labored more than any other, but it was still the grace of God and not me”. Paul knew God’s grace held him up, and Peter saw first hand what it was like to have a weak moment. Folks, we are what God has made us, even though it is a labor and some labor more than others, it is still only by God’s grace that we stand. Peter never denied Jesus and who He is, Peter denied being his disciple in weakness. God test us in many ways to teach us that “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. (8) For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Romans 14:7 – 8 We live in the Lord and not in ourselves. Don’t put so much faith in yourself because the Lord may allow you to fall a little to make you understand His grace.