Grace VI

Free Grace

Psalm 84: 9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee

Look upon and examine the Lord and honor the face of your Messiah.  Exodus 33:20 says we cannot see the face of Yahweh God and live.  On the other hand, we can look upon the face of our Savior Jesus and live.  He is God, but He has released His glory that we might live.  That’s grace.

1 Peter 3:8 says that a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.  When we serve God we are outside of time.  An instant in Christ is worth a thousand years anywhere else.  A doorkeeper was one of the lowest in the social stratus, often a slave.  We are ear bored slaves in the house of God and yet the writer would rather live in the house of God as a doorkeeper than to live in the luxurious tents of wickedness.  It can often seem difficult to serve God when the entire fallen world hates you, but it is absolutely worth it.

Psalm 119:105 says, “God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.”  God is our sun and there is no darkness in heaven.  His truth is our shield and buckler (Psalm 91:4).  It watches over us to protect us.  When we have been captured by sin, His truth fights to set us free.  As long as you walk uprightly God will give you grace and glory.  There is nothing good that He will withhold from you.  The man or woman that abides and trusts in God will be constantly and continually blessed. 

Wise Grace

Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Proverbs is full of these ‘wisdom’ verses.  It’s a shame that Solomon was one of those, “Do as I say, not as I do,” types.  He taught the wisdom of the ages and then multiplied foreign wives until they led him into sin.  From the beginning of humanity women have generally been the more spiritually minded.  You should never marry a woman…or a man…that is not firmly grounded in YOUR faith.  Notice it says in verse 8 that we are to obey our ‘godly’ parents and follow their direction.  They are to be united in faith together to raise us to be God serving members of society. 

Grace is unmerited and undeserved favor from God.  Grace is to be displayed for others to see so they will know.  It crowns our heads like a royal diadem and hangs from our necks like a medal of honor.  People ought to be able to look at our lives and our person and see the power and anointing of God upon us.  Can they see the grace of God displayed on your life?

Preserving Grace

Proverbs 3:19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

Yahweh by wisdom and skill has founded and ORDAINED the earth which includes the world, its land and all nations; by reason, wisdom and understanding has established, appointed and fixed the heavens above.  By His knowledge, perception and skill the deep is broken up by evaporation which leads to the clouds which then drop rain and dew as He sees fit.

Our scientists today believe this vast universe is simply a giant machine that began by chance and works simply because it must work.  They give no credit to God and fight with every fiber of their being to mock even the concept of intelligent design.  They can accept no God and so must create the universe in their minds with flawed theorems and ideas.  This inane concept is completely against their own scientific method which says that all possibilities must be considered and proved incorrect before casting them aside.  These scientific geniuses would rather struggle down dark alleyways of man’s reason than merely take a statement from the Bible and seek to disprove…or prove…IT. 

Every knowledgeable scientist admits that the entire universe ‘appears to be tuned and operates in a manner that makes it appear to have been created for the sake of mankind.’  They offer no explanation for the fact that every creature has cells and organs that operate perfectly and are made in a manner that precludes intermediate steps.  In other words, your body does not appear to allow evolution.  It seems to have been created as a system that requires every part to function properly. When changes come we call it a disease or a disorder and the body DIES; it does not evolve.  Scientists however are still trying to discover the evolutionary steps.  They will fail.

In most body systems if you take away one single part the body or the cell dies.  Every cell in your body needs oxygen molecules to operate but if oxygen gets into the cell it dies.  Its use of oxygen is managed in such a way that free oxygen does not get through the cell wall unchecked.  It uses oxygen but does not allow it in.  They do not know what the cell wall is made of or how it works.  Even a single celled creature is incredibly complex.  They are still trying to prove their theories.  David’s statement that we are “Fearfully and wonderfully MADE,” does not get much notice in the scientific community.

In every case where a scientist has taken scripture and applied scientific principle to it, that scripture has been proven.  It is only the fear of being forced to accept something that they’ve told themselves does not exist, which keeps the majority of scientists from at least examining the scriptural truths with the same zeal and fervor they would apply to more accepted theorems.  Being cast out of the scientific community is also a very real fear. 

Just as religious leaders (and followers) in past centuries were put to death for heresy for stepping away from established beliefs, scientists will kill any fellow scientist’s career if they step away from established beliefs.  In the past scientists were not allowed to apply scientific principles to scripture because religious leaders foolishly feared the answers.  Today scientists are too full of their self absorbed opinions to admit religion could be correct.  It just can’t be true…right? (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).  Believing themselves to be wise they became fools (Romans 1:16-22).

Proverbs 3:21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

Bishop’s version:  My son, you are at an age where you are making more and more decisions for your own life.  If you hang around with fools, you will learn their wicked ways and earn God’s wrath.  If you hang around with wise men, you will be seen as wise and filled with understanding.  Do not let God’s wisdom depart from before your eyes.  Stand in His understanding and knowledge and remember that He was the builder and Lord of this creation we call the universe.  He promises that if you do He will bring life to your soul and grace to your neck.  People will see that difference in your life and God will open doors for you.”

