Mercy & Grace

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

~Hebrews 4:14-16

Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. As humans, we don’t really deserve mercy or grace. We have failed God on such a grand scale, yet He continues to show mercy by allowing the world to continue because He knows there are still those out there who will come to accept His grace through Jesus Christ. God shows us mercy by not destroying us when He has every right to, and He shows us grace by forgiving us for everything we’ve done and giving us everlasting life in Heaven. It is His great compassion for us that allowed Christ to come to earth and die for our sins. It is His great compassion that allows us to be forgiven and live a life we don’t really deserve. But one day, God’s mercy and grace will come to an end and instead of being our salvation, He will be our judge.

My pastor in California used to tell the following story that shows the difference between Savior and Judge:

One day a man was driving to work and saw a car had plunged over the railing into a creek and was filling with water. A teenage boy was trapped in the vehicle, struggling to free himself as the water rose around him. The man jumped the railing, slid down the bank and plunged into the freezing water. He was able to break the window and cut the seatbelt, freeing the teenager. He dragged the boy to safety and stayed with him until help arrived. Many years later, the teenager had become a man and broke the law. He was arrested and brought to court. He immediately recognized the man on the bench as the same man who had dragged him from his car all those years ago. He said, “Don’t you remember me? When I wrecked my car all those years ago, you were the one who saved me!” The man looked at the prisoner and nodded. “Yes, I do remember you. But then, I was your savior. Today, I’m your judge.”

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:21-24).”

Today, Jesus Christ is our Savior, full of mercy and grace. One day we will stand before Him, and He will be our Judge. We have only this lifetime to do one thing right, and that’s to ensure our eternal destination is in Heaven. That is why God showers us with such great compassion despite the things we have done. That is why Christ died on the Cross at Calvary. It is not God’s desire that any should perish, but that all should come to salvation (2 Peter 3:9). He has done all He can to provide for our salvation and the rest is up to us. God loves us so much, He died for us in the person of Jesus Christ. God loves us, but it is up to us to love Him back.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:1-10).”

Read Job 7-10

©2018 Marie McGaha

Blessed Be The Name of The Lord

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong."

~Job 1:20-22

It doesn’t take many years on this planet to figure out that life isn’t fair. In fact, life is downright unfair and it’s a lifelong struggle to get through. Life hurts us mentally and physically, and from time to time, can leave us gasping in the dirt trying to figure out what happened and what’s going on. The one thing that’s certain is that life won’t leave any of us unscathed but how we handle life’s distress, disasters, and disappointments is totally up to us. I think it’s why I like reading the Book of Job so much. The devil unleashed his worst on Job, yet through everything he endured, Job “did not sin or charge God with wrong.” As a chaplain, I have heard many people blame God for what is wrong in their lives, even people who claim to not believe in God, blame Him when things go wrong. I have also had many people ask, “Why would God allow this to happen?” Answering people who blame God is much easier than answering why He allows things to happen.

I know in my own life I have endured many losses from the death of a daughter to the death of grandchildren and a husband. I have watched my father battle cancer, as well as having many friends who have either had cancer or had a loved one with cancer. I’ve grieved with others who have had similar losses in their lives, and I’ve stayed awake many a night praying for an answer to “why?” In truth, I don’t know why God allows the things that happen to us, especially to those who serve Him in everything they do. Yes, it does seem unfair to me; yes, it does hurt to think that God isn’t as concerned as I think He should be; but no, I do not blame God because I believe the Bible.

“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified (Romans 8:25-30).”

When we are called by God, we know who we are in Him. We know that no matter what happens in life, it is a temporary situation. We know that what happens here on Earth strengthens and refines us and conforms us to the image of Christ. We know that there is a better plan, an ultimate plan laid out for us by God before we were even created in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5), and the God who planned for us to be born will never forget or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). We are His and He has written our names on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). There is nothing we go through that God has not already prepared a conclusion for that is strictly in our favor. So if the odds are rigged, they are definitely in our favor!

