Tuesday... So what did we all use to be?

Tuesday... So what did we all used to be?

We tend to forget what we used to be like, don't we?

But the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians says in chapter 2 verse 2a (NLT), "You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world." He goes on in verse 3, "All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature, By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else." Yes we tend to forget what we used to be like and that the change in us did not just happen.

And we so many times look at people even those close to us and point our finger at them in condemnation, condemning them. "Look at the sinner. Look at what they did to me. I'm so glad that I'm not like that." But at some point, "All of us used to live that way."

But Paul goes on in verses 4 & 5 to say, "But God is so rich in mercy." Now we may not be, we may not be rich in mercy but he is. Paul writes, "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)."

Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian church in 13:13 says, "Three things will last forever - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love." Yes, we all need faith, yes we all need hope, but we can't survive without God's love and neither can all those around us. That is where mercy and grace come from. They come from the fact that God loves us. "and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)." And that is where his mercy and his grace come from. And that is where our mercy and grace come from. It comes from the love that God has put into our heart.

Remember, we all used to be, we all used to live in sin.

Paul then writes in Ephesians 2:8, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." And that is so important for us to realize. We can't take credit but we can give it.

He goes on in verse 9, "Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." And there are a lot of people who want to take credit. They are boasters.

But there are also many people who are always putting themselves down. They have no mercy, grace or love for themselves. Verse 10 speaks to them. It says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus. so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Wow, each and everyone of us used to be sinners but we can also become God's masterpieces when we become honest about who we are and accept his grace and mercy and his love and accept his salvation from who we were so we can do the good things that he planned for us long ago.

Now that is good news, isn't it? So, let's accept his gift, his mercy, grace and love and share it with others. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...

Todays Beginning

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