By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
I encourage believers amid the world’s growing sinfulness by recalling Charles Spurgeon’s sermon, “God’s Non-Remembrance of Sin.” As believers grapple with their own imperfections, Spurgeon offers hope that God not only forgives but forgets sins. This message remains relevant, urging believers to embrace and share God’s mercy and grace.
Continue reading “Finding Hope in God’s Forgiveness and Forgetfulness”By Elizabeth Prata
Grace is a concept. But it’s not just a concept. Grace is a gift, but it’s not just a gift. Grace is a force. Think about how powerful grace is. Think about its power as it exists in Jesus, as it is delivered to the saints, its common state as it covers the world, and its special state as it enlivens the saints to do our work.
Here is an excerpt about grace from a sermon from John MacArthur called, Strength Perfected in Weakness, looking at this verse: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In speaking of the linchpin part of the passage, ‘my grace is sufficient for you’, MacArthur said,
But grace is not just an inert sort of concept; it is a force, it is a power. It is a power that transforms us. It is a power that awakens us from sleep. It is a power that gives us life in the midst of death. It is a power that is dynamic enough to transform us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s dear Son. It is the power that saves us. It is the power that keeps us, the power that enables us, the power that sanctifies us, and the power that one day will glorify us. You have to look at grace as a force, a divine force that God pours out into the lives of His people at all points to grant them all that they need to be all that He desires.
Grace is a gift.
Grace is a state.
and…
Grace is a POWER.
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
I discuss Psalm 1, which contrasts the righteous with the wicked who are likened to chaff, which is worthless and destined for destruction. Through biblical references, chaff represents unrepentant sinners who reject God and face eternal punishment. The discussion emphasizes grace and the importance of salvation through Jesus, reminding readers of their own past.
Continue reading “The Righteous vs. The Wicked: A Psalm Reflection”By Elizabeth Prata
We are so undeserving of this reprieve. I am feeling extremely grateful. But let us make the most of it while we can. Below is what I posted on my social media today-
I am still mulling over the Steve Lawson situation. He is the man who was world renowned for expository preaching, a traveling teacher at Trinity Baptist Church, Ligonier, The Master’s Seminary, and Grace Community Church, in addition to his own ministry he founded, OnePassion. He engaged in a 5-year adulterous affair with a woman almost 50 years younger than himself, was outed by Trinity Church, fired, and subsequently Lawson hasn’t been seen or heard from since. The other ministries such as Ligonier and TMS etc fired him and OnePassion’s Expositor Magazine folded.
It was a shock.
There were a lot of hot takes, a lot of discussion, and there is even now, two months later, lingering chats about the fall of a once-seemingly solid Christian. Of the media I consumed about this issue, this one from With All Wisdom (WaW) was the most measured, informative, and gracious I have heard or read. They waited over 5 weeks to comment, and did much first-hand investigation and interviews to learn more.
One thing they discussed was Lawson’s preference for expensive things- ties, suits, hotels, food etc. They mentioned his salary and honoraria, and the tax returns. I took a look after the podcast ended to see myself and saw that according to the IRS 990 form for OnePassion, Anne Lawson, Steve’s wife, states that she worked for the ministry 1 hour per week and earned a $30,000 salary.
Interestingly, the With All Wisdom guys learned that Lawson was not listed as nor described as a pastor at Trinity Baptist, not an elder, and not even a member. He was listed in their leadership page as “Lead Preacher”. When Trinity Bible Church was asked by With All Wisdom if the church would go forward with church discipline, the church said no. They can’t. Lawson wasn’t a pastor nor a church member. Lawson was accountable to no one, and as the guys on the podcast said, this is errant ecclesiology and in all likelihood even led to the circumstances that allowed the scandal to erupt.
Interestingly though, the OnePassion IRS tax return lists Lawson as “a teaching pastor”. In my opinion, he and/or the church are playing with semantics. Because Lawson was not a pastor in any sense of the word. He was an itinerant teacher, trotting the globe (while living a shameful double life).
Based on the With All Wisdom podcast’s information, I now know why Trinity Bible Church isn’t issuing any further information. I will also stop looking for it.
Tune into With All Wisdom’s chat to hear wisdom and grace over the situation. For me, their teaching on lessons learned was invaluable. For example, the difference between ‘wrong information’ and ‘wrong impressions’ was a lesson I took to heart.
I like Owen Strachan’s writing. Strachan (pronounced Strachan, rhymes with ran) published an essay yesterday titled Morning in America Again: 7 Reflections from Trump’s Election. If you are of an age like I am, you remember the highly evocative and effective re-election campaign by Ronald Reagan called Morning in America.
Strachan’s thoughts essentially mirrored mine above but of course fleshed out and better. I think a lot of people are thinking along these lines:
We have all lived through a long and almost unbroken nightmare. We have been forced to contemplate not only our present darkness, but the possibility of still greater unleashing of darkness through the presidency of Kamala Harris. We have trembled at that reality; we have wept; we have felt great surging waves of fear, anxiety, doubt, discouragement, and hopelessness at times.