The story of Job is a life lesson for us all. Yes, there will be great losses and great grief. Yes, our friends will turn on us, and even our families will abandon us. We will be betrayed in ways we don’t expect or see coming. We will shed tears, feel like life’s biggest loser, and sometimes we will be tempted to give up and walk away. But in all things, we must remember that God is in control and He is our ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). I have had to repeat Job’s line many times in my life, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the Name of the Lord.” So I hope this gives you encouragement no matter what you may be going through right now. It’s okay to cry and be discouraged, and it’s okay to grieve our losses, but we also have to remember that God still has our best interest at heart and in the end, He will make all things right again.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17).”

Read Job 1-6

© 2018 Marie McGaha

The Lord's Prayer

"Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."

~Matthew 8:9-13 

         

          Jesus prayed. A lot (Luke 5:16). He prayed in every situation absolutely convinced His prayers were heard and would be answered. He got up early in the morning to pray (Mark 1:35) and He prayed all night (Luke 6:12). Jesus prayed at His own baptism, He prayed prior to selecting the disciples, He prayed before He was arrested, and He prayed on the Cross. Jesus knew that His relationship with God was based on communication through a rich prayer life. So let’s look at one of Christ’s most famous prayers, The Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13.

          Our Father: Our prayers are directed to Father God in Heaven. There is only one God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Creator of all things, including us. He is the one who set life into motion and is in control of all things, including our lives from before our conception throughout the rest of eternity. We have a paternal need within us, a desire to know that our Father will take care of our every need. God is the ultimate father, caring for each one of us, making sure our every need is seen to.

         Hallowed be Your name: The word “hallowed” means “holy, set apart, consecrated, to be treated as holy.” When we say “hallowed be Your name,” we are acknowledging that there is no one higher than God. We are stating that we understand God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. We are acknowledging that our lives belong to Him.

Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven: When we declare God’s will to be done on earth, we acknowledge that we are giving up our selfish, self-centered wills and are willing to accept that God knows best for us and for the whole of society. When we look around society, it’s obvious that humankind does not know what’s best and no matter how we’ve tried, we haven’t fixed any of the world’s problems. God is the only One who can fix problems in our personal lives and that of society. When we give up our stubborn wills and hand our lives over to God, we find that life gets much easier.

         Give us this day our daily bread: God is a good Father and cares for His children. We are not to worry about what we will eat or wear, God knows what we have need of and He provides for us (Matthew 6:8, 26-27). The children of Israel wandered the desert for forty years, yet they were clothed, fed, and had fresh water to drink. We do not have to fear going hungry when our lives belong to God because He cares for us (Matthew 6:31).
         And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: We are acknowledging our need for forgiveness, but not only that, we need to forgive those who have offended us. Forgiveness is not for God and it’s not for others, forgiveness is for us. When we ask for forgiveness from God, we are acknowledging that we need Him as our Father, and we cannot continue life on our own. Each and every one of us needs forgiveness (Romans 3:23-26) in order to be received by God, and the only way to receive forgiveness is through the Blood of Jesus Christ. It is a free gift, but we still have to accept it by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Being forgiven allows us to forgive others. It’s not always easy but it is possible. Unforgiveness in our hearts blocks the flow of God through us. That God-shaped hole inside of us is meant to be filled by God alone, not by unforgiveness. When we forgive others, we free up our souls for God’s glory and our peace of mind.

        And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil: These words have probably been the most disputed, but understand, God does not “lead” us into temptation. However, He does allow temptation to come near us in order to refine us. Trouble is a fact of life and no one is immune to it. It’s how we handle the trials of life that refine our lives in Christ Jesus. When we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-18), we are arming ourselves with the best weapons against the devil. God will deliver us when we have done all and choose to stand in the face of adversity.

