The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

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Fri, 24 May 2013 18:39:16 +0800

"When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel..."

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:20:00 +0800

“When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.”

- Matthew 10:21-23, The Message

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Fri, 24 May 2013 12:50:59 +0800

This goes out to you, if you don’t think that you’re...

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:24:07 +0800

This goes out to you, if you don’t think that you’re special, or beautiful. Well, I think that you are. And God knows that you are beautiful and special— and so much more. That’s what makes you different. There are people here in this world who aim for superficial beauty, success or fame, but you, beloved— you have Jesus. You already have in your life— inside of you— much, much more than what they’re all trying to achieve. Your Father in heaven granted to you the treasures of heaven, treasures that won’t spoil, and that’s because of Jesus. Don’t let a place that you don’t belong in discourage you.

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Fri, 24 May 2013 08:58:47 +0800

Reminders

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:08:00 +0800

Reminders:

It’s been a long time since I last posted in my wordpress account, so I wrote this. It’s like a summary what Father reminded me this morning. I want to share it with you. =’D

Good News!

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:49:00 +0800

If you haven’t made a decision to accept Christ, or you have not yet accepted His offer to get into an eternity-long, bursting with life adventure with Him, read this, beloved.

godsradicaldaughter:

The gospel is good news, but what is the news and what makes it good?

Much of what is sold as “the gospel” is an inferior substitute for the real thing. Don’t be fooled by cheap knock-offs! There is an easy way to distinguish the authentic from the counterfeit. The true gospel is 100% good news. There’s no bad news in the good news. If the gospel you’ve bought into makes you feel insecure, anxious, guilty, and condemned, then it’s no good. Discard it before it kills you!

The original gospel signaled a great joy for all people. It was, and remains, an announcement about a Man. This Man has done not one, but two deeds of supreme and eternal significance. If you have not heard of this Man and His deeds, then this will be good news for you:

1. Jesus died for you. In the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen, Jesus gave His life for us. We had chosen independence from God and reaped the whirlwind. But God loved us so much that He sent His Son to ransom us from the power of sin and death. The Son of God became a son of man and took the punishment that brought us peace. He was rejected that we might be accepted; wounded that we might be healed; cursed that we might be blessed. On the cross He carried our sin and gave us His righteousness. Through Him we have been reconciled to God and our sins are no longer held against us. In the grip of death Jesus cried, “it is finished.” His rescue mission complete, Jesus committed His spirit into the hands of His Father and died.

2. Jesus lives for you. The ransom paid in full, Jesus rose triumphant from the dead. He now sits at the Father’s right hand, a perfect High Priest who ever lives to speak for us. If you believe that Jesus has saved you, then believe that He will keep you for He will never change His mind. He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith and His blood has obtained your eternal redemption. Jesus is not alone in all this. Your heavenly Father loves you with an everlasting love and saving you was His plan all along. In order that we might have a firm and secure hope to cling to, God the Father has sworn a covenant of peace with the Son of Man and neither will ever break it. He has also given us His mighty Spirit – the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead – as a deposit guaranteeing all that He has promised. Through our representative Jesus, and as an expression of His enduring love, our heavenly Father has joined Himself to us, promising never to leave nor forsake us. We stand secure, not on our feeble promises to Him, but on His unconditional and unbreakable promises to us.

The gospel is Jesus and He’s the greatest news in the world!

What should I do in response to the good news?

God has done it all – the only thing you can do is respond. He offers no carrots or sticks, just invitations. Jesus once said, “Turn to God and believe the good news,” and on another occasion, “Come to me all who are weary and find rest.”

What does He want from you? He wants friendship, love, and intimacy. He doesn’t want your toys or your service – He just wants you. He loves you more than you know. Need proof? Look at the cross and the empty grave! He died for you and now He lives for you. His intentions are clear; He wants you to be with Him and enjoy Him forever.

But I’m not worthy

You don’t feel worthy? Then look at the cross! You’ve been redeemed by the most precious commodity in the universe – the blood of God. That’s how much He values you! You are the apple of your Father’s eye and because of Jesus you are highly favored.

If Jesus was speaking to you right now, He might say this: “If anyone opens the door I will come in and dine with him and he with me.” Do you realize Who is knocking on your door? It’s the King of kings! The most beautiful, loving, gracious and mighty person in the universe knows you by name and He’s come to win you with His love. Don’t be distracted by your unworthiness, but be amazed by His grace and respond. The Creator of heaven and earth waits to see what you will do with Him. Will you ignore His overtures or will you say, “Lord, come in!”

How can I respond?