 Proverbs 3:23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

What are the benefits of obedience to God? 

1.    You will walk through life with confidence, hope and assurance (Romans 5:3-5).

2.    Your foot will not stumble nor will you trip and fall (Psalm 119:105).

3.    When you lie down you shall not be afraid (Isaiah 14:3).

4.     When you lie down your sleep will be sweet.  One thing you must consider is that when you sleep you cannot guard yourself.  God promises that while you sleep…He does not…and will watch you and keep you safe (Psalm 91:1-5, 121:1-4).

5.    Do not allow yourself to panic or hide in fear when evil seasons arise (Psalm 91:7).

6.    Times are coming when God will punish those who have ignored his grace and mercy for so long (Psalm 91:5-8).  They will be chastened and destroyed in spite of all the lying preachers who say God will not send anyone to Hell.  They may even blame YOU for their suffering.  Do not blame yourself for someone else’s decisions.  God has given them opportunity after opportunity to repent and they have refused Him.  If you have warned them and prayed for them you are not to blame for their pain.  Remember beloved, if you have witnessed to them and warned them, God has touched their hearts.  He would not ignore your prayers.  They chose to silence the quiet voice in their heart (Zechariah 7:8-13).

7.    For the Lord shall be your confidence and keep your foot from being taken (Joshua 1:3-9).

Humble Grace

Proverbs 3:33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. 34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Sometimes we forget how far God has brought us.  If we have spent our time drawing closer to God over the years then we no longer appear as we did before he came into my life.  It says in 1 John 3:1 AMP - Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (Matthew 5:3-11).

All these scriptures are essentially proclaiming the same thing.  We are supposed to press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus until we have been made conformable to His will and His image.  Jesus is the image of the Father and we are to become the image of the Son.  Yes the wicked are cursed.  Yes the scorners are scorned, but those facts are of little interest to the Christian who loves God.  We are passionate about the day by day changes that God is working in our own life.  Our concern for the lost should compel us to witness to the lost, but our love for God should compel us to become more like Him and less like the world.

There is no arrogance in this.  Matthew 5 and other scriptures are pretty clear when they say that we ought to be meek and if we are meek we will inherit the grace of God and the world.  We are more than conquerors, we have already won.  We do not have to fight to receive what God has freely given us; we merely have to believe we have received it and we HAVE received it. 

Do you believe?

Crown of Grace

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

Get (procure, buy, purchase) wisdom (purpose, skill, knowledge).  Get (procure, buy, purchase) understanding (comprehension, reason, meaning).  Do not let wisdom slip from your mind or escape from your meditations.  Do not in any manner back away or fail to observe all the words that proceed and emanate from God’s mouth.  Embrace them, love them, be impregnated by them until they bring forth.  If you do not forsake her, this lady…wisdom…will preserve, hedge about, guard and save you.  If you love her with 1 Corinthians 13 love, this lady; this wisdom will keep you safe behind an impregnable fortress of God. 

Beloved, I have to say that most Christians barely know how to ask Jesus into their hearts.  Fewer know how to pray or understand exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Even fewer know or understand the deep things of God, things that would turn the scientific community on its ear.  Which group do you dwell in?  Is it enough for your?  If God placed a meter over your forehead that showed your understanding level and it said 17%, would you do whatever it took to raise your understanding and increase your wisdom? 

I guarantee that most Christians have not attained 17%.  Apostle Paul was probably only about a 40%.  Why?  Because we have barely scratched the surface of what God has for us.  We live in the beggarly flesh while we should live in the spirit.  I pray you will seek His wisdom.

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to Honour, when thou dost embrace her.

Is this not perfectly clear?  Wisdom is the premiere thing, the numero uno, the most important.  Get wisdom and whatever it takes to get that wisdom be sure to get an understanding.  Lift wisdom up and that wisdom will exalt you.  She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.  Mark 13:9 and others say we will be brought before kings and rulers the more we know of His Word.  God will not send us before these people unless we are ready to answer their questions wisely and with assurance.  His goal is that we might change their minds to serve the Lord.

Proverbs 4:9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee

Wisdom graces your head and your neck as I have stated earlier.  It is a medal of honor around your neck and an ornament, a wreath, about your head.  The purpose is obvious…to make sure everyone knows God has honored and exalted you.  When you step out of your house…or His house…you are known by the grace that abides upon you.  The elders at the gate of the city will know your name and approach you for advice. 

This level of grace is a maturity that comes through much prayer and pressing into the life, will, word and power of God the Almighty One.  It does not come by slipping and dipping into sin.  It does not come by half measures.  This level of grace comes because you have received honor after honor by the Holy Spirit and you are no longer the bedraggled and mud splattered sinner who first came to Him.  You have become more than your weak flesh and it shows.  

Bishop J.