Enjoy God’s Grace and Extend His Glory

Psalm 29: 1 “Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD Glory and Strength”

As the Theme of Bible Doctrines says “Enjoy God’s Grace and Extend His Glory.” God is all sufficient in Himself; We often wonder: “Why does God need us to show his Glory?” or “We are his creation, I don’t see why or how God would want us to glorify him when he is all sufficient” As we are learning in class, I am finding that, true, God does not need us to show his glory, but he chooses to work in our lives, good and bad, so we can see God’s hand and glorify his magnificence.

One of my friends said a verse last night in devotions, “In everything give thanks” (I Thessalonians 5:18) How can we give thanks when we loose sight of Enjoying God’s Grace and Extending His Glory? It is almost impossible to be thankful for the Grace of God in our lives when we are focused on the waters and not the Face of God.

We need to keep our eyes on God’s grace on our lives. It does not matter how depressed you are, you can still give glory for His goodness on our life. I believe specific depression is not a sin, If you are depressed because a friend is going through something and you are concerned how you are able to help, I believe that is a good depression; because you are not focused on yourself..but on the other hand when you begin to focus on yourself, you start loosing sight of God’s Grace, and can’t see how God is able to work through our lives in the toughest time. God used the greatest men in the Bible to accomplish his will, after they fell into depression: Elijah (I Kings 19:1-6) after he was depressed, God had him eat, go up to Mount Horeb and wait for the Lord there- There was an earth quake, a mighty wind, a fire But the Lord was not in any them- until a still, small voice spoke to Elijah. Elijah was a great man of God, and in the faithfulness of Elijah, God refused to let Elijah see death – you know the story – he was taken up, in to heaven, on a chariot of fire. That’s why I believe that depression is not a bad thing, God can still use you to show his Glory.

True Christian Living

This is a hard subject for me to do right now, but just pray for God’s Grace as I explain what I believe a true Christian should be.

Just this past month I had been dealing with unconfessed sin and fighting against God on how I should live my life. Just being a “good enough Christian” is not what He wants from us! Being half minded on the things of Christ are against everything the Bible says and teaches- we need to have the same mind as Christ (Philippians 2:5)

The biggest thing I fight with when I’m getting my mind and heart back in track with God’s will, is to stop looking at myself and my situations around me. I believe to be a true, faithful, unwavering Christian, we need to stay focused on the things of Christ and to see the needs of other. Although, I often need help learning what I should do in my life; I have recently joined a discipleship program at the church I am attending for the time I am in College. I suggest, if you are struggling in your Christian walk, talk to your pastor or assistant pastor about what to do and ask about a discipleship program – it will help you on your spiritual walk.

I am not saying, if you get a closer walk with God that your life in Christ will get easier, I would be lying if I told you that. But when you are closer to the Lord Satan will try even harder to make you waver and fall. Follow the step in James 4:7 KJV
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

As I wrap up of the post, I just encourage you to remain strong in the Lord and be bold in your faith.

copyright © SarahScott

The Corner stone

While getting ready for the day, I took twenty minutes to read and pray, as a daily routine in college; and so I was reading in first Peter chapter two, and I read a verse that became an amazing thought for the day.

I Peter 2:6 “wherefore also it is said in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”

This verse is mentioned five times, in both Old and New Testament.

 

1. David prophesies Messiah as the corner stone.

Psalm 118:22 “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”

 

2. God proclaims his Son is the corner stone.

Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste”

 

3. Jesus proclaims that he is the corner stone.

Matthew 21:42 “Jesus saith unto them, did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the stone is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in your eyes?

 

4. Paul told the Jews that they rejected the corner stone, Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:11 “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders.”

Don’t fear

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.”

(All underlined words are ones found in my word study.)
Believe in the Lord with all thine heart, and incline not unto thine own comprehension.
In all thy ways recognize him, and he shall guide thy paths.

We need to believe that the Lord will guide us through our paths,either in the valley of in the mountain tops. Don’t incline to your own comprehension or the comprehension of others but recognize who God is; he was and is, and will always be the answer to _________-whatever you are struggling with.

1. If you’re struggling with funds,don’t worry, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills; he owns the hills as well.

2. Fear about moving, this world is not our home; we have an eternal mansion in heaven, John 14:2

3. Having parent problems; he is your father when you have no one else to turn too. 2 Corinthians 6:18

4. Fear of loneliness, he promised never to leave you.  Hebrews 13:5b

5. Fear of death. If you’re a Child of God, you have eternal life and your soul will never die!

copyright © SarahScott

What a God we Serve

This is a devotional that I received at the beginning of September,for me, the first night here in college.
In Psalm 84:11 it says: For the LORD God is a sun and shield: The LORD will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

I. What Does God mean to us?
Well, in this Psalm written by the Sons of Korah give three things what God is to them.

A. He is the Sun.

1. When darkness is all you see; God comes to you with a light, as bright as the sun, to make your paths glow. Psalm 119:105 “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”

2. Jesus is the light of the world revelation 21:23 “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

B. He is a Shield.
* His world is a shield when we are tempted with fiery darts. Ephesians 6:16 “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

II. What will God give when we follow him?

A. Grace.
Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.
B. Glory
All glory that God allows in life will be turned back to him, eventually. If not when you receive the glory, or later in life, then it will be given when we get to heaven: every knee will bow.

