God’s Grace is Our Life!

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8 – 9

This morning I rise to thank God for His grace and mercy that delivered me from the power of Satan and sin into the loving arms of Jesus Christ. If this morning you are saved, truly saved, then you are blessed beyond human imagination. There are so many who God has saved that has no knowledge of how they were save and why God saved them, they just know that they are saved. However, there are some that understand a lot about the salvation process and how God saved our souls. We must understand that each and every step of knowledge and understand is a gift from God not given to anyone but whom God has elected to manifest it. From the beginning, God’s election from salvation to the glorification of our bodies (when Jesus returns) is by God’s grace, each and every step. To know and understand this is a blessing of grace. God said, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 The “natural man” is a lost person, and to be “spiritually discerned” means they are unable to discern the things of the Holy Spirit. We must understand that understanding anything of God is a gift, it is not natural or learned. The learning part of God’s works is a blessing just as salvation is a blessing from God through the Holy Spirit. We who are saved and learned in God’s word are blessed beyond human knowledge or human imagination. God has “mercy” on us, most people do not understand the word means – compassion or pity - we read in the Psalms these words, “Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. (6) Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. (7) Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.” Psalms 25:6 – 8 As the Psalmist prays for mercy it is God’s gift that delivers it to us. The Christian has nothing to brag about, although many do. It is us whom God has saved that should fall on our faces before the Lord our God and thank Him daily for everything we have in Christ Jesus. And it does not stop there, every inch of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom is a gift from God, none is self-educated. The more we have in God’s gifts, is the more reason we must fall on our faces and praise God for His gift of grace. God has before the foundation of the world chosen your life, your salvation, your gifts in life, and you position in time. Everything is predetermined before the foundation of the world by God’s own mercy and grace. Missionary Dan Sullivan this week told me we are all convicted by our convictions, exactly the word I was looking for. It is not about your convictions or my convictions it is about God’s gift of grace to us all. Biblical knowledge and understanding are also a gift of grace, no one is infallible in the scriptures nor does anyone understand it perfectly, therefore we all have our “convictions”, and we walk and live by them. Everyone does not get the same gifts, nor do we all understand the very same thing in the scriptures. Please understand, some people are saved because of God’s grace and power and do not know it, some people are educated in the scriptures and do not know why or how. We may think or suppose, but if we do not understand that it is all by God’s preordained gracious power then we need more grace and understanding. So please lets us all be humble in God’s gracious gifts, God’s preordained plan for us, and be in much humility bowing and praising God for every step in our salvations and Christian life. Let us be patient in life and wait on the Lord’s gracious hand to lead our life because each step is ordained by God. Do not be so proud in life to the point of being critical of other believers and churches, because who are we to be proud. Paul wrote “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.” Romans 12:3 Who are but a person of conviction also praying to God that you are scripturally correct. We all have our convictions in the scripture, in time God will correct us all and teach us truth, and when we are with the Lord, we will all believe the truth. So, because of grace, learn to bow before the Lord God and thank Him for your knowledge, praying that your convictions are correct, and let’s all love one another as recipients of grace should, all thanking God together for His mercy and grace, Amen!      

 

