THE GRACE OF GOD IS UNCHANGING, BUT WE HAVE TO CHANGE AS INDIVIDUALS !

7/24/2019

ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS ABOUT GOD IS THAT HE IS UNCHANGING AND HIS WAYS CANNOT BE MANIPULATED BY TIME, CULTURE, OR CIRCUMSTANCE, AND THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING THING. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS WORLD, GOD IS A ROCK SOLID AND STEADY CREATOR WHO HAS GIVEN US A FOUNDATION OF ROCK SOLID PRINCIPLE AND PROMISE. THE UNCHANGING HEART AND LOVE OF GOD MEANS EVERYTHING TO US AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. IT GIVES US A CLEAR AND PRECISE UNDERSTANDING OF HIM INTIMATELY. WE DON’T HAVE TO FACE A NEW SET OF IDEAS, A NEW SET OF REQUIREMENTS, BECAUSE THERE AREN’T ANY. GOD MAKES IT VERY CLEAR. HE ISN’T SUBJECT TO THE LATEST SOCIAL IMPERATIVE OR SOME NEW IDEOLOGY THAT CONSUMES MANKIND. HE IS UNCHANGING !

FOR I, THE LORD, DO NOT CHANGE; THEREFORE YOU, O SONS OF JACOB, ARE NOT CONDEMNED. Malachi 3:6

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER. Hebrews 13:8

EVERY GOOD THING GIVEN AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, COMING DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR SHIFTING SHADOW. James 1:17

IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT GOD IS TRULY THE CREATOR AND KING IN OUR LIFE THAT GIVES US STABILITY AND GUIDANCE, AND ALWAYS WILL. YET SO OFTEN I ENCOUNTER PEOPLE WHO REJECT HIM OUTRIGHT, OR EVEN IF THEY HAVE A BELIEF IN HIM, AND ACCEPT HIS GRACE, STILL DON’T WANT TO DO THE ONE THING THAT SOLIDIFIES THEIR LIFE. CHANGE, AND START ABIDING IN HIM. SEEK HIM, AND HIS WISDOM, AND START LIVING FOR HIM AND SHARING HIM.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO BELIEF AND NO DESIRE TO KNOW HIM, I FEEL SAD FOR, BUT ALSO ENERGIZED TO PRAY THAT AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE, GOD WILL FIND A WAY TO LET THEM KNOW WHO HE IS, AND THAT HE IS THERE FOR THEM. WE CAN SHARE THE GOSPEL AND PLANT SEEDS, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT TRULY HAS TO MOVE THEM TOWARD GOD. THE MORE PUZZLING ASPECT FOR ME REVOLVES AROUND THE CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH THE GIFT OF JESUS, AND YET NOTHING CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES. THEY CONTINUE TO LIVE THE SAME WAY THEY ALWAYS HAVE, AND THEIR PRIORITIES DON’T SEEM TO MOVE IN THE SLIGHTEST TOWARD GOD, OR HIS KINGDOM. THEY MAY GO TO CHURCH, AND THEY MAY BE IN A BIBLE STUDY, AND YET THERE JUST DOESN’T SEEM TO BE A YEARNING OR A PASSION TO GO DEEPER. IN REFLECTION, I THINK THAT A BIG PART OF IT REVOLVES AROUND THE CONCEPT OF GRACE. IN A LOT OF PLACES AND CHURCHES, THE MESSAGE IS VERY FOCUSED ON GRACE AND SALVATION. THAT MESSAGE IS HUGE AND VERY REAL, AND IT IS KEY FOR UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GIFT WE HAVE IN JESUS. THE MISSING PIECE IS THAT GRACE WASN’T MEANT TO BE RECEIVED AND NOT ACTED UPON. GRACE WAS NOT MEANT TO BE A SINGLE EXPERIENCE THAT EVOKED NO CHANGE OF HEART IN THE ONE WHO RECEIVED IT. JESUS DIED AND WAS RESURRECTED THAT WE MIGHT BE BORN AGAIN. BORN INTO A NEW PERSON WITH A NEW SET OF VALUES, AND A NEW PURPOSE. IN HIS GRACE, JESUS TELLS US WHAT IS IMPORTANT OVER AND OVER IN HIS WORD, AND HE WANTS A CHANGE IN OUR HEART.

BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO ACCORDING TO HIS GREAT MERCY HAS CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN TO A LIVING HOPE THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD. 1 Peter 1:3

THEREFORE IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE; THE OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, NEW THINGS HAVE COME 2 Corinthians 5:17

ONCE WE HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS AS SAVIOR, LORD, AND KING….WE ARE NOT THE SAME. WE ARE A NEW CREATURE, AND THAT MEANS WE NEED TO CHANGE AND BEGIN EMBRACING AND LIVING OUR LIFE FOR OUR GOD ! IT MAY NOT BE EASY, AND I CAN VOUCH FOR THAT MYSELF I HAVE NOT BEEN PERFECT AS I STRIVE TO CHANGE, BUT THE POINT IS THAT I AM TRYING ! I AM MAKING AN EFFORT ! I AM ASKING GOD TO HELP ME, TEACH ME, SHOW ME. I WORK AT BEING LIKE HIM BECAUSE I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM ! I WANT IT DEEP IN MY HEART. GRACE CAN’T BE SOMETHING I TAKE FOR GRANTED AND SIMPLY IGNORE IT’S PRICE AND WHAT IT MEANS. THAT WOULD MAKE IT AS SOME PEOPLE SAY, “CHEAP”.

SO, START WITH PRAYER AND REFLECTION, AND ASK GOD TO CHANGE YOU ! ASK GOD TO HELP YOU GROW. ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU HOW TO ABIDE IN JESUS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS. GET BUSY, GET BOLD. FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS AND BE SHARPENED AND TESTED. ONCE YOU TRULY GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF GRACE AND HOW IT CAN CHANGE YOU, YOU WILL BE A SHINING LIGHT IN THE WORLD AND A TRUE CITIZEN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD !

THE LORD HAS LOOKED DOWN FROM HEAVEN UPON THE SONS OF MEN TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY WHO UNDERSTAND, WHO SEEK AFTER GOD. Psalm 14:2

SEEK THE LORD AND HIS STRENGTH; SEEK HIS FACE CONTINUALLY. 1 Chronicles 22:19

IN LOVE AND THANKFULNESS, FEEL THE POWER OF GOD TO CHANGE YOU /JA