The gift of Grace that you and I have received, was bought and paid for. Paid for with the very blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The very Son of God, who humbled himself and left heaven to come to earth and take the form of a human child. To experience the entirety of our mortal lives, all of our stresses, hopes, dreams and concerns. Yet, unlike us, to live our earthly existence sin free. He did all of this, fulfilled all the prophecies and endured the agonizing and humiliating death on the cross for what? Just so we could have a free ticket to heaven? I think there’s more to it than that.
God the creator of the universe, the God that spoke everything into existence, could’ve simply spoke us into forgiveness or Grace if that was all it was about. He certainly didn’t need to send “his only begotten Son” to die such a horrible death just so we could punch a free ticket to heaven and then go back to doing “what’s right in our own eyes“. God has a plan, it’s a plan about and for his Glory. Even Jesus said he was there to glorify the Father. Yes God loves us, and wants us to have eternal life, but he doesn’t need us. He can and will make more.
God’s plan of redemption for all of creation, not just us, has a part for each of us to play. If we will accept the “calling” or “invitation” (whatever your theology allows). It’s an awesome honor and privilege to be offered to participate in the plan of God, the creator of the universe. All we need to do is believe and follow Jesus. JOHN 3:16, one of the most quoted verses in the Bible “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life”. God so loved the “world” not mankind, and “may” have eternal life.
JOHN 3:16 to some says all they must do is believe, and their good to go. They need to examine at least one more verse. They don’t have to go far. It’s in the same book, in fact the same chapter of the same book. The last verse of the same chapter of the same book. JOHN 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath. Seems to suggest that there’s more to do than just believe. Perhaps it says that true belief includes obedience?
Again, I’m no theologian. I’m not even a very good student. All I can offer is in my study I get the impression that its about God and doing it God’s way. Believing in the Son, Jesus Christ, and following him obediently. Next time you hear about “cheap” or “free” Grace, remind yourself that the gift of Grace is the most expensive gift ever conceived or given. Nothing can compare or will ever equal it. Grace was bought and paid for by the very blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Nothing we can ever do will ever merit such a gift.
Humbly submitted in faith and Love of our Lord Jesus Christ
**(April 20, 2011)**
I know as Christians we all experience spiritual warfare from time to time if not all the time. Sometimes the battle rages stronger than at other times. This morning for some reason I woke up feeling extremely poor in my spirit. I felt distant from God. I know I'm unworthy of Gods grace but this morning I felt especially unworthy and I don' know the reason why. I felt unsaved and it scared me. I didn't want to leave the house but I had an appointment in La Grange. Before I left my office I got on my knees and told God how far away I felt and that I didn't like it. I asked for mercy, thanked him for the day and told Him how desperately I needed and hungered to feel his presence. Especially today. As usual when I drive to various places I have my favorite radio preachers and programs that I listen to. All the way to La Grange the feeling that I woke up with remained. If anything It grew stronger, making tears well up in my eyes from time to time. On the way back to my office in Yoakum from La Grange one of the preachers I listen to was starting his radio program and he titled it " Hungering for God". He began by asking anyone in his congregation that felt completely happy and satisfied with their relationship with God to raise their hands. No one did. He went on to explain the difference between physical hunger and spiritual hunger. He said that during physical hunger the longer you stay away from food the stronger your desire and hunger for food gets. You can eat and your hunger is satisfied. The more you eat, the less food you want. During spiritual hunger, the longer you stay away from the Word, fellowship, church, God, your desire and hunger for God decreases. Eventually one may completely loose their desire and hunger for God. In contrast to physical hunger, the more a person eats from the Word of God and partakes in spiritual matters the hungrier that person gets for God, his love, mercy and grace. He went on to say that when you feel a need and hunger for God and realize how far you away you really are and how for you need to go is a sure way to know that you are one of His children. I'm only hitting the highlights of the preachers message but the things he talked about were so much like the way I was feeling in my spirit this morning. God answered my prayer through that radio this morning. I felt a reassuring peace from the Holy Spirit. As if He were telling me that even if I didn't know where He was this morning, He knew me and knew exactly where I was. I can't begin to fathom the way Jesus felt on the cross when my sins separated him completely from God the Father. I hope my God sighting will reassure anyone that experiences the type of spiritual warfare I experienced this morning, or any spiritual warfare, that God knows you also and knows exactly where you are. As Dr. Charles Stanley says, " Fight all your battles on your knees" . I did this morning and thanks be to God, came out victorious.
Your brother in Christ, Craig Price
**(April 21, 2011)**
Hello, my dear friend, how are you? Mom sent me a current bulletin from First Baptist Church, Yoakum, and the section asking for testimonies caught my eye. Wow, I can't keep my mouth shut at the opportunity to give proper praise, worship, or glory to my Father God when the opportunity presents itself. Jeremiah 20:7-18 I believe is the greatest love story interwoven through the struggle of daily life and living in obedience to God only second to when Jesus himself walked the face of this earth. Verse 7a, "O Lord, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed." May God continually overpower me by the shadow of His great Holy Spirit as I continue to seek Him daily, asking for Him to guide me in His great purpose and will. Looking back over these last fourteen months that I've been out of prison overwhelmingly points to the God, the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, the Creator who has carried me, gone before and behind me, and provided so generously and abundantly out of His great riches in His Kingdom, my spiritual inheritance. As I would pray His will and purpose I could see direct answer to my many prayers and petitions...prayers for deliverance from people who would desire harm for me, the stronghold of alcohol and other areas of addictive and self-destructing behaviors being broken, never to hold me in bondage again, petitions for financial and physical provision such as housing, a vehicle, basic furniture and food. How can I stop giving credit to the one who so richly deserves the praise? Now that I have some stability and a firm foundation, I am now being led to give of myself to those around me who are spiritually dying and do not even realize it. Whether through my A. A. group or other avenues, I am a conduit of God blessing others through me. I have a great church, a strong men's group that meets weekly over breakfast, and an accountability partner that keep pointing me to God. What a night and day change from fourteen months ago when I didn't know which way was up. Thank God I only saw one set of footprints in the sand as my Lord carried me when I couldn't help myself. I hope what I wrote made sense.
Many blessings, Phillip E Schwab
**(4-26-2011)**
The Futility of Kings:
The past few weeks of our study through the bible has been spent going through the repeated cycle of a new king that is either “doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord“, or walking in the ways of the Lord except for: always at least one failing. Then I recalled that this was all foretold by Moses back in Deuteronomy chapter 17.
To paraphrase, when you come into the land you will want to appoint a king over you like the other nations. You can do it, but it must be one chosen by the Lord . He must not acquire a lot of horses or wives, and he must keep a copy of the law and read it all the days of his life. Then in Deuteronomy chapter 28, we are given the consequences of not doing it God’s way but instead, doing it man‘s way. Looks a lot like 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles etc. doesn’t it?
We were warned again in 1 Samuel chapter 8, when the people rejected God as their King and insisted on a human king like all the other nations. Its quite a list, a tenth of everything you have, your sons taken into his army, some to plow his ground… and you shall be his slaves. 1Sam. 8:18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day. “Whom you have chosen for yourselves”: struck me how few were actually anointed by God.
So the books of Kings are just like God said it would be, should be no surprise, he calls the shots and makes them every time. Over and over again the Lord gives us examples of how unwise it is to trust in earthly masters. Now here we are thousands of years later, and yet we still do the same things. We don’t call them kings, but we rely on them for more and more of our earthly existence. Again we reject God as our King and rely on one fallen human king/president and 535 want to be kings.
The Bible is full of God’s directions for life. Not just for life 3000 years ago, but our lives right now! The Bible is God’s Text Book. It’s here for our instruction, and if we will follow his directions we won’t have to go down that path that leads to destruction. We need only read, learn and then, most importantly, apply what we learn. The Books of Kings are very graphic illustrations of just how futile it is to place your dependence and trust on other fallen human beings, and thereby rejecting the Lord as your King.
