Growing in Grace

From this day forward. . . *I will make a difference. *Jesus, I thank you that you suffered and died for me on the cross to pay for my sins. *Father, I thank you that you raised Jesus from the dead to be my living Lord and Savior. *Holy Spirit, I thank you that you will lead me to do the right thing and change my world. *Today, Lord, I want to make you a promise. *I will not be ashamed of your name or your Gospel. *I will do what I can for those who are persecuted and pray for them. *I will look enemies in the eye and love them with your love. *I will pray for them and love them - no matter what the consequences. *I will follow your voice wherever you lead me, unafraid, for I know you will be with me. *If I should stumble, if I should fall, if I should deny your name, if I should feel guilty that I did not pray or forgot to do something you asked me to do, I will not quit. I will not wallow in guilt. I will turn back to you, confess my sin, and do what you called ...

Ten Rules for Revolutionaries 1. Live the Five Loves Love God Love His Word Love your enemies Love your neighbor Love Truth Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." -Matthew 22:37-40 NIV Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. -Matthew 5:44 NKJV By living the Five Loves of a Jesus Freak through the power of God's love, you walk in the supernatural constantly. 2. Always Go Directly to the Source Then you will call upon  Me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. -Jeremiah 29:12-13 NAS Remain in me, and I will remain in y...

Religion is nothing else than doing the will of God and not our own. Heaven or hell depends on this alone. -Susannah Wesley Do you want real freedom? Real peace? Try living as though the only thing that keeps you going is the Word of God in your heart. -Jesus Freaks II; p. 288 Live today as if you were going to die a martyr this evening.  -Charles de Foucauld Killed by Senussi rebels Tamanrasset, Algeria 1916 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Galatians 2:20 Wow! The Father is so wise and loving and good to us. No wonder people can't understand Him or what He's up to. . . He's the source, guide, and goal of everything that exists. Praise Him! . . . OK, sisters and brothers, because of all this, and using God's loving-kindness in your lives as a tool, give your whole selves back to Him. What else is there for ...

Love of God is pure when joy and suffering inspire an equal degree of gratitude. -Simone Weil A person who lives in faith must proceed on incomplete evidence, trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse. -Philip Yancey Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory. -William Barclay Christianity doesn't deny the reality of suffering and evil. . . Our hope. . . is not based on the idea that we are going to be free of pain and suffering. Rather, it is based on the conviction that we will triumph over suffering. -Brennan Manning Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength for the journey that still lies ahead. -Frederick Buechner And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. -1 Peter 5:10 NIV

Being "eternity minded" is one thing that those who are so willing to give their lives for Jesus have that others seem to lack. Their perspective looks something like this: "So, ten thousand years from now, when I am just settling into heaven, will I remember the things I do today with satisfaction or shame?" Though they are heavenly minded, they are not so wrapped up in thinking about heaven that they are content to just wait life out on earth in their impatience to get there, nor are they so excited about the Rapture coming that all they do is study end-times prophecies to the exclusion of almost all else. They want to do things in this life that will make a difference for heaven, and they want to make that difference every day. What is life on earth really worth compared to an eternity in heaven? Isn't it worth living in a little discomfort or inconvenience here to make a difference for our eternity there?" -Jesus Freaks II, Revolutionaries For we...

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. -Judges 17:6 In other words, when there is no absolute authority to decide right and wrong, everyone has his or her own opinion about what to d o.       The truth of the Gospel works on so many levels. Though some will argue that God does not exist and that man is the highest form in the universe, they will still strive for a moral code. Is there a better moral law than the Golden Rule of "Treat others the same way you would want them to treat you"? Even though this is a great philosophy, it cannot work without its power source. Man has no motive to be "good" without gratitude to a Savior who granted they should not have to suffer for their own sins. Without love of God in their hearts to motivate them to put the needs of others before themselves, they will ultimately act selfishly despite what philosophies they hold on to. -Jesus Freaks II, Revolutionaries p. 192 Faith points to a moral ...

"True revolutionaries must have a love for the Truth that does not settle for what someone else says or believes. They will dig and question and read and study until they find the smallest vein of truth, and then they will mine that until they find more. They are not satisfied until they have something they can hold on to solidly, and then they will be open to the possibility that even that is probably incomplete, and keep looking. Meanwhile they do not preach their opinions and convictions as a reason to put others down, nor do they judge others because they fit a different mold. They stand, humbly, and say, 'As far as I can tell, this is the truth. I am open to discussing it and being convinced otherwise, but if you've got nothing better to offer me, then I am going to hold to what I believe - I will stand by this, I cannot do otherwise.' Then see if what is really important doesn't come to the forefront and begin to set people free from the constraints that are ...

Christian revolutionaries have a very different patriotic attitude. Though in all things they put God before country, that allegiance makes them better citizens for this, not worse. Because of their loyalty to God they can give themselves more wholeheartedly to following the laws of the state, knowing that the state has based its laws upon the statues of the Bible and its moral code. When the laws of the land fall into conflict with those Biblical statutes, then they are better citizens for standing against them than they would be if they complied with ungodliness. Thus Christians, because of the conviction behind their stand for right and freedom, can be the most influential type of citizen there is. This is also why they are the most feared, and why governments have been the greatest persecutors of Christians in the last two millennia. -Jesus Freaks II, Revolutionaries p. 237 Faith points to a moral law beyond man's law, and calls us to duties higher than material gain. Free...

"What do you see as the proof of your salvation?" -Jesus Freaks II, Revolutionaries That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33 Father God, let my life be the proof of my salvation.

