For By Grace…

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)

Through no obedience, efforts, or works of our own can we earn God’s favor in our lives.  Our salvation therefore, is not an achievement we may obtain, but instead is the ultimate expression of God’s divine love for us; received through our faith, and bought with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Spiritually Bankrupt

“And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”” – Matthew 5:2-3 (ESV)

In His opening statement in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus laid this bombshell on the awaiting crowd; “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”  Now, He wasn’t using the term “poor” in a material sense, but instead was referring to the fact that we’re all spiritually bankrupt, and rely completely on the Grace of our Heavenly Father to complete and fulfill our lives.  By humbling ourselves in that realization, we will indeed be Blessed.

Father, Forgive Them…

“And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.” – Luke 23:33-34 (ESV)

Radical forgiveness; it’s what Jesus modeled for us on the cross, and what He calls for us to implement in our own lives as well.  Seeing beyond our anger, bitterness and hurt to forgive those that we feel have wronged us is certainly no easy task, however it’s exactly the type of unfaltering, unconditional love that God desires we strive to have for one another.

Like Fragile Clay Jars

“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” – 2 Corinthians 4:6-9 (NLT)

As at the dawn of creation where God first brought light to the darkness (Genesis 1:3), so also He brings His divine radiance and strength to our fragile hearts through the life and teachings of Christ Jesus.  Such a wondrous imbuing not only serves to grant us comfort and peace in times of trial, but makes any efforts to share His gifts more clearly of heavenly inspiration.

Thankful Thursday: Through Brighter Eyes

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

“Count your Blessings…” You instructed.

“Really Father??”  I responded…

Following what could easily be described as a week of nightmare situations Lord, I’ll be honest, I was having a rough time focusing on the positives in my life.  But driving into the office this morning, as I mournfully ran down the tasks at hand for the day in my head, You made it clear my head was in the wrong place…

“It’s Thankful Thursday, Phil.”

Ouch…

I’d nearly forgotten about those posts Father…

It’s time to see through brighter eyes again;

Focused on Your light that surrounds my life,

Not on the shadows that lie in waiting.

So today Father, I pick up where I left off in March… Counting Your many gifts, and giving thanks for all You are:

601. Celebrating 17 years of marriage to my wonderful wife Shannon on June 29^th.

602. Being involved in a very successful Vacation Bible School at Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC last week.

603. A wonderful week away at Chestnut Grove Resort with my family and friends.

604. Attending an amazing night of music and worship at the Casting Crowns and Building 429 Concert at the Delaware State Fair last Friday.

605. Being presented with new opportunities to minister to others in unexpected places.

606. Quiet evenings at home watching movies with family and close friends.

607. Having the opportunity to spend lots of time with my best friend.

608. Jonathan getting to attend another amazing week away at Kay’s Kamp this past June.

609. Having a new “furry family member” in our lives; my Pomeranian puppy Guinness.  🙂

610. That when the lies of the enemy invade through my weaknesses, You remind me who I really am.

And so many more Lord…

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for the many Blessings in my life; both those that light up the skies with Your radiance, and those that soothe my tattered spirit in the stillness of the nighttime hours.  Help me Father, to speak with a heart unburdened, and see with eyes that clearly rest on You.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Condemning Ourselves…

“You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?” – Romans 2:1-3 (NLT)

Just as Jesus warned us against the hypocrisy inherent in casting judgment on others (Matthew 7:3-5), the Apostle Paul reminds us in his Epistle to the Romans that when we look to the sin of those around us, we are in fact condemning ourselves in the process.  We all sin, and we all need the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior to cleanse that corruption from us.