We didn't do a thing to earn our grace

Greetings:
Many might be asking 'What do I need to do to receive the blessings of God –– I have been praying, reading my Bible, going to church, and paying my tithes, yet I don’t seem to be able to get my prayers answered?”
What's wrong? What's wrong with me?
We must not fall into the trap of linking God’s response to our personal performance.
By definition, the word grace means unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor.
The Rev. A. W. Tosser expanded on that saying, "Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines him to bestow benefits on the undeserving."
We are undeserving, but through grace that is changed.
Grace has nothing to do with us.
Grace existed before we ever came to be.
Grace is God’s part. Faith is defined as being a positive response to what God has already provided by grace.
Faith is our positive response to God’s grace, or faith only appropriates what God has already provided for us. Therefore, faith is our part.
Grace and faith work together, and they must be in balance.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
It says we are saved by grace through faith, not one or the other. Think of it this way  — grace is what God does. Faith is what we do.
Salvation is not dependent on grace alone. If it were, everyone would be saved and going to heaven, for God’s grace is the same toward everyone. He has already given the gift of salvation to everyone through Jesus. It is by faith that a person receives what was done 2,000 years ago by Jesus on the cross.
It is now up to us to receive the truth by faith and make it a reality in our life.
Let the church preach preach the truth and message that is conscious of righteousness instead of a conscious of sin. This causes us to link our performance to all the other blessings of God.
God’s grace has provided not only for salvation, but also for every need of our life. That provision is not based on whether we are reading the Bible enough, praying enough, going to church, or even paying our tithes. Before we ever had a financial need, God created the provision. Before we were sick, God, through grace, provided our healing. Before we ever became discouraged, God blessed us with all spiritual blessings because God anticipated every need we could ever have and has met those needs through Jesus before we existed.
That’s grace.
Be blessed.
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Stand firm on the Word

Greetings:
Walking the Christian walk is not a recreational game.
It's a real war, but God has given us the armor to walk into any battle with our heads held high and ready for the front line duty.
To get geared up for this daily tussle between good and evil we have to know and stand on God's Word.
Former President, the late General Dwight Eisenhower once said, “War is a terrible thing. But if you’re going to get into it, you’ve got to get into it all the way.”
We do need to march into the battle confident in what God's Word says and promises to each of us.
It is vital for our survival as a Christian that we realize that when we became a Christian, we were drafted into God’s Army. Daily we are engaged in a battle with an unseen spiritual enemy that seeks to destroy us.
This is real and not some kind of mystical thing.
We have to understand this, otherwise, when trials hit, we will think that something is wrong. We will wonder why God has allowed this. We won’t understand the reality of our situation.
I really like the Amplified Bible translation of Ephesians 6:10-11, which reads: “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.”
What the Apostle Paul was telling us is we as believers must believe and claim our God-given righteousness and salvation, and be ready to speak God's Word with boldness.
Both the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit completely equip Christians to stand in this world, prepared to frustrate the assaults of the adversary. God has not left believers helpless. He has provided everything necessary so that His people can stand their ground.
The Word of God is the only true weapon we have been given — not our words, not our thoughts, but the Word of God.
If it says it in God's Word, believe it, follow it and do it. Speak the Word to our problems. Speak the Word to our situations. Speak the Word to the mountains of life standing in front of us. Speak the Word for happiness, peace and joy. Speak the Word.
Be blessed.

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Overlook the sandpaper people

Greetings:
How many of you know there are a lot of 'sandpaper people 'out there – even in our churches?
There are people that seem to rub us the wrong way no matter what. There are people that seem to bring out the worst in your feelings, thoughts and sometimes, even your actions.
Here's the truth my friends.
There is no perfect ministry.
There is no perfect church.
There is no perfect pastor.
No one walking this earth is perfect.
There is only a perfect Savior of imperfect people –– Jesus Christ.
None of us are perfect and have it perfectly together all of the time.
We all make mistakes. We all say the wrong things at the wrong times. We all lack the perfection of God, his Son and the Holy Spirit. Let us learn to be more tolerant and focus on that which is good, rather than the imperfections in others.
Wherever you end up in church you will always find things that you like and things you do not like. There will be people who cause you to be inspired to follow after Christ with more passion and there will be people that stir your frustrations into immobility. Instead of walking to Christ more each day, we are caused to do nothing, but complain and search for something better.
There will be church services that delight you and those that disappoint, if we take our eyes off Christ and forget about the reason that we gather together in fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters.
Love is always the answer. Grace is always the answer. Truth is always the answer. Forgiveness is always the answer. Mercy is always the answer. None of these can be separated. They must work together for the good of God who has called us to be his followers.
We can label each other by unflattering terms and break of a particular fellowship looking for those who have “the right Spirit” or “a true passion for Jesus” only to continue to find imperfect people serving a perfect Savior. The grass will always appear to be greener elsewhere, but will always have something wrong with it for the simple fact that people are involved with it.
So be at peace and content where God has placed you. Learn to bloom where you are planted, instead of withering away and become bitter. Learn to overlook those you perceive to have imperfections and shortcomings and love them anyway. Here's another truth nugget, they are probably thinking the same things about you.
Be blessed.
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Abandon ship, if necessary