        For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever: The Kingdom or Heaven, the Power of Heaven, and the Glory of Heaven is God, is of God, belongs to God, was brought to earth when Jesus Christ was born, and was shared with us when Christ died on the Cross. Praise the Lord for sharing His kingdom, His power, and His glory with you. Amen: So be it!

(From Keys Of Heaven by Marie McGaha © 2018 - Coming from Dancing With Bear Publishing  Fall 2018)

Read Esther 6-10

Weekend Reading Psalm 119

Counting Joy

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

~James 1:2-4

Life is full of unavoidable trials. People are going to let us down, break our hearts, and disappoint us. Some events in life are going to make us doubt and question what we are doing and why. We don’t have control over what other people do, and we can’t always be in control of events that occur in our lives, but how we deal with situations is within our control.

Counting the trials of life as joy seems to be a contradiction, but when we read the above verse in context, it isn’t the trial but the result of the trial that we count as joy. Trials test us, our faith, and our character. The result of the trials in life is that it makes us stronger, increases our faith, and draws us closer to God. Even circumstances that feel as if they will break us serve a higher purpose. Withstanding trials doesn’t mean we can’t cry, feel anger, depression, or doubt while going through them.

Some people think that being a Christian means never wavering or expressing any of the emotions that come naturally but Christ expressed all those emotions in His life. He was angry with the money changers (Matthew 21:12); He was moved to compassion (Luke 7:12-15); He showed great love (John 13:23); His heart was broken when Judas betrayed Him (Mark 14:10-72); He was abandoned (Matthew 26:56); He experienced doubt on His way to the Cross (Matthew 26:39); He felt agony when being whipped and beaten, and suffered physical and mental pain while on the Cross; and He gave up hope when God turned away from the sin laid upon Him (John 19). Yet, through everything He suffered, Jesus did not sin (1 Peter 2:22), and instead of hating those who had tortured and hurt Him, He asked God to forgive them (Luke 23:34).

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).”

Steadfastness “literally means fixed in place but is chiefly used figuratively to indicate undeviating constancy or resolution, as in steadfast faith.” We can be steadfast in our faith no matter what we are going through in life because of all the things Jesus went through for our salvation.

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).”

Read Esther 1-5

©2018 Marie McGaha

Lift Your Eyes

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

~Isaiah 43:1-3 

There are times in life when we are tired, worn out, and drained. Sometimes, we need to take a step back and recharge. I find being alone with God is the best way to do that. I turn on my favorite worship music, I dance and sing and praise God. I read the Bible and I pray. I watch videos of my favorite teachings from Rabbi Schneider and Pastor Irvin Baxter. Not always in that order. I am a visual person and an interactive person. I like being able to express myself in whatever way fills my heart and soul with the peace that can only come from a holy Lord. Worshipping Jesus Christ for who He is and what He’s done in my life gives me the peace that surpasses all understanding. No matter what goes on in life, I know I can count on Him.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 121).”

God’s promises never change. They are the same today as they were yesterday, and they’ll be the same tomorrow as they are today. No matter what happens in life, or how we feel, or how tired we get, the Lord is still on our side. He is still our advocate in a world that tries to tear us down. He is our peace when the oceans rage and the volcanoes flow into the sea. He is our comfort when the earth shakes, and the wind spins out of control. He is always with us no matter what is going on in life, or even when life is smooth as glass. Our only job is to accept His great love and love Him in return. Jesus Christ showed His great love for us when He died on the Cross (John 15:13); we show ours in our worship, prayer and Bible study.

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything (1 John 3:19-20).”

Read Nehemiah 7-9

©2018 Marie McGaha

Crash & Burn

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

~Philippians 3:7-11

Yesterday came down crashing and burning. I failed totally and I’m disappointed in myself and my conduct. Not so much because I feel I was in the wrong but because I have higher expectations of myself when faced with difficult situations. I expect to rise above. I expect to take the high road. I expect to be a better person and treat others better than they treat me. I expect to be able to keep my mouth shut and bridle my tongue. I expect to be able to live and let live no matter what happens or how I actually feel in any given situation. I expect to have much thicker skin. I expect to handle life like water off a duck’s back. I don’t always succeed.

