Because of God’s holy justice, we deserve judgment for our sin. But Jesus paid for our sin-debt in full, so that now God offers us mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting favors we don’t deserve. “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8) Grace is a gift, which he has freely given us in Christ.

Not only do we receive God’s grace at salvation, but He pours it on us lavishly moment by moment. He equips us to be His agents of grace in our families and our neighborhood.

I will remember that today is a grace-day:
Great Riches At Christ’s Expense are mine.

I will immerse myself in the ocean of His grace. I will feed on promises of His grace.  I will be a grace-giver in prayer, and in my walk and talk.I will bless someone with grace today.

Dear Father, I’m truly amazed at your grace which you keep pouring out on me. I want to bless someone with your grace today.  Amen.

Questions: Can you think of someone who needs to know and experience the grace of God? Will you reach out to that person today?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11, KJ21)

Have you ever known someone who has had a near death experience and survived? Perhaps it was a serious disease or perhaps a narrow escape from death. Most people who have such an experience comment that they guess the Lord wasn’t finished with them yet and had something else in store for them to do.

I recalled such an experience at an early age, when recently I read about the tragic loss of life from a flash flood on the Caddo River in Caddo Gap, Arkansas. Dozens of campers were victims of a nighttime flash flood when the river rose at the rate of eight feet per hour. Many saved their lives by scaling up the steep embankments and unfortunately many did not survive.

It made me recall a time when I was a teenager and with five others drove to Colorado to camp there for a week and then camp the following week in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Shortly after arriving in Colorado one of our group became seriously ill and required medical treatment, causing us to spend the entire two weeks in Colorado. It was much to my disappointment, as I wanted so much to see Yellowstone, where we had campground reservations for months in advance.

It wasn’t until we were on the way back home when we found out about the big earthquake, so strong that it reversed the flow of a river and obliterated the campground where we had reservations. Dozens of campers perished and certainly we would have been among them but for the illness that kept us in Colorado.

I was not a practicing Christian at the time, but I remember wondering what kind of adult life I had ahead of me and what I would have missed if I had been camping at Yellowstone. It was a sobering thought that had a deep and early impression on my life.

Sometimes God saves our life in ways we never know about. Sometimes we do. I have a friend who was flying from Chicago to Detroit and got to the gate just as the plane pulled back. He was angry that he was going to miss a meeting he felt he could not miss. But when he found out that the plane went down over Lake Michigan killing all aboard, suddenly his attitude changes from anger to thanks. He thought that the meeting wasn’t so important after all.

The truth is that every day we live and survive is through God’s mercy and grace. He saves our life daily so we can serve and praise Him tomorrow. Truly, our days are numbered and when we will begin eternity, we know not. But one thing we do know is that each day is a gift, to be lived for His glory and mission each day. Live today as if it were your last and then be thankful when you wake up tomorrow.

Please open your Bible and read Mark 3:1-6.

Ever been cut off in traffic? Had someone cut in front of you in line? Gotten a bad haircut? If so, you may have felt angry.

Jesus got angry too, but He only got angry about important stuff. His anger was righteous anger and directed against those whose minds were so jaded and hearts so hard that they would rather follow their own laws and let a man suffer than see him healed!

Our own anger usually isn’t so honorable. We often get angry about frivolous things while not getting angry about stuff that really matters. However, Jesus’ response to the Pharisees gives us a helpful principle that we can apply in our own lives to respond better any time we’re angry: Turn anger into grace.

“[Jesus] looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.” (Mark 3:5) Instead of lashing out at those who’d angered Him, Jesus turned His anger into a wonderful good deed. He turned His anger into an act of grace.

When we’re angry, we need to respond somehow. Bottling up our anger (or, for that matter, jealousy, or depression, or anxiety) will only lead to more inner turmoil. So from now on, let’s choose to respond in the way Jesus did: By following Jesus’ example of turning anger into grace and doing something good: “We love because God loved us first.” (1 John 4:19, CEV)

Anger, turned into good! And maybe, through this human act of grace, someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus “may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12) and by your act of grace come to know the greatest grace they’ll ever know: God’s grace.