Greetings:
As we open our eyes and get going about our business today, I am reminded to never forget to call upon the Lord for guidance and wisdom.
It's important to realize that no matter what we are facing on this day and other days, we need to understand that we are not alone and we are just walking through a particular situation. We don't have to stop and dwell in the tough times. They are only temporary.
Don't allow fear to paralyze us into immobility in the middle of  'the valley of the shadow of death'. God is there walking with us hand in hand. He is strengthening us. He is lifting us. He is making a way for us where our eyes and minds say there is no way. He is lining up people and situations to bring us out of that tough place into a place of overcoming and victory.
We need to put 2:Timothy 1:17 (New Living Translation) deep in our heart and stand on it when the mountains seem too talk to climb, when there looks like there is no hope, no answer, no way out or up.
The passage reads: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
Speak life and peace when you are going though a rough stretch in your walk, Call on your faith to be strengthen. Rise up hope in situations where it looks like there is not hope. Speak victory. Speak the Word. Speak the power that we have in the name of Jesus to the situation. Command it – don't ask it – command it to leave.
I'm also reminded that we can glean much good life advice and wisdom from a ship.
A ship is designed to take us places. So if our friendships, companionships, relationships, partnerships are not taking us anywhere that is pleasing to God, then we should abandon ship.
Be blessed.

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This is the day the Lord has made

Greetings:
This is the day the Lord had made let us be glad and rejoice in it.
Many of us have heard that phrase before, but do we believe it? Do we practice it? Do we believe it down in our hearts? Can other people see it?
On this day let us examine the person that we reflect to others. Let us be aware that many others – even non-Christians are watching us very closely.
I've heard that we are the best Bible that some people will ever see. Think about that.
People look at us as Christians and their perception of what it is like to walk with God is projected in how we talk and act.
I, like many others, fall short in this area all too often. My heart knows and my mind knows, but sometimes our heart and mind seem not to be connected to what comes out of our mouth or the actions that we take. For that, I am truly sorry.
The Word of God commands us to be Christ-like.
1 John 2:6 (New Living Translation) reads: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
That seems like a daunting task, but if we read God's Word, learn God's Word and get God's Word down in our hearts and ask for God's help it is possible.
This morning I am reminded of  Isaiah 11:2 (New Living Translation) which reads, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
That should be our daily prayer as we arise and go about our daily duties.
On this day, my prayer for each who read this is to be blessed and given the knowledge that we are commanded to be Christ-like in our dealings with others. Let the love of Christ shine brightly today.
This is the day the Lord has made, let us be truly be glad and rejoice in it. Let us each be a blessing to someone today.
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"God, see what is in my heart'

Greetings:
On this mid-week morning let us be thankful and praise God for another day to walk and talk and enjoy the wonderful things of life.
God is merciful and good, even though we truly don't deserve it.
As we begin this 40 day vigil toward Easter Sunday and the celebration of the great resurrection –– known as Lent –– let us be in prayer and ask God for a greater understanding of what it all means.
Show us God how to walk on the right path and make the decisions that are pleasing to you.
I was guided to Psalms 139 and 140 this morning in my quiet time and the words seemed to jump off the page and spoke to me loudly.
There are times that we, like King David, are troubled and it seems the whole world and everyone in it have turned against us. They talk about us. They plot evil against us. They want to see us fall. They set hidden traps along the way for us to trip up and fail.
But through it all, God is with us.
Each day let us examine our hearts and cast out all that is not of God. Let's put our selfish nature aside and focus on those things that are pleasing in the sight of God.
During this Lenten season, let us learn to walk closer with God with our eyes on the cross and the perfect sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ. Let us daily mediate on what the shed blood of Jesus signifies and how it has changed the lives of believers in terms of healing, deliverance and salvation.
In Psalm 139:23 (New International Readers Version), we read: “God, see what is in my heart. Know what is there. Put me to test. Know what I am thinking. See if there is anything in my life you don't like. Help me live in a way that is always right.”
That's a beautiful lament and prayer for each of us to consider each day. Invite God to examine our actions and our thoughts.
Do we miss it and mess up at times? Yes, we do, but God is there in those times of shortcomings to lift us, guide us and help us to make right out of a wrong situation if we heed to the instruction of his Word, repent and then move on.
Too many time, we like to linger around and beat ourselves up for the days when we've missed it, instead of looking ahead to what God has in store for us.
In Psalm 140:6 (NIV) we read another gem that spoke to me. There are many times when we don't have it figured and struggle to hear God.
The passage states: “Lord I say to you, 'You are my God'. Lord hear my cry for favor'.”
How many of us really realize that God's people get favor in ways we don't understand and never will, but it happens?
The ways of God are amazing to me. We have to remain steadfast to his Word. Be watchful and confident in our prayers and be very thankful in all things, all situations and all conditions.
We are never alone, even when it feels like it. God's Word says he's there with us. All we have to do is trust him and walk in faith.
Be blessed.
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Stay connected in prayer

