Hillside Foursquare Church

Amazing Grace #2 - Christ In Me

In the letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul discusses the revelation of relationship with God, by faith, through grace. He had lived the majority of his life zealously pursuing the traditions of his forefathers, and the attempted fulfillment of the Law of Moses. What God showed him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) & beyond was that the only way for a person to be justified (made right) in their relationship with God was by faith, through grace. No matter how hard a person tried to be made right by their own works and strict adherence to the Law, they would always fall short (Romans 6:23). Paul even discovered that this had been God's plan all along, as shown in God's covenant agreement with Abraham in Genesis 15, where it says, "Abraham believed (had faith) in the LORD, & He (the LORD God) counted it as righteousness (right relationship with God.)  Further, in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 10) God challenged His people not merely to attempt the outward keeping of the Law, (which meant going to church, praying, maintaining ritual purity, being circumcised, etc...) but to live lives of faith & devotion to Him, loving Him with all of their heart, soul, mind, & strength. God wanted ALL of them, not merely sacrifices & rituals. This has huge ramifications for us, as Paul points out in Galatians 2:20-21:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God...

This means when we exercise faith in Christ, we receive God's grace to live each moment of our life being lead by the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, by the power of Christ. Which means I'm not following God by rote, but rather walking with Him, doing what He would be doing if He were in our shoes! That is a beautiful thing.

Blessings, grace, & peace to you!

Louie

Amazing Grace #1 - A Study in Galatians

The Apostle Paul begins his letter to the Galatian church with a greeting intended to remind his readers of the basis for their relationship & standing with God. He writes, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5
 
God’s grace (God’s unmerited, unworked for, unearned favor)  is at the very essence & heart of the gospel – the Good News – which declares that because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, EVERYONE who calls upon His Name can be forgiven of sins & restored to relationship with God, through Christ. God’s peace (His blessing of peace, well-being, & physical/spiritual harmony) is upon our lives as a result of grace, & is at work in, through, & around our lives as evidence of God’s working in us. The gospel truly is good news!
 
In the next portion of Galatians 1, Paul confronts the church because they have forgotten the gospel of grace by which they were saved, & have embraced a different ‘gospel’ – one rooted in religion, guilt, shame which emphasized & evaluated ourrelationship with God based on performance & deeds instead of the love/faith relationship intended by God, begun with the victory of Christ’s work on the cross.
 
Grace is a big deal - & our embracing God’s amazing grace enables us to live lives free of the weight of sin, guilt, & condemnation – to live full of the power of the Holy Spirit, freely embracing the great gift of salvation, redemption, & transformation as sons & daughters of God.

The LORD is my Shepherd... & I shall lack nothing...

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing. Psalm 23:1

I was reading over Psalm 23 this morning… it’s familiar. I memorized it when I was small. I know that its good to know scripture – at the same time, I have found that I have to make sure not to just know it in my head but to also let it sink to my heart. There’s a difference.

If it’s in my head, I can recall it, remember it, think about it. And then when I’m done & off to the next thought, the Scripture goes back into the file in my head & is put away in its virtual filing cabinet until the next time I come across it.  If it’s in my heart, I live it. It affects me at the deepest level of my being. It becomes like a handy-dandy smart phone app, perhaps invisible but still actively running below the surface, having a definite influence.  Back to Psalm 23 – The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.

David wrote it – he GOT it at a gut level – he had been a shepherd, & he knew intimately of the similarities between what he had done, & what God did with him on a daily basis. So David’s declaration of The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want, is a faith statement – rooted in thankfulness – contentment. There was nothing that God had not, did not, would not make sure that David would get if he was in need. And from his self-assessment, he wasn’t lacking anything.

This hit me hard. The LORD is MY shepherd. He is the One who cares & provides for, protects, directs, instructs, heals, & feeds – ME. But when I read the second part after the ; the I shall not want, I realized there were/are areas in me where the ugly stuff resides – rather that being able to see where God is shepherding me well, & that I am not in lack, want, or need – instead, my soul is striving; discontent; frustrated; needy; ungrateful; blind to God’s faithful & miraculous care for me.

Ouch. All that, revealed in a moment.  I know Psalm 23. But is it in my heart today? I repent. Reorient. Return. Ask my shepherd to pick the thorns & stickers from my soul.  Right now I intentionally choose thankfulness. Contentment. Gratefulness. Awareness of God’s work in & around me & mine.  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing. And I mean it.

Get Off The Bench & Get In The Game

This week, our guest speaker is Chris White, Pastor of UTurn Carson City Youth...