Jennifer A

Our passage today about “The Resurrection Body” follows on the heels of yesterday being Easter Sunday. As Christ’s followers, you and I know that our eternal existence is made possible because Christ not only laid down His life, taking with Him the sins of the world, but three days later He overcame death when He rose from the dead, on Easter Sunday.

Within today’s passage we see that Paul is addressing questions about believer’s resurrected bodies. Paul makes it clear that because Christ rose from the dead, that one day all believers will also rise from the dead in new bodies. Believers will be transformed just as Christ was transformed. Paul stands firmly on this claim because his salvation came from meeting the resurrected Christ. Remember, Paul did not meet Jesus “in-person”, rather they met after Jesus had died. So, Paul knows the resurrected and transformed Jesus, and He wants to make sure that all believers do not get caught up in the world’s culture or ways, but rather we all stand firm on the Word of God and do not waver.

During the time of this passage the believers in Corinth were mostly Greek, and so there was a great influence by Greek culture and philosophy. Many believed that Jesus’ body rose from the dead, but that their bodies would not rise from the dead. Although this was going on at that time, Paul was not only addressing the believers in Corinth, but Jesus was using him to address you, me, and all who would hear this, message of Truth. We need to stand firmly by our faith on the Word of God and believe all that it says, not give in to current worldly trends, philosophies, or cultures. Paul tells us that we will rise, and we need to believe that we will rise. He tells us that we will have new bodies, and we need to believe that we will have new bodies. How our all-powerful God will do this, is not something we can begin to understand, but it should leave us in a state of awe, excitement, and wonder as we wait to experience it. I love that Paul uses the seed and plant to guide our understanding, to accept that one thing needs to “die” in order for the another to grow. I also love that he uses the celestial bodies (i.e. moon, stars, sun, etc.) as example because he understands his experience with the resurrected Jesus was beyond this world, fiery, gloriously glowing, and transcendent. Finally, I love the contrast he provides us of our human bodies now, which will be planted in the ground to die, are broken, and weak versus our spiritual bodies which will be raised to live forever, in glory, and in strength alongside of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:35-49 (NLT)

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. 37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. 38 Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 39 Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.

Prayer: Jesus, I am not going to pretend to know what it will look like when You resurrect Your Church. I just pray that my heart is ready and that You will welcome me with open arms. I am excited for a new body. However it happens, I trust that it will be wonderful because it is part of Your plan. Help guide me, Holy Spirit, more and more each day to grow closer and closer in relationship with You. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Lenten Series: In Need of The Helper

Lent is a liturgical observance and season of reflection; not a biblical mandate. It is simply a time to remind ourselves and appreciate the abundant grace of Christ’s saving work on the cross. It is a time to press in deeper in submission to Christ’s authority as we prepare our hearts to celebrate, with exceedingly great joy, the resurrection that awaits every believer and follower.

In our Lenten daily devotionals, we will focus on our spiritual needs and desires and how the Helper is our Gift for strength and success if we will bow in greater submission to the authority of our King and the terms of His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

Reflection: Peace

Digging for Truth: Friends, the context of John 14 is all about the assurance that you and I have of eternal live through our salvation in Christ Jesus, and His promise of the Holy Spirit to His followers. If this does not fill you with His shalom (God’s perfect peace) there is nothing or no one else who can ever offer you this ultimate level of supernatural peace. The peace that most people in this world seek is a state of freedom from which they can escape anxieties, troubles, worries, etc., but the world can only offer temporal peace. When we look for worldly fixes to our unrest, we need to continuously look, and we find ourselves left even more empty than when we began our hunt for peace in the first place. But, when Jesus promised to leave us with a gift, the gift He spoke of was His supernatural peace of mind and heart to completely fill us, and it is nothing the world can ever offer us (John 14:27). You and I do not need to hunt for peace, because we know the One Who is Peace, His Name is Jesus, we welcomed the work of His Holy Spirit within us when we turned our lives over to Him, and the Holy Spirit reminds our souls (our minds, wills, and emotions) that we do not need to be troubled or afraid, because Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins when He laid down His life so that we might be forgiven and have His peace, His shalom, within in us for all eternity.

