GRACE

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

GRACE

(Rev 22:21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Grace. That word we all love but sometimes have a difficult time explaining. That which we need the most but have a difficult time attaining. It can change our lives and also be sustaining. Grace is defined as “unmerited favor.” You can’t earn it…it’s the free gift of God. Some explain it with an acronym: God’s Richest At Christ’s Expense. I like it spelled out like this: Justice is getting what you deserve…Mercy is not getting what you deserve…Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.

The Bible says we are saved by grace: (Eph 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. We are helpless sinners from birth and bound for eternal destruction. We have violated the law of God and stand judged for condemnation. But God saw our fallen condition and interposed. He sent Jesus His Son to die on our behalf. He was the spotless Lamb who died as our substitute. Now those who put their trust in the work Jesus did on the cross and in His resurrection will be saved by God’s grace.

The Bible says we also grow in our faith by grace. (2 Pet 3:18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… There is that tendency in us as believers to think it’s up to us to continue on by our own merits. How wrong! Just as we are saved by grace we also grow in grace. We can’t do a thing without the Lord. How we desperately try to work for our sanctification but end up failing so pitifully. Every Christian has to learn this valuable lesson. Jesus said: …for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) We will never measure up to that perfect standard. We all fall short. Thank God we are under grace and not the law!

Grace is something that is also transferable to others. You can give to others what they don’t deserve. You can offer them that free gift of forgiveness and overlook their faults because you know God’s grace has done that for you! It sets your offender free and keeps your heart free from the hardness of bitterness and unforgiveness. (Mat 10:8)…Freely you have received, freely give. (See also Mat 18:21-35)

Grace has changed my life. I had always struggled with that condemnation the devil puts upon you that you’re not good enough. I thought if I worked harder and became more dedicated God would reward my efforts. Then the Lord taught me that everything is a free gift from Him. (Jms 1:17) It has also taken judgmentalism from my heart. I have more grace for others that I never used to have because I was holding them to a standard. Now I can just love people and accept them for who they are. Instead of elbowing them I give them more elbow room. And you know what’s funny? I then see changes in their lives! Grace…what a great way to live!!

Louie

TYPES OF ABORTION

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

TYPES OF ABORTION (The anniversary of Roe vs. Wade is upon us...January 22, 1973. Warning: Graphic content)

(Lev 18:21) And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

The pagan god Molech was worshipped by heating a metal statue representing the god until it was red hot. The living infant was then placed on the outstretched hands of the statue. Drums were beaten to drown out the screams of the child until it burned to death. Molech worship was a method of infanticide to eliminate illegitimate children, minimizing the fruit of the immoral sexual conduct God had commanded against. Molech worship can be seen as an ancient version of birth control as even today many people practice birth control by abortion. Sounds horrible what these pagans did long ago. We who are so civilized today would never think of doing such a thing…or would we? Here are some of the modern methods of abortion. Space limits mentioning other forms of terminating a pregnancy (killing a baby).

SUCTION ASPIRATION: This is the most common method of abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. General or local anesthesia is given to the mother and her cervix is quickly dilated. A suction curette (hollow tube with a knife-edged tip) is inserted into the womb. This instrument is then connected to a vacuum machine by a transparent tube. The vacuum suction, 29 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner, tears the fetus and placenta into small pieces which are sucked through the tube into a bottle and discarded.

SALT POISONING (SALINE INJECTION): Used after 16 weeks (four months) when enough fluid has accumulated. A long needle injects a strong salt solution through the mother's abdomen into the baby's sac. The baby swallows this fluid and is poisoned by it. It also acts as a corrosive, burning off the outer layer of skin. It normally takes somewhat over an hour for the baby to die from this. Within 24 hours, labor will usually set in and the mother will give birth to a dead or dying baby. (There have been many cases of these babies being born alive. They are usually left unattended to die. However, a few have survived and later been adopted.)

PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION: Five steps to a partial birth abortion: 1) Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's legs with forceps. 2) The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal. 3) The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head. 4) The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the skull. 5) The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

(Gen 9:6-7) “ Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man. 7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.”

