A Small Thought on Grace by Wayne Augden

Sometimes we forget what’s important, and sometimes we fail to realize the importance of what we know.  Sometimes, we know and yet we fail to live out what we know, and there are times when we fail to understand things we experience every day.  Such is the case with grace.  Grace is simply this, undeserved merit, being loved and forgiven when we aren’t deserving or worthy of either one.

Grace cannot be earned!  Being good, following rules, doesn’t get it.  The only thing that gets grace is the willingness to receive it.  For so many including myself that’s the hard part.  That’s the struggle.

I struggle with a lot of things, and I’ve often felt guilty over the fact that I struggle, and yet it’s often in the act of struggling that we learn the value of what it is we want and what we have.

It’s also how we learn to recognize what it is, and what it isn’t.

Grace is free for the taking, but it isn’t cheap…and when you have it, you have no choice but to give it away.

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Prayer for Auguest 29, 2012

Heavenly Father, I come to You, humbly with praise in my heart.  Father, I praise You for being the one True God, the Eternal God of Glory and Holiness forever and ever.  I praise You for being the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  I know You are from Everlasting to everlasting.  I know, too, Heavenly Father, that Your, Son, my Lord and Savior was there in the beginning with You.  And, He, is worthy of all Praise, and Honor, and Worship, and Love, for He is Your beloved.  Heavenly Father, how can I or anyone ever praise You and not Him.  He is and will forever be what You have proclaimed Him, King of kings, and Lord of Lords.  He is God and man, a perfect man, made sin in the flesh for us, that we who believe might have eternal life through Him.  Help me, help us all to remember that He who has Your Son has life, and that without Him, we do not know nor have You.

Heavenly Father, I come to You tonight, Father, and I wonder why it is that my prayers always feel so dry and empty.  Sometimes, I don’t feel like I know You, and it grieves my heart.  I know what Your Holy Word says, and I believe…I know that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, and not for mine only, so why do I feel so inept, so unable to fall on my knees and give You that which I can’t seem to find a way to say other then when I’m writing?  Lord, God, what is it about me that I can’t give You what I want to give You.  Words spoken from my mouth…they don’t come.  Heavenly Father, if there’s anything in me that isn’t right in your sight, I ask You to please show me what it is, and remove it from me.  Don’t let me continue to live another day, another moment, in which I feel like I’m of no use to You.  Oh, why, Father, can’t I just pray, can’t I just kneel before You in the dark and talk to You?

Sometimes, I get so scared, Father.  I want to love You so that You know how much I love You.  I want to give You worship.  I want to praise You.  I want to give You my all, and yet when I’m alone I can’t seem to give You anything that’s of any value.  Why?  Sometimes, I feel like I’m that person You talk about in Your Word who does everything in public for their own ends, but I don’t want to be that person.  Oh, Father, You know my heart, please show me that You know my heart, and let me know that You know I’m not for myself.

Heavenly Father, I’m sorry…so sorry.  How I long to be free of this body.  Sometimes I feel like I sin all the time.  I want to be pleasing in Your sight, and I want to do those things that please You and make You happy with me, and yet I know that in and of myself I can do nothing that pleases You.  That’s why I love my Jesus so… Isn’t that why He came, to die for me, so that I wouldn’t have to please You, so that it wouldn’t be me You see when You look at me?  Why must I be this way?  Please Father, just once, let me pray to You, and for You alone.  Let me be thankful, for my Lord and Savior, Jesus…alone.  Is it so wrong to just want to be able to be with You, to talk with You, and not to have it known by others?  It’s not that I don’t want other people to know You, or to know Your Son, but why must I write to You, and pray to You in this way?

Heavenly Father, I don’t know what to say.  I’m at a loss as to what to do…  I know what I deserve, and I know what I have coming, and yet, Lord God, I don’t want to live apart from You in hell.  Why Father, do I have such doubt at times such as this?  I know Father that You sent Your Son to die for me, for my sins, and not for mine only, but for all Your elect’s sin.  I know that Jesus is real, and that He loves me.  Why do I have to go through times like this.  I don’t understand.

Please Heavenly Father, forgive me.  Forgive me for my doubt.  For my not trusting You with all I have and am.  I’m trying.  I’m trying so hard to give You what You want from me.  Make me Yours in every way.  Please take from me everything that doesn’t shine for You, that doesn’t make You appear in all Your glory and honor, and that doesn’t bring witness to Your Son, Jesus.  Forgive me, please, for everything that I’ve done in my life that didn’t bring You all that You’re so worthy of, and for the shame I’ve caused my Lord.  Help me to not be a speaker of words, but a doer of them.  Let me live my life in giving You my all, and doing all that You would have me do…

Heavenly Father, please, please, I ask You according to all that You are, be with those who are suffering this night.  Father, for all those who are struggling…For all those who are fighting for their faith…For all those who are in mourning…For all those who are trying to deal with adversity, and strife, and sorrow, and illness and pain, and every single cursed thing that keeps Your people from being all that You have called them to be.  Father, I pray that You would shower Your every child with Your Love and goodness.  That You would give them the strength, the courage, the desire, to keep going when all around them seems so bleak.  Give them a love that wills to do in the face of the impossible, and most of all, Father, help them to look toward Your Son, Jesus.  Help us all to look to the cross, Father, when we doubt, when we struggle, when we come to You with our questions of why, and then help us to know that You do know us, and that You know our hearts, and that’s why Your Son came…In His precious name, I pray, Amen.

From “The Word For You Today” by Bruce Christian

If you’re struggling with job and debt issues, read this, do what it says, and believe.  It does work….

