Abounding Grace

God is able to make all grace abound toward you. 2 Corinthians 9:8
Grace. What a wonderful word! The very sound of it brings health and healing, co
mfort and reassurance, encouragement and hope. What does this wonderful word mea
n to us who have trusted in Christ?
First of all, we need to understand what grace does not mean. It does not mean t
hat God looks at us through rose colored glasses; that He turns His head away an
d hides His eyes whenever we sin; that He lets us do whatever we please, wheneve
r we please, while assuring us that all is well. Grace is not a permission slip
that lets us do our own thing or skip out on our responsibilities. Grace is not
a free pass that allows us to break the rules or a Get Out of Jail Free card that
allows us to escape correction. Grace is not a license to sin.
What is Grace? Here are some helpful and wonderful definitions that have been wr
itten and spoken through the years:
Grace is God s Riches At Christ s Expense.
Grace is God s unmerited favor.
Grace is God working in us the will and the desire to do the things that please
Him.
Grace is receiving from God what we do not deserve, freely, without money or pri
ce.
Grace is God s influence upon us resulting in happiness and thankfulness.
Grace is amazing!
I would like to share a few additional thoughts about the meaning of God s grace u
pon our lives. Grace is like the poor finding a vast treasure, the hungry findin
g a banqueting table, the weak finding limitless strength, the thirsty finding a
n artesian well, the fearful finding great courage, the lost finding the way bac
k home, the empty heart finding a reservoir of never-ending love.
When we come to Jesus in our brokenness, our emptiness, our unworthiness, our he
lplessness, and in our need, we are reassured by His promise that all who come t
o Him, He will not cast out He receives us, embraces us, washes us, restores us, a
nd pours out upon us His abounding grace.
Recently, I have to come to understand God s grace to mean this Jesus Christ will b
e to me all that I cannot be; He will do for me all that I cannot do; He will wo
rk through me all He calls me to be and to do not once in awhile, but always; He w
ill give it, not in tiny measure, but abundantly, over and over again.
May the following words about grace by Annie J. Flint ring loudly in your heart
today and penetrate deep within your spirit
He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father s full giving is only begun.
Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

