God's Grace

Grace saves you from God's wrath,

not His rebuke.

Grace frees you from the power of sin,

not the requirement of holiness.

Grace shuts the mouth of condemnation,

not the heart of conviction.

Grace is not so you don't have to live for God,

but so you can.

Grace does not fix the consequences of our actions

as much as the consequence of our nature.

Grace costs us both nothing

and everything.

Grace has strings attaches,

called love, mercy and sacrifice.

Grace does not relieve all the symptoms,

but it is the cure.

Grace is not a pillow for the pit you are in,

but a rope to pull you out."

John Eldredge

Why Do You Go To The Beach?

Christianity is warfare. Immediately when someone says that, people think of people fighting people. We do not fight against people, but for them. "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12). We are at war, a spiritual war, but most Christians are not prepared in the least for the spiritual battles we are to face. Our weapons we seek are offensive or even defensive, but merely tools for our comfort. We seek only what can ease our lives and not what advances the Kingdom. We are called to storm the beach, but we act like we are going to the beach. Instead of the weapons needed to win the battle, we are storming Normandy with sunblock, at towel and some refreshing iced tea. We love those things because they bring comfort, but they are of no use in the battle. 

Dear brothers and sisters, lay down your desires and longings for personal blessings and pick up a burden for the lost. Lay down fear of man and pick up love for mankind. Lay down hours on Facebook and pick up hours on your face before a Holy God. Lay down self interest and pick up interest in Heaven "where neither moth nor rust destroys." Lay down your towel and pick up the sword of the Spirit. Lay down your sunblock and pick up the armor of God. Lay down your iced tea and drink from the Living Water.

Time is short, we need every believer properly equipped for the battle. What does that look like? Genuine believers pray and seek God daily. They read His word and let it read them. They share the incredible message of the cross to those they meet regularly. That is all just normal to the regular believer. They engage in the battle. Does that describe you? If not, fall to your knees and repent, Join your brothers and sisters in the fight. Christ is not looking to scold you, He just wants you to join His army and take the beach. 

John Eldredge

Inflation & American Christianity

The problem with American Christianity is that it costs very little to be in the club. But, there is a problem. The price of American Christianity is going up to the dismay of many American Christians. This type of inflation is very upsetting. We do not want to pay more for our beliefs. We love our Big Box Store Christianity where we can get any blessing we like for low, low prices. But, spiritual inflation is still rising. Being a Christian is no longer a plus to one’s reputation. What used to give admiration, now costs us in derision. True Christians are seen as closed minded for holding fast to the Bible literally and completely. Some “Christians” will attempt to save a little and try to distance themselves from these “believers”. They will say, “I am not like them, I am an open minded Christian.”

But there is a problem. The price to be a Christian is continuing to rise and will continue to. There is now even a price just to be a mediocre Christian. We continue to rally against these higher costs. We protest about the injustices against us. We post on Facebook about the rights that are being taken from us. We are doing everything to fight these higher costs of being a Christian, except pay them.  Jesus said “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ” That doesn’t sound too good. It sounds kinda dramatic, kinda expensive, doesn’t it? It’s not a metaphor. Jesus wants us to literally give our desires, loves, cares, time and yes if need be, our very literal and actual lives. But that is very expensive and we are doing everything we can do to avoid paying.

The real problem is that in our American Christianity, the actual cost of following Jesus sounds so very high. In reality, it is just normal. Paul the Apostle said “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Paul is saying, I beg you, by the mercy of God, be a living sacrifice. That is your reasonable service. Instead of being transformed, we are trying to transform the world so we don’t have to pay a high cost for our Christianity. But, sacrificing our own wills and lives is merely our “reasonable service”.  Jesus said: “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

The truth is this. The price of true Christianity seems like too high a price to pay from our American perspective. I’m an American. I love being an American and I love Americans, but we are soft. We fight for our right to be Christians with more ferocity than we fight to be Christians. The price we pay to be Christians is not cheap, but it is nowhere near the cost. Jesus paid the true cost for us on the cross. We do not pay the real cost, only shipping and handling.