Greetings:
I love the Lord this morning and thank him for opening my eyes and granting me another day on this Earth.
God is a God of comfort, peace and strength and I am grateful that he is ever-present and always a prayer away.
How many of you know that prayer is a privilege and a duty?
Growing up, when I was in college my mother used to always tell me to 'phone home' when I had received my destination.  In those days we didn't have the always connected cellphones. We used the rotary kind that youngsters only read about or see in a museum. I was instructed to call home at 9 p.m. by placing a collect call and asking for myself. My mother would answer and say 'no, he is not here'.
It was our signal. She knew that by calling everything was okay on my end and I also knew everything was well with her. The good thing about the call was it didn't cost a dime, because there was no charge when the collect call was not accepted.
Praying to God is kind of like that.
We are to call on his name in prayer. There is no charge.
All we have to do is talk and listen to him.
Prayer is nothing more than conversation with God.
God is never asleep or too busy to listen. There is never a bad connection or a bad time. You never get a busy signal or voice mail or get put on hold. You have unlimited free minutes—and hours.
You don't have to be in a sacred chapel to pray, just find your place of comfort and peace.
Early mornings are a good time for me to chat with God. The quiet time is special and I gain strength to meet the challenges of the day.  It's a time for me to go over my prayer list and intercede for others – lifting up their needs and petitions.
I pray a lot in my car – while commuting to and from work. I wouldn't recommend closing the eyes during the car prayer time, but it is a great time for me to again, get alone with God and voice my thanks and love for him. It's a time to see guidance and it's a time for me to simply listen to God as he speaks through his Holy Spirit.
Our heavenly Father cherishes prayers offered with complete honesty and sincerity, even if they include respectful complaints. The prayers in the book of Psalms certainly portray candid honesty.
We also must pray God's Word. Pray and voice his scriptures in your prayers.
Let us never forget that God does answer our prayers. Possibly it's not on our time schedule.
He responds in the way that is best for us spiritually, and that sometimes means the answer is "no" or "not now," or the answer is something other than what we expected or wanted.
Take the time to pray. If you don't have time to do that. You are too busy.
Be blessed.
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The mirror to our soul

By faith, we are bringing in the Spring season.

Greetings:
This morning, I am reminded of God's love for each of us. The love is beyond description and comes without any strings attached – other than to say 'yes' and a willingness to follow God's leading.
We are all disciples of Christ. No theology degree is needed to fill that role. We only need to be willing to follow God's Word.
God’s Word is the mirror to our soul, and as we look into it with humble hearts, God will reveal places of error and fault. Just as a person looks at himself in the mirror and doesn’t present himself publicly until all the blemishes are covered and everything is just as it should be, so too are we to present ourselves spiritually.
Romans 12:1 says that we need to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices unto God. We cannot do this unless we look into the mirror of the Word so that we know where we need to change. Identifying where we need to change is no more complicated than being in God’s Word and humbly yielding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Change is as simple as confessing our sin, repenting of it, and by faith walking by the Spirit in obedience. Satan battles us and tries to tempt us and destroy our faith.
 For those who ignore what they see in the mirror, Satan already has won his victory, but as we change, there will be opposition.  Yet Christ is able to strengthen us to stand against the wiles of the devil. Our willpower alone won’t enable us to resist temptation. We need the grace of God and the faith to believe. Christ is our sufficiency, and our ability to be sustained in holiness and obedience is dependent upon our faith in Christ’s power, grace, and faithfulness. May God give us grace to believe the truth of Scripture and the strength to walk in it.
Be blessed.

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Soar like an eagle

Greetings this icy Sunday morning.
I was fortunate enough to get an up close view of an eagle as part of a presentation at a local bird festival on Saturday.
My camera was clicking during the presentation trying to catch the perfect image of this great creature of the sky that you normally only see from afar.
The eagle is such a majestic creature. I'm in awe of its size and structure. Its plume of feathers is beautiful and perfectly situated to provide it with the ability to soar in dominance over most of the birds of the sky.
I was reminded about how God's creative hand formed this great bird. We can learn life lessons from knowing about an eagle.
There is much truth in Isaiah 40:31 which reads: “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Eagles flock together. As the old saying goes, "Birds of like feathers flock together". Eagles do not mix with other birds but always only enjoy to fly in the high altitude of the eagle only. We soar alone in the spirit realm with God the Father many times.
Eagles see a long distance for prey or its enemy. Eagles have strong vision and so are able to identify its prey and focuses on it until it gets the prey and at the same time it is able to see from afar its enemy. We as the children of God are focused on our reward which is to kill the unbelief, sorrow, depression and eat the positive things of peace, joy and righteousness. Evil forces think they have the  ability to attack our nest which is our home, finances, relationships, health, spiritual well being and our spiritual wholeness. Let us praise God for the strong vision and the ability at various times to outwit the enemies plans completely.
I've learned through reading that eagles are the only birds that love the storm. When all other birds try to flee from the storm and hide itself from the fierceness of it, eagles fly in to it and will use the wind of the storm to rise higher in a fraction of seconds. It uses the pressure of the storm to glide higher without using its own energy. It is able to do this because God has created it uniquely with an ability to lock its wings in a fixed position, in the midst of the fierce storm winds. The storms in life that we face are trials, tribulations and temptations. As we face the stormy wind of afflictions in life, the Holy Spirit helps us lock our mind in a fixed position with the grace of God through faith in the finished work of the Cross, which helps us not to spend our energy but just stay in the storm and enjoy the lift and height of heavenly mindedness in a greater and greater altitude.
Eagles test before trusting. The female eagle during courtship always takes a male one in to the air after picking up a twig from the ground and goes to a certain height and will drop it for the male to chase it. Once the male catches hold of it and brings it back, the female flies in to a higher altitude and drops it in the same way. This is repeated until the female gets an assurance that the male one has mastered the art of seriously picking up the twigs in real love and affection. Once they get hooked up in trust, the father and the mother eagle mate for life. And they work together as parents with both tending to duties like keeping the eggs warm and protected until the eaglet is hatched. We should follow that example.
Eagles train their children to maturity.  While in training the mother eagle will throw the eaglets outside of its nest and the eaglets will get scared and will always try to come back in to the comfort zone of the nest. Slowly the eagle will begin to remove the feathers, rugs and soft grass inside its nest step by step so that the eaglets can be trained to fly like them. The eaglets may feel that their mother and father are doing cruel things to them. Many times we as believers try to stay in the comfort zone of the old season that the Lord has kept us to grow for a time. But the Lord takes us in to situations that may seem very cruel as we start to bleed because of the hardship of thorns we face in the new season, but the Lord's motive in doing it is to make our fears flee and teach us to soar in faith. Because of the thorns we feel inside the comfort zone of our old and outdated season, we slowly jump out in to the new season like the eaglets jump out of the thorny nest.
When the eagles get older and weak because of the worn out feathers which slows down its flight speed and maneuvers, the eagle retires away in the rocks or its nest and will pluck away all its old feathers until it is completely bare. It waits until a new set of feathers grow and come out of his body. It stays in the hiding place until all the new feathers come back to make it fly dynamically and royally again without much effort or toil.
Likewise, when we grow weary,we wait in the presence of the Lord to help us rise up with the new feathers of faith by renewing our minds with the Word of God.
There are so many lessons to be learned from eagles.
Be blessed.

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Find rest

Greetings:
On this cold and blustery morning – with a feel a snow and ice moving into our area – let us pause and thank the Lord for another day to open our eyes, put our feet on the ground and the ability to enjoy God's creation.
Let the soothing presence of the Holy Spirit flow into our bodies and let peace reign today.
Try to depart from troubles and concerns and let the presence of God's grace and mercy replace them.
Even when things look bad on the surface, let us have confidence that God remains in control of all of the outcomes.
Let day be the day to understand how to rest in the Lord.
There is no true rest when there is a shadow of doubt in your belief of a true and living God, a breathing, seeing, moving, fast-acting God – an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God.
When illness, suffering, difficulties, anguish, confusion, fear, weakness, worry overwhelm, we mut rest in His Word. His Word enlightens us, strengthens and comforts us. The Word is God as is says in John 1:1.
To rest in God is His will for us. To be still in His presence and be confident in Him and His power are what He truly wants us to be.
Let's search and see our place of rest today and breath in God's goodness, his peace and his love. Your day will be a good one.
Be blessed.
These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box. Also, all of the photos in my blog are for sale. Contact me for pricing.