Why Grace Moments?

My blog was previously named Defining Moments.  I have been blogging for 5 years under that title.  Recently, God has been doing a new thing in my heart.  I am realizing that all of my defining moments (the good, the bad, & the ugly) have nonetheless been grace moments.  Therefore, I thought it would be a good time to upgrade my blog...that's the short answer.  Continue reading for the more elaborate explanation.

The ultimate Grace gift that I have received is Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ blood has forever cleansed me from all my filthy sins in the past, present, & future.  I have been set free of the guilt of sin and shame.  I am alive in Christ!  I have been justified by grace and I am being sanctified by grace.  That’s why I love the lyrics to the hymn – Grace Greater Than Our Sin!

Grace is a word that has captured my thoughts over the past year.  Here are excerpts from three books that I have read on the topic of grace. 

*Susan Hunt in her book, The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood, explained the essentials of being a receiver of grace and in turn a giver of grace.  “As our hope in God’s sovereign love grows, we will become beautiful pillars of grace.  We will carry on the legacy of daughters of the covenant who have given support and comfort to God’s people” (p. 62).  “Deeds of grace are proof of grace.  The grace of gratitude is the right and reasonable response to sovereign grace” (p. 103).

*Ann Voskamp in her book, One Thousand Gifts, enlightened my mind to the endless grace gifts constantly around me and to see God through the mundane and ordinary. “This act of naming grace moment, this list of God’s gifts, moves beyond the shopping list of variety of prayer and into the other side.  The other side of prayer, the interior of His throne room, the inner walls of His powerful, love-beating heart…It really is a dare to name all the ways that God loves me…To move into His presence and listen to His love unending and know the grace uncontainable” (p. 59).

*Elyse Fitzpatrick in her book, Give Them Grace, elaborated on God’s amazing grace to His children and His sovereign grace over parenting. “Our ultimate joy as parents is not dependent on our ability to parent well.  God’s smile on us is not contingent upon anything other than the record of the beloved Son.  It is based on our belief that Jesus has already done it all perfectly for us.  Grace simply means resting in Jesus’s blood and righteousness” (p. 162). 

God owes me nothing!  I like these lines to a song by Misty Edwards – “You owe me nothing.  I deserve hell.  You owe me nothing, but you’ve given me mercy.”  As I recall the mercy that I have received, I desire to live my life as a thanks offering to God for all the Grace Moments that I am constantly given. 

Thank you for visiting my journey of grace!  May you be inspired to rejoice in the Lord for all the Grace Moments in your life!

Thank you, Tricia, for once again gracing me with a beautiful blog header!

All is Grace,

Caryn

“He that deserves nothing should be content with anything.” 

~Charles Spurgeon

Rejoice in Your Slavery Today!

That is, your slavery to the Great Master!

Excerpt from Slave by John MacArthur, p. 132-133

The Bible teaches that God has chosen His slaves by His own sovereign, independent, electing choice. In fact, He elected them to be His slaves before they were born, and even before the world was created. As those chosen by God, believers were "purchased with [Christ's] own blood" (Acts 20:28), predestined to be freed from slavery to sin and ushered into the household of God. He pursued us even though we did not seek Him, drawing us to Himself and snatching us from the clutches and condemnation of sin. Like Paul, we were "laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:12), becoming His willing captives, His joyful prisoners, and part of the people for His own possession. We are those who belong to Him, not because we chose Him but because He chose us.

Slave or Self: Is it About Me or Him?

Excerpt from Slave by John MacArthur, p. 14-15, 21

We don't hear about that [slave] concept much in churches today. In contemporary Christianity the language is anything but slave terminology. It is about success, health, wealth, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness. We often hear that God loves people unconditionally and wants them to be all they want to be. He wants to fulfill every desire, hope, and dream. Personal ambition, personal fulfillment, personal gratification--these have all become part of the language of evangelical Christianity--and part of what it means to have a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

Instead of teaching the New Testament gospel--where sinners are called to submit to Christ--the contemporary message is exactly the opposite: Jesus is here to fulfill all your wishes. Likening Him to a personal assistant or a personal trainer, many churchgoers speak of a personal Savior who is eager to do their bidding and help them in their quest for self-satisfaction or individual accomplishment.

The New Testament understanding of the believer's relationship to Christ could not be more opposite. He is the Master and Owner. We are His possession. He is the King, the Lord, and the Son of God. We are His subjects and His subordinates.

In a word, we are His slaves.

Scottish pastor Alexander Maclaren, a contemporary of Spurgeon, echoed these same truths: "...the blending and the absorption of my own will in His will, is the secret of all that makes manhood glorious and great and happy...In the New Testament these names of slave and owner are transferred to Christians and Jesus Christ."

Sin & Split Personality

Excerpt from A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller, P. 92

All sin involves a splitting of the personality--what James calls being "double minded" (4:8). If we become proud, we have an inflated sense of self that has lost touch with who we really are. If a husband watches porn online and then warmly greets his wife, he has created two people--one public and one hidden. If you talk about friends disparagingly behind their backs, you've created two personalities--the loving friend and the gossiping friend. You try to keep the personalities separate by telling those to whom you gossip, "Please keep this in confidence."

We first see this split immediately after Adam and Eve sin. Their friendly, walking-with-God selves are replaced by hiding, naked selves. God's searching question, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9), attempts to expose this fracture of the two selves.

Repentance brings the split personality together and thus restores integrity to the life. The real self is made public. When the proud person is humbled, the elevated self is united with the true self.

Only A Few Moments

How will you spend your moments today???

Real Trust

"Real trust isn't believing that God will do things as we expect he should; it is, rather, believing that whatever he does is good and perfect. We will only find relief from fear if we relinquish our expectations of what we think God ought to do for us and ask him to create within our hearts a trusting expectation for what he wills to do. If we are willing, we will find that his ways are far better than anything we could have chosen for ourselves."

~Trust: A Godly Woman's Adornment by Lydia Brownback, P.76

The End Will Come!

Will the stream of death, loss, and destruction never end? The good news is that these heartbreaks will indeed cease. The end will come with the return of Jesus Christ.

Trust: A Godly Woman's Adornment by Lydia Brownback p. 9

God’s Quiet Care: Deliverance Before We Know We Need It

Excerpt from Running Scared by Ed Welch, P.85

He waters the earth and causes it to be fruitful for everyone, whether he is acknowledged or not.
Every meal e eat is an expression of his sovereign care. Sometimes we pray and give thanks; more often we just eat and assume that the grocery store will have what we need for tomorrow.

He heals us day after day. Some researchers believe that cancer is always present in our bodies, but God sustains our bodies in a way that wards off its advances.
How many times have you had colds, infections, food poisoning, and a host of other physical maladies that you no longer have?

He protects us, without us knowing or asking, while traveling on an interstate when everyone around us is engrossed in their cell phone conversations.
How many times has the Good Shepherd fought wild beasts to keep us safe while we peacefully grazed, unaware of his heroic care?

Even before we get to the fullest expression of God’s love and care through Jesus Christ, we have reason to live in thankful dependence. As God has already demonstrated to us in the exodus, he doesn’t wait for crises to happen before he acts. He doesn’t wait for us to call out to him. Instead, he is always on the move, always sustaining, giving every breath to every living being every day.

Without The Gospel

“Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God.
But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.”
—John Calvin, preface for Pierre Robert Olivétan’s 1534 French translation of the New Testament
(HT: Tony Reinke)

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!!!

A Quote After My Own Heart

“We're not doubting that God will do the best for us, we're wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

-C.S. Lewis

Be EXTREME For Jesus!

It is ironic that the devil gives the world all of its extremists in every realm--entertainment, politics, society, education, anarchy, intrigue--you name it! Yet it is the same devil that frightens believers about the great danger of becoming "extreme."
~A.W. Tozer
(The Quotable Tozer II compiled by Harry Verploegh p.55)

Stay Close To The Shepherd!

The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf; they have but to stay close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears but the presence of the Shepherd.

~A.W. Tozer

(The Quotable Tozer II compiled by Harry Verploegh p.55)

We're all products!

"...we're all a product of how we've responded to the specific life God has marked out for us. Some of our responses may have occurred in a spirit of faith, while others flowed out of unbelief. ...our relationship with the Lord, particularly our understanding of who He is and the significance of His Word, will make all the difference in how we handle life's situations and our fears."

