POWER OF THE THRONE

Key Scripture: "Therefore we may come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may receive mercy and grace to help in time of need."  Hebrews 4:16

Power Point:

     When I first became a Christian I had the mistaken idea that only a few people could come before the Throne of Grace.  I knew I was going to heaven but I wasn't quite sure about anything else.  Weren't my daily mistakes too big for God?  I thought that Grace was for a select few-You know, the good ones, the Perfect ones, the well-prepared ones. Imagine my surprise when as time went by I really began to understand how vast the grace of God is. God never sneers at the losers, or turns His back on the down and outers 

    The Word for Grace is "charis", and it mean merciful kindness. In Romans 2:5 it says that God changes us by His kindness.  I guess that means that Grace, His kindness, changes the way we think, and then changes the way we act.

    Grace is the greatest gift that God has to offer us. It means that out of a thousand people that stand before Him, He never limits Himself to being available to one or two.  It means that out of a world gone wrong, His grace is still available to every single person.  Yes, even them.

     It's an amazing thought that no matter what I do or say, or how I mess up my life, I am still a target for God's grace.  I am reading a WONDERFUL book by Max Lucado entitled "Grace Happens Here."  You would LOVE it!!

This is a quote:

"When you love the unloving you get a glimpse of what God does for you.  When you keep the porch light on for the prodigal child, when you do what is right even though you have been done wrong, when you love the weak and the sick, you do what God does every single moment."

     We sometimes forget that as we receive Grace, we are to EXTEND Grace.  If God doesn't eliminate anyone from Grace, I don't thing it pleases Him when we do that either.  As I'm learning to be Grace-full, I'm discovering that sometimes that means I simply need to shut up and be kind. (That can be difficult, because I KNOW so much, and I think people should hear it!)

In fact, when I go back to the definition of what grace really is, it's merciful kindness; it's compassion with a hug! Aren't we blessed to have the Spirit of Grace in living color right inside us.  We can just reach inside our hearts and pull out the grace He is so famous for. In fact, we get to make HIM famous for His Kindness every single day, through our own acts of gracious kindness.

    Today YOU get to be kinder than you've ever been.  YOU get to be more patient than you knew you could be. YOU get to show compassion to someone who needs a hug. YOU get to make God's goodness and grace famous.

Power Thought:

"God dispenses His goodness not with an eyedropper but a fire hydrant.  Your heart is a Dixie cup and His grace is the Mediterranean Sea." Max Lucado

Copyright (c)2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work