WEATHERING THE FINANCIAL SHAKEUP (2)

If you’re in debt and worried about your job: (1)  Don’t panic.  Turn to the source of all wisdom and read these words: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”  Repeat it to yourself throughout the day.  Tape it to your bathroom mirror where you’ll see it first thing each morning.  (2)  Take inventory.  Know the condition of your flocks [finances]” (Pr 27:23 NIV).  Many people don’t know how much they owe or what their expenses are.  List your debts and fixed expenses, set a goal to live on what you earn, and put some toward debt reduction.  (3)  Be disciplined.  Head off problems before they arise by conquering the demon of instant gratification.  When you don’t know the state of your finances you’re less likely to apply the brakes, and end up spending money you don’t have.  (4)  Be creative.  When God created Paradise He watered it with four different rivers, so start looking for other streams of income.  Walt Disney was fired by a big newspaper for lack of ideas.  After auditioning him, MGM told Fred Astaire that he couldn’t act and wasn’t much of a dancer.  Beethoven’s violin teacher declared him hopeless as a composer.  It takes faith to see the opportunities, and courage to overcome the obstacles.  (5)  Be a giver.  Hard times are the wrong time to stop giving to God.  During a famine a widow gave what little food she had to God’s servant, Elijah.  The result?  “There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” (1 Ki 17:15 NIV).  It’s hard to explain rationally, but your giving turns on the tap of God’s supply.

From “The Word For You Today” by Bruce Christian

COMMITMENT AND COURAGE

Terry Fox ran across Canada and raised twenty-four million dollars to fight cancer.  What’s amazing is that he did it with one leg; cancer had taken the other.  He planned to run twenty-six miles each day but because of severe headaches, snow and icy roads, after a month he’d only managed to struggle about eight miles a day.  So why did he keep going?  Because the purpose in his heart was stronger than the pain in his body.  They could amputate his leg, but not his spirit!  Commitment is a willingness to do whatever it takes; it’s a promise to yourself, from which you refuse to back down.  There’s a difference between interest and commitment.  When you’re interested you do it only when it’s convenient, but when you’re committed you accept no excuses-only results.  Only you can decide whether the rewards are worth the efforts, for there are tradeoffs.  You can’t have a healthy body and live on junk food.  A guaranteed salary is nonexistent when you start your own business.  Mindless hours of watching television and straight “A’s” are a rare combination.  Commitment means paying your dues.  It also means disregarding your critics.  Jesus did that.  “But Jesus ignored their comments and said…’Don’t be afraid.  Just trust me.” (Mk 5:36 TLB).  Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Whatever course you decide upon, there will always be someone to tell you that you are wrong.  There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right.  To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”

From “Morning Thoughts” by Winslow

A good reminder for those of us who are burdened with the past…..

” And if any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John 2:1

The work of our Lord as Priest was two-fold, atonement and intercession. The one He accomplished upon the cross, the other He now transacts upon the throne. “When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” The high priest, under the law, after that he had slain the sacrifice, took the blood, and, passing within the veil, sprinkled it on the mercy-seat, so making intercession for the people. “The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing.” “But, Christ being come, an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

And what is He now doing? Presenting His own blood each moment before the mercy-seat on behalf of His redeemed people! “He ever lives to make intercession for us.” Oh, do not forget this, dear saint of God! This is spoken for the comfort of the mourners in Zion-for those who, knowing the plague of their own hearts, and deploring its constant tendency to outbreak, are humbled in the dust with deep godly sorrow. Look up! Does sin plead loudly against you? the blood of Jesus pleads louder for you. Do your backslidings, and rebellions, and iniquities, committed against so much light and love, call for vengeance? the blood of Jesus “speaks better things.” Does Satan stand at your right hand to accuse you? your Advocate stands at God’s right hand to plead for you. All hail! you mourning souls! you that smite on the breast, you broken-hearted, you contrite ones! “who is he that condemns! It is Christ who died, yes rather, who is risen again; who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

Jesus is a glorious and a successful Advocate. He has never lost a cause entrusted to His advocacy, and never will. He pleads powerfully, He pleads eloquently, He pleads prevalently, because He pleads in behalf of a people unspeakably dear to His heart, for whom He “loved not His own life unto the death,” and presses His suit, on the ground of His own most precious blood and accepted person, and with His father and their Father, His God and their God.

My Struggle with Facebook!

     In case you didn’t know, I have a facebook account, but I’m not surprised if you didn’t know, and actually sort of grateful because if you did know, you’d also know I don’t have much to do with it. 🙂  You’d think I was a snob at best, and a complete jerk at worst!  Actually, I’m not either one.  I’m just someone who for the life of me can’t seem to figure out how to use it.  I made the page because so many of my relatives have made one, and I figured it would be a way for me to sort of keep track of what’s going on in their lives, but I just can’t seem to get the knack of it.  I’ve always been a simple man (in more ways than one), and it just seems so complicated. 

     Recently, I thought I might give it another go.  I’ve noticed that a lot of the blogs I look at are connected to facebook, so I thought I might give it another try.  Now, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.  I like the idea of reaching more people with my writing, but I’m having the worst time trying to figure all the ins and out.  Some of the posts I write are pretty long, so posting them wouldn’t be a good idea, would it?  I’ve heard that you can reach a lot of people on facebook, but ……

     I’m going to try so please be patient while I struggle to figure this out.  If this pops up in your facebook …. Well, at least I’m doing something.  Hints, tips, tricks, suggestions will all be appreciated.