Grace for the Race

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:24-25)                                                                                                                                                                     

In the passage above, the apostle Thomas would not believe Jesus had been raised from the dead until he saw it for himself. For Thomas, seeing was believing. This is often the case in the natural world. But what about the supernatural world. Well Jesus gives us the answer at the end of this encounter, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Is seeing believing or is believing seeing? And the answer, of course, is YES to both.

To be sure, we believe in the blessings of God because we have seen more than we could ever count. And on this Thanksgiving Day, let us give thanks and praise for them all. But what about those blessings we have not seen yet, but are praying daily for them to show up. Let us use the Master’s Model and begin thanking God IN ADVANCE . . .

Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven laves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples and thousands had more than they could eat that day (Matthew 15).

Jesus thanked His Father in heaven, before the blessing. And this is the way we go from Giving Thanks to Living Thanks in our lives. Gratitude is thanking God after the blessing. Faith is thanking God before the blessing.

• Gratitude before the gift
• Praise before the present
• Devotion before the deliverance
• Thanksgiving before the triumph

I learned a long time ago the power of thanking God IN ADVANCE and exchanging praise for petition. Instead of begging, bargaining, and even bribing God, I have learned to believe God for the desires of my heart. So, on this Thanksgiving Day, as you gather around your table with family and friends, take a moment to thank God IN ADVANCE for the blessings you are praying for – thank God for your victory and vindication – your healing and health – your dream fulfilled and goal accomplished – for that friend or family member to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. May believing is seeing be the confession of your prayer life from this day forward!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen          you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

I have two dear friends I have the privilege of pastoring at our church, Nate, who is a tremendous encourager just like Barnabas in the Bible, and his beloved wife Christy. Having moved to South Florida, they absolutely love the ocean and spend much of their free time there in the presence of the Almighty. So I thought let us all consider the ocean and be encouraged at the beginning of this Thanksgiving week.

Until you can drain dry this immense body of water, know this – God’s ocean of omnipotence is available for you to meet you in your place of deepest need. So fear not, God has given to you everything you need to do everything He is calling you to do. Make no mistake, no weapon formed can ever come up against you and overcome the power of the Most-High God that is at work within you.   

Think about it this way. The Creator of the universe – the One who made the earth and hung it on nothing and directs it in its orbit – the One who continually fuels the burning furnace of the sun – the One who commanded the morning to begin and the day to dawn – the One who closed the flood gates as the sea gushed from the womb and set its limits – is the One who has promised to strengthen you for the work He has set before you.

You are swimming in the ocean of His omnipotence. With every stroke you are strengthened by His righteous right hand. God is not like man for He cannot lie. When He said, “I will strengthen you and help you,” He meant what He said. It is impossible that God could fail you regardless of what it is you are facing today. God cannot out-promise Himself for every promise is ‘Yes’ and “Amen” in Christ Jesus. 

So, regardless of where this finds you today, fear not and be not dismayed. You may be facing mountainous obstacles, but what is that to Omnipotence? Keep these words of the prophet Isaiah with you today and everyday God gives to you. Your ocean of Omnipotence is overflowing and available to you if you will but dip your toe in it and believe this undeniable and unwavering truth –

Greater is the power that is in you than any power that comes up against you!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.  (Joshua 2:21)

Do you remember the story of the two spies Joshua sent to look over the land of Jericho? It was the prostitute Rahab who took them in and protected them when the king of Jericho sent this message to her, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” She said the men came and already left the city, but in fact, had taken them up to the roof and hid them. Why would this pagan woman, outside of the covenant community of Israel, do such a thing? She heard about the God of Israel and the amazing things he did in freeing His people from Egypt . . . and believed!

Before the spies left, Rahab asked that she and her family be protected from the Israelite army that would come and conquer the city because of the kindness she showed to them. They agreed, with one simply stipulation.

Now the men said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window” (Joshua 2:17-18).         

The spies promised preservation was rooted in a simply yet firm act of faith. The scarlet cord in the window would be the sign of her personal protection. A trivial act to be sure, but an act that was absolutely necessary if Rahab and her family were to survive the invasion of the Israelite army into her city. The angel of death was on his way to Jericho, but he passed over Rahab’s home when he saw the scarlet cord hanging in the window.    

