To be pre-approved, is only possible as we realize we must be qualified. The blood of Christ is what qualifies us, and it is the grace of God which pre-approves us! I don’t need to convince God I am valuable enough to receive it, I am already welcomed “just as I am without one plea, but as Thy blood was shed for me, I come…..(as the timeless old hymn says)…
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.
We cannot be good enough, holy enough, or righteous enough. That’s why it is a gift, because it is Free! If we had to earn it, it wouldn’t be free, if we had to deserve it, it wouldn’t be grace!God so loved the world that He gave…. That’s who’s included!
When we lived in Ramrod, we received a notice in the mail that we were pre-approved for a 50,000 dollar loan. The pre-approval agreement involved putting my home up as collateral… This meant that if we defaulted on the loan, they would be able to take our home in payment. I was taking all the risk, they were taking none. So, I was assured that this money was available to me, based on having something of much greater value than what it was that I was receiving.
I see this as a picture of pre-approved grace, which is available to anyone and everyone today…
Heaven has sent each of us a notice that we are Pre-approved beginning with salvation, also for deliverance, for health, for finances, for daily supplies, for all of our needs, based on assets of much greater value being provided as collateral., We are pre-approved because our Father God has provided something priceless and of greater worth as collateral so I can receive what I need! God’s unmerited love and grace, doesn’t just secure eternal salvation—it assures that grace is there for me every day that I live! An astronaut was being interviewed by a reporter just moments before he was to blast off into space. The reporter asked, "Now tell me, do you have any grave doubts about your success?" The astronaut said, "Please don't use the word 'grave.'" "Oh, I'm sorry" said the reporter. "Then tell me, what do you think you'll feel when you leave earth and pass on into space?" "Please sir", said the astronaut, "Please don't use the words 'pass on.'" "Oh, I'm sorry," said the reporter. "I have one last question: do you have any fear about this undertaking?" He said, "do you have to use the word 'undertaking?'" Listen, there is no avoiding it. One of these days you are going to be ushered into eternity. And He has a supply of grace for that moment that we pass from eternity here to eternity there…. (we’re eternal now, not just when our body dies)
But until that time, I am here and now, an heir and joint-heir in Christ!
(come on, say it with me) Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.
Our supply of grace is based on His “riches in glory” that has already been offered as collateral which more than covers the value of all of our needs and above and beyond!!
If God has provided something priceless, it more than covers what it is that you are needing today, next week and next year!
Don’t let the devil or any of his messengers talk you out of it!
We are told in Romans 8th chapter, that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit….
Condemnation is an attempt to control your outcome in a negative way, to diminish your potential, to label you as unacceptable and unworthy…
I read a list of some things you should never say.. here’s a few..
While visiting someone on their way to the electric chair….Youdon’t say “More power to you”…
If you’re a doctor giving pre surgery counsel, you don’t say,“Please be patient, with me, I’m new at this”…
You don’t ask a woman if she has gained weight…. (or you might have other problems)….
And at a job interview you don’t say “I’ll have your job”
I think you get the idea, there are things that are just unprofitable and out of place!!!
Paul tells us that because of pre-approved grace, those condemning things that are designed to diminish, belittle, and intimidate us will all fail, because if God is your source, they can’t diminish His worth and value and your value is now rooted and grounded in Him. They can’t undo what has already been finished in your behalf, now and forever. They can’t undo what He has signed, sealed, and delivered!
Notice that Romans 8, goes on to talk about walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. Think of it this way… If we are producing the fruit, then the flesh is the source of what is produced. But if we are bearing fruit, then the Spirit is the source through us, of what is being produced.
If we become the delivery system to what is birthed by the Spirit, then it will reflect that source, and have the anointing and impact of it’s source! (Which is The Holy Spirit)
(If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, then it’s a duck)
(But if it looks like a dove, moves like a dove, and sounds like a dove, then it’s a dove!)
Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? v33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. v34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. v35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? v39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
This is constant and unceasing grace…. Jesus is at the right hand of God’s favor, so that we may receive grace and favor. He is called “our High Priest”… He is called “our mediator”… He is “the Lamb of God”…. He is our “Sabbath rest”
He places Himself as our mediator, who has already won the battle you and I are fighting. He has already received of the father what it is we needed before we needed it. He has already made the crooked ways straight and given us the winning advantage in our circumstances and situations, before the circumstances even existed.
To intercede means “to come between”, to present yourself in place of someone else, to take the place of someone else.
Child of God, you can know that you are accepted and have the petitions you ask, because Jesus is taking your place before the Father, and the Father will not, cannot deny Him. Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”.
