This weekend, God gave me lessons on grace. And how grateful am I for that! Friday, I woke up not feeling well at all. It just kept getting worse, to the point where a friend was going to walk me back to my dorm room. A staff member caught up with us, told me that she didn't want me in the dorms alone in case of an emergency, prayed for me, and let me sit in the back of the chapel. Suddenly, I was hearing a message on Right-handedness. And it begun with talking about the rights we feel we have. That was the first time God pricked my heart. I thought that because I didn't feel well, I had "the right" to check out. That everyone would understand if I just laid down across the chairs - that's all my body would let me do really. But God whispered, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness".
It wasn't just encouragement or positive thinking as I had approached this verse in the past. It was God explaining to me what He was about to do. His grace is His Spirit working in and through me. He reminded me of this and I took a sigh of relief. I didn't have to do anything but surrender. He wanted me to sit up, pay attention, and take notes. And since I was too weak to do it, He lovingly did it for me. I went on the rest of the day, feeling ill, but letting His right-hand have control and uphold me. I never felt better, though I was feeling awful. Ha!
Saturday, though, was worse. I felt even more ill than on Friday. And I couldn't stop the tears from coming because it seemed I couldn't just surrender to His grace that day. All I could think about was how badly it hurt, how much I was shaking, and how my eyes couldn't focus on much of anything. The same staff member who cared for me on Friday came to me again and prayed with me. she encouraged me to turn outward. That there were other students who were ill as well.
Suddenly I realized the enemy had so much power over me when it comes to sickness. He probably gets so excited because he knows he can convince me to just look out for me. Thankfully, I realized this and refused this time. While I did lay down and rest, I surrendered to His grace rather than self-centeredness. I began to pray for my classmates who were sick. Within an hour (I think - I know it wasn't much more than that) I was feeling much better. Not shaky, I could see and my head wasn't throbbing nearly as much.
I went outside with my friend who graciously checked on me periodically. I was about to learn an incredibly valuable lesson - one which now seems like "Duh, Mary". She hadn't been feeling well that morning either, but God asked her to be focused outward on me instead. And there I was, praying for her. I also found out that she was feeling better as well!
Oh my, how His grace works! When everyone is turned outward, everyone is taken care of! Why we ever buy the enemy's lies that we need to take care of ourselves is baffling to me now!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
True Grace
On June 22, we had a glorious day! The morning started off with wonderful worship, including a powerful reading of His names. And then, we continued celebrating by witnessing 23 (if I counted correctly) classmates declaring to the heavenlies that they were dead to sin and self and alive in Christ just before they were baptized. It just kept getting better from there as we took communion together. The message we then heard that afternoon fit so perfectly as well.
The common question I’ve heard around here, after hearing the Reckoning with Truth message I talked about in the last blog entry, has been "why has no one ever told me this?" There's frustration at realizing the Gospel has been told in an incomplete way in most churches in America. That was how I felt when I heard the message on grace.
I've always heard grace explained as "unmerited favor", which is no doubt part of it. But it's incomplete. Grace is "the enabling power of God, given to the saints of God, to carry out the errands of God".
Jude 1:4 says how some have turned "the grace of our God into lasciviousness" - they've let it become an opportunity for the flesh to still reign. How sad, when it's supposed to be the opposite.
Christians are to die to self (flesh), to not fear death, to love His way, to be dead to sin and be slaves to righteousness instead, and to be holy and perfect. Impossible? For those who are not in Christ I suppose. But that was what was purchased on the cross - not just forgiveness.
We are in Christ - covered by his blood and clothed in His righteousness. And now, He wants to make our bodies the home of His Spirit, so that His will will be done. That's grace.
Colossians 1:23-29 displays that grace is Christ is in you. That grace is how we are presented perfect. Not stained and defeated, perfect. Or, as Oswald Chambers put it, "We are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, not be struggle and effort, but by the impartation of that which is perfect."
Ephesians 3 makes it clear that His grace is given to us in order that His calling on our lives may be done. It also leaves us knowing, without question, that it is HIM who does the work through us. Grace is so much more than favor.
Grace is Galatians 2:20-21 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
The common question I’ve heard around here, after hearing the Reckoning with Truth message I talked about in the last blog entry, has been "why has no one ever told me this?" There's frustration at realizing the Gospel has been told in an incomplete way in most churches in America. That was how I felt when I heard the message on grace.
I've always heard grace explained as "unmerited favor", which is no doubt part of it. But it's incomplete. Grace is "the enabling power of God, given to the saints of God, to carry out the errands of God".
Jude 1:4 says how some have turned "the grace of our God into lasciviousness" - they've let it become an opportunity for the flesh to still reign. How sad, when it's supposed to be the opposite.
Christians are to die to self (flesh), to not fear death, to love His way, to be dead to sin and be slaves to righteousness instead, and to be holy and perfect. Impossible? For those who are not in Christ I suppose. But that was what was purchased on the cross - not just forgiveness.
We are in Christ - covered by his blood and clothed in His righteousness. And now, He wants to make our bodies the home of His Spirit, so that His will will be done. That's grace.
Colossians 1:23-29 displays that grace is Christ is in you. That grace is how we are presented perfect. Not stained and defeated, perfect. Or, as Oswald Chambers put it, "We are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, not be struggle and effort, but by the impartation of that which is perfect."
Ephesians 3 makes it clear that His grace is given to us in order that His calling on our lives may be done. It also leaves us knowing, without question, that it is HIM who does the work through us. Grace is so much more than favor.
Grace is Galatians 2:20-21 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
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