The only thing you can do with a gift is receive it or reject it. God has offered you the greatest gift of all – Himself. This is called grace. What does grace look like? It looks exactly like Jesus. He is grace personified. You cannot earn grace and you cannot buy it. You can only receive it through child-like faith.

One of the most common phrases in the Bible is: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever.” What is an appropriate response to God’s goodness and love? It is giving thanks! If you want to turn to God, you could pray like this:

“Thank you heavenly Father for loving me. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to rescue me from sin and death, and thank you for raising Jesus from the dead. I was lost but you have found me. Jesus, be my king, my savior, my friend. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may know you more and reign in life with you. Lord, I am yours and you are mine. Thank you for promising to never leave me nor forsake me. Amen!”

What happens now?

If you just prayed that prayer with a sincere heart, then rest assured you are saved. The Bible says so (see Romans 10:9-13)! The gift that God gave us 2000 years ago is now yours forever and you have peace with God. Just take care that no one tries to make you pay for His gift. The only way you can set aside grace is by thinking you have to perform to remain pleasing to God. The truth is you are saved by grace and you are kept by grace. It’s grace from start to finish! Don’t let anyone frighten you into doing dead works, but rest secure in His finished work. Just as you did nothing to earn salvation, there is nothing you can do to lose it.

The best thing is to see your old self as crucified with Christ. You are now brand new and He lives in you. But you are not Him so don’t try to be Him. In fact, don’t try to do anything at all. Just trust. And allow Jesus to live His life through you. If you have questions, just ask Him! He has given you His Spirit to teach you and guide you into all truth.

The adventure is just beginning!

This was taken from Paul Ellis’ blog, escapetoreality.org

When God saw you hopeless, in pain, lost, and dirty, He didn’t feel pity. The reason why He...

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:30:14 +0800

When God saw you hopeless, in pain, lost, and dirty, He didn’t feel pity. The reason why He sacrificed His own Son for you wasn’t because He pitied you, but because He loves you. Whenever He looks at you, He sees someone He loves, someone He wants to save. That’s the reason for the cross— LOVE. For you. Eternal love that not even sin, shame, guilt, dirt or evil can stop. That’s what God feels for you, beloved, and there’s nothing you can do but to receive it.

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Wed, 22 May 2013 11:43:59 +0800

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Wed, 22 May 2013 06:00:39 +0800

Hi guys. If you feel led to reach out, encourage, comfort and show love to those people who need it,...

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:20:13 +0800

Hi guys. If you feel led to reach out, encourage, comfort and show love to those people who need it, go follow Compassion Alert.

I’d been following this blog for a long time. The past few weeks, though, I can’t send TAs to those people; something might be wrong with my account. All I can do is pray for them. Beloved ones, let’s reach out to them, pray for them, encourage them, show our love for them, and everything that Holy Spirit leads us to. I do believe that God loves them so much, and they should know that.

Thank you for reading this, and you’re greatly blessed! I love you all; always know that. :> —Pam

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Tue, 21 May 2013 17:46:37 +0800

"Jesus’ entire life was one, long, streaming video that displayed the goodness of the Father."

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:45:05 +0800

“Jesus’ entire life was one, long, streaming video that displayed the goodness of the Father.”

- John Sheasby, The Birthright

(Credits to Pastor Joseph Prince) If you’re disappointed,...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:39:09 +0800

(Credits to Pastor Joseph Prince)

If you’re disappointed, broken, hopeless, or upset today, watch this, beloved, and be encouraged and blessed. You are loved! And as Jesus is, so are you!

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Tue, 21 May 2013 15:05:12 +0800

Not even your scars, your regrets, your cuts, your depression, your doubts, your mistakes, your...

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:26:35 +0800

Not even your scars, your regrets, your cuts, your depression, your doubts, your mistakes, your sins, your deepest and darkest secrets, your opinion about yourself, your sadness, your anger, your jealousy, your past, your present or your future can ever separate you from God’s perfect love for you, beloved. You are loved, period.

spiritualinspiration: Our prayers go out to the families...

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:19:09 +0800

spiritualinspiration:

Our prayers go out to the families dealing with the aftermath of this terrible storm. We pray for healing and restoration. We know and have faith that God will give you the strength to rebuild and we know he will cause you to come out of this tragedy better and stronger than before.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen

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Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:26 +0800

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Mon, 20 May 2013 19:22:34 +0800

Don’t worry, beloved. No amount of trouble, tribulation,...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:31 +0800

Don’t worry, beloved. No amount of trouble, tribulation, or suffering can stop God’s faithfulness in your life. Nothing is too big for your Father. He can, and will certainly help you. Remember that always, He is with you and He is for you.