How we walk with the broken, speaks louder than how we sit among the great and influential…. What would it mean for you to see people as God sees them instead of only seeing them by their outward appearance? Can you see them as they would be thru the work of grace, or only according to the flesh? None of us are good enough, but we are pre-approved by grace! Perhaps instead of asking if we are good enough for God to use us, we should be asking if we are broken enough for Him to use us….
Noah was a drunk. Abraham was too old. Isaac was a daydreamer.
Jacob was a liar. Leah was ugly. Joseph was abused. Moses had a stuttering problem. Gideon was afraid. Samson had long hair and was a womanizer. Rahab was a prostitute. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young. David had an affair and was a murderer. Elijah was suicidal.
Isaiah preached naked. Jonah ran from God. Naomi was a widow.
Job went bankrupt. John the Baptist ate bugs. Peter denied Christ.
The Disciples fell asleep while praying. Martha worried about everything. The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once.
Zaccheus was too small. Paul was too religious. Timothy had an ulcer. AND...Lazarus was dead and the Lord used him!
God uses broken and hurting people like us to reach broken and hurting people like us!
I remember evangelist D.L. Moody, sharing that he was staying at a family friend’s home while he was in one city and was sleeping on the sofa in the living room, when at 3:00 in the morning, the lights came on, and he was awakened by the noise of drawers being opened and shut, the frig opening and slammed shut, bottles and utensils clanging. As he watched, the 5 year old was making a sandwich and getting a drink, then he was off, back to bed, leaving a big mess! As he watched, he was very aware that as a guest he could never do that, but for the son… the run of the house was his. He could come and go as he pleased and enjoy all that was in the house. The Holy Spirit spoke to Moody’s heart and said, “All that is in the Father’s house is yours to enjoy as well”!!! Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Instead of being overwhelmed by this problem and that problem, we should be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the Father’s grace and favor, shown towards us in Christ, that we will want to dedicate our lives in seeking to do whatever is pleasing unto Him. Grace is not a license to live as we please, but instead, it is a privilege which we should be so grateful for, that we will deny the flesh, and let our life be lived as an act of worship unto Him.
This is clear in John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”.
The Father will never demand that you worship, or honor Him, because He knows that all He will get by demanding, is fear or hypocrisy… Obligation will never truly produce worship and it will never render sincere praise. The problem with religion is that it can easily become obligation and it can become a “do as I say, not as I do”, system of hyprocrisy…. Someone has said when it comes to the flesh… if you mix holy water with castor oil, you’ll get a religious movement……
Another guy said, in order to make Holy water, you are required to boil the hell out of it.
We can be committed without surrendering. 'Here is the difference between commitment and surrender. When you make a commitment, you are still in control, no matter how noble the thing you commit to. You can commit to pray, to study the bible, to give your money, to making car payments, or to lose weight. What you choose to do, you then make a commitment to do. But surrender is different. We love commitment because we are still in control, but with surrender, we are no longer in charge! Surrender is where consistent Christ-living occurs. We yield ourselves to the power and grace of the Lord. We surrender all we are and hope to become. We surrender our pain and our joys. We surrender our wills to the one who knows us better than we know ourselves. We surrender to the One who holds us in his palm in the darkest of days and deepest of nights.
Just a side note…There are dolls in Russia that are called Matryoshkas dolls also referred to as nesting dolls. They were created in 1892 by a Russian toy maker. Each doll fits inside the next doll until they all fit in the largest doll. On the outside they appear to be one doll. The largest doll is called the “mother”, the smallest doll is called the “seed”…. Each Matryoshka is unique like each person. They say that each person has their own unique Matryoshka and in Russia they say that what’s inside you is a choice, not just chance.
Matryoshka can represent the uniqueness in each of us. We are like the outer doll with other dolls inside which represent our stories, our relationships, and our experiences. We are one person with different layers. The seed represents our core values, which is the source of our motives and our actions. It is our core values which are the real essence of ourselves.
God’s Grace, brings us through the “taking off” and “putting aside” process, which brings us to our center, so that true transformation can take place through the inner working of the Holy Spirit.
Peeling an onion will bring tears to your eyes, and as God by His Spirit, peels away the outer layers which we have allowed the sinful world we live in, to form around us, there will be tears because it’s uncomfortable to go through the process of laying aside the weights and the sins that beset us….
Listen friend, not everyone is coming into your life to love you, some are coming to teach you. The lessons may not be comfortable, but learn them anyway….
The more we allow this process to take place, the more we are able to offer pure worship and true praise unto Him.
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. v2 And be not 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”.