Grace for the Heart: Jesus knew the disciples would face challenges after His death, and He did not want them to fear, so He told them about the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) so they would know that the Helper would guide them and bring His supernatural peace to their hearts. Friends, Jesus knows our challenges, and He offers us the same Helper Who guided the disciples to guide our lives. Paul reminds us to not worry about anything, but instead to pray about everything, to tell Jesus what we need, to thank Him for all that He has done, and then we get to experience His peace, which exceeds all things and cannot be fully understood by our mere human minds (Phil 4:6-7).

John 14:27 (NLT)

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Philippians 4:7 (NLT)

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Challenge: Friends, as long as you and I live in Christ Jesus, He extends His peace to guard our hearts and souls. All we have to do is ask for His peace. Ask God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in prayer to fill us with His peace. Cry out in prayer to the Holy Trinity that heavenly angels may surround us with their peace and that all of heaven may join us in prayer as we need God’s shalom to fill, surround, and fill us.

It has been such an honor to walk through this Lenten season with all of you and to learn more about our Great Helper, the Holy Spirit. I look forward to the remainder of this week’s Lenten devotionals from Pastor Mary, our time together on Wednesday night at 7 pm Bible study at church, the Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 pm at church, and worshiping with all of you on Easter Sunday at the 7 am Sunrise service (location details are in the newsletter) and 9:45 am service at church. Shalom, Shalom my dear friends.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your peace. Each of us so desperately needs it at all times. Forgive us when we seek worldly ways to cover our anxieties, fears, and troubles. You are the only One Who brings us peace, Your shalom, which is the wholeness we seek. Holy Spirit, help us to stay the course as You know what is best for us. We trust You to fill us with Jesus’s supernatural peace. Thank You! We ask all of this in Your Holy and Precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Lenten Series: In Need of The Helper

Lent is a liturgical observance and season of reflection; not a biblical mandate. It is simply a time to remind ourselves and appreciate the abundant grace of Christ’s saving work on the cross. It is a time to press in deeper in submission to Christ’s authority as we prepare our hearts to celebrate, with exceedingly great joy, the resurrection that awaits every believer and follower.

In our Lenten daily devotionals, we will focus on our spiritual needs and desires and how the Helper is our Gift for strength and success if we will bow in greater submission to the authority of our King and the terms of His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

Reflection: The Seal for Eternal Life

Digging for Truth: Friends, when you and I first spiritually heard the Truth, meaning the moment you and I opened our spiritual eyes and decided to put our trust in Jesus, we not only turned our hearts (and lives) back over to Him, as our Creator, we allowed Him to save us, by faith, for all eternity. At that very moment, you and I were forgiven of our sins, and we were “sealed”, meaning permanently gifted and filled with the Holy Spirit, Whom God promised His people long ago. Through our salvation in Christ Jesus, God has guaranteed us our inheritance of eternal life.

Grace for the Heart: As Christ’s followers, you and I must remember that Jesus knows our hearts. Not only because He dwells within us, through His Holy Spirit, but because He is our guarantee, Jesus is the reason we have a gracious inheritance of eternal life. He is the Word that became human and made His home among us; and unlike us, He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. We must aim to live a life like His of unfailing love, faithfulness, and exalting His Name in all that we do because all glory and honor are due to the Father’s one and only Son (John 1:14).

