Honestly , I know of nothing which has the power to switch us from inside like the liberty that comes thru grace. It is so dazzling it’ll change not only our hearts but also our faces. And goodness knows, many of us are past due for a face change. Every one of us are drawn to those whose faces invite us in and urge us on. They came to a stream which had left its banks due to a downpour.

The distended stream had washed the bridge away. Each rider was compelled to ford the brook on horseback, fighting for his life against the quick currents.

The real likelihood of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who wasn’t part of their group to step aside and watch. After many had dropped in and made it to the opposite side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the stream. The person climbed on, and at once afterward the 2 of them made it safely to the opposite side. As the stranger declined off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, “Tell me, why did you choose the president to ask this favor of?” the person was startled, admitting he had no idea it was actually the president who had helped him. “All I know,” he claimed, “is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘No,’ and on a few of them was the answer ‘Yes.’ His was a ‘Yes’ face.”. I haven’t seen Him, but I have determined from what I have read about Him this was true. Yet none of their poison seeped into His life. How could it be? What was it that kept Him from becoming caught in their grip? In one word, it was grace.

He was so full of truth and grace, He left no inner space for their legalistic poison.

The crisis is they think it’s the way they deserve to be. They have not known the truth that would set them free.

They are victimised, existing as if living on death row rather than enjoying the beauty and clean air of the abounding life Christ modeled and made feasible for all of His supporters to make a claim. Sadly , most don’t have any idea as to what they are missing. That is what is being attacked so ceaselessly, so violently. Those that are not cushty rejecting it have made a decision to debate it. Like the times of the Protestant Reformation, grace has again become a theological soccer kicked from one end of the field to the other as clergymen and bible thumpers, students and scholars disagree over terms like annoyed coaches on opposite sides making an attempt to gain benefit over each other. It’s a classic no-win debate that trivializes the issue and leaves the masses who watch the fight from the stands confused, polarized, or worst of all, bored. Grace was supposed to be received and lived out to the fullest, not dissected and researched by those that would rather disagree than eat.

It’s time for grace to be awakened and released, not denied. To be enjoyed and openly given, not discussed. To spend one’s time discussing how grace is received or how much commitment is mandatory for deliverance, without getting into what it suggests to live by grace and experience the superb liberty it provides, quickly leads to a counter-productive debate.

It becomes little more than another boring unimportant pursuit where the bulk of God’s folk spend days casting backwards and asking, “How did we get it?” instead of looking forward and saying, “Grace is ours.

My plea is that we claim it and permit it to set us free. When we do, grace will become what it was intended to be—really superb.

We are in trouble circumstances are outside our control, and we see no relief for the future. He gives us what we needHis love and strength, a feeling of security, and the understanding that we aren’t alone. Our Lord understands what it is like to suffer, to be declined, or to lose a family member.

The God who walks with us isn’t restrained by anything, so we needn’t be terrified. God has a purpose for permitting hard times.The story of Joseph obviously illustrates this truth. Joseph couldn’t see God’s purposeand neither will we almost all of the timebut he knew God’s personality and trusted Him thru his many trials.

His religion was rewarded when he was able to save his folks. God will never leave you nor forsake you ( Hebrews 13:5 ) and His good purposes will be carried out.

In what’s likely the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job, we read, “For man is born for difficulty, as sparks fly upward”. Now there is a statement we want to teach our youngsters and grandkids, beginning today. The message they solidly hear is that God has nothing apart from contentment and accomplishment in store for them if they will trust their lives to Him.

surprisingly, while scraping sores from his sick and pain-racked body, Job asked, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not adversity?” He made that statement replying to his other half’s recommendation to “curse God and die.” She too was damaged from the loss of her kids and the anguish of watching her hubby suffer so extraordinarily.

( as a young evangelist, I came down too hard on Job’s other half.

She required God’s point of view on her agony. ) It was when her man witnessed how deep her grief was that he replied as he did. He wanted her to notice that God isn’t a heavenly bellboy, delivering only nice and comforting things to our door. When tough times happen you’ll find scores of newly released titles querying how a loving God could be so unfair and unjust. It is simple to be confused in one’s experience of God. As with Job and Paul, He continues to permit suffering to form us into humble, helpful servants.

Throw one of us in a dungeon and we wish to talk to our barrister. Fight the enticement to reconsider God just because hard times come.