“We have all lived through a long and almost unbroken nightmare. We have been forced to contemplate not only our present darkness, but the possibility of still greater unleashing of darkness through the presidency of Kamala Harris. We have trembled at that reality; we have wept; we have felt great surging waves of fear, anxiety, doubt, discouragement, and hopelessness at times. But for now, we have been granted a reprieve, a temporary stalling of evil as driven by the modern political left.”
Strachan is Senior Director of the Dobson Culture Center and Host of Grace & Truth podcast. His essay was poignant about the election but also a call to arms, with a warning not to rest. But so encouraging to think, as he postulated, that woke ideology is waning, that the near future might actually have a positive effect on gender wars, that legacy reporting institutions are mostly dead… do read his wonderful essay!
And now we return to a world absent of glossy political fliers in the mail, our phones will calm down from incessant political ads, and hopefully our Bibles will be opened more frequently as we have stared into a world where fascism and oligarchy, not to mention Banana Republic, was looming over us like the Great Wave at Kanagawa. May we give proper glory to God for His kindness.
By Elizabeth Prata
Scroll to bottom after photo for mini-library suggestions of books on grace.
What are these incomparable riches of God’s grace?
First, Christ Jesus.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7).
As we are saved, we step from dead flesh to life eternal. From enemy sinner to forgiven friend. From object of wrath to recipient of grace.
He is GREAT!!
He manifested Himself as man, servant, no less, so that He could live a life full of the same temptations we experience, can you imagine that? “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)
GRACE!!
As our High Priest, when we confess to Him, He understands! Thoroughly, bodily, intimately. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).
GRACE!!
Another example of the incomparable riches of His grace is “The Promise of the Holy Spirit” –“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39).
We are given the grace of Spirit within us and as a result have eternal security of our salvation all the days of our life. Incomparable grace!
“He set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:22)
What is to come is MORE GRACE!!
When you think of Jesus and what He has done for us and continues to do, don’t you just get weak in the knees? Doesn’t your heart faint with love? He saved us so that He could shower us with His grace. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10) He is the God of all grace, and He chose to shower us with the riches of that incomparable grace.
Don’t forget to remind each other of these things. Encourage one another. Repeat your testimonies. Share verses, laugh with joy at our Great Savior, who is of all Grace. All is well because Christ Jesus has risen and dwells in His heaven. All of us in Him are testimonies of His grace, and that is all joy.
Some Suggestions for Books on Grace:
Fundamentals of the Faith: 13 Lessons to Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ, foreword by John MacArthur
John Bunyan and the Grace of Fearing God, Joel R. Beeke
The Glory of Grace, Lewis Allen
Christian Freedom (Grace Essentials), Samuel Bolton
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: A Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ to His Poor Servant John Bunyan, John Bunyan
All of Grace: An Earnest Word with Those Who Are Seeking Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ, C. H. Spurgeon
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, Mark Vroegop
Grace Transforming, Philip Graham Ryken
The Grace of Repentance, Sinclair B. Ferguson
Grace Defined and Defended: What a 400-Year-Old Confession Teaches Us about Sin, Salvation, and the Sovereignty of God, Kevin DeYoung
Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love, Jerry Bridges
By Elizabeth Prata
Scroll to bottom after photo for mini-library suggestions of books on grace.
What are these incomparable riches of God’s grace?
First, Christ Jesus.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7).
As we are saved, we step from dead flesh to life eternal. From enemy sinner to forgiven friend. From object of wrath to recipient of grace.
He is GREAT!!
He manifested Himself as man, servant, no less, so that He could live a life full of the same temptations we experience, can you imagine that? “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)
GRACE!!
As our High Priest, when we confess to Him, He understands! Thoroughly, bodily, intimately. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).
GRACE!!
Another example of the incomparable riches of His grace is “The Promise of the Holy Spirit” –“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39).
We are given the grace of Spirit within us and as a result have eternal security of our salvation all the days of our life. Incomparable grace!
“He set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:22)
What is to come is MORE GRACE!!
When you think of Jesus and what He has done for us and continues to do, don’t you just get weak in the knees? Doesn’t your heart faint with love? He saved us so that He could shower us with His grace. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10) He is the God of all grace, and He chose to shower us with the riches of that incomparable grace.
Don’t forget to remind each other of these things. Encourage one another. Repeat your testimonies. Share verses, laugh with joy at our Great Savior, who is of all Grace. All is well because Christ Jesus has risen and dwells in His heaven. All of us in Him are testimonies of His grace, and that is all joy.