There are many lessons in this story, but one we must not miss is this: the spies represented God to this pagan woman and Rahab trusted in their promise and was obedient to their plan.  Can the same be said about us? Do we trust in the promises of God and are we obedient to His plan . . . even in the seemingly insignificant details of the Christian life? Do we render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s? Do we forgive as we have been forgiven?  Do we do unto others what we would have others do unto us? Do we walk by faith and not by sight? Do we trust God’s heart even when we cannot trace His hand?

Remember, Rahab’s house was on the wall in Jericho and the walls came tumbling down. But she and her family were preserved because she believed in the promise of God and demonstrated it by tying the scarlet cord in the window. Let that be the confession of our lives as we live as “SCARLET CORD SAINTS” for the glory of the One who has promised to preserve us all the way into glory.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.  (1 Peter 4:12-13)

We have all heard the phrase, “You are the hands and feet of Jesus.” This of course, is directed at Christians as ambassadors of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is no longer in the world today, but rather, seated at the right hand of God the Father, we are to be His hands and His feet. But what does this metaphor truly mean? 

Almost exclusively, when we hear the phrase, “You are the hands and feet of Jesus,” it is speaking of serving. Serve the poor and the marginalized. Serve a cup of cold water to those who thirst. Serve within some ministry within the church. Serve on a committee or for an event. Serve as our Lord and Savior served because He did not come to be served, but to serve others (Mark 10:45). But I have a question for you to answer: “When was the last time you heard this metaphor as it related to suffering?” Let us make no mistake – the hands and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ both served and suffered.

In the apostle Paul’s second letter to his disciple Timothy, he made it crystal clear what the Christian could expect to experience in this life, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 4:12). Suffering for the saints of God come in a variety of ways: from storms of sickness to relationship rejections to public persecution. The list is endless. The waves of challenge have been promised and we should not be surprised when they crash over our lives. This is the deepest meaning of being the hands and feet of Jesus. 

Perhaps the best way to prepare ourselves for this reality is to keep in view how the hands and feet of our Lord were pierced for our transgressions. Jesus was nailed to our cross, with our nails, and died our death that we might be made the children of God and live forever more. Remember, we were the joy set before our Lord as He suffered and died in our place. As the hands and feet of Jesus, let us advance in this life through seasons of both serving and suffering knowing “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).    

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all nations – as it is today. (Deuteronomy 10:15)

It is one thing to know that God chose to create us and to create us in His image. It is another thing altogether to know that we are also objects of His Almighty Affection. From the opening of Scripture to the very last word, all of it demonstrates just how much God loves and cares for us. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son Jesus to save it from sin. And the love of God is not dependent upon us. God did not love us because we were lovable. God did not love us because we were worthy of His love. God did not love us because we did anything to earn or deserve it. God simply chose to love us and that love is as unconditional as it is complete. God will never love us anymore and God will never love us any less. His love is fixed, full, and final.

Think about it this way: God created you so He could shower His love upon you. You can read this word because God loves you. You are alive right now because God loves you. And when you breathe your last, God will love you in eternity just the same as He loves you today. Because of the sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection of Jesus, God has made a way for us to be welcomed into an eternal and personal relationship with Him, simply by trusting in what Jesus has done for us as both our Savior and our Lord.

Because God’s love for you is based upon His character and not your conduct, you are an object of His affection moment by moment each and every day. No human mind can even begin to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18). Remember, on this side of glory, we get only a taste of what it means to be the object of God’s Almighty Affection. When we reach the other side, we will, for the very first time, experience the end of all sin, sickness, sorrow, and the storms of life. We will be in eternal bliss with our Lord Jesus and all the saints of God.

In The Last Battle, by C. S. Lewis, he says this about the four siblings, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, who went through the wardrobe and into Narnia, “All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” That is the future that awaits all those who have Jesus as Savior and Lord of their lives as objects of God’s Almighty Affection.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

These [Paul and Silas] have turned the world upside down have come here. (Acts 17:6 – NKJV)

It was the Jewish people of Thessalonica who witnessed the work of Paul and Silas and came to the conclusion that they “turned the world upside down.” They called Paul a fool and a madman, the same thing they said about the prophet Hosea (9:7). But these people were not looking at the work these people were doing with the eyes of faith. They were looking through the eyes of the flesh and from an earthly perspective, Paul and Silas were indeed turning the world upside down. But when viewed through the eyes of faith, when viewed from a heavenly and eternal perspective, what they were actually doing was turning the world right-side up.