I Am With You Always Follow Up

Wonderful comments continue to come in about what the Lord has been saying to yo
u through Matthew 28:20.
As a follow up, I thought you would enjoy reading the following comment from F.B
. Meyer which is found in The Secret of Guidance by Moody Classics.
Faith is more than creed. In a creed we believe about a person or circumstance,
but in faith we repose our trust upon a person. We must not believe about Christ
only, but in Him, as Livingstone did, when on one occasion he was opposed at ni
ghtfall and was tempted to steal away in the dark. Then his eye lit on the promise
, I will be with you all the days. He wrote, I went to sleep because I knew it was
the word of a perfect gentleman.
Responses to, I am with you always.
In my last posting I asked you to share what the Lord is saying to your heart fr
om Matthew 28:20 I am with you always. Most of today s posting features excerpts fro
m your comments. Each comment ends with the initial of the one who shared. Thank
you for your wonderful response. Any additional comments that arrive after this
posting can be found in the comment section.
I hear my Lord saying... I am with you this very moment... you are in tears and
here I am... in tears with you. You feel comforted greatly and you are smiling
to Me... I smile back to you. In every thing you do, I am here with you, I am in
your heart.
E
"I am with you always." Five of the most beautiful words our God who is the Word
has given to us. These words comfort; they control and calm racing pulses at 2:
00 a.m. when fear tries to creep in upon souls; they offer love, peace, friendsh
ip, and hope. They tell me that we are never alone, not even at 2:00 when fear s
o often tries to tell us that we are.
A
God is saying to me, He is in control of my life. I'm preserved, protected and k
ept by the power of God. He is with me always till I get home sweet home eternit
y!
R
This one reminds me so much of the faithfulness of God...the covenant maker. I h
ave a late night trip after a busy day coming up on Saturday night and this has
spoken to me that God understands the situation and wants me to have courage.
R
I hear GOD telling me HE is w/ me in n thru my pain. My body has multiple sclero
sis. I was healed 2000 years ago by the 39 stripes laid on my SAVIOR JESUS CHRIS
T'S Back!...GOD is with me where ever I go, HE tells me to hold on to HIS unchan
ging HANDS. "HE will never leave me nor forsake me" HE IS MY EVERYTHING, MY ALL N
ALL N I LOVE HIM SO!!! THANK YOU LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, THANK YOU!!!
P
Even before my 1st breath, the Eternal God was with me and will eternally be.
A
My comfort, since entering the AA program 19 months ago has been that God is wit
h me as I drive past liquor stores or walking by the alcohol aisle at my local g
rocer. I keep the voice of truth in my mind to squelch the voice of the demon t
hat wants me to fail...God has been with me every minute of every day and wiped
the tears as I cried. My heart is filled with gratitude and my relationship wit
h God is like never before.
L
I hear Him saying no matter what He is there!
L
This week I celebrated my 66th Birthday I hear God saying to me these promises
Isaiah 46: 4 "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I an he who will sus
tain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will re
scue."
Proverbs 16:31 "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteou
s life" Leviticus 19: 32 "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the
elderly."Isaiah 46:3b-4a I have created you and cared for you since you were bo
rn. I will be your God through all your lifetime, Yes, even when you hair is whi
te with age. I made you and I will care for you."
Psalms 71:9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my stre
ngth faileth.
Psalms 92:14a They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. S
I sure needed that. Been believing for something. At a great crossroads in life
and God has shown us yet doubts try to attack. R
Life is hard but God is good. Every problem that I list, I see God at work in me
to bring me through triumphantly .I can very easily get down on life and all that
is going on, but God is faithful and sends me just what I need to minister to m
y spirit just when I need it. Life is hard but God is good and He is bringing u
s through in His time and His way!!
J
God is faithful and true to His Word........................
J
I hear Him say to those following Him in His command of making disciples that, i
n their ministry the Spirit of Christ and His Spirit rests upon that person...wh
ether a missionary, a persecuted one, a pastor, or anyone in the center of God's
will who's fulfilling His great Commission, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Such was the case in my own life as I and my family served as teachers in the
V. I. We always have the presence of Christ, but it seems that He's with us in
a special way when we're following through His heart's desire: to know Him and
make Him known. We were not sick the whole furlough, were blessed, protected, a
nd prospered by the One who is our Need-Meeter!
V
God is with me all the days of my life and He loves me. ...
C
Today's message has given me reassurance that God is surly with me. In this tim
e of my life when I am searching for Him and "feel" like He cannot be found, He
is with me.
P
I am with you always" has been in my heart and life since I was a little girl in
Sunday School. However, as I matured in Christ and experienced life that state
ment became more and more real to me in all the situations in my life. As a you
ng Christian I was puzzled when bad things happened and I questioned, "How can Y
ou be with me and let these awful things happen?" Then I became older and my li
fe became more complicated as many lives sometimes do and I kept leaning on the
FACT..."I am with you always." His Sovereignty has made such an impact on my life
that I can begin to understand ..."Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
.." It isn't popular. It isn't easy. But it is life giving!
D
I am at your right hand! I will hold you with my right hand!
J
The significance of Jesus' promise has always overwhelmed me I wrote the following
thoughts in 2005: IMMANUEL GOD WITH US In our society, whether it is intentional
or not, promises made are not always promises kept. It is wonderful to know that
there is One who keeps His promises. We learn from scripture that God cannot li
e, so His promises are trustworthy (Hebrews 6:18). We learn that He is able to k
eep His promises, so His promises are sure (Romans 4:20-21). We also learn that
He is faithful, so His promises are steadfast (I Kings 8:56 and II Peter 3:9). W
ith this in mind, it should not surprise us that when God said that He Himself w
ould give us a sign, that He kept His word. He promised Immanuel God with us. What
a thought! Let it overwhelm you. In the midst of financial strain or gain He is
the God who is with us. In the midst of job problems or promotions He is the God
who is with us. In the midst of physical pain or peaks He is the God who is wit
h us. In the midst of relationship trials or treasures He is the God who is with
us. In the midst of emotional turmoil or triumph He is the God who is with us. In
the midst of our deepest sorrow or our greatest joy He is the God who is with u
s. He has promised, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Mat
thew 28:20b). He has promised, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (
Hebrews 13:5) He has also engraved us on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16).
We are never alone; never abandoned; never forgotten. He is Immanuel God with us -
God with you at all times, and in every circumstance. From this moment forward, m
ay you live in the light of Immanuel - God with us.
C
He is always near. My health is loaded with problems but he is working to help
me work the pain out so that healing can come in slowly...but with the help of t
he Voice of the Always Near Father I can go on today I can get what I need from th
e One Who is always near
K
God is saying I am with you even if your husband is in nursing home and you are
going broke.
L
Don't be afraid.
R
God is saying: I'm with you on the mountaintop. I'm with you in the valley. I
'm with you when you want Me to be and when you wish I weren't. I'm always pres
ent for I will never leave you or forsake you. I'm with you when you sleep for I
take delight in you and rejoice over you with singing! When you awake, I AM is
there!
P
During the times when we struggle with keeping our faith and trust in Him and du
ring our times of weakness in general, all we need is to know that He is near...
that He is with us. This is the source of healing, comfort and joy.
T
I hear him saying softly like the coo of the dove....rest my child not in who yo
u are but in who I AM!
L
That know matter where we go or where we are, God will always be there with us.
It reminds me of one of my most treasured Psalms,*Where can I go from Thy Spirit
? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there;I
f I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the daw
n, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Thy hand will lead me,
And Thy right hand will lay hold of me. Psalms139;7-10*
M
There has been so many things happen to me these past few years that some of the
m I didn't know where God was in them, I honestly felt all alone, even though I
cried out to Him, it seemed He was no where in site cause the stress continued.
It got to the point I felt the only way out of my pain was to die. But I am th
ankful for a friend inviting me to do a bible study by Beth Moore called Breakin
g Free. It was thru that study I learned that God was there even when I didn't f
eel Him
P
I think He is reaching out to us, and is seeing who wants to return His love bac
k to Him. He is seeking those who truly love Him back. And because we want a rela
tionship and want to return His love back to Him, He is promising in this passag
e to always be with us. He is saying we can count on Him as our Rock.
C
I hear God saying this promise does not depend on you it depends on ME...!
L
"I am with you always" to me are Christ's unsearchable riches & abundant Life fo
r my daily bread. Monday, He fills me; Tuesday, He fills me again, but with NEW
manna; His banquet table can NEVER be exhausted. "He giveth & giveth & giveth ag
ain." He supplies my desperate needs, my deepest wants, my tentative hopes; dail
y He pours out. For every temptation, He gives a way of escape. To every cry, He
comforts. Look at His sufficiency! He's everything, including "with us".
B
I am with you always
"I am with you always" Matthew 28:20 NKJV
What is God telling us when He says I am with you always? Here are some things I h
ear Him saying
I am near. Don t doubt my presence for a single moment. I have promised you. I am
the true and faithful God. Be as certain of Me fulfilling my promise as I was wh
en I first spoke it. Don t doubt it. Let your heart be quiet with this assurance!
I am with you because I care about you. I am with you because I love you. I am w
ith you because I want to be with you. I am with you because I desire to have fe
llowship with you. There will never be a time, a moment, a second when you are w
ithout me. I am with you now. With you tomorrow. With you in the dark times. Wit
h you in the hard times. With you in the glad times. With you through all the ti
mes of your life when you are young, when you are old, when you are busy, when you
are still, when you journey and when you return home.
What do you hear God saying to you through this promise? I d love to hear.

