Simply amazing

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It is Simply Amazing Grace

1 Corinthians 15:10

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."

Words cannot properly express the greatness of God's grace. Maybe John Newton had it right when he tried to properly describe the grace of God, he simply called it amazing grace. Amazing is the only word that can properly describe God's grace to you and I. Paul recognized the amazing grace of God by saying the he was who he was because of God's grace. He recognized how awful his life was before he got saved, and he saw how God's grace reached to where he was and saved him. Not only did God's grace save him, but this grace took him and made him into one of the greatest apostles of Christ.

Christian, let me remind you that it is God's grace that saved you from Hell. There are many who read this devotional who if it were not for the grace of God would either be in prison or in the grave. Do you remember what your life was like before you got saved? Even to those who were saved in a Christian home, it was God's grace that saved you from an awful life. I was saved at a very young age, but I realize that it was God's grace that came to me at an early age and saved me to keep me from having to live an awful life of sin. If it were not for God's amazing grace, not only would you be on your way to Hell, but you would also have a life that most likely would have taken you down a horrible road.

Furthermore, it was God's grace that caused God to give you what you have. God doesn't owe anybody anything. Too often we take for granted that we deserve to have what we have. Yet, it is God's grace that allows us to have the blessings that we have. It is God's grace that allows you to have health. It is God's grace that gave you a family to love. It is God's grace that gave you a great church to attend. It is God's grace that has paid your bills when you didn't have a way to pay them. Look at everything you have in life and remember that God's grace is what allows that.

Moreover, it is God's grace that uses your labors for His glory. Paul recognized that God's grace turned his labors into great works. Christian, God doesn't have to use you for anything. However, His grace chose to use the works that you do to accomplish great things for Him. Don't become haughty because of what God has done through you. It is only God's grace that caused Him to take your works when He could have used something else to perform them.

Finally, it is God's grace that made you who you are. I am constantly amazed what God has made out of me. I don't have any great background of which to boast, yet God has chosen to make me what I am. Likewise, whoever you are and whatever you have done, it is only God's grace that has allowed you to become who you are. Without God's grace, you would not be who you are as a Christian.

Don't ever forget how amazing God's grace has truly been to you. If you will remember how great God's grace has been to you, then you will be able to keep yourself in proper perspective. When you remember what God's grace has done for you, I believe you will say what John Newton said about God's grace: it is amazing grace.

Compensation

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Proper Compensation

1 Corinthians 9:11

"If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?"

The Apostle Paul took the time to deal with the compensation of the man of God. He used the analogy of an ox that treads the corn to show the church of Corinth how they should take care of their pastor. He reminded this church that as God commanded that the ox that plows the corn has a right to eat, likewise the man of God who gives himself to the ministry should be properly compensated for his work. The verse above asked if the man of God sowed spiritual things, "...is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" In other words, God wanted this church to realize that they had an obligation to make sure their pastor reaped the benefits of his work.

Unfortunately there are those who think that the preacher should not be compensated for preaching the Word of God. I was recently in a restaurant when the pastor I was with tried to witness to a young man who was belligerent about men of God "getting rich" off the church. Though there are probably a few cases when men of God abuse the church in this area, on the whole most men of God do not get the proper compensation they deserve. Reason with me just a little if you will. Would a doctor continue in their line of work if they knew they would get nothing in return? After all the training a doctor goes through, they expect to get paid for their services. Imagine a heart surgeon performing heart surgery with their mind preoccupied with how to get food for their family. As preposterous as this sounds, this is exactly what some churches expect from their pastor. Though most preachers will still give their all, it is wrong for you to expect the preacher to literally have to work another full-time job so he can pay his bills.

There are some things you should consider about the care of your pastor's finances. First, be sure that their pay, at the least, equals the pay of the average income in your area. For instance, most people make enough to be able to pay their monthly housing expenses, food bill, and still have extra for clothing or dining out. These are just a few of the expenses a pastor must pay. Simply put, examine your monthly bills, then realize that your pastor probably has the same expenses.

Furthermore, be sure that he has a decent car to drive. Many do not consider that their pastor uses their car for church business. The pastor makes hospital visits in his car. He will most likely use his car to visit church members and go soul winning. He will use his car to drive to conferences to get ideas to help your family. He doesn't have to have the top of the line, though there is nothing wrong with that, but he should at minimum have a dependable car.

Moreover, you should make sure that the church places enough in it's budget to send your pastor to at least one conference a year. Companies often send their employees to training every year. A conference is a training time for the pastor. He also needs to get his spiritual battery recharged. A good conference can help train and recharge his battery.

Last, be sure to consider his health insurance and retirement. Just like you, he will have hospital expenses. Just like you, he will get old some day and may have to step aside. Though most pastors won't talk about this, your pastor deserves the right not to be concerned with these expenses. Your pastor's wife should know that she will be taken care of with a retirement plan if her husband was to pass away before her.

Though I will be criticized for this devotional, I believe it is Scriptural to take care of your pastor. I'm sure your pastor does his best to spiritually feed you, so be sure to do your best and make sure he is financially taken care of in the proper way.