Question: When do you get angry most often, and what opportunities are there in those situations to turn that anger into grace?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for November 6th, AM.

Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

“I will pour out water to quench your thirst” Isaiah 44:3

When a Christian believer falls into spiritual depression, he or she often tries to lift themselves out of it by focusing on their sorrow. That’s not the way to rise from the dust. It’s a sure way to continue in it.

It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul. And it is not legal slavery, but gospel liberty which can restore the hurting believer. Slavish fear won’t bring back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love will draw them back to Jesus. Similarly, the spiritually depressed must focus on the living God’s love and promises.

Are you today thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of your relationship with God? Then this is this your prayer: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” (Psalm 52:12)

If you are feeling totally barren, like the dry ground, in this state you are not producing the fruit which God has a right to expect of you. Here is the promise which you need: “I will pour out water to quench your thirst.” (Isaiah 44:3)

You will receive all the grace you require, and it will exceed all of your needs. Water refreshes the thirsty and you will be refreshed. Your desires shall be gratified. Pulse quickened by exhilarating grace. Harvest of fruit multiplied. You will enjoy all of the goodness of divine grace. It will be as though you were drenched with the water of divine grace. How do I know that? Because God promised it!

And as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields turn into pools, you yourself will become a pool of living water as God fills you. In this way the entire thirsty land can become full of pools of living water for the good and refreshment of all!

Question: Have you felt spiritually dry lately?

I remember one of the first times I went to Robson Street with DRIME Vancouver. It was in late August 2011. It was a warm evening with lots of people enjoying perhaps one of the last summer evenings downtown. Because I was new and just coming to ‘feel things out,’ I didn’t perform in any of the DRIME dramas. I was there just to mingle with the passers-by and to observe God work through our team. The beginning of the evening was totally nerve-wracking. It’s hard to muster up enough courage to start what feels like random conversations with random strangers. I really wanted to make the most of this opportunity, so I started a few conversations with people who had stopped to watch the dramas.

After I chatted with a couple people and started to get the hang of things God brought my attention to a particular young man. As I began to talk with Isaac, I found out that he was a 21 year-old student from Saudi Arabia studying English in Vancouver. He was brought up Muslim and tried to stay true to his Islamic practices as much as he remembered during his stay in Vancouver. He was really interested in the dramas because he had never seen anything like it before. I explained to him that we were a Christian group of students and guided him to figure out what the dramas were actually about. He seemed to believe that Islam and Christianity were “basically the same thing,” which was a great chance to take the conversation even further.

We had a fantastic conversation about God’s grace and how in Christianity it’s not what we do that saves us but what Christ did for us. This concept was hard for him grasp. We ended up talking for a long time. It was fantastic because it was just a conversation of curiosity. I would ask him about his religion and then he would ask me about mine. After a while, he told me that he had to go but he really wanted to get together again to continue talking, so we exchanged contact information. He told me that he will hopefully be coming out to the streets again. What was so cool was that a couple of days before I had gone to a Bible study where we talked about the differences between Christianity and other World Religions, including Islam. It was so God-planned that I even knew anything about what Isaac believed, which helped me and gave me confidence in my conversation with him. God is so good, and I am so grateful that he prepared me in advance for this conversation. I look forward to continue talking with Issac, and am praying that one day he will come to a greater understanding of the God who loves him.

Daniel is currently serving as a member on the Vancouver ministry team. This is his first year in DRIME.

“We work together with God, and we beg you to make good use of God’s kindness to you. In the Scriptures God says,
“When the time came, I listened to you,
and when you needed help, I came to save you.”
That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, CEV

Imagine that you give someone a fabulous gift. When they receive it, they positively beam with excitement and enthusiasm, and thank you profusely for giving them for giving them such a great present.

Then they toss it into their closet and ignore it forever.

You might wonder about the authenticity of their praise.