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Challenge: Friends, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to live how God calls us to live, according to His plan for our lives, not how we want to live. May we be reminded today that we have a whole new life in Christ Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our desires, thoughts, and actions to align with the Father’s will for our lives. Let’s be willing vessels to grow more and more into the image of Jesus because we allow the Holy Spirit within us to navigate and change our lives.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for drawing us to You. Thank you for forgiving the sins of our past. We lay down our current sins and ask that You keep us away from wanting to repeat them. Help us, Holy Spirit, to stay away from sinning in the future. Lord, thank You for sealing us with Your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, help guide our souls (minds, wills, and emotions) and our bodies to live the life that God planned for us long ago. May we be living vessels for Your glory, Holy Trinity, now and not waiting for eternal life, but living as Your eternal Kingdom people now, Lord Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Lenten Series: In Need of The Helper

Lent is a liturgical observance and season of reflection; not a biblical mandate. It is simply a time to remind ourselves and appreciate the abundant grace of Christ’s saving work on the cross. It is a time to press in deeper in submission to Christ’s authority as we prepare our hearts to celebrate, with exceedingly great joy, the resurrection that awaits every believer and follower.

In our Lenten daily devotionals, we will focus on our spiritual needs and desires and how the Helper is our Gift for strength and success if we will bow in greater submission to the authority of our King and the terms of His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

Reflection: Liberty and Free Will

Digging for Truth: Solomon reminds us, in one of the Books of Wisdom, that “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our step.” (Proverbs 16:9) God gave you and I free will, and that is what Solomon was referring to when he said, “we can make our plans”; yes, God allows us the choice of either being liberated and free through our connection to Christ or being bound and enslaved through our connection to Satan. The world that is separated from Jesus believes that sounds ridiculous, and that God is punitive, He is controlling, and living by His standards is unrealistic and narrow minded. A heart that is hard, that has never allowed Jesus in or has turned away from Jesus, will read the second part of Solomon’s Truth as God (the Lord) “requires or demands” that He determines a believer’s step all because “He is a controlling God”. Friends, that cannot be further from the Truth. The Apostle Paul tells us that through our salvation, and when we used our free will to hand over our hearts to Jesus, that we were set free (Galatians 5). Free from the bondage of our sins, free from our souls (minds, wills, and emotions) being trapped by the darkness of this world, and free from Satan who wants to destroy our spirit that was created by God and longs to be connected to the living Word of God, Who is Jesus.

Grace for the Heart: Only by knowing Jesus and living a life for Him can we begin to allow the Holy Spirit the room to move within us so that we can truly see with our spiritual eyes the Truth. Friends, Jesus wants to connect to us all of the time and He does that through the Holy Spirit. So, we must use our free will and choose to get closer to Him, He tells us, ‘You are my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free’ (John 8:31-32). Jesus wants to liberate you and me, He wants to set us free all of the time, we are the ones who use our free will to quiet the voice of the Holy Spirit, to dim the Spirit’s Light of Truth that shines within and through us, and thus our hearts turn away from Jesus and His grace that He wants to pour out onto us.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)

17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Challenge: The Apostle Paul tells the Church, ALL of the CHURCH, not just those who attended and were listening back in Galatia or in Corinth, but each any every member of Jesus’s Church, His Family, so that means that he’s talking to YOU and ME when he said that Jesus is the Spirit, He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, and so wherever the Spirit is…that means in YOU and ME…that there is freedom! “So, Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (Galatians 5:1) or in slavery to our old sin. Stay the course with Christ, stay in His Word, and share with others about His liberating love.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for allowing us to choose You. Holy Spirit, thank You for never giving up on us. For knocking on the doors to our hearts, for giving us spiritual eyes to see the Truth, and spiritual ears to hear the Truth. Please keep drawing us closer and closer to Jesus. Use our testimonies to share about our freedom in Christ and how we are eternally connected to His love. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Lenten Series: In Need of The Helper

Lent is a liturgical observance and season of reflection; not a biblical mandate. It is simply a time to remind ourselves and appreciate the abundant grace of Christ’s saving work on the cross. It is a time to press in deeper in submission to Christ’s authority as we prepare our hearts to celebrate, with exceedingly great joy, the resurrection that awaits every believer and follower.

