Throne of Grace

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

One of the great privileges of being a believer is the ability to take concerns, fears, joys, and sorrows before the Lord and trust Him to provide what is needed. One biblical passage that greatly encourages me in this is 1 Samuel 1, where Hannah, who is barren, goes to the temple to pray for a child. As she is praying, Eli the priest comes to her assuming she is drunk due to the intensity of her prayer. I love what Scripture describes following: 

But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I  have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.... So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. (1 Samuel 1:15;18).

What Scripture doesn't say is "the Lord immediately granted her request so her face was no longer sad." Instead, it says after she had poured out her soul before the Lord and taken her requests to Him, she was no longer sad. The presence of the Lord was enough to satisfy Hannah and give her peace. As believers, we have the freedom to pour out our heart before the Lord and also can rest assured that He "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Today, may we be thankful for the incredible gift it is to approach the throne of grace with CONFIDENCE. May we praise the Lord for the mercy and grace He gives in our time of need, and trust that He will provide for us. May we find our greatest comfort, peace and satisfaction in His presence.

According to His Mercy

"So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Romans 6:18-19

Kari Beougher

My Dad is a pastor and professor and loves to use stories about his children as illustrations. Unfortunately, over the years I have frequently been used as his illustration for sin. When I was 15 months old, I was playing outside and walking toward the road. Concerned, my parents said, "Kari Michelle, don't you dare put one foot in that street." So I walked over to the road, bent down and put my two hands in the street. Though I obviously don't remember this, I have heard the story enough times to feel as though I do. My Dad's point is that they did not have to teach me how to sin or choose disobedience. Integral to our human nature is the propensity toward sin and the inability to choose righteousness. Left to ourselves, we are absolutely unable to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

The good news of the Gospel is "although you were formerly ALIENATED and HOSTILE in mind, ENGAGED in EVIL deeds, yet He has now RECONCILED you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him HOLY and BLAMELESS and BEYOND REPROACH- if indeed you CONTINUE in the faith firmly ESTABLISHED and STEADFAST, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel..." (Colossians 1:21-23).

While we were still ENGAGED in evil deeds, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and thus reconcile us to God. Now, we who were formerly unable to choose obedience are made righteous through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY."

Today, may we thank God for His incredible mercy and grace toward us. May we continue in our faith, not shifting from the hope of the Gospel.

The God of All Comfort

"In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other" Ecclesiastes 7:14

The tragedy of the recent tornadoes is utterly devastating. It is truly unthinkable to imagine what the family members of victims and those who lost all their possessions are going through. My freshman year of college at Union University, an F-4 tornado ripped through the campus destroying 80% of our buildings. I can easily recall the terror and horror of the evening.  In the aftermath of the weeks that followed, I read this passage in Ecclesiastes 7:14 and it brought me such comfort to remember that God is in control. "God has made the one as well as the other." There is nothing that surprises the Lord and that He is not capable of bringing good from. God, in His Sovereignty, is able to "work all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). 

God is Creator and Sustainer of the world and absolutely Sovereign. However, He is also the God of ALL comfort and the Father of MERCIES. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. 

May we commit to praying for the families struck by this horrible tragedy and may we proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to a broken and hurting world.

Mercy Ministry - A glimpse of a free health clinic

"But Peter said, 'I don't have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!'"
-Acts 3:6, Holman Christian Standard Bible

He was a little guy.  His eyes rested shut as he was sleeping, and the woman carrying him glowed as she introduced herself and the sleeping baby boy she was holding.  Every once and a while, his eyes would peek open, then he would fall back asleep.  I was told he loved to be held, and sure enough, when someone held him, his eyes opened with life as he scanned the person holding him.

In the Bible, we can read so much about how believers can come together in community and then go out to share their faith.  What does that look like, though?  We can love our brother and sisters in Christ, forgiving each other, and we can remind each other of the Good News of Christ.  A neat thing, too, is that Jesus asked us to go out and make disciples.  He not only wanted to take care of the body of believers, but He also wants us to go out and share His love and message with others.  That's so others may know God and have a relationship with Him, too.

Last weekend, my community group and some others helped my church host a free medical clinic in town.  From noon until about 4pm, the doors of the church were opened for people to have free health services.  I was a part of a group serving as advocates.  We walked a person or a family through the services offered.  Not everyone was a member of the church who was serving that day.  Some stations included nurses, a chiropractor, Pharmacy items, warm spaghetti, doctors, and a clothing room.  One of my favorite parts was when the lady and baby boy I was with were on the third floor, and a little girl ran up to show us her beautiful magenta fingernails - there was free nail painting, haircuts, and massages offered on that floor.  It was neat to see how many people came together to love and help people from the neighborhood in a way that they could.

I realized that really I am in need, too.  Sometimes, we do not see known physical needs, but we all of us need Christ, the Savior, who came to sacrifice for us.  We can come to Him in brokenness, seeing that we do not having anything to give that would match what He has to give.  He gives those who believe in Him the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out.  Even though putting on or serving at a health clinic is not something we all may do soon, we can share Jesus and who He is with others, wherever we go today.  

Here's a link to a video from the clinic last year - http://vimeo.com/20145427
and a blog post from the clinic this year - http://seed.sojournchurch.com/projects/highlightsfeb25medclinic/
Logo/photo created by Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky

catching my fall

This week, my understanding of God's power has increased through a series of events. All were humbling, some were from the Bible, some from teachings about it, but one is embarrassing!

Tuesday, the girls that I babysit had two neighbors ask them to play in their backyard. As I walked towards the girls, who were playing on a swing, I tried to pet their neighbor's Shetland Terrier. One of the girls called my name, I looked up, and walked onto a covered pool! I fell and was close enough to the edge to not slide into the middle. I think the girls were playing and didn't realize, and I just laughed.

Sometimes, I let sin fog my mind, and then I feel like it is inescapable. It takes time for me to realize that God is the only one who has the power to save me.

This week, as I listened to Tony Rose speak, he said (rephrased): "You are in a race. Your biggest competitor? You." He referred to this verse to show how to find power to run:
"For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart." – Hebrews 4:12 (HCSB)

Why, this sin that holds on to us can actually help us see our need for God. He, in His incomparable mercy and absolute power, has given us the opportunity to turn to Him and away from sin. When we focus on the sin and do not forgive ourselves, do we truly trust in His incredible power? Hebrews 4:16 (HCSB) explains: "Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time."

Christ is strong enough to fight the sin! I pray that we are quick to turn to Him when we fall.

Other verses: Daniel 6:26-27
Picture from swimmingpoolcovers.blogsavy.com

the sound of music

My eyes were half open as I lunged with the bar. Halfway through a morning strength training class, I began to wonder why I had come. My instructor's words were encouraging, but her long intervals were definitely a challenge.

As I began to think about changing to a lower weight resistance, a familiar song on her playlist began to play. It is "Give Me Your Eyes," performed by Christian artist Brandon Heath.

As I listened, I began to pray to God, asking why this class was hard for me. I was reminded of the perseverance God loves to see in us. James explains it this way:

"As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."
-James 5:11 (New International Version)

Music can have great power. It can attract, inspire a feeling, and send a message. I think, in life, what message do I show when I play music with friends in the car? How does it move me? How could it move others?

My new instructor has painted a picture of how we can inspire others. I pray that I can use music for God's glory to tell of His love. King David expressed his love for God this way:

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothe me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!"
-Psalm 30:11-12 (New Living Translation)