Scripture at Sunrise 5.23.2012

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” -Ephesians 2:4-7

“Grace sought me, Grace bought me, Grace taught me, Grace caught me — now Grace has me.” -E. Stanley Jones via Scotty Ward Smith on Twitter

Scripture at Sunrise 4.4.2012

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” -Galatians 5:24

Be ready for the violence of grace. It’s out to decimate your kingdom and build a much better kingdom in your heart. -Paul Tripp via Twitter

Scripture at Sunrise 3.8.2012

 

“And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time…” -Jonah 2:10-3:1

Don’t be like Jonah. Pay attention to waves before you have to become large fish vomit, just to discover God’s grace. -Scotty Ward Smith via Twitter

Scripture at Sunrise 10.24.2011

 

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…” -Luke 1:28-30

The words Gabriel spoke to Mary troubled her. She couldn’t figure it out, so she pondered it. She meditated on it. She actually pondered the Word of God. The more you ponder the Word of God, the more peace He will give you.

Mary was shown great grace! She was highly favored and richly blessed!

Scripture at Sunrise 9.13.2011

“His heavens shall drop down dew.” -Deuteronomy 33:28

What the dew in the East is to the world of nature, that is the influence of the Spirit in the realm of grace. How greatly do I need it! Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered thing. I droop, I fade, I die. How sweetly does this dew refresh me! When once favored with it I feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want nothing more. The Holy Spirit brings me life and all that life requires. All else without the dew of the Spirit is less than nothing to me: I hear, I read, I pray, I sing, I go to the table of Communion, and I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits me. But when He bedews me, every means of grace is sweet and profitable.

What a promise is this for me! “His heavens shall drop down dew.” I shall be visited with grace. I shall not be left to my natural drought, or to the world’s burning heat, or to the sirocco of satanic temptation. Oh, that l may at this very hour feel the gentle, silent, saturating dew of the Lord! Why should I not! He who has made me to live as the grass lives in the meadow will treat me as He treats the grass; He will refresh me from above. Grass cannot call for dew as I do. Surely, the Lord who visits the unpraying plant will answer to His pleading child.

[from Faith's Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon, September 13 entry]

Scripture at Sunrise 8.25.2011

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. -Romans 8:3-4

Never forget that what God required you couldn’t do…Christ did it for you…His grace is your hope. -Paul Tripp via Twitter

Scripture at Sunrise 6.27.2011

 

 

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” -2 Corinthians 8:9

You know His grace, so reflect His grace to the world. Though He was rich, clothed in limitless splendor and majesty, He came to the world. For YOUR sake. For you. A sinner. God becoming man. He who was omnipotent took on human weakness. He who was wisdom grew in wisdom. The same God being worshiped in Isaiah 6 took on human flesh in Isaiah 53. For you. He took on the flesh of sinful man that you might become rich.

Prove the sincerity of your love for Christ and for others by giving.

Scripture at Sunrise 6.23.2011

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” -Philippians 2:13

The reason you have believed and now obey is not because you are a good person. No, you do these things because you are a graced person. -Paul Tripp via Twitter

Scripture at Sunrise 6.20.2011

“I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.” -2 Corinthians 8:8

Giving is our greatest privilege. A heart of generosity seeks the good of others. (Example: Zacchaeus in Luke 19…when he trusted Christ, his heart became generous as he gave over 50%.)

Giving is initiated by God’s grace (vs. 1)

Though they were going through persecution and hard times, the Macedonian churches gave joyfully. (vs. 2)

You reap what you sow and you can’t outgive God. (ch. 9:6; Luke 6:38)

The Macedonian believers wanted to fellowship with the believers by serving and sharing. They begged Paul to take the gift (the grace…something that was undeserved and freely bestowed).

Key to Giving? Total commitment to Christ. (vs. 5) When you’re totally committed to Christ, everything else is totally committed to Him as well. (Romans 12:1-2)

Giving shows how much you love. If you love much, you will give much. We are called to fervently love one another…show love as many ways as you can. (vs. 8)

Christ loved us when we were unloveable. He loves us so much that He left His richness and became poor. We are co-inheritors of all He has because He gave all He had. If you love Him, you’ll love like He gives. (vs. 9)

Scripture at Sunrise 3.22.2011

“He gives grace to the humble.” -James 4:6

Humble hearts seek grace, and therefore they get it. Humble hearts yield to the sweet influences of grace, and so it is bestowed on them more and more largely. Humble hearts lie in the valleys where streams of grace are flowing, and hence they drink of them, Humble hearts are grateful for grace and give the Lord the glory of it, and hence it is consistent with His honor to give it to them.

Come, dear reader, take a lowly place. Be little in thine own esteem, that the Lord may make much of thee. Perhaps the sigh breaks out, “I fear I am not humble.” It may be that this is the language of true humility. Some are proud of being humble, and this is one of the very worst sorts of pride. We are needy, helpless, undeserving, hell-deserving creatures, and if we are not humble we ought to be. Let us humble ourselves because of our sins against humility, and then the Lord will give us to taste of His favor. It is grace which makes us humble, and grace which finds in this humility an opportunity for pouring in more grace. Let us go down that we may rise. Let us be poor in spirit that God may make us rich. Let us be humble that we may not need to be humbled but may be exalted by the grace of God.

[from Faith's Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon, March 22 entry]