September 30, 2022
Singing
Covered with His life, whiter than snow.
Fullness of his life, then shall I know.
My life of scarlet, my sin and woe.
Cover with his life.
“Safe from the law that now judgeth me.”
Yahweh, thank you for saving me. Saving me from the law that found me guilty. The truth is, so many of us still look to the law to save us. That if we do the right thing, that if we speak the right words that it will save us and then we put that same expectation on others. Then when we mess up, because we are human, we are ready to cast them and ourselves into hell. But you said that you are rich in mercy. Rich in mercy. Wow. Rich in mercy. We can’t out spend your mercy. We can’t waste your mercy. We can’t outlive your mercy. It is abundant, flowing and overflowing. Wow. Thank you for your richness that you don’t hoard as a miser. That you don’t hold back stingily (no Scrooge McDuck here). You spend freely of your mercy. Thank you for loving us so much.
Ephesians 2:4-5 – But God is rich in mercy because of his great love for us. 5 We were dead because of our failures, but he made us alive together with Christ. (It is God’s kindness that saved you.)
Thank you Yahweh for saving us by your loving kindness. Thank you for goodness. Thank you for your awesome gift. Because it is a gift. Nothing that we do can earn it, Yahweh, help me to be willing to accept your free gifts with joy, with gratitude. Not with an attitude of, “I can’t believe that I needed help with this,” but with an attitude of, “Hallelujah! Thank you for helping me.”
Help me Yahweh to also accept help (facepalm: help me accept help) from others. To not be afraid to ask, but to know who to ask. To know who to call on and to accept the help with a joyful heart when it is offered. Yahweh, thank you for everything. Thank you for your help, your healing, your provision. Yahweh, remember Lincoln. Touch him Yahweh. Heal his mind, whatever is shutting down, restore it. Cleanse him Yahweh of anything that is not of you and heal his unfaithfulness. Heal his body and may his life be a living testimony of your grace and mercy.
Singing
Your grace and mercy brought him through.
He’s living this moment because of you.
I want to thank you and praise you to.
Your grace and mercy brought him through.
Ephesians 2:8 – God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.
Hebrews 4:16 – So we can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time.
Thank you for reigning on a throne of kindness. Thank you Yahweh, you are beautiful beyond compare. Thank you for saving us. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. So much we can’t count. Thank you for who you are: without measure. Thank you Yahweh, you are great! I love you to you and back.
So I’m listening to a sermon speaking about the Holy Spirit and I realised something that is so obvious that I’m a little shame-faced. Earlier this year I said we should be imbued with the Holy Spirit because usually it doesn’t always say filled with the Spirit unless something “dramatic” is about to happen. I used John as an example who was filled with the Spirit and actually wasn’t able to live amongst people. But I just realised one major difference.
John was filled from birth before Christ came, The world didn’t even know what to do with him properly. But Jesus said to wait for the Spirit. When he left, Spirit came like a flood. Jesus is what makes the difference between the filling that John had, versus the filling that came after.