In our Lenten daily devotionals, we will focus on our spiritual needs and desires and how the Helper is our Gift for strength and success if we will bow in greater submission to the authority of our King and the terms of His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

Reflection: He Protects Us

Digging for Truth: When Jesus walked this earth, and just prior to His death, He promised to send the “Advocate” (the Holy Spirit) as His representative once He was no longer physically walking the earth and was resurrected to the eternal realm and seated at the right hand of the Father. He said to the disciples (and to you and me), “‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.’” (John14:27) Jesus provides all of His believers with the same gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This gift is the One Who offers you and me protection as believers in Christ Jesus.

Grace for the Heart: Jesus came as the Son and it was necessary for Him to be made just like you and me, so that through the choice of our salvation His sacrifice would not only take away our sins but would ignite the Holy Spirit within us as believers (Hebrews 2:16-17). The grace that Jesus gives us allows our hearts to be filled with unwavering faith and only in this place can we put our full trust in the Holy Spirit to guide our decisions while protecting us from physical and spiritual danger.

Proverbs 1:33 (NLT)

33 But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”

Psalm 68:20 (NLT)

20 Our God is a God who saves!
The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

Challenge: Friends, you and I have a choice, each and every second of every day, to live in the Shalom, the wholeness and pure peace that only Jesus offers. Jesus, Himself, went through suffering and testing. He broke the powers of Satan, He overcame death, and He rescues us (all of the time) when we are being tested by the darkness (Satan, himself) of this world (Hebrews 2:17-18). Press into Jesus, right now, throughout today, and later tonight. Heck, don’t EVER stop pressing in and allowing His peace to fill you, to surround you, call on the Holy Spirit to hedge protection over you and your family, over God’s Family. Ask God to save those who have never heard of Jesus, to reignite His Spirit within those who have lost their way, to make a way for all of them to know Him, and to allow Him into their hearts so they can experience His eternal love.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for saving us. Thank You for Your peace. Help us to be containers of Your peace and to bring it out, as a beacon of Your eternal light, into this really dark and hurting world. Holy Spirit, thank You for your protection. Please continue to hedge protection around each one of us as You guide us into places that need Jesus. Fill us with Your strength and cast away any earthly fears that we have as You call us to be the loving vessels of Christ Jesus. I ask all of this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Lenten Series: In Need of The Helper

Lent is a liturgical observance and season of reflection; not a biblical mandate. It is simply a time to remind ourselves and appreciate the abundant grace of Christ’s saving work on the cross. It is a time to press in deeper in submission to Christ’s authority as we prepare our hearts to celebrate, with exceedingly great joy, the resurrection that awaits every believer and follower.

In our Lenten daily devotionals, we will focus on our spiritual needs and desires and how the Helper is our Gift for strength and success if we will bow in greater submission to the authority of our King and the terms of His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

Reflection: Willingness to Serve

Digging for Truth: As a part of God’s Family, you and I are called to have a willingness to serve others. Paul teaches us about this in his lesson to the Church in Philippi. He reminds us that in our flesh we have selfish ambition, and we tend to look out for our own interests. But, in the Spirit, there is humility as we take on the same attitude as Christ and in that place, we can look out for others as Jesus does (Phil 2:3-5).

Grace for the Heart: After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus asked them “Do you understand what I was doing?” He preceded to remind them that they call Him “Teacher and Lord” and although they were right, because He is “OUR” Teacher and Lord, He was giving “US” the greatest example to follow on how to serve others. Remember, He washed every one of their feet, including Peter’s feet, who would later deny Him, and Judas’ feet, who would later betray Him. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them” (John 13:12-17). God blesses you and me when we serve one another, because we are offering an extension of His love to His Creation to His Family.

