“IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD!”

 Ephesians 2:8-9                    (ESV)

“[8] For BY GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH. And this (FAITH) is NOT YOUR OWN DOING; “IT (FAITH) IS THE GIFT OF GOD”, [9] not a result of works, SO THAT NO ONE MAY BOAST.”

G - GOD’s

R - RICHES

A - AT

C - CHRIST’s

E - EXPENSE

It could be very easy to CLAIM to be living a life that honors THE LORD?  After all, most of “we BELIEVERS” don’t live life that draws honor and glory to anyone, EXCEPT OURSELVES!!

It is TRUTH that GOD lives in me through the HOLY SPIRIT, therefore the SPIRIT of GOD lives within me my being.  However, the end result of this has NOTHING to do with ANYTHING I have said or done.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the GOD and FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO has BLESSED US us in CHRIST with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, EVEN AS HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and blameless before HIM.”  “we BELIEVERS” were CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD solely because of HIS GRACE, not because we were a “goody-two-shoes”!  

The ONLY thing that makes me worthy of HIS GRACE is that I have FAITH granted to me, and this (FAITH) is NOT YOUR OWN DOING; “IT (FAITH) IS THE GIFT OF GOD”!!  It is imperative for me to recognize that “IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD” that sets me apart from “this world”, NOT MY OWN DOING!!!

“THE WORD!”

 John 1:1-5                    (ESV)

“THE WORD” Became Flesh

“[1] IN THE BEGINNING was “THE WORD”, and “THE WORD” WAS WITH GOD, and “THE WORD” was GOD. [2] HE was in the beginning with GOD. [3] ALL THINGS were made through HIM, and without HIM was not any thing made that was made. [4] In HIM was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] THE LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

These five verses of Scripture could be written about for an extremely long time and the writer could not articulate the TRUTH revealed to humanity!  Precisely WHEN was IN THE BEGINNING?  ETERNITY PAST is the best way I can describe.  But what about ETERNITY FUTURE???  Isn’t that just as unfathomable to our finite minds??  

What humanity can’t comprehend is “THE WORD” CREATED ALL THINGS!  Without JESUS there wasn’t ANY THING made that was made!  “THE WORD” was, is, and forever will be what IT is all about!  Even humanity, with all of our imperfections all forever be lacking the ability to be COMPLETE outside of CHRIST!!  

Just a few verses before the book of John at the end of the book of Luke 24:45 it is WRITTEN “Then HE (JESUS) opened their (the Disciples) minds TO UNDERSTAND the Scriptures”!   Even the Disciples (HIS CHOSEN) had to have their feeble minds OPENED by THE CREATOR TO UNDERSTAND the Scriptures!  

JESUS, “THE WORD”, knew precisely what HIS Disciples needed to HEAR, therefore HE OPENED their minds TO UNDERSTAND!  WHO else could have possibly known what exactly they needed to HEAR???  “THE WORD” knows everything!!!  Since HE lives inside of us, why don’t I TRUST “THE WORD” completely???

“FOR I HAVE FOUND THE COIN I HAD LOST!”

Luke 15:8-10                    (ESV)

The Parable of the Lost Coin

[8] “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? [9] And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, “FOR I HAVE FOUND THE COIN THAT I HAD LOST.’ [10] Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of GOD over one sinner who repents.”

HOW MUCH CONTROL DID I HAVE ON JULY 09, 2007???  “MY PLANS” on this day was to begin fundraising for a nonprofit organization focusing on underprivileged students whose conditions were not conducive for success in life.  But I couldn’t even walk nor talk to be understood by even those I loved!!  Not only for the time I was hospitalized, but for almost two years GOD kept me on a journey that basically entailed my buying back the insurance agency I had sold a year before and allowing me to work for 15 more years!  

GOD ordained me to work as my own boss and still have the freedom to BE STILL AND KNOW (UNDERSTAND) THAT HE WAS GOD!!!  I was just a “tool” to be used by HIM, but I had to be MADE AWARE of that TRUTH so I could SPEAK about it!!!

