oh, i took a leave today. was too tired to go work. haha.
and so i printed manymanymany sermons to read.
yah and there was this on Hebrews 13:7-16--Be Strengthened by Grace.
Verse 5-6: "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we confidently say," The lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?"
If you really believe this promise, if you believe it is true, and your heart is satisfied with the God who promises to be there for you and help you, then you will not crave money, you will keep your marriage vows, you care for prisoners, welcome strangers and love each other. Faith in the promises of God is the power to live a radical, normal Christian life.
It takes strength. It takes strength to love. It takes strength to risk yourself with strangers. It takes strength to take the suffering of prisoners into your life, when you may have enough of your own. It takes strength to keep your marriage vows when the going gets rough and it is not the way you dreamed it would be. It takes strength to turn away from the promises of money. And that strength is what today's text is about. Where to get it and how to keep it. And the answers are not new, just newly stated.
When I wake up in the morning and feel guilty and defiled because of yesterday's ugliness, and hopeless because of yesterday's failure, my heart needs to be strengthened by two kinds of grace, not just one. I need the grace of forgiveness based on a great past substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, that covers all my sins. O, how precious! And I need the grace of promised help from Jesus today and tomorrow.
If I can have forgiveness, and if I can have the promise of omnipotent help from Jesus who is the same yesterday today and forever, my heart will be strong, and I will be able to carry on another day. Such is the glory of grace in the Christian life.
If you do not enjoy the forgiveness of your sins or have hope that Jesus will give you all the help you need today and tomorrow, then I invite you to turn from foods that cannot satisfy or help, and put your trust in the grace of Jesus.
I didn't really understand some parts of the sermon.
but yah i really like it when it reminds me that the Lord will never desert you or forsake you.
and that Jesus who is the same yeasterday, today and forever.
humans change, situations change, things change, but the Lord's love will never ever ever change.
strengthened by His grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment