"The Goals of Grace Provoke Us to Reach Higher"
by Bobby Conner 
Dec 10, 2008 

As Believers, we are instructed to live our daily
lives with true goals, aims, and divine purpose. We
cannot achieve this unless we walk in God's grace (see
Ephesians 5:14-18).

God is not looking for strong people to help Him
accomplish His work. The truth is that the Lord is
looking for people who are weak enough to be used. We
must remember that His strength is made perfect in our
weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). The key to
experiencing supernatural liberating strength is
personal weakness. 

Accomplish the Work of the Spirit

Now, let me make it clear that I am not speaking about
weak character or being weak in knowing the
Scriptures. I am talking about a people who have come
to the place where they have lost confidence in the
power of the flesh to accomplish the work of the
Spirit. It is at this point we become strong and
graced to accomplish things for the true advancing of
God's glorious Kingdom. We must never forget it is not
by might, nor by power, but only by the Spirit of the
Lord that the Kingdom of God is established (see
Zechariah 4:6).

This truth is clearly displayed in the story found in
Psalm 107:23-28 of the strong, seaworthy sailors who
made their living upon the high seas. However, one day
the Lord raised up a stormy wind that blew away all
their self-confidence. They found themselves at their
wits' end. It was at this point that they cried out
for the Lord's grace and help. Though they were
skilled and experienced, the winds and waves of the
sea convinced them of their dependence upon God. 

Have you encountered the winds of change in your life?
If not, you can be confident they are on their way in
order to test your foundation. The winds and floods
come to test our lives, making sure we are founded
upon the firm foundation of Christ and Him alone.

Christ declares, "...without Me you can do nothing"
(John 15:5). This word nothing means: completely,
totally nothing. It truly means less than nothing. It
is a life of joy when we come to the place where we
understand that it must be the work of the Spirit to
advance the Kingdom of God.

Absolutely nothing you have ever done, nothing you
could ever accomplish, will match the unparalleled joy
of letting Jesus live His life through you. God has
exactly fitted for each of us a unique walk of grace.
As we yield our wills and ways to the control of God's
Holy Spirit, we begin to experience the walk of grace.
In this arena, you will experience the abundant grace
that enables you to accomplish all that God has
assigned you to do.

New Believers Burn with Grace

This deposit of grace is what makes the fire of
passion burn so brightly in new Believers. One of the
great joys of pastoring people for years was the
overwhelming joy of watching a new Believer express
with excitement the new things God was doing in their
life. The joy and excitement of a new Believer are
contagious. It is extremely refreshing to be around
brand-new Believers; their entire lives are ablaze
with the love of God. 

As pastor, I was able to teach a new converts class,
and my heart was always blessed by the joy that Jesus
Christ produced in the life of a new Believer. It is
this grace that causes the light of contentment to
dance in the eyes of mature Believers who have learned
the secret of walking the grace walk. Our life should
testify to the ability of God's awesome grace to use
us to accomplish great and mighty things for the glory
of God.

You cannot separate life's actions from a grace-filled
life. We are saved by grace, and we are kept by God's
awesome grace. The Body of Christ seems to understand
much concerning the grace of God touching an
unbeliever's life, and bringing that person into a
place of salvation. However, we lack true
understanding concerning the ability of God's grace to
operate in the daily lives of Believers, thereby
bringing them into a place of true effectiveness and
fruitfulness. 

Grace does not just change your mind. It has a
transforming effect upon your life. Grace is a
powerful motivator, provoking us to reach higher, and
accomplish more for Christ and His Kingdom.

Essential Ingredients For Grace

The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:10, "But
by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace
toward me was not in vain; but I labored more
abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of
God which was with me." Paul declared that the grace
of God was not wasted upon his life, but he labored
more because of the grace active in his life. 

Though all we are and all we do are because of God's
grace, we are still called to labor abundantly to
advance God's Kingdom. One of the great paradoxes of
the Christian life is that it is only by and through
grace that we accomplish anything, yet God expects us
to labor diligently in His service. Charles Spurgeon
once said, "Faith goes up the stairs that love has
built and looks out the window which hope has opened."

Just as diligent labor is required to extract out all
of the grace that God has given us, humility is
required to obtain grace. "All of you, clothe
yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble'" (1 Peter 5:5). 

