Grace and Truth

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NASB)

The Lion and the Lamb

The Bible says the Jesus was full of grace and truth.  It does not mean he was half grace and half truth.  There needs to be grace in our truth and truth in our grace.

Jesus is portrayed Biblically as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God.  Without these opposite bookends characterizing Jesus, we have a distorted view of the Son of God.  Our scriptural reference does not say part grace and truth.  It says, “full of grace and truth.”  Most of us humans are motivated toward one or the other end of the mercy or justice spectrum, which is problematic.  Whereas Jesus was full of grace and truth, most of us are full of grace or truth. We react either only as a lion or a lamb.

If we are to represent Jesus, we must demonstrate a measure of both of these character traits of Christ.  If we have predominately one or the other, how then does this happen?  It occurs when the grace givers and the truth sayers interact, and iron sharpens iron.  Those with humility can always learn something from those with whom they disagree.

Grace without truth leads to easy believism; vice versa, and you have legalism.  Neither of these two results will reveal Jesus to a sick and dying world.  Is there someone in your church that always seems to disagree with you or rub you the wrong way?  You might want to ask yourself if it is iron sharpening iron; where God is making you full of grace and truth.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

When David saw the angel, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.” (2 Samuel 24:17 NLT)

David and Gad

Many of us, when confronted by our sin, will justify or blame shift.  David was a man that understood justice, and therefore, God could give him mercy.

David numbered Israel, and for some unexplained reason, it displeased the Lord.  In (v. 3), Joab tries to admonish David.  Some say that before any significant sin, God tries to warn us.  In (v. 10), we see that what human words could not do, the conviction of God accomplished.  In this verse, we see no justification or shifting of blame for his action. He simply said that he was foolish, which is the best explanation of any sin we might commit.

God sent Gad, the Prophet, to give David his consequence for his sin.  He had three options (v. 13); seven years of famine, three months fleeing before his enemies, or three days of pestilence. David chose the shortest but the most severe punishment.  He had learned that God is far more merciful than man.

 In (v.16), God suddenly instructs the destroying angel to put away his sword, and the pestilence stops before the appointed time.  Mercy always triumphs over judgment (James 2:13 NASB). David sees this unfolding and renews his repentance (v.17).  He tells the Lord that it is his sin and asks God to punish him and not his people. The goodness of God always leads us to repentance.

Those who accept God’s justice, most freely receive mercy.  I don’t pray much for justice anymore; I am afraid I might get it.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Thy Will Be Done

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 (Matthew 6:10 KJV)

 

This verse instructs us how to pray.  God desires that his will be done on earth as is in heaven.  How does this happen?  It happens when God’s will takes precedence over ours.

The commentator Matthew Henry once spoke about our life on this earth as being a “probationary trial.  Every person’s life is their opportunity to do what will prepare them for heaven.”   Such an interesting concept.  Everything we do in this world is actually on the job training for our ultimate role, to “reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12).

So, what is this training program that will prepare us for heaven? It’s called discipleship.  The root word discipline suggests guidelines for our conduct and consequences for living outside of those reasonable requirements.   Jesus always applies discipline lovingly and compassionately, but he was the one who said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take us his cross and follow me (v. 4).  It is more about self-denial than self-fulfillment.

When you pray, “Thy will be done,” it often means that your will may not be done. Even Jesus told his Father that he did not want to die, but added it was not about what he wanted, but what his Father desired.  This is not a popular message in some parts of the church today, but popularity has never been a litmus test for Biblical truth. 

Is your prayer life conforming your will to God’s, or trying to do the opposite?  If the former is true, you are bringing a measure of heaven to earth and preparing yourself to rule and reign with Christ.  Not my will, Lord, but thine.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

So Help Me God

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!(Psalms 121:1-2 NLT)

Washington Praying at Valley forge

As we celebrate the birth of our nation again, it might behoove us to dwell on the man most responsible for its formation, George Washington.  Tradition has it that he was responsible for including this phrase in the title of this blog to the oath of office of the President. Whether he did or didn’t, the meaning behind this expression was prominent in his life.

Washington was a Godly man.  It is well documented that after taking the oath of office on the Bible, he would kiss it.  He set a righteous example as he discouraged cursing among his military officers.  God raised this man up and preserved him.  In the French and Indian War, a Native American Chief fighting against Washington was in awe of his invincibility.  After one battle, Washington had four bullets lodged in his coat, and two horses shot out from under him, with hardly a wound.  Though he led from the front rather than the rear as most generals did, they could not kill him.  This Chief convinced that the “Great Spirit” had preserved Washington, prophesized that “he will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn, will hail him as a father of a mighty empire!” 

Sadly, the House of Representatives, recently, removed “So help me God” from their oath of office to avoid what they call a religious test.  Our founders believed in freedom of religion, we devolved into freedom from religion.  Also, Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, where Washington attended while he was President, removed a commemorative plaque because of his ties to slavery.  Washington was not a perfect man just like you and me, but it should not negate all he did for this nation.  Slavery was a blight on the history of this country, yet redemption is available for the sins of our past.  Some would hold us in bondage for the misdeeds of our ancestors.  I can be sorry for that in which my descendants were involved, but I cannot repent for that of which I have not done.

This country can only be explained by the providence of God.  It is not about our wealth or might, though God has given us both of these things.  It is due to men and women who came to our shores seeking the freedom to worship their Creator as their consciences dictated, and God did not disappoint them.  If we remove from our minds the collective consciousness that this nation was formed by the intervention of a divine hand; using good but imperfect people who are inadequate in themselves and therefore need wisdom from Heaven to continue this experiment in democracy, God help us!

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com