Word for Today: Rising to the Occasion

#1 · June 3, 2006, 2:56 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on June 3, 2006, 2:56 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today: Rising to the Occasion
Dear friends,

Did you know that you cannot do anything for your salvation, that is,
you can do nothing whatsoever to EARN it. Salvation is not earned,
the Bible says that salvation is a gift. When is the last time that
you paid to receive a gift? You may have paid for a gift, but that
gift was for someone else, who did not pay for it. IF you bought a
"gift" and gave it to yourself, it really wasn't a gift at all, was
it?

However, if I were to give you a gift, there IS one thing that you
have to do in order to make that gift worth something. Do you know
what that is? Naturally, you have to accept the gift if the gift is
to be worth something to you. Otherwise, it will either have to be
returned or given to someone else.

So it is with the gift of salvation that Jesus Christ secured on our
behalf. He did ALL the work to secure the gift. He gave up His
rightful position in Heaven for a season, came to earth in an
incredible way as the first and only human being to be conceived
through a virgin birth. Yes, He became human through His mother's
womb, a faithful, probably frightened, but obedient young woman named
Mary. Her soon to be husband, Joseph, was a good man, also obedient
to God. Together, Mary and Joseph faithfully raised "God in the
flesh", their son, Jesus Christ.

What if Mary and Joseph were like so many people we know today? What
if Joseph had not agreed to become Mary's husband and faithfully raise
her child? What if Mary had refused to bear a child, instead fearing
the shame of carrying a child out of wedlock?

Well, God knew the hearts of Joseph and Mary, just as He knows each
of our hearts today. What has God found within us?

God knows that each one of us is a sinner, yet He has great love for
us. That is why He sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the
world for sin and cast it away, but to save the world from sin. Jesus
Himself bore our shame and sorrow, and took it all the way to the
Cross, where He was shamefully and brutally beaten, then nailed to
that cross next to two common criminals.

Do you see the depth of God's love for us in that, and Jesus' total
and complete obedience and servanthood? Do you see that the Master
and Creator of us all is willing to seek and save that which is lost?

The Bible also tells us that we are joint heirs with Jesus. Those of
us who accept the gift He offers are not only saved from our sins, but
we will one day gloriously share with Him, enjoying the glory that
results from His triumph.

In that day, Jesus will lead a mighty army to once and for all defeat
the evil that reigns and cast the devil, demons, and those who reject
Him into the lake of fire. Hell, as so often and so inaccurately
portrayed, is not a place where the devil and evil is burned up in one
shot. No, it is FAR worse than that. Just as heaven is a place of
eternal glory, hell is a place of eternal torment. It is far worse
than the worst event any of us have ever heard of or experienced.

That is why I share my testimonies here, that is why I share the
writings of others here. I want every one of you to be spared
completely unnecessary torment forever and ever. Instead, I want you
to be part of the best party that has ever happened, and the host of
that party is our eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the
gracious, loving, majestic, gentle, yet powerful Jesus Christ.

I assure you, when Jesus wipes out evil from the earth and sends forth
judgment, He will not be gentle then. He will destroy all evil beings
on the earth and cast their spirits away forever, but He will bring
with Him all who accept His gift.

Now which side of that situation do you want to be on? You must
choose. Failing to choose is a choice itself, and it is the wrong
choice. The only right choice is to admit, as I have, that I am a
sinner without excuse, graciously accept the gift that Jesus has given
to me, and warn others of the dangers we are living in today and the
way of escape - into the arms of God - our Lord Himself.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

-//-----------------------------------------------------------------
/ MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST -- www.heartlight.org/
--/------------------------------------------------------------------

THE HABIT OF RISING TO THE OCCASION

That ye may know what is the hope of His calling ...

Ephesians 1:18
www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=eph+1:18&sr=1

Remember what you are saved for - that the Son of God might be
manifested in your mortal flesh. Bend the whole energy of your powers
to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion
every time.

You cannot do anything for your salvation, but you must do something
to manifest it, you must work out what God has worked in. Are you
working it out with your tongue, and your brain and your nerves? If
you are still the same miserable crosspatch, set on your own way,
then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

God is the Master Engineer, He allows the difficulties to come in
order to see if you can vault over them properly - "By my God have I
leaped over a wall." God will never shield you from any of the
requirements of a son or daughter of His. Peter says - "Think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you." Rise to the
occasion; do the thing. It does not matter how it hurts as long as it
gives God the chance to manifest Him self in your mortal flesh.

May God not find the whine in us any more, but may He find us full of
spiritual pluck and athleticism, ready to face anything He brings. We
have to exercise ourselves in order that the Son of God may be
manifested in our mortal flesh. God never has museums. The only aim
of the life is that the Son of God may be manifested, and all
dictation to God vanishes. Our Lord never dictated to His Father, and
we are not here to dictate to God; we are here to submit to His will
so that He may work through us what He wants. When we realize this,
He will make us broken bread and poured out wine to feed and nourish
others.

MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers //
=============================================================== /===
www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost /

This devotional is copyright Oswald Chambers Publications,
< www.oswaldchambers.co.uk >.

