Daily Buffet

…but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage;

Posts Tagged ‘grace’

Unsure?

September 8th, 2010

This morning I am been a little unsure of what to write. My brain is swirling in lots of things, but no clear thoughts to share. So I just after wondering aimlessly around the house looking for inspiration from the cats, the sun rise, the boys, or anything that I could find, I reluctantly just opened up my Bible.

After turning about 4 pages, I saw this:

¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. ¹³Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.1 Timothy 1:12-17 (New International Version)

So right there it is. Very encouraging words for a morning of uncertainty. Paul says, Hey look I was terrible, full of problems, angry, violent, and just blame rough, and the Christ poured grace all over me. Then he says, he’ll do the same for you. Wow, that’s a nice promise and a provides a certain amount of certainty, doesn’t?

And then of course, when we are given a gift of grace and unlimited patience like that, we can turn face the day with vigor and sureness and boldness. Can we bestow this same gives on the others that we encounter today. Surely, we can. Pour out the grace that you have been given to those around you.

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Tags: 1 Timothey boldness examples grace patience Paul

Straight Day

August 9th, 2010

Here in America where we use the middle endian date format, today is a straight. Well, a small straight, 8-9-10. Just to go with that fun calendar theme, that doesn’t happen very often, I decided to just gamble a little with my verse of the day. So I headed over to the 8th book of the New Testament, the 9th chapter and the 10 verse to see what I would fine. ( I know pretty risky right!)
And look what I found there:

10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness 2 Corinthians 9:10 (New International Version)

The message looked pretty interested, so it was probably worth stepping back for some context:

^8-11God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10, The Message)

Wow, God is promising that he will give to you in abundance grace and mercy, that you will ready to serve and give to others. It’s a great promise, and provides a great deal of strength to tackle anything that is in front of you.

Take the gamble today, and give away what you have been given. Watch how it will grow!

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Tags: 2 Corinthians gifts grace mercy promise

Add it up

August 4th, 2010

Last night I was given the opportunity to hear Rich Little speak. No, not that Rich Little, the preacher Rich Little. He’s heading out to be a professor at Pepperdine and was speaking in town last night. He was very engaging as he spoke of sharing the grace with have received with other people. The whole time he was whittling away on stage, I keep thinking to myself, that these ideas seem like they are a little risky, and radical. He spend most of the night exposing hidden secrets from Matthew 7, part of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. However, it was the place he ended that really started me thinking:

¹²So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matt 7 :12

How simple! The entirety of the law in 11 words. “Do to others what you would have them do to you”. But how complex and how radical. How many times have your heard this relay in word or action as “Do to others before they do to you?” or “Do to others as they do to you?” But Jesus, always the radical, says “Treat them how you want to be treated.” How many times to I tell my boys those exact same words?

But can we really live that way? I mean, I know that I want the people I work with to bring me ice cream at 3pm every afternoon. Hm, I wonder maybe if thats what I want then I should bring ice cream to them at 3pm. Or I should find out what they like and bring that to them. For many of my co workers that may be a bowl of gajar halwa.

But I guess its more then ice cream. Its the words we use, its the way we listen. Its the attention that we give to others. Its our concern. It’s a text message of encouragement, a smile, forgiveness and mercy and grace.

Hm, sounds radical and risky. Maybe its worth some serious prayer and attention. I know that I would want you to do it for me.

Are you summing it up today?

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Tags: Christ examples grace ice cream Jesus Matthew Pepperdine Rich Little Sermon on the Mount transformation

Its a Jolly Holiday

July 19th, 2010

Last night Amy and I were blessed to be able to watch Mary Poppins at the Kennedy Center as we kicked off another week of summer holiday. And of course Mary is one to remind you of the good things in life and to take advantage of all the opportunities for treating others right.

So I go off for a few days, and a few of my fellow buffeters keep up the encouragement for the remainder of the week. But before I do here is a simple reminder to always consider others and and keep a check on the words you use throughout the day today.

¹¹ A word aptly spoken
is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11 (NIV)

You can never underestimate the power of the words you use. Make sure they are supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

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Tags: examples grace Mary Poppins Proverbs

Paid in Full

July 16th, 2010

I dunno about you but I hate paying bills. It’s not so much about getting rid of the money ( although that part is stinky), is more about the accounting and making sure it’s paid on the correct date and getting the right amount and all of that stuff. For those things that I don’t have automatically paid, it’s a struggle every month. Usually there is a frantic middle of the night rush on the due date to pay the bill. What a blessing on line bill pay is.

So isn’t it good to know that as followers of the Christ, there is no due date. Well, there will be a judgement day, and for those not follower the Christ, that will be quite a problem. But for those who have put on the grace and mercy of Christ, your sins will have been paid in full, and on the due date, your balance due will be a big fat zero!

²³May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (New International Version)

So, doesn’t knowing that you owe nothing and that its been paid for you provide some relief from the anxiety of the day and create a desire to repay that through your actions? Get out there and impact those around you today.

Its freeeeeeeeeeeee!