We might also wonder about our own spiritual walk when we do not “make good use of God’s kindness” to us (2 Corinthians 6:1). Although we are not saved by our own works, our response in faith to God’s grace given by Jesus’ death and resurrection reflects the change which has occurred in our hearts as the Holy Spirit has come to live and work inside us.

If we believe we have found the greatest hope, the greatest love, the greatest truth in the world, how could we not share this truth with others? The apostle Paul has a stern warning for us: “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22) That’s pretty harsh, but underscores the importance of making use of the kindness God has shown to us.

According to a survey of over 700 Muslims who came to faith in Christ, by far the largest single thing that influenced them to become Christians was seeing the lives of Christians that stood out due to the kindness and love they demonstrated. Therefore, let’s accept God’s kindness with thanksgiving, and not just put it on the shelf, but in turn offer kindness to others, so that they too might come to know the gracious God who proves such a wonderful gift for all who are willing to accept it.

Question: How has God shown you kindness, and how can you through everyday actions show kindness to others?

“He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, my strength 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.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I was complaining to a friend, “For so many years we prayed earnestly for the miracle of my husband’s healing, instead God gave me a growing experience.”

“That’s your miracle,” she said.

It made me think about prayer and how God answers prayer. When we’re focused on answers, we’re apt to get in a huff with God. “Don’t you care?” we rail at God.

But prayer is primarily about relationship, not answers. As we spend time with God, we get to know Him. “Prayer makes your heart bigger until it is capable of containing the gift of God himself,” writes Mother Teresa.

Remember Paul’s thorn in the flesh? Three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away, but instead, God gave him a growing experience. This seemingly unanswered prayer became an opportunity to trust God and to experience the power of Christ in his life.

I’m reminded of a little story I read recently. Once there was a man who asked God for a flower and a butterfly. But instead God gave him a cactus and a caterpillar. At first the man was upset, but then he decided to trust God anyway. After some time, the man went to check up on his request that he had left forgotten. To his surprise, from the thorny and ugly cactus a beautiful flower had grown. And the unsightly caterpillar had been transformed into the most beautiful butterfly. God always does what is right and good for his children.

Sometimes, God gives an overt miracle: a sick person recovers, we get the exact amount of money we need, a door opens which was tightly closed before. Other times, by withholding the answer, God gives us an opportunity to grow, to mature, to learn new things about His character.

Knowing God is the greatest answer to prayer. “The real miracle is God in us; God working through ordinary works and words,” writes Paul Tournier.

Father, I’ve come into your presence just to be with you. I want to know you at a deeper level. I want to trust you even when my prayers don’t seem to be answered for you always want the best for me. Amen.

Questions: How is God answering your prayers? Why do you suppose God allows a miracle to happen to one but answers differently for another person?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for January 4th, AM.

Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18

“Grow in grace”, not in only one type of grace, but in all forms of gracious response. Grow first in faith, which is the root of all grace. Let your faith increase in fullness, consistency, and simplicity. This will enable you to grasp God’s promises even more firmly than before.

Grow in love. Ask God to extend your love to make it more intense, more practical, and influencing your every thought, word, and deed.

Grow also in humility. Seek lowly places and realize your own smallness so that God will be magnified. As you grow downward in humility, seek to grow upward towards God, approaching Him closer in prayer and seeking ever more intimate fellowship with Jesus.

I pray that God the Holy Spirit enable you to “grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.” Anyone who doesn’t seek to grow in knowledge of Jesus has passed up their blessing, because to know Him deeply is the blessing of eternally fulfilled life. If you know the love of Jesus, you will long for greater outpourings of His love. If you do not desire to know Him better, then you don’t love Him at all, for love always cries, “Nearer, nearer.” Whoever has sipped this wine will thirst for more, for although Christ does satisfy, it is such a wonderful satisfaction, that the a person’s thirst will be whetted.

Absence from Christ is hell, but the presence of Jesus is heaven. Don’t rest merely being content without seeking a closer relationship with Jesus. Seek to know more of Him in His divine nature, in His human relationship, and in His finished work of the cross: His death, resurrection, ascension, and glorious intercession on our behalf.

