Back to the Basics: Part 1-"Grace Abounding"

Ephesians 2: 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 ¹¹Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcisiion by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

 ¹²That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

 ¹³But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

This is part 1 of a blog series I will be titling "Back to the Basics". This series of blogs will be based on a prayer recently in my life; "God take me back to the basics of my faith in you", so I will be revealing as God reveals to me! Praise God! 

See, I grew dissatisfied with all the glitter and twinkling cymbals of my sensationalist Christianity I was living, and really forgot why I was in it in the first place. So the Lord put it in my heart, I need to get back to the basics!

When we talk about the basic fundamentals of Christianity, the first thing that comes to mind, should be grace and mercy! 

The Bible says we are saved by grace, not of works. I'm so glad we're saved by grace and not by works. I can't look at my works and boast about them. I know some can and that's why that verse was written, but I can't possibly look at the few things I've ever done for the Lord and think they could possibly ever satisfy God's hurt and anger towards my actions against Him, and my murder of His son! 

See when I was a heathen through most of my school life, I was constantly in the principles office for something or other. Every time though instead of rushing in to rip my head off like I thought he would, my Dad would come to my aid, and try to get me out of the trouble I was in. My dad became my lifeline not my executioner! I'll write that again... my Dad became my lifeline not my executioner!

I think we sometimes forget grace in the church. We get so caught up in everything we're gonna do and be, and I'm thankful for that, but we forget who we used to be. We forget how to give grace, and we forget how to receive it. The apostle Paul said that he was the chief of sinners. I mean, the dude brutally murdered Christians. Some in the present church would tell him no Paul, that's your past bro! That's under the blood, don't think about what you used to be. I believe Paul would tell them your right. Amen. My past is under the blood, I am a new creature, but that's why I don't forget it!  While we should never dwell on the past and beat ourselves up over it, we can't forget the past, b/c forgetting it would be forgetting our testimony. It's God's job to forget the past, it's our job to remember where He brought us from! Forgetting the past would be forgetting our testimony. That would be to forget the very reason I am a Christian. I didn't become a Christain for the notoriety, I didn't convert to be considered the greatest apostle of all time.

I didn't do it for the streets of gold or crowns of glory.

I didn't do it to impress the masses with my great oration skills.

I didn't to it to see signs and miracles, though there will be signs.

I became a Christian because on the way to Damascus He said why do you persecute Me, and my heart broke!

Because for the first time I looked at my hands and saw blood all over them.

We have got to get back to the basics! 

We have got to get back to the cross!

I don't love Jesus b/c I have to to go to heaven. I love Jesus b/c while I was yet a sinner He died for me! His mercy motivates me, His grace abounds in me. I hated Him, yet He loved me. I hurt Him, yet He numbed my pain. He did it all for you and I.

With His own blood He signed the adoption papers. 

He saved us from our sin father Adam, and put us in God's custody for eternity.

He restored us on Calvary.

Now we can sit on His lap and we can cry Abba Father; which is the Jewish way of affectionately saying Daddy.

Why don't you just reflect and thank Daddy for His love and grace.

Just climb on up right now and just rest your head on His arms full of love, pity, and mercy.

Listen to Him say despite the trouble your in, in spite of your sin, even though you messed up, He still loves you, and longs to hold you. Hallelujah. Thank Him for His mercy! 

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost

BUT NOW

I'm found

I was blind

but now

I SEE

Praise God

Praise God

Praise God Praise God

Praise God Praise God Praise God

Praise God Praise God

Praise God Praise God

Praise God

Praise God

Praise God

Divine Discontent

Do you ever just feel "spiritually weird"?

Ever just feel like SOMETHING is WRONG and you can't figure it out?

Like when you try to pray and it feels like your prayers are hitting the ceiling?

You try to worship and you feel like your being fake?

Ever feel like you're going through the motions.

Ever feel like you've lost your connection with God?

Ever DOUBT?

Ever just feel vexed and irritated in your spirit?

I'm trying to get real with you. 

I'm trying to dive deep into that part of you that your church family doesn't see.

The part you don't want to show them.

I'm trying to expose the biggest attack of Satan on my generation.

Some call it a mental block, some call it a storm; others a dry season. 

I like to call it divine discontent.

I've been through it. 

Job went through it.

 He said I go to the right, to the left, to the front and back, and God's not there.

What I find interesting about the history of Job is that until Job got on his face, repented, and really sought God

instead of whining about how HE FELT

and relying on WHAT HE KNEW

he just couldn't feel God.

So this is meat;

try to wrap your brain around it.

This gospel is a gospel of paradoxes.

To be rich in heaven, be poor on earth.

To be free; surrender.

To live, you must die to yourself.

So many times, we rely on our feelings.

And when we don't feel God, we think he's not there.

The truth is when we quit relying on what we feel, we really won't feel God.

Your feelings will betray you.

Know why? B/c they are rooted in your flesh.

Don't read too much into it; I feel joy cuz I got the Holy Ghost.

I feel happy cuz I know Jesus.

I feel free b/c I surrendered to Him.

But I don't always feel the goose pimples and chill bumps.

I don't always FEEL God's presence.

But I KNOW it's there.

I know it changed my life.

So I wrote this just to make one point.

When you are going through divine discontent...

Don't stop praying

Don't stop fasting

Don't stop worshiping

Don't stop going to church

Keep praying when the devil is on your back putting thoughts in your head.

Keep fasting when your flesh wants to stop.

Keep worshiping when the chill bumps go away.

Be as faithful as possible to the House of God.

In fact fall in love with the House of God.

God is not trying to take His presence from you

He's trying to make you search for it

So He can teach you those who search for Him will find Him.