(CLICK THE PICTURE) Good morning everyone. I recently had a conversation with a group of people that got me to thinking about how we as Christians take Gods grace for granted sometimes and heap our self-righteousness on those that we feel are not in their proper place In relationship with the Father. My advice to all of us is STOP IT. None of us are as holy as we think we are. Let’s continue to let God clean them up. Our job is still to fish and catch them.
Today’s Prayer
Father, I come again this morning on behalf of my brothers and sisters in Christ to ask forgiveness. Forgive those of us who have apparently hung a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign on our faith, for being blind to any new insights, deaf to Your Spirit’s pleadings, smug in our own self-righteousness, and satisfied with our limited vision. Quicken within us a desire to study Your Word, and open our eyes that we may see glimpses of all that You want for us. Create in all of us a desire to want it also. In the mighty name of Jesus I present this and all things, Amen and Amen.
Let’s eat.
No Difference
In Nature – There is no difference
Romans 3:21-31
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
In Grace – There is no difference
Romans 10:5-13
For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Quote of the Day
Worship makes costly demands on our time and energies. It calls us from the inertia of being self-centered. (In other words, get over yourself and praise God).
G. E. Sterrett
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REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
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James H. Taylor Sr. – Kankakee City News has published my Daily meal message for a decade.