Now the gospel makes no sense to the watching world. So, when we are living out its truths, the eyes of the flesh see it as turning the world upside down. But what is actually happening is we are getting things back in order, the order God ordained from the foundation of creation. You see in the gospel social barriers are broken down and hearts are set free to begin beating for the One who created all things good. Paul and Silas were returning God’s order to this world by saving souls and changing lives for Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

The gospel turns the corrupted systems of this world right-side up. Because the ground is level at the foot of the cross, every single person has dignity, value, and worth. No now is more valuable than anyone else. We are all one in Christ. None of us are needed, but all of us are wanted by Jesus to share His love light in a dark and desperate world. Can it be said about you what was said about Paul and Silas, “They turned the world upside down?” God wants to use you to expand the cause of His Kingdom in this world. He delights in giving you opportunities to point others to Him. When you do this, you will be fulfilling your divine destiny and you will be used by God to turn a sin-stained, upside-down world, right-side up. Let that truth set you free to live with freedom, joy, and faithfulness to Jesus, regardless of the cost or circumstance. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. (Psalm 40:4)

We all want to live a blessed life. We pray for blessings. We thank God for blessings. But we need to be careful how we receive and respond to our blessings. When the children of Israel were freed from bondage in Egypt after four hundred years of slavery, they witnessed miracle after miracle and received blessing after blessing. Eventually their blessings began to dull their senses rather than drive their service. In essence their blessings turned into “sedatives rather of stimulants.”

They passed through the Red Sea on dry ground as the pursuing Egyptian army was swallowed up by the waters. They ate manna from heaven. They drank water from a rock. They were guided by a cloud by day and a cloud of fire by night. Yet, in spite of their many blessings, rather than being stimulated to service, they were like sedatives that caused them to whine, grumble, and complain against their leaders, Moses and Aaron, and God Himself. Here is what we need to remember about blessings. They are gifts from God in that moment, not guarantees in the future. If we are not careful, blessings can dim our eyes of faith and stay our helping hands. What we need to remember is whatever blessings we receive from the hand of God, we must receive them with gratitude and thanksgiving knowing that we have been blessed simply to be a blessing to others.

So, where in your life has God been blessing you lately? Have your blessings driven you to deeper devotion to and delight in your relationship with Jesus? Or have they been dulling your senses? Have your blessings turned into sedatives rather than stimulants? God has given each of us blessings multiplied – blessings of opportunities – blessings of resources – blessings of possibilities. As God blesses us, let us bless others and by this all people will know we are disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:2)     

There is much to be thankful for when considering our salvation. We who deserved it not, receive it by grace through faith and we receive it from the Holy, Perfect, and Undefiled, Son of the Most-High God. To be sure, that alone is too much to consider if we thought of nothing else for the rest of our lives. But there is something that strikes an even sweeter cord of Christ’s Cosmic Condescension . . . “This man welcomes sinners!” Think about “THIS MAN” for a few moments and I think you will agree.

• THIS MAN who is eternal God!
• THIS MAN who created all things!
• THIS MAN who sits at the right hand of the Father!
• THIS MAN before whom angels’ worship with veiled faces!
• THIS MAN who was and is and is to come!
• THIS MAN who is the Alpha and Omega!

The list is endless. Jesus is beyond human comprehension, yet our verse today seems to take us higher still, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Let’s take a look at the cosmic condescension of this truth.

#1. He Welcomes Sinners

What drove the Pharisees and religious leaders mad about Jesus was His willingness to mingle with sinners. The driving force in their lives was to remain “clean & undefiled” according to the Old Testament prescriptions in the Law regarding ritual cleansing – and the first step was to stay clear of contact with sinners. The problem was they perverted the Law by seeing themselves as “clean & undefiled” because of what they did, rather than seeing themselves as “unclean & defiled” because of who they were . . . sinners in need of a Savior.   

#2. And Eats With Them

 As bad as it was for Jesus to welcome sinners in the minds of the Pharisees and religious leaders, it was beyond their comprehension why he would eat with them. Eating was a very symbolic act in the ancient world. It meant fellowship and friendship. It was an obvious sign of relationship. They simply could not imagine why Jesus would perform such an intimate act with such sinful people.

What cosmic condescension from our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only did Jesus welcome sinners just like you and me, but He offered table fellowship as well. Jesus allowed His reputation to be ruined in the eyes of the “up and in” simply to save the “down and out!” That’s you and me and that’s also a call for you and me to refuse to stay clear of those who are in desperate need of Christ. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ (Mark 16:7)                                                                                                                                                                       

We have all been involved in cancelled meetings, whether the meeting was cancelled on us or we cancelled the meeting for whatever reason. But there is One who never misses a meeting and His name is Jesus. 

