New Bible Reading Plan
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New Bible Reading Plan
This plan will take you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament four times in 360 days.
Abundance of Grace – Part 4
This blog is part of a four-part series… you can read the previous parts here:
Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.
7. The abundance of grace allows me to receive revelation.
This is probably my favorite part! I have been so blessed to have the Bible come alive to me. I am learning everyday… the Holy Spirit has started to instruct me and it’s been incredible.
If you have a Bible around, go grab it… (I’ll wait till you get back)… now turn to John 1.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(John 1:14-17 ESV)
Often we will hear people comment on the phrase “grace and truth” by saying, “Grace is beautiful, but we need the truth!”
That’s absolutely, positively, 100% and completely correct. Grace is beautiful and we do need the truth.
Jesus was full of grace and truth… so if you want the one true God, the real Jesus… if you’re hungry for the real deal, then you want grace, but you are also eager for the truth.
The question is what is the truth? Looking at verse 17 we can derive that the law and the truth are not necessarily the same thing. Otherwise the scripture would read, “grace and the true law came through Jesus Christ.”
I’m going to take a moment and try to reveal the truth to you. What is the truth?
Look at verse 14… This passage says that the Word became flesh (Jesus) and that He is full of grace and truth. Jesus is full of truth. So we know where truth is, it’s in Jesus. But what is the truth?
Looking on to verse 16… “and from His fullness…” What is Jesus full of? Grace and truth. Continuing to read, “and from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.”
So if Jesus is full of grace and truth… and from that fullness we receive grace upon grace… what is the truth?
The truth is the truth about God’s grace! The truth is that we need more and more grace. We need an abundance of grace! Hallelujah! Praise God!
So, the past year has been–for me– an incredible year of receiving the grace of God. As a matter of fact, it’s been a great year of seeing that it’s only about Jesus and His goodness… His grace. Without the abundance of grace there is no success in life, no success in living Godly, no success in knowing God. Without grace we are merely servants, but through the abundance of grace we’ve been made joint heirs with Christ… and we are children of the one true God!
So if you’ve wondered why it’s called the gospel of grace, it’s because there is no news like this great news… that God loves us, accepts us and gives us victory in Jesus name!
Continue to renew your mind with the abundance of grace… never grow beyond it, only grow deeper in it! With the abundance of grace you will certainly reign in life.
Blessings!
Abundance of Grace – Part 3
This blog is part of a four-part series… you can read the previous parts here:
Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4. Coming March 6, 2012 @ 8am EST
5. The abundance of grace allows me to stop comparing myself to others.
Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
(2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV)
Honestly, I have always struggled with comparing myself to others. On paper I know that I am uniquely gifted and qualified by God to minister… but never-the-less… I have lots of friends who are really talented and really successful.
For years I would look at my friends who “had it all together” and feel like I was never going to amount to anything. But thanks be to God who causes me to triumph! I can sense the voice of the Lord in my life. I’m flowing in revelation! I have a word from God! I don’t have to worry about what someone else can do or can’t do… I’m connected to the God who created the ground on which you stand!
I may not know tons of people… but I’m hooked up the Jesus who has a name better than any other name. Praise God!
6. Through the abundance of grace I’m doing good works better than ever.
I’m sure you’ve been around long enough for the church to tell you what you can and can’t do. And knowing what is good and what isn’t is great… all scripture is good for teaching (2 Timothy 3:16) but we still need to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
In James 1:19-25 we see a passage of scripture that is usually presented to us in a way that says, “perform for God and you’ll be blessed.” But if you look at it slowly (the key to understanding) you’ll see this phrase, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and preserves, being no heard who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
The word perseveres in the James 1:25 NKJV is translated continues. So what do we continue in? We continue looking in the perfect law of liberty. In other words we continue hearing and seeing and abundance of grace! Then, when we receive an abundance of grace we are blessed in our performance! That’s right… grace will produce more good in you than the moral code will.
Abundance of Grace – Part 2
This blog is part of a four-part series… you can read the previous parts here:
Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3. Coming March 2, 2012 @ 8am EST
Part 4. Coming March 6, 2012 @ 8am EST
3. The abundance of grace allows my to prosper mentally, physically and financially.
Back to our key verse Romans 5:17… the Apostle Paul said that those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness [will] reign in life. Joseph Prince has often said, “it’s hard to reign in life broke and flat-on-your back all the time.” Even Solomon said that through wisdom a house is built (Proverbs 24:3). James even tells us that if you lack wisdom God will give it to you (James 1:5).
Not only can we derive from the scriptures that we can prosper mentally, physically and financially… but if I was to remove this from my list of seven things… the other six would ultimately lead me to being able to prosper. Think about how much the removal of stress alone could play into your prospering.
Now, I know this is the point where all you “money sensitive people” are going to stop reading… but I’ll continue for everyone else’s sake. (I am smiling when I say this… so be nice!)
4. With and abundance of grace I can use my natural ability above my natural capacity.
The best way I can explain this is with an example.
Michael Jackson was probably one of the most gifted performers of our age. Right before his death he was preparing to do a highly anticipated comeback concert series called This Is It. Sadly, we never got to see him perform this.
When tickets went on sale for This Is It, they sold our within minutes. So AEG (the concert promoter) started adding more dates. I think the final number of shows scheduled ended up being forty nights.
Then people started wondering can Michael do 40 concerts in a row. No one wondered if he was gifted enough to put on an incredible show… but with his obvious frailty and the fact that he had just turned 50, we he strong enough to do it.
So, the gift could be equated to quality, but the capacity could be equated to quantity.
With an abundance of grace, I have found the my capacity is much greater… because I am able to lean on the One who has infinite capacity. Now, I’m not saying I can perform my gifts infinitely… that absurd! But the fact is, between my natal capacity and infinite capacity is more capacity than I had when I started!
Through God’s grace… the gift that has been given by grace (Romans 12:6) is being multiplied by grace!
Abundance of Grace – Part 1
This blog is part of a four-part series… you can read the previous parts here:
Part 1.
Part 2. Coming February 29, 2012 @ 8am EST
Part 3. Coming March 2, 2012 @ 8am EST
Part 4. Coming March 6, 2012 @ 8am EST
Over the last year I have had an overwhelming experience with the grace of God. I would go so far as to call it a revelation or even a revolution in my personal life. I have been amazed at how good God is, and how good He is being in my life. This revelation of God’s grace has not come unassisted. I have found that many of my comrades in ministry are experiencing the same thing and even my mentor – Tony Sutherland – has had an incredible revelation of the gospel of grace.
So, looking over the past life changing year, I started to gather some of the undeniable fruit that has been produced from the abundance of grace in my life… and I’d like to share them with you.
First, let me say, I’m using the phrase abundance of grace straight from Romans 5:17 which says, “ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” Because I’m receiving and abundance of grace, I am able to see the following products… I’m able to reign in life.
1. Due to this abundance of grace, I can rely on God’s love for me and not my love for God.
1 John 4:19 says that “we love because he first loved us.” That’s great news! I don’t have to muster up love from my limited abilities… no, I can look to the source of love, the God who is love, and by simply receiving His love for me I can produce love for Him, for others and for myself.
Proverbs 20:6 says that “man boast of his own steadfast love”. Isn’t that the truth… we go around talking about how much we love God, how passionate we are about different things, how much we love this person and that person… But the proverb goes on to say “but a faithful man who can find?” We can boast of our love all day long… but the truth is that our love is flawed. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” While our love has much variance, we can look to the one who has an unchanging, unmoving and perfect love.
2. Through an abundance of grace I can be free from stress.
You can read Romans 8:1-4 and you will notice a phrase right in the middle that says, “For God has done what the law, weakened by flesh, could not do.” My friend, if you were having a tough month financially and could not make your car payment you would have reason to worry. However, if my good friend Andy McMillan (insert link) came along and paid your car payment, you would have no more reason to we troubled.
That’s what Jesus did for us! He paid a debt we could not pay and by that payment removed the wrath that was intended for our sin. The condemnation for sin has been removed from the believer! And even when you can’t perform perfectly you have an advocate with the receipt of payment in hand! (1 John 2:1)
By Rejecting This
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
(1 Timothy 1:18-20 ESV)
To fully understand this passage, we will need to jump backward for a moment. A key word here is the word this. What is this?
Well… this can be found in verses 3 and 4
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
(1 Timothy 1:3-4 ESV)
Paul is telling Timothy that when we fail to keep the saving Gospel of Jesus by grace through faith central we are doomed to wreck! This is why I’m just going to keep preaching the goodness of God and the good gift of His Son! I’ve learned that nothing I can do can merit anything from God. I am an utter and complete failure… but Jesus is good enough for us both.
When I was trying to live right, do right, pray right, believe right, attend church right, not sin right… all I found was dirt in my mouth from falling flat on my face. But when I accepted His goodness, His faithfulness, His grace on my behalf… I started to effortlessly find success in “godliness”.
I’m not trying to indicate that I’m perfect… I’m still finding new freedom everyday. However, I’m experiencing His presence, blessing and a revelation of the Word like I never have before. That’s because it’s no longer on my insufficient effort, but on Christ’s perfect performance.
Bottom line, when you trust in your performance… you will shipwreck. When you trust in Jesus AND your performance… you will shipwreck. But when you trust in Jesus and His performance… you won’t even have to steer the ship and you’ll end up where you wished you could be!