The Parable of the Two Lemons

Recently, while cleaning out an old file, I came across an article written many
years ago by my father. His writing reflects upon his age and entering into his
retirement years. Today s posting features some excerpts from that article.
A cup of hot tea and two lemons brought me to tranquility of soul one rainy nigh
t in January when I was home alone, pondering retirement form the business world
and at the same time mentally scanning the years fled by.
Retirement carried such a dread of uselessness. Filled with self-pity, I moved t
oward the refrigerator in search of a lemon. I found two one I had recently purcha
sed, the other, one I had long overlooked.
The newer lemon was soft, smooth of skin with minute pores. Its color was as but
tercups in full bloom. How like the days when my skin was clear, my muscles lith
e and my hair abundant and yellow as corn silk! I affectionately termed this one
my Memory lemon.
The older lemon was the Mirror which reflected the fruit of refrigerated dormancy li
me green at the base, paper yellow with age, skin tougher and somewhat veined, w
ith scars from the competition for space in the cold storage; hard knocks from b
utter cartons, hot sauce bottles and tomato juice cans. True, old age and compet
itive struggles had taken their tol, but were the remainder of my days to be spe
nt on ice ? I am not an inanimate juice container; I am alive and I want to be usef
ul! I may be shriveling, but I won t be scrapped!
I reached for the kitchen knife with a sort of determined antagonism to those tw
o lemons. I was going to probe their interiors until I was satisfied I had some
answers that were relevant to my state and attitude.
Memory bent easily to the blade. My nostrils were promptly filled with a clean, cr
isp, refreshing aroma as that of the yellow jasmine. Drops of its pale liquid ra
n through my fingers. It was busting with a mildly fragrant aroma, thoroughly le
mon. I squeezed a few drops into my tea-cup. Memory served me well.
Mirror took the knife with resistance, uttering a crackling sound to the cut. Memor
y had only 1 pit, Mirror had 5. Though the crispness and the gush were absent, Mirro
r still had ample fluid and a subdued, mellow fragrance. Aging had subdued sharpn
ess and bitterness.
But there were two attributes in Mirror which were lacking in Memory . In the very ce
nter of the former was a pronounced, white heart from which radiated the spokes whic
h housed the meat segments. Memory had the spokes and segments also but was lackin
g heart .
The other notable distinction was that Mirror had ten segments while Memory had but
nine.
The tea-kettle whistled me to its handle. I gently squeezed a few drops of the a
ged one s liquid into my tea-cup, added the tea and hot water, made myself comfort
able in the easy chair and slowly sipped the blend of the two offerings.
Youth I once had. I was thankful for the memories of vigor and zest and of the a
bundant provision for body and soul.
Old age I have and Mirror confronted me with reality. Though my skin is tougher, I a
m still usable. My heart is enlarged to those who have needs: from there the spok
es of love can enclose the meat of other lives to be spent for others in service.
The additional segment? It is that which was missing in my youth the dimension of
the spirit and the realization that without God working in that realm I am only
a lemon .
-Joseph Aaron Lessin
Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding. Job 12:12 NKJV

