Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #46--Grace--November 26, 2011

Hello my dear friends! The weekend of Thanksgiving is a convenient time to reflect upon the Lord and thank Him for the blessings He has poured out upon us. One of those blessings is His grace. It is because of grace that we do not have to live PERFECT lives in order to please Him and be accepted and loved by Him. One of the great truths of the Christian life is that all of us are living lives of process. In other words, we all have our stuff. And most likely, we always will have to deal with our stuff until we arrive in Heaven. Until then, what are we to do? We are to look to God's promises. In today's Psalms of Discipleship we are going to be reminded of our powerlessness to get better and His power to transform us.

Thankful for each one of you,

Denny

Need some encouragement on how to set in place a heart of worship and thanksgiving this holiday season? At the end of today's devotion is a link to a resource called "Christmas Meditations of Worship: Four Weeks of Advent. A Season of Worship and Celebration."


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #46

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Psalm 49:15 (NLT)

Core Value: Grace

Quicksand. Once you fall into it, the more you struggle, the deeper you sink. No matter how much energy you expend, no matter how ingenious your plan, quicksand always wins when it is just you and it. Every one of us has our quicksand, our “stuff.” We have those besetting sins that so easily entangle us, the ones that cling to us no matter how hard we work to eradicate them (Hebrews 12:1). Some of those sins are the familiar addictions: to drugs, to alcohol, and even an addiction to pride.

There are also those sins that cling to us, having impacted our psyche over many years. For instance, of having the need to be perfect (all the time) as well as the need to hide behind the mask of acceptance, failing to feel safe enough for others to know the real me (the me who is still in process). All of these issues are quicksand. If we fall into these deadly traps and seek to deliver ourselves, we are in grave danger (pun intended). The way of works is the way of hopelessness and certain spiritual defeat.

However, there is another way that delivers us from the clutches of sin. It is called the way of grace. It is grace that throws us the lifeline that rescues us. It is grace that gives us the ability to float in our challenging circumstances. It is grace that allows us to breathe. It is grace that allows us to embrace the promise of a life that is redeemed by the power of God.

Principle #46 & Personal Application: The quality disciple embraces the promise of a life that is redeemed by the power of God.

• Grace makes it possible for the disciple to come to the right conclusion: “But as for me”

• Grace makes it possible for the disciple to experience a life that is redeemed: “God will redeem my life.”

• Grace makes it possible for the disciple to be snatched away from eternal death and to escape to eternal life: “He will snatch me from the power of the grave.”

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

Spend some time pondering this statement of truth: “God will redeem my life.” What kinds of thoughts come to my mind as I focus upon this truth?

Think about the time when you did not have a relationship with the Lord. What would be the key points of truth about your testimony that you could share with a “Christ seeker” who was looking for a way to be snatched away from the power of the grave?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, may I always have the kind of relationship with You where I “own” my faith. This is my statement of what I believe to be true: But as for me, God you did redeem my life and You did snatch me from the power of the grave. Thank You for saving me.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.

"Christmas Meditations of Worship: Four Weeks of Advent. A Season of Worship and Celebration."

Sights. Smells. Sounds. Sales.

For many people, Christmas is nothing more than a materialistic exercise in futility. The hectic pace of the holiday season often depletes more than it fills, and the craziness of the season is normalized, causing many believers to settle for a “Christ-less” Christmas.

Reflection upon the first Advent is the first step towards regaining the reason believers celebrate Christmas: worship of Jesus Christ. You are invited to back away from the edge of Christmas season sanity and begin a four-week journey of reading, reflection, prayer, journaling, singing and serving that will give you the merriest Christmas of all.

Available in print ($10.00 includes shipping) and e-book ($5.00 pdf download) formats. Click this link to begin placing your order:

http://www.dennybates.com/Home/Advent.html

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