RANDOM GRACE, JUNE 25-JULY 1, 2007
Video above: The Courtroom, by Carman
Monday, June 25
“The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD:
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.”Ps. 37:39 NIV
A car accident occurred at the road junction. Soon both drivers started boasting about who they know and how much punishment they can inflict on the other person through their connections. While one called the police and his influential father who is a politician, the other called his lawyer.
True, when some people are in trouble, the ‘ powerful ones’ in the land empathize and react. But it is a good thing that the most powerful being has reserved his intervention, not for the wealthy or nobles but for the righteous.
When the righteous is in trouble, there is someone he may call upon-he doesn’t even need a cellular phone! God’s lines suffer no congestion and if all men pray at the same time he can attend to the individual needs of each.
He is a ready source of help for the righteous -be they poor, rich, peasants, politicians, black or white.
Are you in any trouble? Have you been made righteous by the blood of Jesus? Why don’t you call your advocate, He is waiting.
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Tuesday, June 26
“Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
He will spend his days in prosperity,
And his descendants will inherit the land.”
Ps. 25:12-13 NIV
God is aware that all men desire to find a way for self actualisation . We all desire to prosper and to leave the fruits of our labour to our offspring, who will be well established in the land.
God has not left us without a prescriptions for obtaining these things.
They will, naturally, as divinely ordained, come to the man who fears the Lord. Those who live and serve with the consciousness of God’s presence, who know He will call them into account and who see themselves as his instruments to lift up the downtrodden and bless his subjects – they will be blessed. History proves it.
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Wednesday, June 27
“One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper;
He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. “
Pro. 11:24-25 NIV
Givers Never Lack! You’ve probably seen the sticker on several vehicles. But when we talk about giving, some people easily excuse themselves on the basis of not having money to give-Thankfully, Solomon did not even mention money. Time, knowledge, car rides, attention-are some of the many other things which can be given to others. God has given each and everyone of us the grace to have something we can share. Abundance and prosperity is meant to be shared, not hoarded – even if we must remember the “rainy days.”
Look back to yesterday, can you make a list of three people you shared something with – anything? Also pray for someone who was a blessing to you.
_______________________________________________________________Thursday, June 28
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”
Rom. 1:16 NIV
I remember my first year in the University. Whenever I went to the fellowship, I felt odd clutching onto my Bible, so I bought a wallet to ‘protect’ it. There is nothing wrong in protecting the Bible, but that was not my real motive.
I was liberated one day, in my second year. A group of students brought their parent’s cars to the University and they all held cigarettes which they puffed as they posed in front of the girls hostel-then it struck me like a lightning bolt! Here were some people taking pride in something that will eventually take their life, something they should actually be ashamed to hold in secret; and I was ashamed to hold the ‘word of life’ in public.
Since that day, I boldly carry my Bible-unless it simply makes sense to have it in a wallet or bag.
If you say you are a Christian and you are ashamed of being identified with preaching, the Bible or Jesus Christ, what in the world will make you feel proud? Pray that you may no longer be a nominal Christian, rather you should be ready, at all times to identify with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
_______________________________________________________________Friday, June 29
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD.
I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”
Hab. 3:17-18 NIV
Praising God when everything is working well is easy, but how do we react when nothing is working? Habakkuk had been having a discussion with God, and the LORD revealed the reasons for the hardships to him. When Habakkuk finally saw things from God’s view point, he found a reason to praise the LORD. He came to realise that even when things are bad, God is working out our peace and leading us to greater heights.
Knowing that God is always on our side, and he is always working out our salvation – we can rejoice always. It’s a vote of confidence in Him. _______________________________________________________________
Saturday, June 30
“This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel;
Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel,
Do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.”
Amos 5:4-5 NIV
Bethel and Gilgal are two sites with great spiritual significance to the Israelites. They are both places where God made his presence felt to the Patriarchs in their times of need. Israel developed a tendency to return to those places and over time, they started exercising faith in the places rather than in the God who manifested in those places.
Church going is good, powerful preachers are nice, television and radio programs that minister to us are wonderful. Publications that draw us closer to God are splendid – but when we begin to believe that God cannot or will not communicate with us unless we access a particular medium other than his Holy Spirit who indwells us, we must re-consider what we believe in.
The God whom the bible reveals, the new testament God is everywhere and manifests to anyone, anywhere – once they have received faith in Him.
______________________________________________________________Sunday, July 1
“Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”
Jonah 2:8 NIV
The cup into which God pours our blessedness, is the same one that we use to receive from other quarters. If we have filled our cup with unworthy material, we may discover that even if God wants to bless us, there is no room. For everything we receive from the devil, there is something which God would want to give us that we can’t receive.
For this reason, we must constantly and voluntarily be emptied of those things that are not of God.
The word of God is a seed. Every word of God would come to pass if there is room to accept and germinate them in our lives. We are often the architect of our own misfortunes as we often give room to rival sources and resources which conflict with God.
With determination and prayerful dependence on God, you can let go those habits that war against your soul.
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This article has been contributed by ‘Yemi Ogunjimi.
To find out more about him please follow this link
http://blogtheword.wordpress.com/about/
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