======================================================================

--
Brian Masinick, masinick at yahoo dot com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
mail.yahoo.com

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today: Rising to the Occasion
Dear friends,

Did you know that you cannot do anything for your salvation, that is,
you can do nothing whatsoever to EARN it. Salvation is not earned,
the Bible says that salvation is a gift. When is the last time that
you paid to receive a gift? You may have paid for a gift, but that
gift was for someone else, who did not pay for it. IF you bought a
"gift" and gave it to yourself, it really wasn't a gift at all, was
it?

However, if I were to give you a gift, there IS one thing that you
have to do in order to make that gift worth something. Do you know
what that is? Naturally, you have to accept the gift if the gift is
to be worth something to you. Otherwise, it will either have to be
returned or given to someone else.

So it is with the gift of salvation that Jesus Christ secured on our
behalf. He did ALL the work to secure the gift. He gave up His
rightful position in Heaven for a season, came to earth in an
incredible way as the first and only human being to be conceived
through a virgin birth. Yes, He became human through His mother's
womb, a faithful, probably frightened, but obedient young woman named
Mary. Her soon to be husband, Joseph, was a good man, also obedient
to God. Together, Mary and Joseph faithfully raised "God in the
flesh", their son, Jesus Christ.

What if Mary and Joseph were like so many people we know today? What
if Joseph had not agreed to become Mary's husband and faithfully raise
her child? What if Mary had refused to bear a child, instead fearing
the shame of carrying a child out of wedlock?

Well, God knew the hearts of Joseph and Mary, just as He knows each
of our hearts today. What has God found within us?

God knows that each one of us is a sinner, yet He has great love for
us. That is why He sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the
world for sin and cast it away, but to save the world from sin. Jesus
Himself bore our shame and sorrow, and took it all the way to the
Cross, where He was shamefully and brutally beaten, then nailed to
that cross next to two common criminals.

Do you see the depth of God's love for us in that, and Jesus' total
and complete obedience and servanthood? Do you see that the Master
and Creator of us all is willing to seek and save that which is lost?

The Bible also tells us that we are joint heirs with Jesus. Those of
us who accept the gift He offers are not only saved from our sins, but
we will one day gloriously share with Him, enjoying the glory that
results from His triumph.

In that day, Jesus will lead a mighty army to once and for all defeat
the evil that reigns and cast the devil, demons, and those who reject
Him into the lake of fire. Hell, as so often and so inaccurately
portrayed, is not a place where the devil and evil is burned up in one
shot. No, it is FAR worse than that. Just as heaven is a place of
eternal glory, hell is a place of eternal torment. It is far worse
than the worst event any of us have ever heard of or experienced.

That is why I share my testimonies here, that is why I share the
writings of others here. I want every one of you to be spared
completely unnecessary torment forever and ever. Instead, I want you
to be part of the best party that has ever happened, and the host of
that party is our eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the
gracious, loving, majestic, gentle, yet powerful Jesus Christ.

I assure you, when Jesus wipes out evil from the earth and sends forth
judgment, He will not be gentle then. He will destroy all evil beings
on the earth and cast their spirits away forever, but He will bring
with Him all who accept His gift.

Now which side of that situation do you want to be on? You must
choose. Failing to choose is a choice itself, and it is the wrong
choice. The only right choice is to admit, as I have, that I am a
sinner without excuse, graciously accept the gift that Jesus has given
to me, and warn others of the dangers we are living in today and the
way of escape - into the arms of God - our Lord Himself.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

-//-----------------------------------------------------------------
/ MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST -- http://www.heartlight.org/
--/------------------------------------------------------------------

THE HABIT OF RISING TO THE OCCASION

That ye may know what is the hope of His calling ...

Ephesians 1:18
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=eph+1:18&sr=1

Remember what you are saved for - that the Son of God might be
manifested in your mortal flesh. Bend the whole energy of your powers
to realize your election as a child of God; rise to the occasion
every time.

You cannot do anything for your salvation, but you must do something
to manifest it, you must work out what God has worked in. Are you
working it out with your tongue, and your brain and your nerves? If
you are still the same miserable crosspatch, set on your own way,
then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

God is the Master Engineer, He allows the difficulties to come in
order to see if you can vault over them properly - "By my God have I
leaped over a wall." God will never shield you from any of the
requirements of a son or daughter of His. Peter says - "Think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you." Rise to the
occasion; do the thing. It does not matter how it hurts as long as it
gives God the chance to manifest Him self in your mortal flesh.

May God not find the whine in us any more, but may He find us full of
spiritual pluck and athleticism, ready to face anything He brings. We
have to exercise ourselves in order that the Son of God may be
manifested in our mortal flesh. God never has museums. The only aim
of the life is that the Son of God may be manifested, and all
dictation to God vanishes. Our Lord never dictated to His Father, and
we are not here to dictate to God; we are here to submit to His will
so that He may work through us what He wants. When we realize this,
He will make us broken bread and poured out wine to feed and nourish
others.

MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers //
=============================================================== /===
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost /

This devotional is copyright Oswald Chambers Publications,
< http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk >.

======================================================================

--
Brian Masinick, masinick at yahoo dot com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
mail.yahoo.com