Jesus told His disciples before His crucifixion that He would meet them in Galilee after His resurrection. When the women went to the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away and looked inside. They saw an angel dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side of the tomb. They were alarmed, trembling and bewildered, as you might imagine. Then the angel told them Jesus had risen from the dead and went ahead of them into Galilee, where He said He would meet them after His resurrection. Even death itself could not keep Jesus from His intended meeting. Now we may stay away for any number of reasons. But make no mistake, the Master never misses a meeting!

Jesus has promised to meet you in a myriad of ways in your daily living. He has promised to meet you continually in prayer. The throne of grace is always accessible to those who will come. He has promised to meet you in His Word. The Bible is “living and active” and always available to meet you in your deepest place of need, whenever and wherever you are. He has promised to meet you in church. Corporate worship is one of God’s special meeting places where we meet with our Master. But these are not the only meeting places of our Master. 

We expect to meet our Master when we are on our knees in fervent prayer. We expect to meet our Master when we are meditating on and marinating in the Word of God. We expect to meet our Master when we come to His house to praise and worship His mighty name. But Jesus often meets us in places we would never expect. Perhaps it was a divine appointment in that checkout line in the grocery store . . . you know the one . . . the shortest line with the longest wait! Maybe it was at the sporting event or a social gathering when you bumped into someone you had not seen for years . . . and you were happy you had not seen them. Possibly it was at the doctor’s office when the news was not what you wanted to hear.         

Now notice the words in our verse today, “He is going ahead of you.” Jesus always goes ahead of you. Jesus is always first in fellowship with His family of faith and that includes you. His strength goes ahead of you. His love goes ahead of you. His grace goes ahead of you. His mercy goes ahead of you because your Master never missed a meeting . . . JUST AS HE TOLD YOU. Perhaps it is time for you to look more closely for your Master in your meetings. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  (Matthew 4:19)

The Bible teaches us that there is indeed a proper place for argument with the Almighty in the life of the disciple of Christ. Let’s take a look and may you be encouraged to continue fighting the good fight of faith as you begin yet another week of walking with your Lord.

Some of the great saints in sacred Scripture can be found arguing with God if you will . . . and God allowed it for His glory and their good. 

Consider Gideon. When God called him to lead the Israelites in battle against the mighty Midianite Army, Gideon argued with God. First, he argued from weakness as a clan and then from smallness in his father’s house. Next, Gideon argued for a sign to be sure it was the Lord who was speaking to him. Gideon set out a fleece of wool on the dry threshing floor and said if there was dew on the fleece alone, he would believe it was God who was sending him. When that happened, Gideon argued once again, asking this time for the fleece to be dry and dew on the ground all around it. Once again, God accommodates to Gideon’s arguing. Now fully convinced, God shrinks his army down from 32.000 men to only 300 and Gideon leads the Israelites in victory against Midian. Now please note this all-important biblical truth:

Almighty argument is allowed only to convince us . . . never to convince God!

Consider Moses at the burning bush when God confronted Him to go back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh’s bondage. Moses had absolutely no interest in going back to Egypt, which he had fled 40 years earlier after he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave.  First, Moses argues from his inadequacy to answer God’s call (just like Gideon). After God accommodates that argument, Moses anticipates a question from God’s people and argues from unbelief – saying the Israelites would never believe God sent him as their deliverer. After God accommodated that argument, Moses went on to argue from his inability to speak “eloquently.” After God accommodated that argument, notice what happens next:

But Moses said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. Exodus 3:13-14

Argument with the Almighty is allowed . . . but there is indeed a limit. God allows our argument only to the point of clearly confirming our call. Once confirmed by God, we then must answer the call . . . not argue any longer against it. Like Gideon and Moses, it is natural to argue with the Almighty against His call. Do you know why? Because God never calls us to anything that does not require God’s strength to get it done. And there lies the rub. We fear having to trust and depend solely upon God, just like Gideon and Moses. But that is the only way God works with His people. God always calls us to do what we could never do on our own and in our own strength so that we, and all those around us, will know that it was God and not us who was responsible for the victory. 

So, let me ask you this question: “Have you been arguing with God about something He has been calling you to do?” Perhaps it is time to walk by faith and not by sight and see what marvelous and mighty things God has called you to do for His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom. Oh, by the way, if you go to the passage for today’s verse, you will find these words – “IMMEDIATELY THEY FOLLOWED HIM!”    

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!