THE WATERFALL OF GRACE

MATTHEW 9:29  Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." Have you ever wondered why God blessed someone -- when it was obvious they did not deserve it? Do you wonder why you are not more blessed -- even though you are doing your best to be a good Christian? The answer is faith. We do not receive from God based on what we deserve, but on what we believe.  GALATIANS 3:9  Abraham believed this, and because he believed, he was blessed.  It is the same today. All who believe today are blessed just as Abraham was blessed. Our receiving from God is not based on our works, but on God's grace. We have access to God's grace by our faith -- not through our merit. ROMANS 5:2  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand . . . . Many try to earn something from God when He has already given us all things through Christ. Now by faith we must appropriate what God has provided. Don't despai...

JAMES 1:19  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, Personally, I have a  big struggle with this. I am a very reactive person and seldom pause before I speak. I am praying for change in this area.  How many times have you said something and later regretted it? Too often we practice: Speak now and think later. What would happen if you silently consulted with God before speaking? If you thought about, and prayed about, everything you said -- before you said it -- outcomes would be different. 1 PETER 3:10  If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. Words are powerful and should be used to accomplish a purpose. Don't just talk for no reason. PROVERBS 17:28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. Remember, you can always learn more by listening than you can by talking. Be slow to...

Where do joyful people get off? Don't they have troubles like me? How can somebody STAY JOYFUL?   James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,.. what!? 1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice... How does that work? Okay, so the word JOY is used 165 times in the bible (KJV) and I have heard this word used to describe the christian experience in sermons and even in twelve step groups. We are told to have JOY while we are suffering or grieving or being crushed by injustice. I don't know about you but trials and  hardships produce feelings in me that are quite the opposite of joy. Life hurts and is often unfair so how or why am I to find joy in the middle of a firestorm? How can someone who is in acute physical pain be joyful? Who can rejoice at a death of a loved one or loss of a job? Where is Joy to be found? Do I understand what I am looking for? I struggle with this as I...

  Who did the Son of God reach out to and be-friend in the Gospels? MATTHEW 11:19  "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Look, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'. . . . Jesus had trouble with the religious leaders of His day, because He was a friend of sinners. Jesus is the same today. He never changes. Jesus is your friend.  LUKE 19:7 But when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." Religious people couldn't understand how Jesus could love a sinner -- they certainly did not. But Jesus did, and He still does. Notice what Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery. JOHN 8:11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." Jesus does not condemn you for your sin. He understands. He came to earth and lived in a human body just as you do. Jesus knows t...

PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14  ...one thing I do -- forgetting everything which is past and stretching forward to what lies in front of me, 14 with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus. We Believers face many difficulties. Trials. Adversaries. Doubts. At times we're all tempted to quit. The struggle seems too much, and we wonder if it's worth it to continue, to hold on to our faith when there seems to be no hope left. But there is a goal -- supremely worthwhile: life with our wonderful Lord. Not just existence, but intimate fellowship. Fix your eyes on the goal -- God Himself -- and press on! 1 CORINTHIANS 1:9  God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. Please read the following verses slowly and thoughtfully. 1 PETER 5:7-10 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you. 8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a ro...

MATTHEW 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, "Love your enemies? What kind of advice is that? How can you have enemies, if you act in love toward them?" Good point. Why would anyone want to have enemies? Do you? God's instructions, if acted upon, will make friends out of enemies. Think how much better the world would be then. God can, and does, love His enemies. He proved it. No matter what they did to Jesus, He never quit walking in love. But it may be impossible for a normal human to love their enemies -- without God's help. Fortunately, God's help is available! No matter how hard it seems, you can love those who have hurt you. If it was not possible, God would not command us to do it. Of course, to be successful at it, we need to call on the Lord and receive His help. "But why should I love my enemies?...

