Your Favor, Your Power, Your Grace.

"Not everyone appreciates the grace of God." (Pastor Benji)

Pastor Benji shared the above statement during Sunday's sermon, and it is so true.

It seems that after a period of time, we forget the grace that God has extended to us and we live as if we have earned the right to be recipients of His gifts. And our forgetfulness is manifested in our response to those men and women who God also has extended grace to, but whom we feel do not deserve to receive His grace.

One of my favorite "grace" moments at Bronx Bethany occurred when I was invited to attend a leadership seminar being run by the church. At the time I wasn't even a member of the church, but someone invited me and I went. That seminar was the beginning of many God-ordained meetings and discussions that resulted in, among other things, this blog site being launched.

Was there opposition? Most certainly. And the opposition was from "Christians" who were also recipients of the grace of God. Well, all I can say is that God has shown me (to again reference Jim Collins) "the right seat on the right bus", and now that I know I will not relinquish what He has graced me to receive. And I hope that I will never forget that just as He extended grace to me, I must always extend His grace to others.

Oh, the deep deep love of Jesus! "He descended" (Ephesians 4:9-10) in order to save us. And "He gave" (Ephesians 4:11-13); the gift of salvation, the gift of His Spirit, and the gift of becoming participants in His vehicle for saving the world: the body of Christ, which is His church.

LORD, how we love You! You have bestowed Your favor, Your power, and Your grace on us. We could never deserve it, we could never earn it, but You gave. Thank You!!