"Christianity is described more as a river and a walk than being a lake or a destination. Christianity is not truly alive unless it is moving and changing. That is also why it is not simply memorizing a list of do's and don'ts like the Ten Commandments, but is a life 'in the Spirit' where daily actions are directed by the instructions we get from God in walking with Him every step of the way. This is also why we are instructed to 'pray without ceasing' (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When water stands still and is not renewed, it begins to stagnate; so do we when we become so set in our ways that we think we know it all already and have gone far enough on our journey with God to be able to judge others." -Jesus Freaks II, pp. 267-268   So I advise you to live according to your new life in t he Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. . . If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's ...

"What encourages us to preach the gospel in captive nations is that there those who become Christians are full of love and zeal. I have never met one single lukewarm Russian Christian. Former young Communists and Muslims become exceptional disciples of Christ. . . Whoever has known the spiritual beauty of the underground church cannot be satisfied anymore with the emptiness of some Western churches. . . One out of every five people in the world live in Communist China, where thousands of lay Christians evangelize without 'permission'. Persecution has always produced a better Christian - a witnessing Christian, a soul-winning Christian. Communist persecution has backfired and produced serious, dedicated Christians such as are rarely seen in free lands. These people cannot understand how anyone can be a Christian and not want to win every soul they meet . . . These millions of dedicated, true and fervent believers in the lay church have been purified by the very fire...

"There is truly no more revolutionary action than to love those who have persecuted you and forgive them." -Jesus Freaks II, Revolutionaries "But I tell you who hear me:Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are cruel to you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back Do to others as you would have them to do to you. . .  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without excepting to get anything back. Then  your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High,because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:27-31, 35-3...

"Sometimes as Christians we forget how revolutionary what we believe truly is. That Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day? No other religion in the world has a founder that doesn't have a tomb somewhere that is kept in honor of his memory. In the Holy Land there are a few places where it is believed Jesus may have been buried, but no one can be sure, as they are all empty. The idea that the God who created the universe can live within a person's heart is simply incredible. That we can be strengthened from within by His Spirit and walk in the light of His advice through our consciences is equally amazing. And to say that we have yet to understand even one-millionth of what that means is an amazing understatement. The adventure of being a Christian, however, is not so remarkable if it is not consciously lived. Walking daily with Jesus shows . It creates a confidence and boldness in a person that is simply supernatural. But, strangely enough, it is e...

"A chain of bondage is placed upon a person link by link each time she turns away from the Truth or refuses to voice what is right. On a personal level, over time this can enmesh us in a lifestyle of self-justification and lies. Then the truth becomes so obscured that we hardly notice when we violate it ourselves until something tragic happens. On a community or societal level, power is accumulated by those who love it above all else when righteous people are silent. Often (freedom) is whittled away. . . when no opposition is voiced. Liberty evaporates withou t the refreshing wind of Truth. Through prayer and following our consciences we can make a difference in our personal worlds. This is the revolution and world-changing God has called each of us to. What is important (to God) is that we seek Him, live for Him, and obey Him daily. There is no higher calling than this, and there is no calling more dangerous to ignore." -Jesus Freaks - Revolutionaries; dc Talk; pp. 5...

"Faith uses as much wisdom as it has to accomplish the task at hand and then it lets God step in as He wills. It is unafraid to obey God even when that obedience would seem foolhardy. It is something that comes from a real relationship with God where we listen to Him more than we ask Him for things. It is the adventure of doing whatever God tells us to do without fear. Is there really any other way to live?" -Jesus Freaks - Revolutionaries; by dc Talk; p. 46 "What may be a failure in our eyes is seldom one in God's eyes."  Be not afraid, only believe. -Mark 5:36 (KJV) -Jesus Freaks- Revolutionaries; by dc Talk; p. 48 "God didn't call us to be successful, just faithful." - Mother Teresa "It is not my ability, but my response to God's ability that counts."  - Corrie Ten Boom -Jesus Freaks - Revolutionaries; by dc Talk; p. 49

With the new year has come new reading material. One of the new books I decided to read is "Jesus Freaks - Revolutionaries" by dc Talk. I thought the first one was very good; it challenged me to seek a deeper personal relationship with Christ as well as to live "out loud" more as an example of Christ to others. My first reading of this new book last night already caused a stirring in my heart and I am excited to get into it further. The first quote that jumped out at me was "Jesus came to comfort the afflicted, but He also came to afflict the comfortable." The question was asked, "are we too comfortable in our lifestyle to truly be following Christ?" I thought about our work. Why do we choose the work that we do? Yes, we need to earn a living, but are the numbers to the left of the decimal point the soul driving force in our choice? Is this work honest? Is it for a company that conducts business in line with Scripture? Do you believe in the p...

I recently read the book "Jesus Freaks: Martyrs" by dc Talk and the group Voice of the Martyrs. It has been very humbling to read about the faith of so many who have suffered great persecution and even death because of their faith in Christ. Even in the face of great physical pain to themselves and often their family - these believers stood their ground and refused to deny their Savior. A story I read that stood out to me was about Pastor Florescu. He was imprisoned in Romania in the 1960’s. He was arrested by the Communists and tortured in the hopes that he would give the names of other believers. He continually refused to give the names of his fellow Christian brothers and sisters. Then they did the unthinkable and brought in his 14-year-old son and began to whip him. The father watched until the writer says “the poor man was half crazy. He bore it as long as he could. But when he could stand it no more, he cried to his son, ‘Alexander, I must say what they want! I can’t ...