Worth Repeating: The Mercy and Grace of Prayer

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

There are many blessings that we have in Christ, among them is the mercy and grace of prayer.  Do you know the difference between mercy and grace?  Grace is unmerited favor - the blessing and kindness and love of God given to us even though we don't deserve it.  Grace tends to get all the publicity these days.  I think it's because grace tells us we're loved in spite of ourselves while mercy reminds us we're sinners who deserve judgment.  Mercy is the withholding of deserved judgment - although we deserve the wrath and justice of God for our sin, He passes over us because we are in Christ Jesus, who is our passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).

One of the miracles of prayer in the New Testament is that we have direct access to the throne of grace, where we obtain both mercy and grace.  In the Lord Jesus, God has made us kings and priests , Revelation 1:6, and a royal priesthood, 1 Peter 2:9.  Because of that we have access to the very throne of God, to the mercy seat in heaven, through our High Priest.  In Old Testament times only the earthy high priest had access to the mercy seat, but now every believer can go directly before the Lord with his or her requests. Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

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The Thousand Word Project - Red is the Rose

 

Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows,
Fair is the lily of the valley,
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne,
But my love is fairer than any.

- Traditional Irish ballad -
In memory of my Irish great-grandmother.

Evening Song - Near the Cross

Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 

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Texas Memories - Texas Sage

Texas sage tends to bloom after a rain. The flowers are fuzzy, so it can be a little difficult to get them looking in focus. :-)

This beautiful bush as in front of my parents' house. Sadly it died to the ground in the February 2021 deep freeze we had here in Texas. It is slowly trying to make a comeback now. My mom loved this bush, as you can tell from the picture. :-) I'm glad it didn't die off while she was still living.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

Are you feeling weak? This has been a hot summer for a lot of us in the northern hemisphere and a soggy winter for some in the southern. There is so much trouble and drought and cause for concern around the world these days, it can be exhausting dealing with the daily things in front of us while knowing that so much trouble is brewing in so many ways. But God...

Here are some thoughts on weakness for you to ponder.

Word of the Day: Weakness

Evening Song - Consider the Lilies

Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

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The Thousand Word Project - Living Filigree

 

Mouse gourd flowers. Central Texas.

The Modernist Preacher - Entering Hell

Here is a poem addressing the preaching of those who leave Christ and His finished work on Calvary out of their so-call salvation. They preach a false gospel that omits the one and only way to heaven. Whether it is through works, or through prosperity and "living your best life now," or by denying the penalty for sin in a real and literal hell, or any other error, these men and women lead others down a slippery and dangerous path that ultimately leads to eternal damnation. This is a thought provoking look at the end of just such a man in this fictional account.

The Modernist Preacher - Entering Hell

Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

Evening Song - Jesus Paid It All

1 Peter 1:17-21 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 

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The Thousand Word Project - Behind the Scene

 

Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. 

Hollyhocks

Short Thought - Little Mountain Church House

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Luke 6:47-48 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Psalm 11:3-4 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 

Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

Sadly, these days there are many people who don't have a church from their childhood that taught them the way, the truth, and the life in Jesus Christ. Some never went to church, some went to churches that were not walking in the truth. I have more than one church that I look back to in my childhood where I heard God's word taught and preached and it became the foundation of my life, by God's good grace and mercy. 

Parents, what foundational church memories are you laying in your children's minds and hearts? Are you making sure they are regularly in the fellowship of a local church assembly where God's true word is taught and preached? Are you making sure they see the joys and sweetness of being part of a group of people who are following the Lord in sincerity and truth, where love is pure and good, and where there is accountability and support through the tough times? Grandparents, aunts and uncles, older siblings, friends of younger children, are you striving to do what you can to help some other parents' children get to church where they can learn the truth of the Lord and where they can know that Jesus loves them too? Many a young person has been taken to church faithfully by someone other than their own parents or even relatives. Maybe you can help some children have these foundational memories in some way, even if you aren't the parents. It's something to think about.

And here's something else to think on: There are going to be more babies born in hard places and to people who don't want them as the abortion laws are tightened and changed in some places. Those kids will seldom be loved and nurtured in God's ways if they are born to mothers who would have killed them if they could have. If you are going to celebrate the changes in abortion laws in favor of the unborn, you need to have a plan to reach them with the gospel as children. To save their lives in the womb only to let them grow up in misery, want, and abuse is not much improvement over being born straight into heaven in my humble opinion. 

Matthew 18:4-7 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 

Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 

Evening Song - Oh, Sinner

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 

Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 

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