Fruit Basket

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What's in Your Fruit Basket?

Romans 6:21

"What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death."

When I travel to churches to preach, many of the churches will put a fruit basket in my hotel room so that I can have something on which to snack. Most of the fruit baskets have the same snacks with one additional thing that is unique to that church or area. I always enjoy looking in the fruit basket to find what is unique about that basket.

The verse above shows us that our life produces fruit. Before you got saved, your sinful works produced fruit, and now that you are saved your works also produce fruit. However, God asked the Christians in Rome what fruit they had before they got saved. Apparently, these Christians were contemplating some of the works they did before they got saved, and God wanted to remind them that the fruit of their previous works produced death. God wanted them to see that the fruit of sin is death, but the fruit of obeying and serving God produces life.

Your life is a spiritual fruit basket that has collected fruit from the different works you've performed. Let me ask you, what is in your fruit basket? If I were to go into the spiritual hotel room and see your life as my fruit basket, what would I find in that basket? I'm afraid that many Christians would be ashamed if I could see the fruits of their works. However, the fruit of your works will be revealed one day, and you had better be sure that you have fruits of which you would not be ashamed.

When we look at the fruit basket of your life, do we find the fruit of sin? Have you filled your life's fruit basket with sinful actions? Is it filled with the works of the flesh? Galatians 5:19-21 shows us the fruits of the flesh when it says, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:..." Christian, look at this list carefully and ask yourself if you would really like to eat fruit that is as vile as these works. Yet, that is what many Christian produce; they produce a distasteful fruit because of the sins they continue to commit.

On the other hand, God wants your spiritual fruit basket to be filled with the fruit we find in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." When your spiritual fruit basket is filled with these works, then your fruit will be a good tasting Christian life. When the world partakes of it, they will enjoy what they taste.

Christian, be careful what you put into your spiritual fruit basket. Realize that you already tried the fruit of sin before you got saved, and you didn't like its results. Strive every day to fill your spiritual fruit basket with fruit that you will enjoy when you get old. One day you will eat, or reap, the fruit of your spiritual fruit basket. Make it a fruit that you can show without regret to your children and those whom you influence.

Storms

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What You Should Do During the Storms

Acts 27:14

"But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon."

Everybody is going to face storms in their life, but what they do during the storm will determine whether or not they conquer the storm. Paul faced a fierce storm on his way to Rome. While in the storm, the shipmen and centurions continued to make tragic mistakes that nearly cost the lives of all onboard. However, we find that Paul's intervention is what saved everyone's life. Though this was a physical storm, how they made it through this storm is how you can make it through the storms that you will face in your life.

When the storms come, you need to pray. When most face the storms panic is the first reaction, but panic will cause you to make bad decisions. When I was learning to fly an airplane, my instructor told me that when the storms come I need to stay calm. He said that I would make better decisions if I would stay calm instead of panicking. The best way to stay calm when you face life's storms is to pray. Train yourself to always make prayer your first reaction with everything you face. If prayer becomes the reflex for every thing you face, then when the storms come you will pray instead of panic.

Be sure to keep a good attitude when the storms come. Paul told the centurions "...to be of good cheer:..." Having a bad attitude during the storms will never help. Your attitude is one of the most important things you should guard during the storms. Don't let the storms dictate your attitude, but you must determine to have a good attitude no matter what you face. This good attitude will only happen if you will make prayer your first action.

Don't be afraid when the storms come, but trust God. Paul told these people to "Fear not,..." You must always remember that fear is a lack of trust in God. Fear is a result of not believing that God will help you through your storms. God has always been there for you in the past, and He will be there for you when you go through the storms. Just learn to take the storms in stride realizing that there is no reason for you to fear.

Moreover, don't quit on God during the storms. Paul told the centurion to "...abide in the ship..." The greatest way to make your storms worse is to quit on God. When the storms come your way it is not time to quit, but rather it is time to step up your service to God. Though quitting may cross your mind, put the thought of quitting aside and determine to keep on going. If you quit, you will always wonder what would have happened had you kept going.

Last, stay in your daily routines during the storms. Paul told the people onboard the ship "...to take some meat: for this is for your health:..." Getting out of their routines would have caused them to be weakened when what they need was the strength of routine. Christian, keep doing what you have always done when you face storms. Don't let the storms shake your routines. Routines are the greatest prescriptions to surviving storms.

Everybody faces storms, but only those who follow these principles are the one's who make it through them. Let your storms be a building block in your life and faith by following these principles.

Endurance

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His Mercy Endures...

Psalm 118:1

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever."

One of the greatest attributes of God is His mercy. Every person who has ever lived can be thankful that God is a merciful God. In the verse above we are reminded that God's mercy endures forever. What is this mercy that will endure forever? The easiest definition of mercy is not getting something that we deserve. In other words, when we deserve the worst, mercy steps in and keeps us from getting the worst. Yet, it is not just God's mercy that is great, but it is the longevity of His mercy. The verse above says that God's "mercy endureth for ever." The word "endureth" means, "to last, to remain, to bear, to sustain or support, and to continue in." In other words, the length of this mercy is what helps us to keep going. So what does God's mercy endure?

