Most Grace Required

 Most Grace Required

1 Corinthians 11: ⁶ If the woman does not cover her head, she might as well cut her hair. And since it is a shameful thing for a woman to shave her head or cut her hair, she should cover her head. ⁷ A man has no need to cover his head, because he reflects the image and glory of God. But woman reflects the glory of man; ⁸ for man was not created from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Nor was man created for woman's sake, but woman was created for man's sake. ¹⁰ On account of the angels, then, a woman should have a covering over her head to show that she is under her husband's authority. ¹¹ In our life in the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman was made from man, in the same way man is born of woman; and it is God who brings everything into existence.

 

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Again, Paul continues on a confusing subject. He continues to discuss the structure GOD put in place during the curse in Genesis 3. But where is he going with this? Looking at it from an authoritarian position, it looks like there is a hierarchy to win arguments and to blame. BUT GOD is in there.

 

• GOD wants me to not be independent of my wife.
• GOD wants me to take HIS creation process seriously.
• GOD wants me to reflect HIS image and HIS glory.

 

Wait, what did that last part mean? Reflect the image and glory of GOD? This is a tall responsibility. The only thing I can see is, the closer the person, the more the grace is required.

 

But this passage doesn’t talk about how to do that. Well, it kinda does. “Our life in the LORD” is the statement that shows us how to fight life’s phobias and fears that each person brings into a marriage.

 

Forgiving and serving a neighbor is easy, but how about a spouse? It takes a special kind of grace to remain married in the structure of a curse. JESUS showed this grace and wants man to reflect it to his wife, who was made specifically for him.

 

Grace needs to be taught and cannot be achieved. It is undeserving and requires admittance. It should be given in large doses and expected when two people are dependent on one another.

 

Again, no challenge questions because pondering grace is hard enough.

Ask for Patience

 

Ask for Patience

Acts 26: Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: ² “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

 

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When the deadline approached, I was nowhere near complete. I had underestimated the school work because I had a job. I had to go to the professor and ask for an extension. It was a humbling experience.

 

• There have been many times when I needed grace.
• There have been many times when I needed mercy.
• There have been many times when I needed someone to be patient with me.

 

Paul was speaking before king Agrippa and a huge crowd. He acknowledged the king’s knowledge of Jewish customs and controversies. Paul then asked for the king to have patience because he knew his story would be long.

 

• GOD wants me to be humble enough to ask for patience.
• GOD wants me to recognize when I need help.
• GOD wants me to understand that I am at the mercy of others, so I need patience.

 

Asking for patience from someone is humbling. I mean, what if they say no? Asking for patience takes courage. When I need patience from someone, it usually means the person is in a position to enforce consequence on me or not help me when I need help.

 

GOD wants me to recognize the need for me to ask HIM to have patience with me. Even though HE is slow to anger, I still need to ask HIM to stay with me when I mess up. I am grateful HE will never leave me nor forsake me. GOD is patient with me.

 

• Did you mess up with someone?
• Do you need their mercy?
• Will you humble yourself by confessing to GOD and ask for patience today?

Great Grace

Great Grace

Acts 4: ³² Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. ³³ And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, ³⁵ and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

³⁶ And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, ³⁷ having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

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Getting into the light, I could see that my tie was not matching. It was too late as I rushed to get to work. Unfortunately the traffic was thick that particular day. With stuffy nose, I went to the office medicine cabinet and took a decongestant so I could focus on the meeting.

In the middle of the meeting, my nose started bleeding. I had to excuse myself. “Could this day get any worse?” I said to myself. When I returned, the person who I met with said, “”Relax, the world is not falling apart as you may think. Let’s do this again later.”

• There have been many times I have messed up and received grace.
• There have been many times I have not had myself together and received grace.
• There have been many times I have not done the right things, been at the right places or said the right words and received grace.

The apostles preached about JESUS with “great power.” I can only imagine the excitement in their voices. Every detail they could remember was recorded in the minds of those who believed. They too became so excited they wanted to do something for those in need. Selfishness was thrown away and replaced with something else.

• GOD wants me to replace my selfishness with a desire to be generous.
• GOD wants me to trade in my fear of self-preservation and help other people.
• GOD wants me to remove my focus on just “me” and include “us” in the equation.

What is interesting is the progression that took place. Genuine preaching about JESUS excited the crowd to give directly to those in need in the community. From there, “great grace” followed. Their hearts were so full, they did not care about getting more, rather seeing the community flourish in time of need. I am grateful for GOD’s great grace HE has poured out on me.