With all due apologies to the “Calvinists” out there, we have a choice to make: obedience or rebellion. One leads to blessings the other to discipline. Don’t think it applies today? I wouldn’t want to bet to heavily on that. My guess is we could write a book of 3 Kings, and it would sound a lot like what we’ve just studied. Remember, it’s about God’s will, plan, purpose and Glory. If we follow him, he promises to take care of everything, even the bad things, and he delivers on his promises.
Who will we follow? We can continue to do it our way, and God will stand back and let us have at it. Doesn’t seem to work out to well, but again, our choice. Let me just leave you with Joshua 24:15 (my paraphrase) Choose this day who you will follow, your idols, your favorite past times, your president/congress, your way; or God’s way. For me and my household it’s a work in progress, but we will follow the Lord.
Submitted by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in his Spirit of Faith and Love
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**(5-6-2011)**
Welcome to KINGDOM OF GOD UNIVERSITY
Congratulations, even though your personal performance and merits could never qualify you, by Grace through Faith in our LORD JESUS CHRIST, you have been accepted into the KINGDOM of GOD UNIVERSITY. You have been granted admission to somewhere between 0 and 100+ years of intense study in the plans, purposes and operations of the KINGDOM OF GOD. This course of study includes strenuous physical, mental and spiritual testing. Extensive trials, tribulations, persecutions and perhaps at times, peace, prosperity and abundance. Oh, one other thing, there is no dropping out. Sorry.
I know it may sound comical or flippant to some, but it is with all sincerity that I present it here. As we continue our study of the Story of the Bible, I have noticed quite a bit of repetition. Our recent trip through Kings and Chronicles, for example, had the repetitive cycle of rebellion, punishment, repentance and then restoration. Then you start to notice the same numbers being used throughout the story and you begin to see the connections both forward and backward. It was during the study of Kings that it hit me, that repeating of the same basic story with just different names. I’m back in school, and the teacher is making me go over it and over it again and again until I learn it.
It started to make sense. That’s what this physical existence is about. Learning to be like Jesus, and helping others find admission into HIS University to do the same. Biblegateway.com is a web site where you can search the bible for whatever your looking for in an instant. I searched for the word “teach”. It appears 273 times from Exodus all the way through Revelation. Then it became obvious that the Bible is our textbook, and this physical existence our class room. Our textbook (Bible) talks not only of teaching but also testing. Why are we tested in this life? The same reason we’re tested in school, to see how much we’ve learned and whether we can apply what we’ve learned. Starts to sound more and more like school doesn’t it?
Think of those especially difficult trials and struggles as just an AP (advance placement) test. There tough, but they move you up faster. One of the first lessons we must grasp, and perhaps one of the hardest, is to not grip to tightly to this earthly life. No matter what we do, eventually it will end. It doesn’t matter how much you exercise, how well you eat, or how good your health care plan, this physical existence will terminate for us all one way or another. But guess what, its not the end, its GRADUATION!!!!!!!
Jesus himself taught the concept of death to self and putting others first, storing up your treasure in heaven not on earth. Paul wrote that to die is to gain. To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. If you are a member of the BODY OF CHRIST and thereby a student in the KINGDOM OF GOD UNIVERSITY, the sheep skin/diploma you receive is that of the very LAMB OF GOD at the Judgment seat of CHRIST. It is also there, on that day, you will receive your post-graduate honors for how you handled all your testing and trials. So, fear not death, after all what is a mere 100 years on earth when compared to millions of years in the presence of GOD?
Next time a brother or sister in CHRIST departs this earth, don’t grieve for them. CELEBRATE THEIR GRADUATION!!!! I know its natural to grieve because we will miss them here, but we will see them again at our graduation party, so take comfort that they are having their own party as we grieve.
Good Luck with your studies, and I’ll see you at the party.
Presented in faith and love by the Grace of our LORD Jesus Christ.
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**(May 27, 2011)**
*The following "God Sighting" is from my uncle, who recently returned from a missions trip to Africa, thanks Craig Price:
AFRICA MISSION TRIP 5/14/2011 – 5/27/2011
Trip: May 14th Miami to London 9 hrs. ; 9 hr layover; London to Lusaka, Africa 10hrs.. Total time from leaving the church in Jupiter to arriving at the college, 35 hrs.