July 28, 2010

Fullness of Joy
I enjoy golf, but I enjoy it much more when I am playing a round of golf with a
friend. Having the companionship of a friend on the golf course changes everythi
ng for me. When I hit a good shot or make a long putt, I find it more enjoyable
when a friend shares the moment with me (even the bad shots are easier to endure
when a friend shares your pain.)
What do you enjoy? How about a day at the beach or a hike in the mountains? Do y
ou want to multiply your joy? Spend that day with someone you love.

When I was a boy, my dad would take me to visit Palm Springs. I remember enjoyin
g so many things about Palm Springs, not only because I liked the desert, but be
cause I loved being with my dad in the desert. It was my deep enjoyment of being
with him that made Palm Springs so enjoyable for me.
The Bible tells us that God has given us richly all things to enjoy (I Timothy
6:17), yet the joy He has for us goes even deeper. He not only wants us to enjoy
the things He gives us, but He wants us to experience joy in its fullest measur
e (John 15:11.) To have the blessings God gives brings enjoyment, but to have Go
d Himself, brings more than enjoyment, it brings fullness of joy. Fullness of jo
y means having His presence in the midst of all the blessings He gives.
Sharing a meal with a close friend brings great enjoyment, having Jesus sup with
you brings fullness of joy; having a cooling wind blow across your face on a wa
rm summer s day brings enjoyment, to have the refreshing wind of the Holy Spirit m
ove upon your heart brings fullness of joy; walking through a flower garden brin
gs enjoyment, to walk through a flower garden with the One who created the flowe
rs, brings fullness of joy; to relax by a quiet flowing stream brings enjoyment,
to be joined to the restful yoke of Jesus Christ brings fullness of joy. It is
as though God is saying to us, The joys that come from the blessings I give you c
an only go so far, for they are from Me, but they are not Me. I want you to enjo
y what I give you, but even more, I want you to have Me My life, My love, My prese
nce. It is with Me, in Me, and from Me alone that you will know the fullness of
joy I want you to have.
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your
right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 NKJV

Sometimes the past chases you.

You hear its footsteps in the alley of your mind.
Listen even closer and you'll hear the heartbeat of One who loves you.
Instead of behind you, He stands before you, arms open, always saying, "Come to
Me.
I'm stronger than the past.
I'm even more real than those memories.
I AM
right here, right now,
and I will be your future too."
All that is behind you fades away and you are safe where you belong. The only so
unds now are His steps, yours following, as you walk toward His plans together.
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
In Case You Ever Wonder...
Hello, you-
the one with that dream in your heart,
that idea on your mind,
that desire that just won't go away.
You wonder...can I do this?
You can do all things. (Philippians. 4:13)
You ask...do I have what it takes?
You've got all you need. (2 Peter 1:3)
You question...is who I am okay?
You're more than okay, you're His. (Psalm 139:14)
So go for it.
Dare to make that difference, take that step, follow that dream. God will go wit
h you, and love will see you through