“So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 'Who are you, O Great Mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" (Zechariah 4: 6-7 NKJV)
This is one of the great prophetic proclamations of The Bible. It speaks to our neediness and makes it abundantly clear that our ‘real’ life (i.e., our weaknesses, infirmities, and failures) must become enraptured by Holy Spirit’s empowerment and the Grace of Jesus. Shout Grace, Grace to your mountains of difficulty!
“Allow me to be gentle with myself. Allow me to savor my humanness and my limitations. Allow me, Holy One, to fall into your arms.” Sister Joan Chittister
Jesus allows for any and all human contingencies today and forevermore. With God's Love there are no hoops of human perfection or performance. He celebrates our humanity as we lean fully into the grace of Jesus; trusting in His loving mercy and grace. This is the only place where ‘peace’ passes the ability to interpret or understand our life.
We also discover there is only one safe place...in Jesus!
3:1 "You are in fact raised together with Christ! Now ponder with persuasion the (wondrous) consequences of your co-inclusion in him. Relocate yourselves mentally! Engage your thoughts with throne room realities. His resurrection co-raised you to the same position of authority where you are now co-seated in the executive authority of God’s right hand.
3:2 “Becoming affectionately acquainted with these thoughts will keep you from being distracted again by the earthly (soul-ruled) realm.
3:3 “Your union with his death broke the association with that world; see yourselves located in a fortress where your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3, Mirror Translation
Our security in this Grace position in Jesus compels all in our ‘sphere of influence’ to come to Him! "The awesome love of our invisible God has become both visible and audible in Jesus Christ, the glory of the only Son filled with enduring love." (Brennan Manning)
“For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by the faith of Son of God in me. Who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God by my own strength, but; I enter into grace at all times through the door of my own weaknesses! May we receive the continuous gift of Christ’s great grace?” (Adapted from Galatians 2:20-21)
Ever noticed that every attempt at defining or understanding grace seems to fall a bit short of its Majestic Potential?
“Grace is the celebration of life, relentlessly hounding all the non-celebrants in the world. It is a floating, cosmic bash shouting its way through the streets of the universe, flinging the sweetness of its cassations to every window, pounding at every door in hilarity beyond all liking and happening. (Shout Grace, Grace) until (all) the prodigals come out at last and dance, and the elder brothers finally take their fingers out of their ears.” - Robert Farrar Capon (parentheses mine)
Grace to You, Ron Ross
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