We drove about 2 hours outside Lusaka, a beautiful countryside that reminded me of the rolling hill country in Texas. Hundreds of people along the highway coming & going to Lusaka I guess. They were mostly walking but many had bikes. Little villages along the sides of the road as well as little villages spotted in the countryside as well. It took another 45 min. down a washed out road to the college. They have a hard time maintaining it because of the rainy season. Arrived at the college about 1:00 pm and we were greeted by the staff and all the students. They were in a long line singing and we shook each of their hands and they gave us flowers. One thing I noticed was that they all were smiling and later found that the students seemed to smiling most of the two weeks we were there.
Meals:
Meals were served outside on picnic tables. We ate with the students and ate what the students ate. The meals were served out of tubs and every meal had several items that were served at every meal. Shema (sp?), rice, cabbage. Shema was a dough-like substance that was made out of corn and?, which is the staple of Africa. The students ate a pound of it at every meal. It tasted like what caulk must taste like. They had beans every other day. Sometimes beef pieces (I think it was beef?), a chicken stew or noodles a couple times. Breakfast was some kind of porridge with something that looked like a biscuits (well they looked like biscuits?). I stopped eating breakfast after the second day. I of course, avoided cabbage until I discovered that if I ate just a little at each meal it made me regular like you read about. At a couple meals, some of the food was looking back at me. Thank the Lord I brought several boxes of granola and protein bars or I would have starved. I lost 8 pounds in two weeks. I would have paid $20 for one hamburger.
Living Conditions: Bath houses and toilets were 100 yards away and no hot water for showers.
Pleasantly surprised by the sleeping conditions. We had 12 X 12 concrete cabins w/2 beds w/mattresses. Our pastor was my roommate. Weather was perfect, low 80’s during the day and low 50’s at night. Slept very well, of course working all day might have been the reason. Most nights after the fine dining, the team and leaders at the college sat around a camp fire and talked. The sunsets were unbelievable and what you would imagine Africa would look like. The stars in the sky were countless and an awesome sight.
Work:
Day 1 - Entire team works on finishing the tin roof, etc. on the new library building. I didn’t have the skill they needed for the roof so Ed & I cut the tin and continually moved the scaffolding, etc.
Day 2 & 3 - Same
Day 4 - Jack & I went to work in the shop painting window frames.
Day 5 - More painting and doing the plumbing on one of the family staff member’s house (Chad). Kind of a Chinese fire drill but we got most of it done.
Day 6 - Painting, installing windows, etc.
Day 7 & 8 - Our team built about 75 trusses for the bath houses and classrooms.
We all (the team) felt good about the work we completed and Paul said we were a good crew and fun to work with.
Missionary Leaders at College: There were three families that lived at the college.
Paul & Lori and Chad & Amber had the responsibility of taking care of all that was happening there like construction, housing for students, food, and etc. etc .etc.
Lou & Iris – Lou was the dean and a pastor that was in charge of the college and educating the students, etc., etc., etc.
All these people are very dedicated to the dream of someday having a full Christian College at this location. They are expecting a major power line to come thru Zambia and within a few miles of the college. This would provide electricity and a paved highway and a paved road to the property. Now they operate with generators and solar panels for limited electric.
Students: Felt drawn to these students especially the 12 juniors. They will be the 1st graduating class of the college. They are considered and called the 12 disciples and in my opinion they act like disciples. Their prayers are like nothing I have ever heard, they all sing great which I thought was unusual, but if you think about it, that is part of their culture and has carried over in history to the U.S. blacks. About the 3rd day it was strange but I stopped seeing a black person anymore like I do in the U.S.. Yes I see the color of their skin but they are individual people and these young men are real. Students & Zambian workers sing every where they go. They smile constantly. They conduct two services a week at 11:00am (preach & sing) at the college and Sunday go out two by two to villages to conduct services. Some of them conduct 2 or 3 services on Sunday. The students always wanted to talk to us and pick our brains about everything. They all dress very well all of the time except when they are working, which they have to do for 4 or 5 hours a day to pay for their tuition and room & board. I have never seen young people work so hard at everything they do. At about 6:00 am, several students who worked in the gardens became our alarm clocks with their singing each morning. Students each morning before class begins, have an opening prayer, sing 3 songs and then have corporate prayer- everyone praying out load at the same time, (very spiritual feeling). They also learned building construction as part of there studies.