ROMANS 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Most people approach prayer as an exercise in convincing God to help. They think they must twist God's arm, or promise to do something, in order to get God to give them anything. The New Testament paints a different picture. God not only is a willing giver, but has already given! He is not holding back on us! When He gave us Jesus, along with Him He gave us everything we could ever need. "Why then," you may ask, "do I not have what I need?" Friend, there is a great difference between something being given and something being received. Many people have been unaware recipients of great good, but until they became aware of it and took the necessary steps to properly receive their bounty, it did them no good. You can be entitled to some inheritance, or other windfall, without knowing it. You can even know it, but wi...

 John 10:10  "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. Ted Turner, the founder of the CNN TV network, tells how he turned against Christianity because of bitterness against God in his younger days. After the death of a family member, the preacher told him that "God took them," and he became bitter over it. Ted Turner is not alone. Millions of people are mad at God because they believe He has done something wrong -- which He has not! God is not going around killing people, or stealing from them, or destroying their lives. That is the work of the devil. God is not guilty! The greatest deception in history has been the devil convincing people that the things he does are done by God. The devil wants us to believe that God acts like the devil. But it is a lie! Of course, to pull this deception off, the devil had to get preachers to spread his lies. No one would believe it if the devil...

PSALM 147:4-5  He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Sometimes I wonder how God can be mindful of me when there are so many other people for Him to be concerned about. How can He keep up? Then I am reminded of the scriptures that tell us that God has named all the stars. We don't even know how many stars there are -- scientists say billions and billions -- but God can call them all by name! God is definitely in a different category than anyone else I know. He is mighty. Compared to us, He has no limit to His understanding or His ability. ISAIAH 40:26  Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. PSALM 8:3-4  When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which ...

PHILIPPIANS 1:21-23  For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  A Christian should not be afraid to die. Dying is a promotion for a Christian into a better situation -- something to look forward to, not to dread. Too many Christians are still controlled by the fear of death. It stops them from doing the will of God. Fear keeps them from walking in faith, because they are afraid to die. For example, there are places where they say the Gospel of Jesus cannot be preached. According to their laws, it is punishable by death. But why should that stop Christians from obeying God's Word to preach the Good News about Jesus to every person? The fear of death should never control our lives! What a privilege and honor it would be to die for our wonderf...

ROMANS 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. All we receive from God is by His grace. We do not deserve it, and we are not able to earn it. It is a gift offered by grace. But we must access it by faith. GALATIANS 3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. We receive through faith. Whether we are receiving the Holy Spirit or receiving healing. Whatever we receive from God must be received by faith. MARK 11:22-24  And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever y...

JOHN 13:34-35  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."   Instead of being known for love, Christians are more likely to be known for disagreements and fighting with other Christians. Why? Those who fight are displaying their immaturity. Children can be expected to squabble over insignificant things, but adults should not. Yet even Christian leaders often fight with other Christian leaders. It is the devil's strategy to get believers in strife because it opens the door to him. Do you really want to open the door to the devil?  JAMES 3:16 KJV 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. God allows us to face the temptation of strife so we can overcome and learn to walk in love. We are continually given the opportunity to walk in love. God's primary concern ...

JOHN 16:13 NKJ  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you....  This article is directed to believers in Jesus Christ to remind you there are many scriptures indicating that God IS guiding you. Too often we feel like we are just on our own, drifting aimlessly, with no help or guidance from God. Just because you are not aware of God's guidance does not mean He is not guiding you. This is part of God's genius: to be able to do things unnoticed. When we don't understand God's method of operation, we easily fall prey to the temptation to doubt God is guiding us, or even hearing our prayers. This often leads to begging God for help, which is not faith, and will not produce good results. We must believe what God says in His Word concerning this subject of guidance, if we desire to please God. It is always wise to talk with God before making any decision. But just because you don't hear God's audible voice answering you, does ...

COLOSSIANS 1:13 NKJ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,.. Many people are afraid of the devil. As believers we have no need to be afraid of the devil, although we should be aware and on guard against his schemes. The only true power the devil holds over a believer now is the power of deception. If you do not know the truth the devil will take advantage of you. The only way to know the truth is to read, understand, and act on the Scriptures. To illustrate, imagine entering the hospital room of a patient paralyzed from their neck down. All they can do is talk. They pose no threat to you, unless they convince you to take the gun from beside the bed and shoot yourself with it. (How could they do that? One way would be to convince you that the gun was not real or not loaded, so it wouldn't harm you.) You may think this is ridiculous, but it happens constantly with people who do not realize that the words th...

