Time wasted getting even can never be used in getting ahead.
(Author unknown)
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13 NLT)
Here it is 2007, and I never thought it would seem so much like 2006, or even 2000, or even 1995, or how about 1965? I remember in 1965 when it was just one year after my high school graduation how the year 2000 seemed so far away that I could not even fathom how life would be. I think we all thought about flying cars, people living in outer space, being transported through time and space from one time to another, and all sorts of fantasies existing that we might have picked up from comic books and the movies. I never thought that 2007 would be so common. When the year 2000 rolled around many thought that everything would crash, but as the clock struck midnight everything just kept on ticking as usual. I recall many Christians thinking that the return of Jesus would be around the year two thousand. And then a few years later I heard some say that our calendars were off and Jesus would return around 2003 or 2004. I dont know where some people get their information, but my Bible tells me that no man knows the time, but that we should watch. The apostle Paul told his friend and fellow worker Titus that it was the grace of God that teaches us to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing. Grace is the spiritual substance that makes it possible to endure day after day maintaining hope. God loved me when I had no hope, and was not loveable. Then God gave me gifts that I could not earn or even deserved. This is part of the picture I have of Gods grace abounding toward me, and each morning as my feet hit the floor that grace continues to flow my way. I cant stop the flow of Gods grace and love. Even if I should turn my back to God and walk away, Gods grace still follows me. Everything in the natural world if you walk away from it, it becomes farther away. I have found it impossible to run away from Gods grace and love. I can ignore it, but I cant make it go away. I am so grateful that when I became tired of running away, and in a broken state I stood still, Gods grace flowed upon me. God did for me what I could not do for myself .JRE
The proper response to Gods grace is right conduct. The Bible never considers guilt and fear appropriate motivations for righteousness. We obey God because he loves us and desires to help us succeed. Seeing God as gracious, and compassionate instead of harsh, condemning, and punitive is critical for our spiritual growth. We dont need to fear God because of our sins. He still loves us and will help us rebuild our life when we admit our failures to him. This can give us hope as we work through recovery.
THE LIFE RECOVERY BIBLE, page 1482
(Author unknown)
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13 NLT)
Here it is 2007, and I never thought it would seem so much like 2006, or even 2000, or even 1995, or how about 1965? I remember in 1965 when it was just one year after my high school graduation how the year 2000 seemed so far away that I could not even fathom how life would be. I think we all thought about flying cars, people living in outer space, being transported through time and space from one time to another, and all sorts of fantasies existing that we might have picked up from comic books and the movies. I never thought that 2007 would be so common. When the year 2000 rolled around many thought that everything would crash, but as the clock struck midnight everything just kept on ticking as usual. I recall many Christians thinking that the return of Jesus would be around the year two thousand. And then a few years later I heard some say that our calendars were off and Jesus would return around 2003 or 2004. I dont know where some people get their information, but my Bible tells me that no man knows the time, but that we should watch. The apostle Paul told his friend and fellow worker Titus that it was the grace of God that teaches us to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing. Grace is the spiritual substance that makes it possible to endure day after day maintaining hope. God loved me when I had no hope, and was not loveable. Then God gave me gifts that I could not earn or even deserved. This is part of the picture I have of Gods grace abounding toward me, and each morning as my feet hit the floor that grace continues to flow my way. I cant stop the flow of Gods grace and love. Even if I should turn my back to God and walk away, Gods grace still follows me. Everything in the natural world if you walk away from it, it becomes farther away. I have found it impossible to run away from Gods grace and love. I can ignore it, but I cant make it go away. I am so grateful that when I became tired of running away, and in a broken state I stood still, Gods grace flowed upon me. God did for me what I could not do for myself .JRE
The proper response to Gods grace is right conduct. The Bible never considers guilt and fear appropriate motivations for righteousness. We obey God because he loves us and desires to help us succeed. Seeing God as gracious, and compassionate instead of harsh, condemning, and punitive is critical for our spiritual growth. We dont need to fear God because of our sins. He still loves us and will help us rebuild our life when we admit our failures to him. This can give us hope as we work through recovery.
THE LIFE RECOVERY BIBLE, page 1482