Grow in grace. Increase in love to Jesus, and you will appreciate even more His love to you. Knowing His love, and His love outworking in every aspect of your daily life, are the best tests of growth in grace.

Question: In this new year, how do you plan and expect to grow in grace?

In a sentence, this is the Thailand that I saw when I was there just a few weeks ago: Thailand is a beautiful, Buddhist country, and “to be Thai is to be Buddhist” to over 95% of the population.

The people there welcome the message of Jesus, hoping that “this god” might help them more than the last.  There are monuments, idols, Buddha statues, gold shrines, and altars everywhere, representing a culture that desperately wants their good deeds to outweigh their bad ones. Karma is a word that is often thrown around.  Be good enough, receive good…or the alternative.  Hope is lacking and grace is not understood.   There are full coke bottles, coins, and anything else of worth set in front of the idols in hopes that this time the god in that idol might answer their request and show favour on them.  This was the Thailand we were blessed to explore…

Then here we are…myself and a team of nine other 18-30 year olds in DRIME black clothes getting hot and sticky and uncomfortable and being stretched to proclaim the freedom we have living in Christ!  We went from market to University Campus to slum to elementary school using the tool of drama as a way to engage people in spiritual conversations.  We weren’t introducing them to just another god but for often the first time, they were being introduced to God, the creator of the Universe. The Lord of all, who has a purpose for them and who sent Jesus to die to take our place…theirs included.  The good news of our freedom in Christ was being presented again and again.  .  Many during our trip decided to follow Christ for the first time and others are starting to meet up with some of our Thai friends to learn more about who Jesus is.

I met Noklek in one of the slums we visited. She spoke English very well, and told me that it was good that we were here for the children.  I asked her what she thought and how she related to those in the dramas.  She said very factually like many others, “I’m Thai so we’re Buddhist.”  I then asked her if she lived with hope and if she believed she had a purpose.  We talked about our lives and she told me that she’d never seen a Bible but would like to read one.  I left one with her and as I was leaving she said to me, “Maybe God sent you here.”

Of course He did!  He is continuing to pursue Noklek—I just know it.  My friend in Thailand is going to connect with her in the next few weeks and continue to share about the love and the hope that God brings to our lives.  I am praying that Noklek will come to know the truth: that God loves her and wants a relationship with her, no strings attached.

Lillian is on staff with DRIME in Vancouver and serves as the Director of Equipping. This was her 13^th mission trip with DRIME.

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for October 5th, PM.
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” Mark 16:16

The pastor asked the inhabitants of the island of how someone must be saved.

An old man replied, “We will be saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and turn to God.”

“Yes,” said a middle-aged female, “and with a true heart too.”

“I agree,” answered a third, “and with prayer.” And, added a fourth, “It must be the prayer from the heart.”

“And we must be diligent too,” said a fifth, “and keep the commandments.”

After each had contributed to the discussion, they felt that a decent creed had been compiled. They all turned and waited for the pastor’s approval. But instead they had aroused deep pity in his heart.

The worldly mind always tries to map out a way we can do works and become great, but the Lord’s way is just the opposite. Believing and being baptized aren’t deeds to be gloried in. They are so simple that boasting is impossible, and God deserves all the praise for the free grace He has given.

To believe is simply to trust, to depend, to rely on Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the earliest believers submitted at Pentecost, and to which the jailer obeyed the night of his conversion. The outward sign of baptism does not save, but it encompasses our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lord’s Supper, shouldn’t be neglected.

It may be that you are unsaved. What is the reason? Do you think Jesus’ singular path of salvation is unclear? But how can that be when God has given us His own word and His assurance of its clarity? Do you think it is too easy? Why, then, do you not accept and embrace it? Its ease leaves those who choose to neglect it without excuse.

If you are not a believer, then remember there is only one door, and if you will not enter by it you will perish in your sins. But if you do believe in Jesus, then my dear friend, dismiss your fears, for you will surely be saved.

Question: Do we sometimes put too much confidence in our own good works? How can we begin to focus more on God?