EPHESIANS 3:18-19  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  How can words describe, or humans fully understand, something that is as deep as God Himself? God's love is greater than words have the ability to communicate. It is impossible to put into language. How can you explain the unexplainable? How can you know something that is beyond the ability of human knowledge to comprehend? You would have to be God Himself to fully understand why He loves you the way He does. Don't expect to ever understand it. But you can accept it. You can believe it. You can experience it and enjoy it. God's love for you was demonstrated in redemption. God took your place and suffered what you deserved, so you co...

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,  for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  Believers have a responsibility to pray for their leaders. If you live in a country where you have the privilege of voting on your leaders, then you need to take that responsibility seriously, be informed and vote as the Lord directs you. Don't allow yourself to be swayed by the emotional tactics used in political campaigns, or vote based on your selfish interests. Vote as you believe the Lord would have you to vote. Vote for godly leadership. Vote the Bible!  But don't stop at voting. Pray for public officials, especially those in high office whose decisions affect many people's lives. PROVERBS 29:2 With good men in authority, the people rejoice; but with the wicked in power, they groan.  Father, I pr...

 I JOHN 5:4  for everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Yes, we do face difficulties in life, but they only give us an opportunity to trust the Lord and overcome. Without problems we would have nothing to overcome, and thus not be able to receive all the blessings promised to those who do overcome. There are seven promises given to overcomers in the second and third chapters of Revelation. Here is the last one: REVELATION 3:21  To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.  As you face the problems of life, keep your eyes on your destination, just as Jesus did. Walk close to God and depend on Him. He will not fail you.  I JOHN 4:4  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.   I am an ...

1 JOHN 4:4  You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.   There are two vital points in this verse, which is addressed to believers. (If you have not welcomed Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit into your life -- none of this applies to you until you make that decision.) FIRST, God is IN you -- not far off somewhere. Yes, God is in Heaven -- but that is not the only place He is. By the Holy Spirit, God now has His dwelling place in you! You don't have to "try to reach God." He is right there! What you need to do is to cultivate an awareness of His presence. This, along with communication, is the way to develop a closer relationship with God. Knowing that God lives in you, and that He loves you, should banish all fear from your life. Fear of failure should have no place. Fear of what other people think should not bother you. Fear of problems that may come up should be of no concern. ...

1 CORINTHIANS 3:9 We are only God's coworkers. You are God's garden, not ours; you are God's building, not ours.  We discovered that God's Word is a seed (Luke 8:11). Now we see that the Bible says that we, as believers, are God's garden -- the place where seed is planted. The question for you to consider is: who determines the harvest? God, or you? (The harvest I speak of is the fruit, or result, of the Word of God. The harvest of blessing that God's Word produces in your life.) I suggest that the harvest is mainly controlled by the one who determines what seed is planted. Would you agree?  If wheat seed is planted, it is unreasonable to expect a harvest of corn. If only a few seeds are planted, it is unreasonable to expect a large harvest. Wouldn't you agree? Yes, you are God's field, but He allows you a lot of freedom to choose what will be produced in your life. And the main way you choose is by choosing what seed will be planted in yo...

JOHN 8:31-32  Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  Notice carefully what Jesus actually said. It is not those who "start in the word" or "try the word for awhile" who will be made free. You must continue in Jesus' message -- His Word. It must be His accurate message -- not just someone's idea about it, or religious tradition. Some translations use the word "abide" instead of "continue." Abide means to stay somewhere continually. Either way, the meaning involves staying with it. Note what Jesus said in verse 32, "and you will KNOW the truth . . ." Just hearing truth does not necessarily make you free. You must KNOW it is the truth. When you KNOW something, you will act on it. If you are not acting on something, you do not yet truly KNOW it. You act on what you know. H...