Faith Without Works Is Dead

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”  James 2:14

God has given me so much in life, I grew up extremely poor, my father a drunk and my mother worked so hard to give her children their necessities in life. God has introduced me personally to one of these families. I try hard not to brag about things I do to help, because God’s blessings are for humility, not bragging. But, as Christians we lead by example, and as a Pastor I should be an example to my flock, as well as others. A good Pastor should feed his flock first and foremost, but it does not stop there, no it starts there. A good Pastor loves and cares for the flock, and the flock loves and cares for their Pastor. But we all, churches and Christians cares for others. When God spoke of works here, He spoke of many things, obeying and doing of God’s word, doing all you can in life to bring glory to God’s name, to helping others, etc. I know most Christians honestly believe they are doing all they can to help others, but are we? You know it is good to have, to be blessed of God and have things, but the having is also the task of sharing. I see lots of people share little in life, while I see many Christian children hungry and without. I cry when I see children do without, when Pastors in other countries struggle to, not just scripturally feed their flock but to also help their flock to have food, clothing, and necessities of life. Folks, as Christians it is our work for God to help others in need, and I am afraid we are failing. While we have so much in our life just a little money to a needed family is a real blessing to them. Let me share a story, I will keep it short as I can, and its not to brag but to be an example. I met a Christian woman through Facebook that kept wanting to just say “hello Pastor have a blessed day” and she would just leave. A couple of times a week she would contact me and say the same thing. One day I spoke back to her just to find out who she was because I have no one else who does this. So, over the next few weeks she, little at a time shared her story of poorness, very humbled because of their poorness. She kept talking over a few weeks sharing her story. She is a Christian in the Philippines; she has 3 children and her parents also she cares for. So, she had to take a job in another country in basically a slave market to feed and supply necessities for her family. She works and average of 18 hours a day in a like nursing home setting with only 6 hours of off time a day. She uses most of her time off to talk to friends and family and sleeps little. She works 7 days a week and never gets a day off, not a holiday, nor a vacation. Think about that folk, just give that some thought, her back hurts a lot. As we talked over time we became casual friends, I looked forward to hearing from her because with everything she has in life, she could enjoy her new Pastor friend. So, over time as I heard her story God spoke to me, God told me it was time to help, God told me this would be a blessing to me as well as them. But scammers are everywhere lurking about to steal money. I get request every week, to help but who is real and who is not? But that question is not an excuse to help, it is reason to investigate and that is what I did. After some time, I told my new friend and Sister in Christ I wanted to help her family. But she was “shy” and refused the help, only asked for prayer she said. But I insisted and she insisted she was too “shy” to accept monetary help. She began to talk more over time talking about the needs of her children and their online schooling, how she bought a used broken-down computer for her oldest child, but it had failed. That because of covid they needed online schooling. I begged, but she was too “shy”, and I begged more until one day God touched her heart to accept the help. As most know I live alone today because my wife passed so I have few expenses, so I wanted to help. But in my mind, I kept asking “is this a scam” it hurt me to keep asking myself, but the thought was there. One day she asked me to send the money to her Pastor through the church, again a large pause, who am I sending this money too, are they even like faith, could they be a fake church for a scam? And then she said the churches name, then her Pastors name, Pastor Bernardo Salacup. My heart opened wide, I thought I know him, I rejoiced and told my Sister I know him. When I first came to Texarkana, we supported Pastor Salacup in the Philippines. I have never met the brother, but I know him. So, I contacted Pastor Salacup and he was graciously supportive of my help. He told me of this family and their needs in just daily necessities. Pastor Salacup told me of his helping this family. My heart was full of joy, and I told Pastor I was going to help these folks and he was all so happy to assist. See when God sends you to help you march forward and help. So, today the family has been blessed of God with a little help, the family got food, the children got what was needed to do their online schooling, and all was blessed, even myself, I was blessed. So, this morning I left mom a text rejoicing for the family I was able to help. And I thought, mom, the very one that God used to contact me has gotten nothing, she got no food I bought nor enjoyed the other things I bought, what about mom Lord! Well mom is blessed, I know because I know Christian moms, I know this woman’s heart. This Sister that works so hard for her family’s needs, who puts her family before herself, is blessed and rejoicing that God sent someone to help her family. I know Sister, I know, because I had a mom just like you who worked tirelessly to support her poor family. Folks, this is good works, helping others is good works, The Lord said, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, (15) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? (16) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:15 - 17 folks, that is good works, its not about us, its about God’s children! We are a family God’s family. So, I helped this family, what about the others? Folks, Pastor Salacup can do so much with a little support, He talked about this neighborhood, and it breaks my heart. Contact Pastor Salacup and ask if you can help these needy people, the help I gave was small compared to the need. Mom and I are particularly good friends today we talk a lot and she, and her daughters are such humbled and loving Christians. I am rejoicing I could help. Folks, it is really a blessing to help, so follow God’s word find a family to help and open-up a contribution and share in the blessing of giving, trust me, it is the best money you can spend. Churches help, its all about God blessing those that are without! Think, He may use you to bless a poor needy family. Find a family and help them, a little goes a long way. I’m sure Pastor Salacup can assist you in finding needy families.