Part of the problem was that I have been busting my hump to show myself approved in this new town, new church, new people, new everything where I haven’t felt at home since I got here a year ago. I want people to like me but I’m an outsider here and no matter what I’ve done to be included and make friends, it hasn’t happened that way. Hitting the one-year mark and seeing that I’m a complete failure hit me hard. Yes, my expectations are pretty high but only for myself. I don’t expect so much out of others because life has shown me that it won’t happen. People will do the stupid, selfish, self-serving thing every time—including me. So, I didn’t sleep much last night. I kept rehashing everything over again and again and again…

Today, I’ve realized that I spent the past year trying to please man instead of working to please God. While I thought I was doing what God wanted, I came to realize, I was trying to impress people. I was trying to make people like me by doing as much as I could and by showing everyone how diligent I am in every aspect of my life. When it came to it, I was really trying to impress just one man, actually, and I failed.

“Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:22-24).”

Sometimes, we can get so caught up in what others think of us that we forget that we are here to serve Christ in all things, no matter what others think of us. So today is a new day, and I begin again. Today, I go forward in Christ, and put behind me my failings and take a new step toward Heaven. I’ll analyze myself to death of course, and I’ll rehash each word until I have turned it into mush but that’s just me. In the end, no matter what we say or do, there is only one Judge that we must make sure we are right before, and that is Jesus Christ.

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).”

Read Nehemiah 4-6

©2018 Marie McGaha

Platitudes

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

~Matthew 25:35-40

Recently, I found myself questioning how I responded to the needs of others due to a particular incident. I had talked with someone about the incident and their response was, “I’ll pray for you.” Now, as Christians, that’s a pretty pat answer, and while praying for others is of vital importance, it’s not all we should or could do. I actually wanted a little more in regards to an answer and felt let down that all the other person could offer was “I’ll pray for you.” It sounded like platitudes. 

Jesus was practical in all that He did. While prayer was a part of His life, when it came to others, it wasn’t all He did. In John 4 there is a story about the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus didn’t look at her and say, “I’ll pray for you,” and continue on His way. First, He engaged her in conversation, secondly, He addressed her needs, and third, He revealed Himself to her. In John 6, the crowds had been around Jesus for a long time, it was the Passover and time to eat. Jesus didn’t tell people to go home and grab a bite to eat. First, He addressed their need, second, He provided for that need, and third, He prayed about the need. In John 11, Lazarus was ill, so his sisters sent for Jesus to help him. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had died. First, Jesus acknowledged the need, second, He gave the people around the tomb hope, third, He raised Lazarus from the dead. There are many more instances of how Jesus helped those in need by being practical and addressing the need in whatever way would glorify God and point to Himself as the Savior of the world. The application of what Jesus did for others is a lesson for us in how to address the needs of others: 1) Assess the need 2) Address the need 3) Pray about the need.

Jesus also listened to people and engaged them in conversation. He found out what they needed and found a way to help them that wasn’t gratuitous but instead, was life-changing. We can give money to charities for the poor, donate clothing to an outreach, and say we will pray for someone but how life-changing are those acts? Are we actually helping and pointing someone to the Christ? Or are we just making ourselves feel better? I have been guilty of this very thing. I have given money, donated clothing, and said, “I’ll pray for you.” But what did those things really do, other than make me feel better about myself?

When someone is in need whether physically or emotionally, we have a greater duty than to say, “I’ll pray for you.” We have a duty to our Savior to emulate Him and offer practical solutions for any given situation.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (James 1:22-25).”

Read Ezra 8-10

Weekend Reading Nehemiah 1-3

© 2018 Marie McGaha