Louie

GRAY

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

GRAY

(Gen 13:10) And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD

One of the early things children learn is that certain colors are made from blending other colors together. Blue and yellow make green. Yellow and red make orange. Red and blue make purple. But on down the line we found out usually by mistake that black and white make gray. A touch of black accidentally got into the white and dulled it and made it more ashen. You try to mix in more white but no matter what you do it appears shadier than you would like.

In the Christian life we are called to purity and holiness (Tit 2:11-12; Heb 12:14). We start out white as snow (Isa 1:18) and we are to keep our garments pure (Rev 16:15). This is why we are to stay away from the gray. It’s those areas where we have freedom but it would be wise not to dabble because that one touch of compromise can darken the Christian’s character (1 Cor 6:12). We might tell ourselves it’s okay and it’s no big deal. Or we say other believers seem to be free to indulge so why not? But that one dab can make us drab. Then when we keep on in that concession, those additional drops of black stain and drain us.

Lot was a man who seemed to mix colors. He was Abraham’s nephew who accompanied him to Canaan (Gen 12:5). When the flocks of Abraham and Lot were too much for the land they had to separate. Abraham asked Lot to choose first. Lot’s eyes fell on the fertile land towards Sodom and Gomorrah and moved to the outskirts of town (Gen 13). Then when Sodom and Gomorrah were attacked by a coalition of nations, Lot was kidnapped and taken north where Abraham had to rescue him (Gen 14). This means by that time Lot had moved his family inside the city. This is confirmed when the angels came to rescue Lot and his family prior to God destroying the cities with fire and brimstone (Gen 19). Lot was well settled in and perhaps was even a judge in his community (Gen 19:9). His family was so comfortable that the angels had to grab their hands and make them flee (Gen 19:16). His wife so coveted her lifestyle in the city that she looked back in longing to her peril (Gen 19:26).

Do you see Lot mixing colors? He knew the Lord as we learn from 2 Peter 2:8: (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds). But he kept inching toward the world until the world sucked him in and he couldn’t get out. One touch of black here. One touch of black there. Keeping his faith but sacrificing his commitment. Gaining the world but slowly losing his family in the process. And his final end was even worse…he lived in a cave and turned to the bottle (wineskin) which made him even darker still (Gen 19:30-38).

Been caving into compromise? Ask the Lord to wash you as white as snow! (Psalm 51)

Louie

WHEN HEAVEN IS SILENT

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

WHEN HEAVEN IS SILENT

(Psa 109:1) Do not keep silent, O God of my praise!

Have you ever prayed and felt like your prayers were bouncing right off the ceiling? Why is it that when you have a burden on your heart and you really want God to answer, that He doesn’t? Well, here might be a few of the reasons:

1) TIMING - In other words, God will answer but the time is not for now. I am to wait patiently and let God do it in His time. There is a greater purpose that I cannot see that God is working out. I must give Him control of my life’s schedule and know that when the answer comes it’s going to be awesome and beyond my dreams. (Hab 2:3) For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

2) TEACHING - God is teaching me something I need to learn. I wouldn’t learn it if I didn’t have to wait. I need to keep maturing in my faith and be more like Christ. Heaven’s delays are good for the development of my Christian character! (James 1:2-4) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, {3} knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. {4} But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

3) TRUSTING - If I got everything I wanted when I wanted it, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to trust God. And that’s right where I need to be! When I feel insecure in life I need to turn my situation over to the Lord and trust Him to work it out. I am His child, and times of trial cause me to rely upon Him as I should. (Psa 37:5) Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

4) TRAINING - I might have a particular sin in my life that God wants to reveal to me. Maybe I am harboring some attitude that is not glorifying to Him. Perhaps I have offended someone or did something that has brought dishonor to my Lord. When heaven is silent it makes me search my heart and see what the Holy Spirit might say. (Psa 66:18) If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.

When heaven is silent in regard to your prayer, there is usually something else God wants to say. Let’s be open to what that might be. That way when God answers our original prayer, we’ll have a bonus, too! Isn’t the Lord good? Someone say an Amen!

Louie