I’m on my way by God’s grace!
Grand Sinner
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
(1 Timothy 1:12-16 ESV)
What made Paul (or I should say Saul) such a grand sinner? Paul was not a former addict, merchant, fisherman, tax collector… he was a devout jew. DEVOUT! He said of himself to be a Hebrew of Hebrews. He was incredibly educated in the scriptures. What ignorance did he act in?
Paul was (like most pharisees) convinced that keeping the old covenant law could save him. Notice that Paul goes on to say that Christ came to save sinners… of who Paul is foremost, in Paul’s perception at least. Paul had come to the realization that no matter how much he maintained the law… he could never live up to the standard.
Paul even notes early in this letter that the law is not for the just, but for the lawless and disobedient. (1 Timothy 8-9) The law is intended to drive us to Jesus. (Galatians 3:24) So do you know who the lawless and disobedient are? Everyone who is under the old covenant law! Everyone under the law fails! That’s how it was set up. (Romans 8:20)
But for the just… those justified through the shed blood of Jesus… the law isn’t for them! No, the law has been fulfilled on our behalf and we have been set free to live fruitful lives… not through the keeping of the law, but by the Spirit that teaches us all things!
Praise God! His grace prevails!
Swerving Off Course
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.(1 Timothy 1:3-11 ESV)
So if the new covenant is a covenant of grace, why is there so much law teaching? This is a great question… There is probably a huge book waiting to be written to answer it… but I’m not the guy to do it… at least not yet anyway! But I will point to our passage today…
First let’s look towards the end of this passage. As always, we need to affirm that the law is GOOD. There is nothing inherently wrong with the law… it simply can’t save… nor can it be achieved.
As a matter of fact, when we preach any form of the law to believers we’re missing the point. This passage says plainly, “the law is not laid down for the just…” The NASB better translates the word dikaios… instead of just the NASB says righteous. Praise God! The law isn’t for me as a believer! No, the Spirit is teaching the believer (John 14:26)… and the Spirit brings life (2 Cor 3:6).
But the above scripture gives three reasons people swerve off course and teach the law…
Swerve from a pure heart.
The fact is there is money and power in religion. If you can get enough people to look to you for a pardon of their sins then you’ve found an extremely lucrative business! When we abandon a pure heart towards God we are in dangerous territory.
Jesus has completed everything on my behalf… and that doesn’t make me want to abuse God’s goodness, but it puts a desire in me to please God… to love Him back. When we swerve from the desire to do what God wants, we are already starting to swerve towards the Law.
Swerve from a good conscience.
Condemnation kills. Condemnation itself means complete disapproval… as in you’re dead to me!
When we as believers accept condemnation we are accepting no less than the lie of the enemy… that’s why he is called the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10 NASB). The enemy wants to get into our head about all that we do wrong. Why? Because when we focus on our sin we focus on the law… which increases sin (Romans 5:20). But when we focus on the goodness of God it allows us to overcome (Romans 2:4).
Swerve from sincere faith.
We must feed our faith. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the finished work of Jesus! That’s why Romans 12:2 says we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind… to know what is good, acceptable and finished. And what is finished? The work of Jesus on the cross to take away the sin of the world. Jesus has paid the price for your salvation… remind yourself of that! Nothing you do saves you. You can only helplessly receive the marvelous work done for you by the One who created all things!
And, by the way, renewal is an ongoing process. It never ends. If you don’t renew, you expire. So you have to keep reminding yourself of this finished work!
Believer… you are a child of God! And God loves His kids that behave and His kids that misbehave! It’s always better to behave… but it’s the best to be loved regardless!
Blessings!
Sensuous
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
(Colossians 2:18 ESV)
On Wednesday I talked about finding what we need in Jesus and not a position or obscure doctrinal stance. But today I want to talk about not being swept away in foolishness.
As I have said on this blog many time, the key is right believing. Anytime the enemy can get you off focus on Jesus and His marvelous saving grace that reaches much farther than your ability to do right works… then the enemy is winning.
We’ve got churches filled with people who have traded the gospel for false depth. We have, in my circle of pentecost, people who have traded sight for the blind for falling on the ground… who have traded the miraculous for the flamboyant. In many cases we have been had-a-fool by people who are puffed up with only sensations to pull us away.
Look at this definition…
sensuous |ˈsenSHo͞oəs|
adjective – relating to or affecting the senses rather than the intellect: the workshowed a deliberate disregard of the more sensuous and immediately appealing aspects of painting.
Don’t let this mess disqualify you… but instead draw back to the core message… the One Who can save you! The One Who qualifies you (Colossians 1:11-12)!
Don’t trade the miraculous gospel for the foolishness of false depth!
You ARE going to make it!