Some Suggestions for Books on Grace:
Fundamentals of the Faith: 13 Lessons to Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ, foreword by John MacArthur
John Bunyan and the Grace of Fearing God, Joel R. Beeke
The Glory of Grace, Lewis Allen
Christian Freedom (Grace Essentials), Samuel Bolton
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: A Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ to His Poor Servant John Bunyan, John Bunyan
All of Grace: An Earnest Word with Those Who Are Seeking Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ, C. H. Spurgeon
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, Mark Vroegop
Grace Transforming, Philip Graham Ryken
The Grace of Repentance, Sinclair B. Ferguson
Grace Defined and Defended: What a 400-Year-Old Confession Teaches Us about Sin, Salvation, and the Sovereignty of God, Kevin DeYoung
Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love, Jerry Bridges
By Elizabeth Prata
Grace is a concept. But it’s not just a concept. Grace is a gift, but it’s not just a gift. Grace is a force. Think about how powerful grace is. Think about its power as it exists in Jesus, as it is delivered to the saints, its common state as it covers the world, and its special state as it enlivens the saints to do our work.
Here is an excerpt about grace from a sermon from John MacArthur called, Strength Perfected in Weakness, looking at this verse: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In speaking of the linchpin part of the passage, ‘my grace is sufficient for you’, MacArthur said,
But grace is not just an inert sort of concept; it is a force, it is a power. It is a power that transforms us. It is a power that awakens us from sleep. It is a power that gives us life in the midst of death. It is a power that is dynamic enough to transform us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s dear Son. It is the power that saves us. It is the power that keeps us, the power that enables us, the power that sanctifies us, and the power that one day will glorify us. You have to look at grace as a force, a divine force that God pours out into the lives of His people at all points to grant them all that they need to be all that He desires.
Grace is a gift.
Grace is a state.
and…
Grace is a POWER.
By Elizabeth Prata
Hymns are important doctrinal mechanisms to get truth into our brain, and therefore transform it. Remember, the mind in Christ is constantly transforming. As we progress in sanctification, the mind thinks different thoughts, seeks new desires, and is content with different things than when it was aligned with the world. God’s truth constantly renews our mind, so, we need to absorb God’s truth in order to provide that springboard for the transformation. Sermons of course are one was this is accomplished. Hymns with good doctrine are another.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2).
For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
Below is an interview from 2010 regarding Sinclair Ferguson’s inspiration for his then-new book By Grace Alone, based on the hymn O How His Grace Amazes Me. When Ferguson heard it, it gripped his imagination.
Pastor Conrad Mbewe wrote about the hymn and its author, pastor Emmanuel T. Sibomana, an African Baptist pastor in Burundi. (1915-1975). Mbewe wrote-
I think that Oh, how the grace of God amazes me should rank among such hymns as Amazing grace by John Newton. To begin with, it is an experiential hymn. It speaks about our experience of the grace of God. Anyone who “has been there” will immediately identify with it. Something in your soul resonates with the lyrics as you sing the hymn. It is not the senseless excitement of those who are drunk with wine, but an informed warmth of heart because of a godly reflection on what God has done for you in Christ. And by the time you get to the last stanza, you really want the whole of creation to join you in singing your divine Saviour’s eternal praise.
Sinclair said that he had begun a project with the church organist to play through and intently listen to all the hymns in the hymn book at their church. They did this over successive nights. When they came to O How His Grace Amazes Me, Ferguson was struck by the power of the hymn and its progression into all the important doctrines, and unusually, on grace.
The hymn caused him to ponder these things for a good while, until finally breaking forth into the book he decided to write.
When Sinclair is asked if the world needed yet another book on grace, he said the world should be filled with books on grace. Amen! I love the doctrine of grace. I pray that the music at your services cause you to truly reflect on the great doctrines and the awesome attributes of God.
Here is Emmanuel Sibomana’s hymn O How His Grace Amazes Me:
Modern arrangement, 4-min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s963Kq4sbtk
Traditional arrangement with organ, 7-min- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAsCo_RsHJg
By Elizabeth prata
Ponder His grace today. His grace that preserved you until salvation. His grace IN salvation. His grace to prosper you. His grace to bring you to his heavenly home in the end.
By Elizabeth Prata
Grace is a concept. But it’s not just a concept. Grace is a gift, but it’s not just a gift. Grace is a force. Think about how powerful grace is. Think about its power as it exists in Jesus, as it is delivered to the saints, its common state as it covers the world, and its special state as it enlivens the saints to do our work.
Here is an excerpt about grace from a sermon from John MacArthur called, Strength Perfected in Weakness, looking at this verse: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In speaking of the linchpin part of the passage, ‘my grace is sufficient for you’, MacArthur said,
But grace is not just an inert sort of concept; it is a force, it is a power. It is a power that transforms us. It is a power that awakens us from sleep. It is a power that gives us life in the midst of death. It is a power that is dynamic enough to transform us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s dear Son. It is the power that saves us. It is the power that keeps us, the power that enables us, the power that sanctifies us, and the power that one day will glorify us. You have to look at grace as a force, a divine force that God pours out into the lives of His people at all points to grant them all that they need to be all that He desires.
Grace is a gift.
Grace is a state.
and…
Grace is a POWER.
the-end-time.org 