Mark 10:43-45 (NLT)

43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Challenge: Friends, you and I have been made free through our salvation in Christ Jesus, and we are containers of His Spirit. Thus, He calls us to live in that freedom, and to not use it to satisfy our own sinful nature, as that has been laid down at His feet and forgiven. Instead, we are called to use our freedom in Christ to serve one another in love by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:13). Allow the Spirit to use the freedom of your salvation in Christ today to serve one another in love.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to help be our reminder that we are to serve others. Help us, Holy Spirit, to put the interests of others before our own selfish interests. Use each of us today to serve someone else so that the love of Christ is spread into this hurting world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Lenten Series: In Need of The Helper

Lent is a liturgical observance and season of reflection; not a biblical mandate. It is simply a time to remind ourselves and appreciate the abundant grace of Christ’s saving work on the cross. It is a time to press in deeper in submission to Christ’s authority as we prepare our hearts to celebrate, with exceedingly great joy, the resurrection that awaits every believer and follower.

In our Lenten daily devotionals, we will focus on our spiritual needs and desires and how the Helper is our Gift for strength and success if we will bow in greater submission to the authority of our King and the terms of His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.

Reflection: Christ’s Glorified Presence in Us

Digging for Truth: In the Old Testament, the Lord spoke through Jeremiah and assured us that through Christ, a new covenant would be made for God’s children, and His instructions would live deep within them, and be written on their hearts (31:33). Friends, we are God’s children, and His instructions are written on our hearts. The Holy Spirit lives within you and me and is available all of the time to reflect Christ’s glorified presence within each of us. As our “full-time, 24/7, Advocate, or Holy Helper”, the Holy Spirit is constantly nudging you and me to press into God’s Truth (His Word), because it is written deep within our hearts, so that our words, actions, steps, and daily journeys can be guided by the Holy Spirit towards what God has for each one of us.

Grace for the Heart: Jesus told us that in order for us to receive the Holy Spirit (our Advocate) that He would need to go and be with the Father. Think about how many times throughout each day, week, or month, you dismiss or underestimate the Gift of the Holy Spirit within yourself. In every moment, you and I either glorify or dishonor Christ with how we live. Living an honorable life for Christ can only be made possible by the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Thes 1:12) and by allowing the Holy Spirit to stir and move within our hearts. It is the only way that Christ is glorified and witnessed through us.

John 16:7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.

Challenge: Friends, we need to stop ignoring the magnitude of this Gift from God, the Gift to allow the Holy Spirit to be our One and only Advocate. By doing this we are honoring our position within God’s Family, with Him as the Father, Jesus as the Son, and the Holy Spirit as our Advocate. When we fixate on our “real” position within God’s Family, and understand that He lives within our hearts, we no longer want to make a practice of sin, but rather call on Him to help us stop sin before it happens so that we are reflecting Jesus in our lives and not Satan (1 John 3:9).

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for sending the Holy Advocate to help us with absolutely everything. Holy Spirit, please forgive us for the times when we have minimized the magnitude of Your presence within us and Your guidance for our lives. We want Christ to be glorified in our presence, and so please help each one of us to be more in alignment with You so that others may receive Christ through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s passage aligns with Pastor Mary’s sermon from yesterday about “LISTENING” to God. The writer of Hebrews is speaking to believers, and the message is meant to be an encouragement so that we cling to Christ, especially during difficult times. But you and I cannot miss it, this message is meant to be spread to non-believers. Each one of us are a container of the Holy Spirit and we are called to spread Christ’s message of love. Think about it, if you and I spend more time in God’s Word, allowing Him to “preach and teach” us, as we really “listen” to His voice, then our souls (our minds, wills, and emotions) will begin to align with Him and shift away from this world. We will not feel the need to be pushy in the way that we “preach and teach” others. No, if we are really listening to God voice, and allowing Him to operate in our lives, we should exude Christ and His message of pure love in all that we do and speak. If that’s happening, it’s a very practical ways for non-believers to witness the love of Christ and to want more of Him and His love in their own lives.