Isaiah 45:23
“I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

Romans 14:11
“For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

III. No Good thing will he withhold from them who will walk uprightly.

A. Provisions for tomorrow. Matthew 6:31-34

1. You need to ask

2. You need To Seek to Find

3. You Need to Knock

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7
copyright © SarahScott

The Unknown Future

John 21:25

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

Bread for Believers, Chapter 18 “So had everything Jesus did been written in books, no one would ever find time to read them all. God chose to reveal to Bible writers what he wanted men to know. The Bible is not a revelation of what God knows, but a revelation of what God wants men to know. If it were a revelation of what God knew, again the world could not contain the books, because there is nothing God doesn’t know. He is omniscient.”

“Someone said, “Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurred to God?”

As a young Christian in Bible College, there has been a lot of testing of my faith. I am not doing a pity party or say I have everything in order, because I do not.

There are many things I do not know about the future, including tomorrow. Did you notice that quote? “Someone said, “Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurred to God?” At times I would question and say “God, Why did you allow me to go through this trial?” or “I don’t understand why you brought me here!”

 

Jeremiah 32:17

“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

I may never understand, but as my dorm supervisor said the two nights ago, “We have an eternity coming.” It does not matter if we understand or not, we just need to trust the Almighty Elohim, In everything.

 

The Love of God:

“Could we with ink, the ocean fill and were the skies, of parchment made,

Were every stalk, on earth a quill and every man, a scribe by trade:

To write the Love of God above would drain the ocean dry,

nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

Chorus:

O Love of God how rich and pure, how measureless and strong,

It shall forevermore endure the saints and angels song.”

His Way is Perfect

In the past few weeks, life as a college student has become busyer; so many assignments due and not enough time to get them done. Kind of gets dicouraging also when you have a big school bill to pay but no job to help out. Anyways, God has been encouraging my heart in the past month about faith, trust, and full dependence on Him.

Yesterday’s message titled: a Postage Stamp Believer: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” Galations 6:9. The fact of growing weary is not physical, but spiritual weakness. We get spiritual weakness when we are away from God’s word and start focusing on the problems around us; we should not forget that the battle is not with us or others, but against Satan. Ephesian 6:11-12,16.

When we don’t faint we will reap in “Due Season”

Faithfulness in well doing.

We need to bring forth more fruit in our life, but in order to have that we need to go through tough times.

Text: John 15:1-5

1. Purging. Vs. 2
   • Purging from Sin.
   • Purgeth-Prunes
2. Bearing fruit. Vs. 4
   1. More Fruit. Vs. 2b
   2. Much Fruit. Vs. 5b
3. Partnership. Vs. 5
   1. Jeus is the vine. Vs. 1
   2. God is the hubandman. Vs. 1b
      • Husbandman- gardener.

“Without me ye can do nothing”

Allow Jesus to be your greatest partner.

Don’t throw in your towel, don’t give up before you are finished.

His Way is Perfect.

Written by: Betsy Kistler

Verse 1:

“When my way seems dark and drear and the future I don’t know, My heart feels so empty as the tears unending flow. When my heart breaks with sorrow and a tempast fills my soul, this one thing I know for sure; my God s in control.”

Chorus:

“His way is perfect, His way is perfect. Though I don’t understand His wise and loving plan, His way is perfect. His way is perfect. Take my life and make a vessel purified. God makes nomistakes, His way is best.”

Verse 2:

“When the toils of life are come and my heart is worn with care, I faint ‘neath the burden of a cross I cannot bear. When the joy has departed from sorrow stricken soul, this one thing I know for sure; my God is in control.”

Thank you

Today is remembrance day, a day we are to be thankful for the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom, but we should also thank God for our family, a house to live in and the freedoms we have. We would not have the freedoms we have if the soldiers had not given their lives.
John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

But we also have freedom from sin because the only begotten Son of God gave his life for us!
1 John 3:16
“Hereby perceive we the love of God , because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

copyright © SarahScott

The Love of God

John 13:1 KJV
“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

While reading this passage this one section really jumps out to me: “…having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” Oh what love Jesus had for his disciples and earthly family! He would give his life for them. Would I give my life in the place for those I love, like Jesus did? My answer is Yes! If my family were in some danger; as we all were before Christ gave himself for us; then I would give my life to save them and make sure they were safe.

Do you have the same love as Jesus had for his friends and family? Those who love their friends will give their lives for them. Maybe it wouldn’t be to an extent of dying for them, but maybe giving up something for them, or sacrificing your time for them. Would you sacrifice yourself as Christ did?

copyright © SarahScott