First, verse 5 shows us that His mercy endures in times of distress. When we deserve to be distressed in life, God keeps us from being distressed. When we deserve to live in anguish, God's mercy sustains us through the time of pain. No, God doesn't remove the things that may cause us distress, but His mercy is there to help us go through it. When life causes heartache, God is there to remove the heartache. When life brings heartbreak, God is there to heal the broken heart. When life brings pain, God is there to remove the pain. Even when we have caused these things to happen in our life, God's mercy is there to remove those things.

Second, verses 8 and 9 show us that His mercy endures in our times of indecision. You will see in these verses that there are times when we are trying to decide whether to trust God or man, yet His mercy endures with us. Imagine, we are contemplating whether we should forsake God for man, and yet His mercy keeps Him with us when we don't deserve His presence. Christian, though you may have made a dumb decision and trusted man over God, you can rest assured that His mercy keeps His presence near you.

Third, verse 13 shows us that His mercy endures times of attack. When the world attacks us, God's mercy is there to protect us. There are times when the attacks of the world are our own fault, yet God in His mercy is still there to help keep those attacks from harming us. Yes, we deserve the attacks of the world, but God in His mercy is there to stop the harm that the attacks were meant to cause.

Fourth, verse 18 shows us that His mercy endures times of chastening. When we have done something wrong that causes God to chasten us, His mercy steps in and causes Him to be with us as we go through the chastening. Though the punishment of sin is being administered, God's mercy is there to help you through your punishment.

Fifth, verse 24 shows us that His mercy endures daily struggles. When we deserve to have a bad day, God's mercy steps in and finds a way that we can have a good day. In other words, sometimes the only way you will have a good day is to find out what God's mercy has done for you on that day. Every day we live, we experience the mercy of God and if we will find what His mercy endured that day, then we can rejoice in that day.

Finally, verse 25 shows us that His mercy endures financial struggles. Though we deserve to be broke, God's mercy is what gets us through rough financial times. God doesn't owe us anything, yet His mercy promises to supply our daily needs. It is only because of God's mercy that we can make it through these tough financial times.

With all of this in mind, we are commanded to thank God for His mercy. Be sure at the end of every day that you take the time to thank God for His mercy that was extended to you throughout that day. It is only God's mercy that helps each of us through each day.

The "Why's"

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The "Why's" Do Have Answers

Acts 16:33-34

"And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house."

Trying to understand why God allows us to go through certain things can be very frustrating, but we must realize that God does have a purpose for all of life's situations. There are no "uh-oh's" with God. Everything that God sends our way has a purpose, and that is why we must make the most of every situation.

Paul and Silas had one of those hard to understand situations in their lives. After preaching to the people of Philippi and seeing many people saved, one man who had an agenda against them brought them to the magistrates and falsely accused them. This false accusation caused them to be beaten and thrown into prison. Though they could not understand why they had to go through this, they made the most of their situation and kept a good attitude. However, in the middle of the night while they sang praises to God, an earthquake opened the doors of their prison. Instead of walking out, they stayed in the prison only to find that the prison keeper almost killed himself had they not intervened. Because of their intervention, they were able to lead this man and his family to Christ.

Why did Paul and Silas have to endure the beating and imprisonment? God allowed them to go through this because He knew they had the opportunity to lead a man and his family to Christ. If Paul and Silas would have griped and complained about their situation, they would not have had the opportunity to lead this prison keeper to Christ. Instead of complaining about a bad situation, they made the most of their situation which resulted in someone being saved.

Christian, I do not pretend to be God, and neither should any other man of God. However, I do know that there is an answer to your "Why." You may be facing some adverse circumstances at the present, but God has a reason for why He allows you to face it. All too often we are so busy complaining about our present situations that we miss the very reason why God sent us through it. There are a couple of things you must do to understand the "Why."

First, realize that everything God sends in your life is not about you. The truth is that many times God sends us through situations for the sake of others. The sickness that you face may be so that you can help someone go through the exact same sickness. The heartbreak you face may be so that you can lead someone to Christ. If we keep an inward approach to life's situations and not an outward approach, then we will never see why God allows us to go through these things. Sure, God may be sending you through your life's situation for your sake, but most likely it is for someone else's sake.

Second, make the most with whatever you are facing. Like the old cliche, make lemonade from your lemons. Find a way to allow good to come through your situation. Don't wait for good to come through it, make it good yourself. Learn from it so you can help others go through the same situation you face. Help others around you who watch you endure your situation by keeping a good attitude. Don't let your life's situation be a wasted time of your life.

Yes, whatever you may be facing at the moment may be hard to take, but God has a reason for you to go through it. Claim God's promises that He guides the paths of our lives, and rest in the assurance this His presence is with you as you go through it. Ask God to help you make the most out of your situation.