The woman JESUS spoke about in the passage of Scripture above had only lost 10 percent of her savings, something that she would have been able to overcome.  Certainly I would have shrugged off the loss and gone on about trying to make more money?  But she LIT A LAMP AND SWEPT HER HOUSE AND SOUGHT DILIGENTLY UNTIL SHE FOUND IT!

“FOR I HAVE FOUND THE COIN THAT I HAD LOST” was a JOY that her actions readily displayed!   Her love and appreciation for the gifts ALMIGHTY GOD had PROVIDED her with had to be observed in obscurity and solitude.  She KNEW that she had been RESTORED to her previous position in life, “FOR I HAVE FOUND THE COIN THAT I HAD LOST”!!!

Philippians 4:12-13

 Philippians 4:12-13

[12] I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. [13] I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Bishop Robert E. Smith, Sr!

 From Bishop Robert E. Smith Sr.!

“Knowledge of the physical universe should lead to Christ (Rom. 1:20).  Anything less leaves a person ignorant (1 Cor. 8:2); and all others are possible distractions (1 Cor. 2:2; Phil. 3:7,8).”

“HE OPENED THEIR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES!”

 Luke 24:44-49.                   (ESV)

“[44] Then HE (JESUS) said to them (HIS disciples), “These are MY WORDS that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about ME in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” [45] THEN “HE OPENED THEIR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES”, [46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the CHRIST should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in HIS NAME to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things. [49] And behold, I am sending the promise of MY FATHER upon you. BUT STAY IN THE CITY UNTIL YOU ARE CLOTHED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH.”

Regardless of my current temporary address in/on “this world”, my HOME is WITH JESUS, in HEAVEN!!!  I pray that my EYES will never be allowed to become OUT OF FOCUS by “the enemy” and his lies and deception!  

JESUS (HE) is speaking to HIS disciples in the text about.  “HE OPENED THEIR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES” precisely at the appropriate time for them to be USED to GLORIFY HIS NAME!  It is not a coincidence that HE was carried to HEAVEN within the next few verses of SCRIPTURE!  But “HE OPENED THEIR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES” only a few verses later!!!

It should come as no surprise that our CREATOR had the ability to OPEN THEIR MINDS at any time HE CHOSE?  But HE elected to OPEN THEIR MINDS at this precise moment, because it was ORDAINED from HEAVEN for it to happen this way, BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (Ephesians 1:4)!!

GOD ALMIGHTY doesn’t do anything by chance !  HE had given them the UNDERSTANDING, but HE further instructed them to “STAY IN THE CITY UNTIL YOU ARE CLOTHED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH.”  Just because we have been ENLIGHTENED by the FATHER, HIS DIVINE TIMING has to be waited for the message to be REVEALED to others, because they might not have been ready to SEE the things that GOD was trying to show them!!  

“HE OPENED THEIR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES” happens when ALMIGHTY GOD has hearts prepared to HEAR HIS WORD!!!

“I AM WHO I AM!”

 Exodus 3:13-15                    (ESV)

“[13] Then Moses said to GOD, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The GOD of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” [14] GOD said to Moses, “”I AM WHO I AM”.” And HE said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” [15] GOD also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the GOD of your fathers, the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Isaac, and the GOD of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is MY NAME FOREVER, and thus I AM to be remembered throughout all generations.”

The place where I found the words in the paragraph below cannot be recalled right now, but I remembered them this morning and I am led to share???

“GOD is the ONLY ONE WHO can accurately describe HIMSELF as “I AM.” JESUS claimed the title I AM for HIMSELF in John 8:58. For the rest of us, “I am” is a false claim to self-sufficiency. We are NOT eternally constant or ever-present. Our ONLY HOPE is to abandon claims of our own sovereignty and sufficiency and cast ourselves upon the mercy of I AM.”

“I AM WHO I AM” is the NAME that GOD declares in Exodus 3:14 as HIS NAME!  In John 8:58 “JESUS said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”  In John 10:30

JESUS says “I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.”

GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT are ONE!!!