Hebrews 2:1-4 (NLT)
A Warning against Drifting Away

1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for speaking clearly into my life. Please forgive me for quieting Your voice with my own soul’s earthly desires. Help me, Holy Spirit, to be One with You and the plan that You have for my life so that I may reflect Your love for others. I want hearts to want You, Jesus, and I am grateful that You allow me to be a part of that process for the good of Your Kingdom. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

When I decided to welcome Jesus into my heart and began to walk in a faithful relationship with Him, I noticed there was a lot of talk about God’s grace. Initially my mind thought it meant that God was being courteous, maybe even polite, or it had something to do with His good manners, because that is what I knew about the “word” grace, from a dictionary standpoint – to be courteous, polite, or to have good manners. Honestly, it was confusing to me, and I kept wondering what exactly is God’s grace? Then I heard Pastor Mary use grace as an acronym: G.R.A.C.E = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. At the time, I thought maybe grace isn’t about God being “courteous, polite, or using good manners”, but rather He has something of great value for me and it is directly connected to Jesus dying on the cross. As I continued to grow in my faith walk (connecting more in relationship with Jesus) I kept learning from Pastor Mary, many other Christians, and most importantly more and more from God, Himself, by spending time with Him in His Word. I started to realize when I welcomed Jesus into my heart, I was saved (my salvation came) by God’s grace through the sacrifice that Jesus made by dying on the cross so that my sins could be forgiven. I am no different from any other person, none of us deserve God’s grace (it is His favor, His forgiveness of our sins, and His acceptance of us), and there was (and remains) absolutely nothing I could have done in my own strength or by my own means to have gained it, or to have earned it, and I certainly was not entitled to it.

I believe the Word of God, the Bible, God’s Testimony, the Good News, the Gospel Message of Christ…whatever you want to say because it is all One in the same, is a message of God’s grace. His grace is the most priceless gift you and I will ever receive, and it was made possible because Jesus gave His life for us, and by welcoming Him into our hearts, asking for His forgiveness of our sinful ways, we are humbling bowing before Almighty God and recognizing that we were and are lost without Him. We desperately need His grace to cover us as He bestows His favor, forgiveness, acceptance, and guidance to us, and that happens because we gave our lives (really “back”) to Him as our Creator, on the day we asked Jesus into our hearts.

In today passage, Paul and Barnabas were in Iconium (which is known today as Konya, located in Turkey), and they were preaching boldly the Good News about God’s grace (v. 3). We see that conflict and division arose, because God’s grace provoked, and continues to provoke, an extreme reaction in both directions. Those seeking God’s grace want more of His Truth operating in a through their lives, while those not seeking it struggle to accept it because the darkness of this world blinds them to His Truth. In the previous chapter, Luke reminds us of what God promised in the Old Testament was now fulfilled through the resurrection of Jesus (v. 33). Therefore, in Jesus there is forgiveness of sins (v. 38), and everyone who believes in Him is made right in God’s sight (covered by His grace) and that is not something the Law of Moses could have done (v. 39). So, this Good News of salvation by grace, not by the Law of Moses, was not received well, and continues to not be received well. Not only by non-Christians, but at times by Christians who believe their good works, entitlement, years of church deeds, etc. earn them some type of heavenly reward or grace-pass to the front of the line. Only God knows each one of our hearts and Jesus will one day judge each one of our heart’s motives alone. In the meantime, we need to pray for God’s grace to move within our lives the same way it moved in today’s passage for Paul and Barnabas. God grace carried them away from the mob, from being attached, and stoned to death. He moved them to other regions where they were to preach the Good News (v.7), just as you and I are called to do the same.

Acts 14:1-7 (NLT)

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

1 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

5 Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6 When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. 7 And there they preached the Good News.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for laying Your life down so that my sins are forgiven. In my own strength I am weak and unworthy of Your favor, but in You, Jesus, I am made whole, forgiven, and worthy to accept Your most gracious gift of grace. Thank You, Father, for Your eternal love. Help me, Holy Spirit, to walk out a life that reflects Your love, to speak words that are guided by You, bathed in Your love, and filled with Your Truth. Please keep guiding my life and using me for the glory of Your Kingdom. In Jesus’s Name. Amen.