1 Samuel 13:11-12 "When I saw that the men were scattering and that you did not come at the set time and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor. So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offerings."  His own army was frightened and many began to retreat and hide from the enemy. The enemy was assembling to fight and outnumber the Israelites. Saul panics. He offers the burnt offerings to God. Samuel returns and gets angry with Saul for not trusting God and taking matters into his own hands. Why does Samuel get so upset? Two reasons: 1. In Deuteronomy, it was a law that only the priest could offer the burnt offerings in certain times and in certain places. 2. Samuel said that he would surely offer the burnt offerings when he returned and Saul had not waited. In the midst of difficulties and challenges, we can sometimes panic. Our fears get ...

MATTHEW 9:24 KJV  He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. Do others think you are crazy for being a follower of Jesus? Do they think you are too extreme for believing the Bible literally? Well, don't feel lonely. Jesus faced the same type of problems. As we see in Matthew 9:24, sometimes people derided Jesus. They did not just laugh at Him -- they laughed Him to scorn. They made a big deal out of it. It is the same today. When we believe what Jesus said, there may be times when others think we are crazy. They may laugh at us. They may even mock us for believing God's Word. That is nothing new. But why should you let it affect you? Often we are too concerned about what other people think. After all, they are not our Judge. Nor are they our Provider. But God is, and we should care what He thinks.  That was the stance that Jesus took. We must remember that we are not in a popularity contest. Yes, to some ...

 EPHESIANS 6:16  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Isn't it good to know you can withstand whatever the devil throws at you? Although the devil may attack, your faith in God's Word will shield you from being harmed.  1 PETER 5:8-9  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  How do we resist the devil? We resist the devil by refusing to think, speak, or act in accordance with his suggestions and ideas. We choose rather to think, speak, and act in line with God's Word, the Bible. Refusing to accept less than the perfect will of God is resisting the devil. Standing against sin, sickness, poverty, and fear is resisting the devil's plan, which is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10...

1 SAMUEL 2:12  Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the LORD   Eli was a priest of Israel who did not train his sons to obey. Eli's failure to properly train his children affected not only his own family very negatively, but also caused disaster for the nation of Israel. (see 1 Samuel 4:10-11) If children are not trained to respect the word of their parents, they won't properly respect anyone -- including God -- without first experiencing the painful consequences of their actions. How important God considers training children to obey can be seen from the story of Eli and his sons. 1 SAMUEL 3:13 "For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 1 SAMUEL 2:17,22-25  So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD's sight, for they treated the LORD's offerings with contempt. 22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware ...

JOHN 13:15 NKJ 15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. JOHN 13:34 NKJ 34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. JOHN 14:12 NKJ 12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  JOHN 15:12 NKJ 12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. EPHESIANS 4:31-5:2 NKJ 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet- smelling aroma. EPHESIANS 5:25 NKJ 25 Husbands, love your wive...

Deuteronomy 10:17 "For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. Job 34:19 Who shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands? Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism, Romans 9:14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Absolutely not!  God does not show favoritism. Several other translations say "there is no partiality with God." God does not practice discrimination with people, favoring one above another. All of us have equal opportunity to receive God's help and blessing. God loves everyone, but allows us to choose whether to seek Him, or not. Six times the Bible tells us that God does not show partiality or favoritism.  2 CHRONICLES 19:7 NLT 7 Fear the LORD and judge with integrity, for the LORD our God does not tolerate ...

ISAIAH 61:3 NKJ 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Jesus came to give us beauty instead of ashes. To transform the ashes of our life into something beautiful -- for His glory. As I was walking one day, I came upon a tree. It was short, twisted, and poorly shaped. Obviously, it had faced many storms and had suffered greatly. To be honest, the tree itself, was ugly. But that day something transformed that ugly tree into something gloriously beautiful, and very pleasant to look at. It was covered with little pink flowers. In fact, the tree was bursting with life coming from inside its gnarled branches. As I looked at the tree, enjoying the beautiful sight, it reminded me of us as believers -- who may not be very desirable on our own -- but with Jesus' life ...