Grace is promised to the humble. A great saint of
years by gone, Walter Buettler, made this observation,
"The moment humility announces herself she is already
on her way out the door." If we would be truly humble,
and careful not to touch the glory of God, always
giving Him praise for what He is doing, I am sure we
would receive more grace. The Lord warned me once that
the highest form of treason was to take the gifts and
graces He has given leadership to win and woo the
Bride to Himself, and then use these gifts and graces
to win the Bride to ourselves.

May each heart embrace the promise given in Psalm
84:11, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD
will give grace and glory." In this passage we see the
true key to the advancing of the Kingdom of God. It is
by God's gift of grace that we are able to behold the
glory. Any good thing ever accomplished by mankind is
the direct result of the anointing and impartation of
God's grace. May we walk a grace-filled life in order
to see the glory of God fill the earth.

Grace is an open door which bids us to draw nearer to
God. In Proverbs 8:17 and 21, God declares, "I love
those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently
will find Me...that I may cause those who love Me to
inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries." Now
this is an awesome promise and powerful incentive,
finding God and having Him bless us with overflowing
treasures. 

We must never forget that God has great plans for His
people. Hear His promise stated in Jeremiah 29:11,
"'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.'" It is time to open our
hearts wide to the grace of God. He is a good God and
has great plans for each of us.

Waiting Upon God

The Lord desires to change us. He seeks to bring us up
into His purpose for us. He waits for us to reach out
to Him and knock on the door of His heart. Just as
Esther had to approach the throne of her husband, we
too must prepare ourselves to approach the throne of
God. He, too, has extended His scepter. Now is the
time grace has provided an open door in Heaven. It is
time to approach the throne of God's grace to find
favor and help during these days.

In Psalm 46:10 we are instructed to be still and know
that God is God. Spending quiet time in the Lord's
presence is tremendous, and carries great importance.
It is as we wait upon Him that we are renewed in power
and strength (see Isaiah 40:28-31). Each of us must
find a special quiet place where we can shut out the
cares of this world and get alone with God. 

Each day, we should come within our set-apart place to
worship, acknowledge His goodness and grace concerning
us, and thank Him for His guidance and blessing upon
our lives. Great grace is released when we truly enter
His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with
praise by taking the time to praise the Lord and to
bless His Holy Name.

As we take time to behold Him with an unveiled face,
we are changed into ever-increasing glory. In this
place of quiet worship and prayerful reading of His
Holy Word, there is a release of grace producing
Spirit and life which flows into our being to build
our faith and provide the enabling grace for
obedience. It is essential that we set apart time each
day to be in His presence. Being part of a local
church and attending their church services are
essential and not to be neglected, but this is no
substitute for our devotional times alone with the
Lord of Glory.

Being One With The Lord

Notice in Luke 3:2 that the Word of God came to John
while he was alone in the wilderness, thus giving him
clear direction for the days ahead. The programs of
the Church of that day were in full operation, yet
John was called apart to be with the Lord alone. So
also today, there are those who are spiritually hungry
and seeking something more, who likewise are being
called apart to be alone with the Lord for a time of
preparation. As a result of his being alone with the
Lord, John came into a oneness with the Lord that
could not have been accomplished in any other way.

When John was asked who he was, his response testifies
to this experience. He said, "I am the voice of one
crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of
the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said" (John 1:23).
Each one of us should come to the place where we also
could make this statement, "I am the voice of One."
There is an urgent need for this voice to cry out in
the midst of the frustrations and perils of our
present day. We live in a world that must have the
grace and peace of God.

The need today is not newfangled methodology, but
rather a turning aside to stand in the manifest
presence of the Lord to be prepared as the voice of
one crying in the wilderness of our day. May it be
stated of us, as it was of the disciples of old, that
it is apparent we have been with Jesus. This, and only
this, will make the changes that must occur if we are
to reach this hurting world with the message of God's
redemptive, transforming grace.

Toward the end of his life, a popular minister was
asked what he would do if he had his life to live over
again. He said he spent seven years in preparation for
forty-five years of ministry. Instead, he would spend
forty-five years in preparation for seven years of
ministry. It is very important how we begin, but it is
far more important how we finish.

The Lord is seeking to bring us to the end of our
abilities so we can tap into His ability. This
requires that we recognize His presence and turn aside
to stand before Him. Only then will we be enabled to
become the expression of His voice crying in the
wilderness of our day.

Bobby Conner
EaglesView Ministries
Email: manager@...


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