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Drawing Near For Mercy and Grace

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SCRIPTURE

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:16

 

OBSERVATION

The manner with which to approach God’s throne is with confidence. First of all God’s throne is a throne of grace. It almost doesn’t make sense until one understands that we have a great high priest who once-and-for-all made the eternal sacrifice to appease God’s wrath. Our confidence is that Jesus our high priest also sympathizes with our weakness. When I approach Jesus in prayer I can be confident knowing full well that he understands the full spectrum of the human experience of betrayal, anger, temptation, hunger, loss, joy and grief. The purpose of drawing near to God is to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. You would think the objective to approaching God with confidence is to boast (cf. priest in Luke 18) but yet is to receive mercy and grace.

 

APPLICATION

Approach my prayer with the posture of confidence in Jesus my sympathetic great high priest and with the objective of receiving mercy and grace. My confidence is not in myself or my self-righteousness but in the righteousness of Christ. The righteousness of Jesus covers the vast multitude of my sins and even though my sin is scarlet yet he has made me as white as snow. Confidence is not hubris or arrogance but it is fully understanding that Jesus sympathizes with my failure and weakness yet receives me by his grace anyway. I don’t have to worry or doubt if Christ can understand what I feel but I can be confident that because he is fully human while being fully God he empathizes with me. I come to God’s presence in prayer to receive unconditional mercy and undeserved grace. 

 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for your new mercies everyday and all sustaining grace. Lord forgive me for sometimes thinking that you would not or could not understand the human plight. Jesus this is one of the reasons why you were born here on earth and took on skin and bones. It is with confidence and great humility and gratitude that I come to receive mercy and grace.

Posted by John Danganan with
in Grace

Charcoal Fire

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SCRIPTURE

John 18:18, 25 "18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself... 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.””

 

OBSERVATION

A charcoal of fire is usually a place where people gather together to stay warm and fellowship. Much like a camp fire it is where friends and family congregate to talk story, laugh and sing kumbaya. But for Peter it was the place where he followed Jesus at a distance and denied his savior three times. The charcoal fire signifying the warmth of friendship and fellowship instead became a painful reminder of disappointment, cowardice, apostasy and failure. Yet the grace of Jesus confronts disappointment and clothes failure. A couple of chapters later in John 21 the resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples and Peter in particular and says this in verse 9, “When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it and bread.” Jesus provides redemption in the place of failure. Jesus initiated the restoration of relationship and freely offered undeserving grace. 

 

APPLICATION

A couple of months ago I drove to a preaching engagement in West Covina and drove by my old high school in Baldwin Park, CA. As I drove past my old stomping ground, memories of my foolishness, disobedience and rebellion against God started to flood my conscience. I was about to preach the good news of Jesus to a church yet I began feeling guilty and condemned by my past. It was then that I was convinced that the gospel is exactly that—good news! Jesus in his grace saved me from my old life, bore God’s wrath on the cross in my stead and was resurrected to give me freedom so that I am a new person. When I sin be reminded of the good news of charcoal fire. Jesus provided the fish, bread and fire to restore me. 

 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your undeserving grace. Somehow I tend to wander away from the cross and depend on my restitution for righteousness instead of standing firm in the gospel, believing in Christ’ righteousness and repenting. Please forgive me. Would you remind me of the fellowship and grace in the charcoal fir? I love you so much! Maranatha!

Posted by John Danganan with

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