Why did I go to Zambia?
What my feelings were when I departed Miami. I didn’t understand why I was going on this mission trip. Was I going just to feel better about myself or because others wanted me to go? Even after a few days at the college I still didn’t know why. Then I started to feel an attachment to the students, especially the disciple class. Their love of the Lord was genuine. They basically have nothing and depended on the Lord for everything in their lives. I know this is what the Lord expects from us but am I willing to do that? Am I here to get that straight in my heart? Am I here to get my prejudices of black people corrected in my heart? Am I here to learn to just get my priorities in line? To become the mentor that I need to be to my kids and grandkids. Clean up my mind. Love Mary as Christ loves the church. Pray about everything. Serve when the opportunity comes. Even learn to kick back and enjoy life and all the blessing that the Lord has given me.
So in summary, I guess the above thoughts answered my question of why I went on this mission trip. It was more than doing some physical work for the college there or helping some students in Zambia, it hopefully helped me understand what I’m suppose to be doing right where I live.
Thank You Lord for the opportunity to go to Africa. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
**(June 10, 2011)**
As I consider what Jesus has done for me these past days I stand with a grateful heart, eyes looking toward my gracious Lord. Let me explain. I went in for a routine procedure that had been done in the past and was needed again. This time, when I returned to the hospital room, still under anesthesia's effects, I saw Randy's face, and knew something was very wrong. Not that I could put my finger on what I saw, I just knew it. Then the doctor came in and said something about the next step being we would have to choose what hospital to head toward, and he said MD Anderson was a choice. Between those two pieces of info, I knew I had cancer. I prayed for Randy, as his first wife was taken from him due to cancer. I cannot imagine what he went through during those days. The doctor had told Randy he has been a doctor for more than 30 some years, and knew that what he saw was cancer. There was no question in his mind. There is no question in my mind that what he saw was cancer. But what he saw was not the end of the matter. During the days until results came back, sleep fled, as I hung onto Psalm 18 and the words that are written there. I prayed that Psalm as I read it for hours at night. The cords of death had truly surrounded me, I needed the Lord's hand, and word through it all. It says he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. How I asked the Lord to take refuge in him. Friends were contacted and prayer began. One friend prayed day and night for 3 days. Many others prayed, as we walked through those days. Other friends asked if I wanted to talk about it. I answered, no, I wanted to love my family, to see what the Lord wanted of me that day. I wanted to live, not talk of dying. The results came in on Wednesday. We were sitting in Marshall's office, expecting to hear the cancer confirmed. But he said something truly amazing. There was no sign of cancer, only cells working hard to heal themselves. Jesus changed what was there, and made it new. The doctor who performed the procedure still knew what he saw, and I believe his words. He saw cancer. In a second procedure to follow, again he took biopsies, but this time sent them to a different lab, expecting to hear that indeed there was cancer. Fear and doubt were right there, to discourage me. But a good friend reminded me to hang onto what the Lord had already done. The results are already in, that would not be changed. Jesus had stepped in to heal. Encouraged to worship the Lord and sing to him, I spent hours looking to him, putting my trust in him, dancing in the backyard. A week later the call came again, no cancer, just inflammation. When next I return to the doctor who did the procedure, I want to tell him that I know he did see cancer, it was there, but that Jesus, in great mercy toward me, answered the prayer of many, and said no to it, it is not there. Jesus is God of the seen and the unseen, and can change what is and bring new to the old. He is able. My life is in his hands. He is faithful to his own. His faithfulness is there in good times and bad. He does not change. "Ps 18;17-18 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity but the LORD was my support." How great is our God! To those of you who prayed, thank you, for giving of yourselves. Karen