(Elyse Fitzpatrick - Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety)

Few Love the Cross of Jesus

An Excerpt from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.

Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him.

Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as thy encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection.

Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks.

What power there is in the pure love for Jesus—love that is free from all self-interest and self-love!

“Few Love the Cross of Jesus” p. 47

Are You Choosing to Drink Poison???

"Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." -Randy Alcorn

Many of us have sinned by being bitter about something in our life. You may have experienced bitterness as a result of something done to you, something not done for you, or even as you compared your lack of something to someone else's plenty. Bitterness is like a bloodsucking leech that constantly sucks at your soul until you are spiritually dry. It is very dangerous for a believer to hold onto bitterness. It has a terrible snowball effect; it will keep growing & growing til it's dealt with. If you are struggling with the sin of bitterness, here are a few verses that can help you go from a bitter heart to a praising heart.

1) Confess that bitter thought/attitude right away! Hebrews 12:15
2) Ask the Lord to replace that bitterness with His truth & wisdom. James 3:13-18
3) Recall God's goodness to your mind. Lam 3:19-24

Only the Living God can turn a horribly sour situation that you've experienced into something pleasantly sweet (Romans 8:28). He desires all of his children to thrive by His grace and not just survive. Bitterness stifles us from fulfilling all that He wants to do for us, in us, and through us for His glory. If you have bitterness in your heart, do the above 3 things and it may be a good idea to have someone pray with you and keep you accountable in this area. Also, Psalm 34 is a good chapter to meditate on.


So, put down that poisonous drink then "taste & see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8)!

Warm, Fuzzy Feelings Vs. Holy Habits

Here's an excerpt from the book I'm reading, The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood by Susan Hunt & Barbara Thompson. This section is in Q & A format.

Q (younger woman) - "I long for the intimacy with God that I hear other women discuss. But most of the time I feel as though God is far away from my real life."

A (author) - "It is important to distinguish between warm, fuzzy feelings and the intimacy of holy habits. In our culture many women are "experience junkies" and depend on new levels of excitement as substitutes for intimacy. The intimacy of the Father-daughter relationship is nurtured by the holy habits of prayer, Bible study, private and corporate worship, obedience, communion with the saints, and thanking Him in all things. These habits are not superficial seven-minute moments with God on our timetable. They are life-dominating, mind-renewing, transforming disciplines of God's grace. God uses the fruit of these habits to sustain us through emotional upheaval and circumstantial chaos." (p. 104)

A Great Paradox

"The Christian life is a great paradox. Those who die to self find self. Those who die to their cravings will receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life (Luke 18:29-30). If I crave happiness, I will beget misery. If I crave to be loved, I will feel rejection. If I crave control, I will feel every chaos. If I crave reputation, I will receive humiliation. But if I long for God and His wisdom, I will receive God and wisdom. Along the way, sooner or later, I will also receive happiness, love, order and glory. "Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33).
~Quote from "How Shall We Cure Troubled Souls?" by David Powlison

A Quote For Such A Time As This

"The question for me at this time is this: Can I continue to live Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone) under a President whose moral judgment already is questionable before he takes the oath of office? Yes I can, for I can be obedient to Scripture, praying for the one in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-8), honoring the one in authority (1 Pet. 2:13-18), submitting to the one in authority (Rom. 13:1-7; Tit. 3:1), and seeking righteousness for the entire citizenry (Prov. 14:34). These I will seek to do by grace. I will "honor the good appointment of God."
-Eric C. Redmond

Here's the whole article if you want to check it out.

The True Woman

"This is the essence of the true woman. Regardless of the time in history when she inhabits this earth, she is one who lives in the presence of glory. Her redeemed character is shaped and driven by God's Word and Spirit. Because she is the very dwelling place of the Lord God, her reflection of Him is manifested in every relationship and circumstance of life. The distinguishing characteristic of her life is His presence in her radiating out to all who see her. The true woman's life is not segmented into sacred and secular. All of life is sacred because it is lived in His presence. The true woman is a true reflection of God's glory." (Susan Hunt - The True Woman)