Devotional Song: Go to this link – Please take your time to see a lyrical video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing the classic song about God’s mercy … Your Grace Still Amazes Me, proclaiming the truth as to the reality of God’s “amazing grace,” which always abounds in the life of a believer to enrich, enlighten, enable, and empower us.
=============
Click on photo to read text and then click BACK arrow or "X" to return to blog
Highlight Passage: Romans 5: 15… [NKJV] …
15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
============
Highlight Context - NKJV: Romans 5: 15-21 [NKJV] … GO TO THIS LINK …
============
Reference Passage #1 - NKJV: Lamentations 3: 22-23 [NKJV] … GO TO THIS LINK … God’s heart of mercy is new every day!! … Now this is real “grace” land …
Reference Passage #2 - NKJV: Romans 10: 9-13 [NKJV] … GO TO THIS LINK … The free gift of salvation is laid out in all its simplicity …
Reference Passage #3 - NKJV: Ephesians 2: 8-10 [NKJV] … GO TO THIS LINK … Again, here’s the real “graceland” where we all should abide …
Reference Passage #4 - NKJV: Titus 3: 5-6 [NKJV] … GO TO THIS LINK … Our pilgrimage to the land of grace should be through Christ’s finished work on the cross, because there lies the real home of THE KING …
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional entry, authored by Joe Stowell, takes his readers to an illustration of a home for “The King” in Memphis, TN, near where I live, which was aptly named for promotion and profits; and that, of course, is Elvis Presley’s mansion in the mid south, “Graceland.” And if you’re a child of the 50s/60s, as am I; and/or you’re a fan of classic Rock-n-roll, you just have to make a pilgrimage to Graceland to see this mecca and tribute to ostentatious idolatry.
The Mid-south Mecca, Graceland, is gaudy and fun to visit; and it’s the #1 tourist attraction in Memphis, TN. But when you come and see it, you’ll see why it’s the antithesis of today’s ODB passage, where the Apostle Paul was promoting another kind of “GRACE-LAND,” and that is the free gift of saving grace offered by the finished and foretold Savior and Messiah, Jesus, The Christ. And the Apostle Paul, in the highlight passage, linked above, tells of how one man, Adam, brought sin into the world; and the other Man (i.e., God-man), Jesus, brought salvation into the world with His finished work on the cross.
Where mankind must now live and move and have our being is in God’s GRACE-land; and I pray that all reading here abide there with our Savior and Lord, Jesus. I need say no more; but forgive the photo which seems to shamelessly promote the gaudy and glorious home of the King of Rock & Roll. And yes, twice a year - on Elvis’ birthday and his death day - thousands come in a pilgrimage to “The King.” To me, it’s a pilgrimage to paganism and illustrates the extent of idolatry in the world; but it brings valuable bucks into our mid south economy. And big buck is where the action is, right?
So “y’all come” and see this wonderful and trashy place. But keep the real “GRACE-land” in perspective, … the home in heaven where all Christians will one day reside, … the home of the real KING of kings; and my friend, that KING is my Friend, Jesus: and He REALLY ROCKS!!!
My Prayer for Today … Lord, I pray all who read here have come to You, King Jesus, and to abide in our true “GRACE-land!" … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread [TGIF], distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you’ll find a link to read the Our Daily Bread blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment