GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. TIP NO. 1: And it came to pass, that as he came near unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me. (Luke 18:35-38) Blindness had crippled this mans life. An affliction from the enemy gave him a new profession. Begging by the roadside became a means of livelihood. Is it not amazing how just one dart from the evil one can reduce a man to a life he never dreamed? The book of Mark 10:46 describes him as, blind Bartimaeus. Blindness had become attached to his name. The enemys affliction became part of his identity. Satan successfully put a stigma on him. He was now in strange company because of the strange affliction. This was the experience of Bartimaeus. Then that fateful day arrived. It was a normal day like every other day, with no sign of anything unusual. Bartimaeus and his fellow beggars had taken their normal sitting positions. Nobody could have predicted that a miracle was about to break loose. Then bang! The Master, Jesus, came passing by and a huge crowd accompanied Him. Being blind, Bartimaeus could not see what was going on, but he wasnt deaf. Thank God he wasnt deaf. He knew something was going on but couldnt tell what it was. So he leaned over and asked a fellow beggar who probably could see. The response he got was, Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.. And that was the end of Bartimaeus affliction. The Grace of God passes by us all every day. Sadly, many do not perceive Him.The Master did not schedule an appointment with Bartimaeus. He simply passed by and a blind man perceived Him. If Bartimaeus had waited for an appointment to meet with Jesus, certainly he would have died blind. Men reach out and force the hand of grace upon themselves. Grace did not come specifically looking for him. Bartimaeus stretched out seeking grace and found it. Dont waste time praying for grace. Take desperate steps in God, and you will find grace. There is something going on around you that can turn around your whole world, if only you can hear the sound of grace. Bartimaeus was blind, but he could hear and talk. God used his ears and mouth to heal his eyes. God will use what you have to supply what you need. Bartimaeus miracle began when he asked a simple question. Are you asking any questions? Can you sense a moment of grace? Somebody around you can tell you something that can change your life. What Bartimaeus heard from probably a fellow beggar altered his life. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11) HOUSE OF WISDOM.....Rev Iyke Nwadiashi GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. TIP NO. 2: In every sport there are two kinds of people. Spectators and participators. The spectators are the loud and noisy crowd who cheer, boo and criticise the participators. Due to their love for the sport they never miss a match, at least to witness the game for their viewing pleasure. In spite of all they claim to know, they remain only lookers-on. In contrast, participators are different. They are the players, linesmen, referees, coaches, organisers and administrators. Though fewer in number, yet they are the life of the sport, the ones that make things happen. While the spectators make all the noise and criticise, the participators make all the money and get the fame. There is significant money in soccer these days, but we know it is not for the spectator. Even coaches and administrators can make good money. Only the spectator gets nothing. Grace is the favour and mercies of God. Healings, deliverance, divine security, divine peace and power to create wealth are all acts of grace. All the needs of humanity, no matter what it is, can be supplied by the grace of God. An encounter with grace is an encounter with the supernatural. There are no limits to the powers of grace. It opened up the Red Sea when Moses stretched forth his rod, and a nation threatened by the armies of Egypt escaped unhurt. Grace saved three Hebrew boys from the fire after their confrontation with the heathen king. Grace preserved Daniel from the manipulative schemes of his colleagues. While they conspired to destroy him, grace overturned their plot and brought swift judgement upon his enemies. We can go on and on. The testimonies of grace are endless. If grace can boast of such great works, then why dont we see it manifest simple miracles for everyday Christians? The answer is simple. Grace is not for kingdom spectators. It is sad that Christianity is fast becoming a spectator sport. The person who merely watches a soccer match is no different from the one who simply witnessed a worship service. They are both spectators. Who is likely to be late for a soccer game, player or fan? Who becomes a soccer star, player or fan? Who makes the big money and gets the fame? It is time for us to evaluate ourselves. Kingdom spectators and kingdom participators do not enjoy the same benefits from God. Those who are moving Gods business forward by the things they do, enjoy unique favours that kingdom spectators will never know. It is only in Christendom that people merely attend church services, yet expect enormous favours from the Lord. Do you want to see the mighty grace of God, then do the wise thing. Only kingdom participators experience the grace of God. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. (2 Timothy 2:20) HOUSE OF WISDOM. ...Rev Iyke Nwadiashi GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. TIP NO. 3: Grace is the favour of God freely given for the overall benefit of mankind. The Almighty God is full of grace; the Lord Jesus is the expression of His grace and man is the target. Gods grace bears all the goodness of God beyond what any man can imagine. Whatsoever anyone desires; Gods grace provides. Grace is not luck. Nor does it function indiscriminately. Grace has a modus operandi. The favour of God always flows when one follows its guiding principles. Ephesians 2:8 reveals one key principle. For by grace are you saved through faith: not from within yourselves: It is the gift of God. Grace does not originate from man. It is a divine gift whose sole purpose is to save any man who embraces it. To be saved has a very broad meaning. It is not only about heaven and hell as is commonly taught. One can also be saved from sin, evil habit, poverty, disease, failure, guilt, demonic oppression, fear, ungodly relationships, death, etc. Grace delivers from all ungodliness and human need. But it functions only through the medium of faith. For by grace are you saved through faith... Grace always cooperates with faith. It never works alone. Grace only performs where faith exists. Grace provides and executes what faith believes. Let us illustrate a little further. Grace is like electricity. That high-tension power cables pass around your neighbourhood does not imply that you have electricity in your home. If you do not have a direct connection from your house to the external grid you cannot enjoy steady power. You must get your cables and linkup your house to the closest power pole. In the same vein, the favour of God can be all around you and yet you remain cut off from it. Faith is the cable that connects grace into a mans life. It is through faith that we experience grace. For when we neglect faith, we cannot find grace. The goodness of God is everywhere. The Lord Jesus Christ has made it free and abundantly available.The favour of God heals the sick, opens new doors, restores broken relationships, gives opportunities to the hopeless and blesses the lonely with amazing partners. Gods grace makes a way in the wilderness and causes rivers to flow in desert places. But if we refuse to link our faith cables to it, nothing new happens in our lives. Grace only makes a difference, when faith cooperates with it. Indeed, without faith it is impossible to experience grace....we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.. (Romans 5:1-2) HOUSE OF WISDOM Rev Iyke Nwadiashi GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. TIP NO 4: Grace is the unseen force of favour the Lord deposits upon His children. No one is exempted. But many never become distinguished in anything because they do not know how to provoke it. That is why it is common to see Christians praying for grace, when in reality they ought to be putting it to work. Without activating grace, it abides in vain making the believer look ordinary in every way. A stagnant Christian is not one who lacks grace, but one who neglects to utilise it. Apostle Paul teaches us a few secrets of grace. He writes, ...by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly... (1Corinthians 15:10) While some claim to be self-made men, Paul sees himself as a product of Gods grace. Paul acknowledges that his uniqueness and exploits in life are the direct result of divine grace. Indeed, Gods favour makes one stand out in academics, business, career, relationships and spiritual life. The purpose of grace is to make you different and outstanding amongst your peers. But how does it achieve this? Again, Paul tells us. ...and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly... Grace is fruitless if it is not mixed with abundant labour. It needs hard work for it to produce spectacular results. Without diligent labour, grace appears absent and dormant. The lazy Christian can not access it because it requires not just labour, but abundant labour. Erroneously, some Christians believe if you are favoured and gifted you do not need to sweat and toil anymore. They assume grace will just take over, without them having to do anything. That is one lie of the devil that has kept many potentially great brethren bound to the chains of average life. Grace alone is unable to make anyone great without hard work. It brings promotion only after it sees committed and steady effort. Your academics, career, spiritual status or marriage will never explode unless you invest major time and effort. You will never know the quality of grace that rests upon you so long as you remain lazy and negligent. Labour provokes the grace of God like nothing else. Indolence frustrates it. Therefore, stop praying for grace. Start working on your books, vision, wedding, ministry and habits. Do something about that dream because grace has been bestowed on you, if you are born-again. But it will not manifest and differentiate you if you refuse to activate it. I do not frustrate the grace of God. (Galatians 2:21) HOUSE OF WISDOM....Rev Iyke Nwadiashi GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. TIP NO. 5 : For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14) Grace has been falsely defined as the liberty to commit sin without the fear of repercussions and divine judgement. Following this slanted teaching, some Christians deliberately do evil and arrogantly claim to be covered by grace. This is very sad and unfortunate, for grace is not a license to indulge the flesh. Rather it is the divine power that gives all believers dominion over the flesh and sinful nature. Grace does not save you from hell, put your name in the Book of Life and then turn around to put you in a fresh bondage to sin. No. It empowers you with the heavenly ability to live right and make godly choices. Paul indeed, was an apostle of the gospel of grace. He writes, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all mankind instructing us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; (Titus 2:11-12)NHEB. Grace teaches men to say No to sin, which is ungodly action. It teaches you that all ungodly actions come from ungodly desires and thoughts, otherwise called lust. That means that lust is the seed that matures into sin. Sin is a harvest of lust planted in the heart. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: (James 1:15) Consequently, when we reject ungodly desires and thoughts, we permanently destroy ungodly actions from our lives. This is the true gospel of grace. It is a message that liberates, not one that enslaves. A TV set is controlled from a distance by a remote control due to a simple principle. A sensor planted in the TV set is linked to the remote control by infra-red signals. As you press the remote control, the sensor in the TV set picks the signals and the TV simply responds. Imagine removing the sensor in the TV set. Guess what? The TV set becomes free. The remote control can no longer manipulate it. This analogy is true about man and satan. The ungodly desires which the enemy plants in your heart is what he uses to control you from a distance. Temptation is when the enemy is pressing the remote control in his hands. At that Instant, you begin to feel like doing something wrong. But if you decide to uproot lust (satans sensor) from your soul, it becomes impossible for him to mislead you into ungodly actions. This is the power of grace. It empowers you to break up an ungodly affair that once manipulated you emotionally. The drug addict can now see the same chemical substance that once enslaved him and just walk away. Grace teaches men to say No to ungodly desires so they can serve the Living God. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. ( Romans 6:18) HOUSE OF WISDOM....Rev Iyke Nwadiashi GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE - TIP NO. 6: Some of us know that certain things in our lives are not the way we expect them to be. We appear to be struggling for survival and merely holding on to life rather than making steady and visible progress. In spite of our huge efforts, life seems to be producing only thorns and thistles for us and all the results we dream are slow in coming. Yet, we know we are children of the Most High God, we love Him and He loves us. In such seasons, there is only one thing to do. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) Fellowship with the Lord is one event that smears believers with the ointment of favour and mercy, like no other. The place of prayer is the place where divine direction, counsel and encouragement is poured into our souls. When life beats you hard, the throne of grace keeps you strong. Finding grace in critical times blows the cobwebs away and puts fresh motivation into your spirit. Many Christians practice defensive Christianity. When they are going through challenges and the enemy puts pressure on them, that is when you see them pray and fight to maintain their spiritual territory. But this is not wise. Rather, we ought to be offensive in our faith. We ought to be the one putting pressure on the enemy by our boldness, daily confessions and prayer life. In soccer, no team scores and wins a match by only defending her goal post. Attack is the only hope for victory. Never let your busy schedules, love for movies and sleep habits become excuses for neglecting the throne of grace. If you do, then you are neglecting the source of mercy and favour. The absence of a prayer life, will hurt a man more than the lack of food. When certain things are not clear and dreams are delayed, then do not hesitate to approach the throne of grace. In fact, it will pay you more if you make it a lifestyle. The Lord Jesus Christ is the high priest of grace. Do not go begging, go with free and fearless confidence. Be bold. Speak without ambiguity. Be sure of what you want and declare it. Do not wait and hope that things will change. Pray fervently until change comes. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) HOUSE OF WISDOM....Rev Iyke Nwadiashi GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE- TIP NO. 7: For though the fig tree doesn’t flourish, nor fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food; the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the LORD. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18) Why rejoice over crop failure and bad business experiences? Why remain thankful to God in spite of a failed relationship and departure of a loved one? This kind of thinking is irrational in the eyes of natural men. For them, a negative experience is an occasion to murmur and grumble ceaselessly. The lack of money or the inability to meet basic needs puts them in anxiety and grief. For the child of God, this ought not to be. Grace maintains joy in your spirit in spite of circumstances. This joy overflows in gratitude and thanksgiving to God even while your world is upside down. Many Christians operate fair weather faith. When life is good we naturally bless God. But at once events turn against us, our thoughts run riot. Have I sinned? Am I under a course? Or we turn our suspicions on friends and family. We fear they must be using sorcery and enchantments against us. Habakkuk did not let his mind wonder too far. The grace of God kept his mind on his Lord despite the multiple losses that surrounded him. In the Gospels we read about Peters attempt to walk on water. The apostle had a clear invitation from the Lord. But whilst he stepped out of the boat and began walking, he looked around and saw the wind. Instantly, he began to sink. Peter was in Jesus presence and had received a clear Word of invitation, yet he was sinking. Gods word and presence cannot stop a man from sinking, as long as he chooses to focus on circumstances. Grace teaches us to keep our eyes on the Lord no matter what we are going through. It is obvious the economy has not been favourable and family has not offered any help. So why continue to grumble about them? We must allow grace overwhelm our hearts in seasons of hopelessness. It helps us see life from a heavenly perspective. Even in the storm, dont let the enemy steal your joy. For if you can keep your joy, then the God of salvation will once again show up and bless you with His goodness. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Phiippians 4:4) HOUSE OF WISDOM....Rev Iyke Nwadiashi GRACE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE - TIP NO. 8: But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore he says, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:7-8) Why does one man have an undying drive for evangelism and soul-winning, while another is passionate about teaching the saved to establish them in the faith? Why does one man delight in taking care of the sanctuary, while another just wants to create music that leads Gods people into deeper worship experience? Indeed, the Lord has distributed gifts of grace to all his children. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. (John 1:16) Gods grace has been bestowed upon every one of us in form of abilities, potential, drive, passion, gifting, hunger etc. Not only does grace save us and call us into the faith. It also shows us our definite assignment in the body of Christ and equips us with the supernatural ability to fulfill it. Gifts of grace are for ministry. Ministry is about empowering people. One man loves to work with children, another writes tracts and literature for the church, while yet another has his mind set on organisation and administration. All these are gifts of grace which touch the lives of others in the church, one way or the other. There is no room for spectators in the body of Christ. Every man that is born of God must know himself enough to find his own place of service to the church. Without service, there is no promotion. Even our prayers will not get answered. No serious corporate organisation employs fresh personnel without posting them to definite departments with clearly assigned duties. At once you are recruited, you will never be contented with just coming to watch others work. The most urgent thing for a new employee is to know his department and expected responsibilities. This analogy is true about the kingdom of God. When you get born again, you must realise that you have been recruited into the kingdom of God. It is a multinational organisation, with a mission, vision and purpose. Just like every other business outfit, new personnel are not engaged so they can begin to draw salaries. Service must come before salary. And for you to serve, you must know your role and diligently pursue it. Beloved, it is about time we evaluated our kingdom status. Are we kingdom spectators or kingdom participators? The grace that saves, is the grace that shows you your place of assignment and equally helps you execute it joyfully. Otherwise, those who only hang around the kingdom, will neither see their prayers answered, nor will they enjoy the best blessings of God. And he said unto them,...knew you not that I must be about my Fathers business? And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them. (John 1:49-50) HOUSE OF WISDOM......Rev Iyke Nwadiashi
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 18:01:19 +0000
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