22Dec2013- Grace, Love, Fellowship

How you doin? My left sneaker and socks are being worn out during this recovery. My foot is still majorly swollen. I guess pins sticking out of my toes will do that. I love the most common question at this time of the year, "are you ready?". I always respond "Oh yeah. I welcome our savior". 2 Corinthians 13 today.

Verses 5-6, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? ⁶ And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test." I love testing myself with tough questions. I've discovered that if I fail the test, Christ in me tutors me so that I may eventually pass the test. Passing the test reveals and gives me understanding of Christ in me, hope of glory.

I love Paul's "Final Greeting". Verse 11, "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." WOW!!!!!!! Sounds good to me. I know some doctrines say not to strive. I think it should be qualified by saying "do not strive in your own power or for perfect behavior to bring you closer to God". Here it says "strive for full restoration". Restoration is Jesus' job. I also love this description of God's character and nature, "And the God of love and peace will be with you". COME ON!!!!!!! I believe that promise.

Verse 14, "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." What an AWESOME!!!!!!! team. Jesus supplies grace, God supplies love, and the Holy Ghost supplies fellowship. What else could I possibly need. My Bible's dictionary says grace is "God's free and unmerited favor for sinful humanity". I would like to throw this out there as food for thought, grace is NOT undeserved favor. Jesus grew in grace with God and man.  Grace is the empowering presence of God that enables you to become the person that He sees when He looks at you. COME ON!!!!!!! Luke 2:52, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Jesus had no sin. The grace He received, as a man, was merited. So is mine. I too am a son of God. DIG IT!!!!!!! My Bible's dictionary defines love like this, "strong affection, desire, or devotion". WOW!!!!!!! To think that the Creator of all things good has strong affection, desire, or devotion for me is more then a good thought. Here's my favorite, fellowship means, "friendship; association; companionship". HOL MAC A LOLY!!!!!!! To think that the Holy Ghost is my friend, associate, and companion. He's with me and in me. COME ON!!!!!!! I'm more then a little excited. So I'll go back to the most common question of this time of year, "are you ready?" Are you ready to receive the best 3 gifts you could every receive in your entire life? Unwrap your gift of grace, love, and fellowship today.