Grace To Help

Comment

Comment by Pastor Bob B on March 2, 2010 at 5:28pm

Comment by Pastor Bob B on March 1, 2010 at 2:22pm

Comment by PoiemaDei on March 1, 2010 at 11:37am

This comment is wonderful, Bob. Thanks for sharing it with us here in the Grace To Help group. Very good exhortation. In fact, the ministry the Lord has given us whom He has saved and reconciled to Himself by His grace is the ministry of reconciliation and not of judgment or condemnation.

Bob, you may have to modify the graphics. It is slow in loading.

Comment by Pastor Bob B on March 1, 2010 at 5:08am

COMFORTED AND CONSOLED
by Robert Bushman

“Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.” ( Job 42:11 NAS )

COMFORTED AND CONSOLED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS

The first thing to note about this story is that the occasion that is described here is a family gathering. Job's brothers and sisters and all his friends who had known him before are getting together. By this time Job is a seventy-year-old man or even older, and though his own children had all perished, he could have had grandchildren and great-grandchildren by now.

Job's family and friends gathered to comfort him and to express sympathy and understanding for all the pain and suffering he had been going through.

My uncle had an accident recently, and he was paralyzed. His town got together with his family and had a community dinner and collected money to help do some work on their home( to widen front door, add a wheel chair ramp)so he would be able to return to his home. This was the same kind of compassionate help that Job's family was doing for him. This act of love must have blessed God's heart.

These friends and family members gave to Job gifts of silver and gold. In the Bible these two metals are used symbolically as a picture of redemption. Silver is the sign of redemption, and gold is the picture of Deity; God redeeming His people.


CALLED TO COMFORT AND CONSOLE

Let us beware of the mistakes that Job's three friends made and were rebuked of God. It is not our place to stand as judges over one another when some one is going through trials. They might, or might not be responsible. Our Job is to bring God redeeming love into the situation.

Our God is a God of restoration. Many of His plans, purposes, and great works deal with the process of restoring. The whole purpose of the life of Jesus Christ here on earth, and especially His death and resurrection, was one of restoration.

Jesus didn't just restore us to relationship with God, His work of restoration was much more profound than that; it reached every area of every life of those who have accepted Him as Lord. According to the dictionary, the word "restore" means "return to its original condition."

“So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 42:12-13)

Job's restoration, began with God, then with the comfort and consolation from his family and friends. We are all part Gods plan of restoration in others lives. This is our greatest ministry, the ministry of reconciling others to God.

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:18 )

THE COMFORTER AND Consoler

As part of God's plan of restoration, which He wrought through Jesus Christ, we now have the Holy Spirit( The comforter ) to be our teacher, comforter, and guide. We have the Holy Spirit available to us, it's part of the restoration work of Christ.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”(John 14:26 )

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 15:26 )

Conclusion
So in conclusion, we have a calling in our lives to be part of Gods comforting and consoling ministry for our family and friends, and to a lost and hurting world.. God is in the restoration business, and we can be a part of it if we will live our lives as restorers, instead of judges.

Comment by PoiemaDei on February 22, 2010 at 4:47pm

Sandra, Falon, Bob, and Dawn, your contirbutions are welcome and highly appreciated. Let us continue to thrive on the grace of God. We perpetually need it because that is the way God has chosen to relate with us - to give us grace to help in time of need. But who will complain of such a win win arrangement on our part?!

Comment by Dawn M on February 22, 2010 at 4:49am

Amen Bob. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He is a God of grace. He will help. All we have to do is ask.

Comment by Pastor Bob B on February 22, 2010 at 4:36am

Comment by Dawn M on February 22, 2010 at 4:20am

God always shows his grace and favor to all. We need to listen to the Lord when He speaks. He directs our paths with His grace. Once everyone realizes the grace and favor already given to us, oh the joy that we all will have. We are all under the covenant. He has showed us the way, truth and life. It is by His grace that we are saved. He is a lamp to our feet. People should stop trying to put out the flame from the lamp and let it direct as it was meant to do.

Comment by Falon Starr on February 21, 2010 at 11:12pm

I read recently this Bible verse Hebrews 4: 15 16 and a message after about it and how great it is that as Christians we are forgiven and isn't it freeing that even when our intentions our good we still fail but we can receive grace.That Grace isn't something we strive for but just receive it.So today I receive God's grace for today and when I wake up tomorrow there will be enough new grace for that day too.Thank you Jesus for the power of prayer and that there is enough of God's grace to go around for everyone who will just receive.

Comment by Pastor Bob B on February 20, 2010 at 6:24pm

VICTORY OVER SIN
by R Bushman

If I was working with a piece of wood and got a sliver in my finger, I would have to get it removed because my body will not except the invader that has trespassed into the body. The bodies defense system will do all it can to stop the invader from causing infection, the invader must be removed. Because it is not part of the body. It is something evil in the body, but it is not the body.

This is like the problem of sin in the life of a Christian, first the person isn't the sin, but sin is like a sliver that has invaded the body, it is a evil that is in us. Second sin must be removed out of our lives or it will cause havoc just like a sliver left in the body can cause infection in the body, sin causes infection in the soul.

Romans 6:12 says; “Don't let sin rule your body. After all, your body is bound to die, so don't obey its desires.”

In Romans chapter seven Paul give a wonderful teaching using his own battle against sin to show that even as a Christian we must deal with sin when it seeks to invade our lives. Like Paul we don't want to fall under it's power or allow it to cause us harm or cause others harm. Sin gets in through temptation, then it takes up residence, then becomes an addiction.

Just like our natural defenses in the bodies that raise up fight any invader into the body, so has God provided a defense for us to over come the sin that seeks to gain control and corrupt our souls.

1. The Word of God
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” ( Psalm 119:9-11 KJV )

2. The Holy Spirit
“But if God's Spirit lives in you, you are under the control of your spiritual nature, not your corrupt nature. Whoever doesn't have the Spirit of Christ doesn't belong to him. However, if Christ lives in you, your bodies are dead because of sin, but your spirits are alive because you have God's approval. Does the Spirit of the one who brought Jesus back to life live in you? Then the one who brought Christ back to life will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.” ( Romans 8:9-11 GWT )

When we were born again we received the Holy Spirit as our defense against sin, the influence of the world, and the enemy. Paul declare, “What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me from my dying body? I thank God that our Lord Jesus Christ rescues me! ( Romans 7:24-25a )

The sliver of sin does not have to remain in our lives, we can find victory over the power of sin. It is God perfect will that we are liberated. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. ( Philippians 4:13 )

“God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and integrity.” ( 2Peter 1:3 GWT )

Prayer
Father help us not to allow sin to reign in our bodies. Your word says, if we confess our sins, then we know that you will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thank you Holy Spirit for revealing the invader of sin that seeks to take root in us, and for helping us to live a life of victory. We have all that we need not only to reveal the sin, but also to see it removed. In the name of Jesus, amen

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