God's Grace Alone

Christ on His own initiative, with no help from us, chooses to act for good on our behalf, so that we would receive His blessings and be satisfied.

He feels compassion...Ps.68:19-20.
He provides for our need...Phil.4:19
He satisfies us...Is.58:11, Ps.103:5

We were not worthy.
We are undeserving.
We deserve death.
We get life.
We are blessed by Christ.
Our souls are satisfied in Christ.

Jesus initiates.
Jesus blesses.
Jesus satisfies.
Jesus meets our needs.

Glory to God!

Ps.68:19-20 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God of our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death."

True of all who believe, who are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone: Jesus took the burden of our sin and went through death for us, so we could be delivered from evil and escape the second death.

All praise and glory and honor and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Praise Jesus

Praise Jesus and self-sufficiency, self-focus, self-condemnation and self-agrandizement fades. Praise Jesus and everything falls into place.

Overflowing with Praise to God

When someone is food deprived for long enough, their stomach actually shrinks in size and their appetite is suppressed. When someone continually gorges himself, their appetite grows.

When we are consistently hungry for the Word we are satisfied and our hunger builds and grows. When we continually praise God we obviously find we praise Him more frequently.

The day after we read through the gospel of Matthew together as a church someone who was there wrote me these words: "I'm experiencing a hunger for God's word that I haven't had for a while. Thanks for (Bring the Book), the Lord is using it in my life."

So it is with the needy, broken, sinful crowd of born-again, redeemed, forgiven people who belong to God by grace through faith in Christ. We overflow with praise to God.

Solidarity

When one member suffers all the members suffer.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

When one is sorrowful, all are. When one is overjoyed all share in the joy. When one grows deep the others grow a bit deeper. When one strays all weep. When one succeeds all celebrate.When one is caught up in sin, everyone is affected.

It's like my front lawn, and my next door neighbor's front lawn, right next to mine. If one lawn has weeds the other will soon. We share the same weeds and grass. Our lawns are affected by the other's because of their close proximity.

It is like those in the Body of Christ. We belong to one another, we are interdependent and called to walk together in unity and solidarity.

Pray About Everything

I believe that nothing of value will happen in my life, household and Christ's Church unless God does it. Therefore, I go to Him dependently, expectantly and frequently in prayer. It is something I can do as I walk and talk and go about my day, carrying on a secret, unseen conversation with the One True God. Part of abiding in Christ is pouring out my soul to Him.