His joy knew no bounds, you see concert violinist, Peter Cropper was told by London’s Royal Academy of Music, that he could use the Academy’s258 year old Stradivarius for a series of concerts. But the unimaginable happened. As Peter entered the stage he tripped, landed on top of the violin and snapped the neck completely off. The priceless, one of a kind masterpiece was destroyed! In desperation, he took the violin to a master craftsman in the slim chance that he might be able to repair it. And repair it he did. So perfect was the repair that the break was completely undetectable, and more importantly, the sound was as good as before. The Academy was impressed and allowed him to continue using the Stradivarius. And so night after night, as he drew his bow across the strings, he was reminded of the fact that what he once thought irreparably damaged had been fully restored by the hand of a Master craftsman. God created us in His image and in His likeness… and when we get broken, we are never beyond repair….God’s grace and favor are working to restore that original blueprint in each of us, which was the Father’s purpose for us from the beginning.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are becomenew.” 1 Corinthians 3:21: “Let no one boast in men, (of their wisdom, wealth or influence) because all things are yours.” This is not a patch on an old garment, this is a new garment, with a new design from the master designer, who knows us better than ourselves… The question we all must ask is, “Does all things mean, all things, and does it include YOUR THINGS”!!!
How long Adam and Eve were in the garden before sin entered, we won’t know until we get to heaven. Before sin entered, there was no measuring of time, there were no clocks, it was timeless. They enjoyed the image and likeness they were made for. But when they sinned the image was marred and the curse came into the perfect creation which God Himself had said “was good”…
The story of Adam and Eve was being carefully explained in the children's church session by the children’s director. And following the story, the children were asked to draw some picture that would illustrate the story. Little Bobby was listening closely and he drew a picture of a car with three people in it. In the front seat, behind the wheel was a man and in the back seat, a man and a woman. The teacher wasn’t sure what she was looking at and what it had to do with the story…. But little Bobby was quick to give an explanation. "Well teacher, you told us that God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden!"
What does it take to drive you out of the garden of His likeness? If people’s words or actions upset you and cause you to react, then anyone at any time can control you… God’s word should be more powerful in your life than the words of any person or group. As those made in His image, allowed other things to control them, they walked away from the likeness they were created for.
For thousands of years, only a few people enjoyed the kind of authority and power which the first man and woman were created for. We know of a few… Abraham, Moses, Elijah and Elisha, Ezekiel, and some others.
But something amazing called redemption took place, that changed everything…and as Jesus hung on the cross, it became redemption’s epi-center for the restoration that God had planned from the beginning. To have new creation men and women, who would experience old things passed away and all things become new!!!
For us to get to the new things….. Jesus came in the flesh to walk through our old things. He walked through, fear, lack, pain, rejection, abandonment, betrayal, loneliness, insecurity, despair, injustice, …”Hewas tempted in all ways as we are” So, He walked through our “Old things”…. so He could break their power over us and allow us to walk intoGod’s new things!!!
The song says, “Jesus of Nazareth passes by, stretch out your withered arm, the blind receive their sight, the deaf begin to hear, when Jesus of Nazareth passes by”…. When Jesus of Nazareth passes by!!!!
By the way, fear has two meanings, “Forget everything and run” or “Face everything and rise”, the choice is ours... and we are making that choice all day, every day!!
I believe this is why Jesus said in JOHN 8:32 “YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.”
Somebody say “Hello new things, Here I come”….
Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and thrown trash all around the interior. As he showed a prospective buyer the property, He made it clear that he would replace the broken windows, fix the doors, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out all the garbage. The prospective buyer said "Forget about the repairs, When I buy this place, I'm going to tear it down and build something completely different. I don't want the building, I’m buying the property rights ."
Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse that is going to be demolished anyway…. (old things are passed away). STOP SWEEPING!
We live in a world where men can say they identify as women, and women can identify as men. Men can now use the women’s restrooms and the women’s showers because they say that they identify as women…(That’s just messed up) A guy identifying as a girl won the marathon on a girls team…. A teen identifying as a 6 year old hit a triple in t-ball and won the game for his team….(where will this stop) SERIOUSLY!
Well, hello, I identify as a new creature in Christ… I have been redeemed, from old things and all things are made new! We are no longer identified with Adam. We are no longer identified by the old person we used to be. We are no longer identified by the world system. We are now identified with Christ.
(In the world but not of the world) is our new identity!!
Galatians 3:25:27 “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under [the control and authority of] the world system. v26 For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus. v27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and His values].
SO, WHOSE REPORT WILL YOU BELIEVE, WHOSE REPORT WILL YOU RECIEVE… I WILL BELIEVE THE REPORT OF THE LORD….
He is the final word and the final authority!! We are the redeemed, the anointed for purpose, the delivery system of the Holy Spirit, and the Lord’s appointed ambassadors in the earth….
Put off the old, and put on the new…. Welcome to His image and likeness… Welcome to “all things are possible”.. Welcome to the place He has prepared for you!! …..Give Him Praise!!!
