3 posts tagged “grace”

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LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES - Hebrews

DISCERNER OF THE HEART

Read Hebrews 3 - 4

...exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 

Hebrews 3:13 NKJV

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            Writing to his audience of Jewish Christians, the author of Hebrews reminds them of the penalty of unbelief. The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they did not believe God. “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest.

(4:2-3a)

            The rest that comes to the children of God in our day is through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In our struggle against sin, He is the one who gives us rest.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16

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                        Lord, I come to you today bowing before your throne to find grace to help in my time of need.

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            For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.     Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

 

Post a comment Tags: grace, faith, rest, mercy

SAUL

WHO ARE YOU LORD?

Read Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–22

     Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Acts 8:2-3 NIV
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     The day that Stephen was martyred, a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem. The young man, Saul, asked for official approval to go to Damascus, and arrest any who belonged to "the Way," whether men or women. (9:2)
     Saul did this believing that he had God's approval as well. Later he would say, "I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." (Galatians1:14) On his way to Damascus, this fiery zealous young man had a massive change of heart. He met Jesus who said, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" His immediate response was, "Who are you, Lord?" (Acts 9:4–5)
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     Dear Jesus, You are the One who knows men's hearts. Help me to believe that even those who seem to oppose the gospel may have a heart that is searching, and when You speak to them, they will recognize Your voice, because they are Your chosen ones.
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     "God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles… "
Galatians 1:15-16a NIV
1 comment Tags: grace, paul, called, stephen, saul, persecution, conversion …

HE TOLD ME ALL I EVER DID.

[43]

THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

Read: John 4:1–42


And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." John 4:39 NKJV
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This story is one of the most beloved illustrations of grace in the New Testament. The setting was in Samaria where the religion was a mixture of idolatry with a smattering of Jewish influence. The Samaritan woman knew about a promised Messiah, but she lived a sinful life and Jesus kindly confronted her with her sin. In a conversation about "living water" she came to realize that this was the Messiah she had heard about. She said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." (4:25-26)
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Sometimes we think that people mixed up in cultish religions are unreachable with the gospel. In fact, they may be searching for the truth just as the woman at the well. She …went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (4:28-29 NIV)
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Lord, help me to share my faith with people regardless of how impossible it seems, trusting in the work of Your Spirit in their hearts.
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Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." John 4:42 NKJV
Post a comment Tags: religion, grace, cults, messiah, forgiveness, john 4, living water, woman at the well …