• Are you in need of GOD’s great grace?
• Have you messed up in a huge way and think you are beyond grace?
• Will you look to GOD who’s grace is greater than any sin you could have done?
• Will you believe in JESUS who has the greatest grace just for you?

Seeking by Lurking

Seeking by Lurking

John 7: ⁵And everyone went to his own house.

John 8: But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.

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Listening intently to every word, I wanted to catch this person in a lie, “I know they are guilty” I said to myself as I replayed events in my mind over and over. Something seemed strange this particular day when I saw the person. “This is the day I catch them in their lie” I thought. The person confessed their strange behavior on a very serious illness.

• There were times when I looked for something to be wrong with people.
• There were times when I watched people intently to see if they would fail.
• There were times when I sentenced people as guilty, then I watched them prove their guilt to me.

After the crowd left, JESUS went to the Mount of Olives, usually to pray. When HE returned HE was met by the church leaders who caught a woman in the act of adultery. They must have lurked behind her as she met with her lover or was the male someone they knew? Whatever the case, they did not accuse him.

Bringing her to JESUS, they demanded a biblical answer to trip HIM up. They sought failure for her and JESUS, hoping guilt would show their superiority.

• GOD wants me to seek people with grace, not guilt.
• GOD wants me to desire restoration for people, not reasons to leave them.
• GOD wants me to follow people to serve them, not harm them.

Motive for proving someone’s guilt is usually a problem with GOD. As I have said many times, “We are all in the mud, throwing mud at each other, saying ‘you have mud on your face’.” Pronouncing someone guilty, then watching them prove their guilt may be the very thing that makes me “guilty” before GOD.

HE wants me to admit my guilt to restore guilty people. Instead of lurking for superiority, HE wants me seeking people to bring back to HIM, gently. I am glad people were sent to bring me to HIM.

• Are you accusing others?
• Do you want to feel good about yourself by making someone else look guilty?
• Will you start seeking guilty people to gently bring them back to JESUS to save them and you today?

Wanted and Needed

Mark 16: ⁹ Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. ¹¹ And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

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After a brief discussion, I hung up the phone. Thirty minutes later I received a call from the hiring manager. “We want you to come here.” Ten days later I was working in a new state.

• Being wanted is a great feeling.
• Being desired feels wonderful.
• Being needed makes me work a bit harder.

When JESUS rose, HE could have chosen the leaders of the day to appear to first, yet HE chose a woman who was helpless to her demons at one point in her life. She needed HIM to be GOD in her life to miraculously get her out of the situation she was in. She was grateful for all HE did for her and was dedicated to showing it the rest of her life.

• JESUS wants me to want HIM.
• JESUS wants me to need HIM.
• JESUS wants me to desire HIS ways every day.

Head knowledge about JESUS is not enough. The church leaders “knew” about GOD but did not want HIM or need HIM. They wanted and needed money and power, but not GOD. When Mary Magdalene told the disciples that JESUS was alive, they did not believe her, probably because she “wanted” HIM to be alive and they wanted a king who would appoint them to seats.

GOD wants me to want HIM the way HE is. I’d rather need GOD daily than to be the wealthiest person and not know GOD.

• Do you need GOD?
• Do you desire to be with JESUS today?
• Can you seek a relationship with GOD that accepts HIM the way HE is, just like HE accepted you the way you are?

Catch Statements

Mark 11: ²⁷ Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. ²⁸ And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

²⁹ But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: ³⁰ The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

³¹ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. ³³ So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.”

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

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Collecting as much information as I could, I was on a quest. I asked several people and they gave me their version of the story. “Guilty” was my verdict, but I knew he was guilty all along. When I approached him I had my questions already prepared. I was going to catch him in a lie.

• There were times when I went out to interrogate.
• There were times when I demanded a confession.
• There were times when I wanted “that” person to say exactly what I wanted to hear.

The church leaders had their questions already prepared. They felt they were in charge and demanded an answer to their pointed question on authority. JESUS, being GOD, could easily see through their plot. HE asked them about something “they” were guilty about. They had no answer.

• JESUS wants me to stay away from twisting the truth.
• JESUS wants me to recognize when I am trying so hard to get my way that I would interrogate my opponents.
• JESUS wants me to grow up enough to seek grace instead of guilt.

When I choose to “get down to the bottom of this” I place myself in authority. This self-appointed search for “my” truth can lead to questions that pup people in catch 22 positions. In other words no matter what they say they would be wrong. BUT GOD wants me to set people up for success. No matter what they did, they are forgiven through JESUS. GOD wants me to seek grace.

• Are you looking for someone to be guilty?
• Do you like feeling you are in charge?
• Will you stop trying to be the one who catches people and see grace for them?