God made him (Jesus the Christ) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

Sometimes through our life we seem to be confused about God’s grace in Jesus Christ.  We may think that it is some kind of religion by which we judge ourselves and others. That is so far from reality. Here is the results of God’s grace, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  He took us, with all our sin and put it all on Jesus Christ, so that we might become the righteousness of God.  God’s righteousness delivers us from the penalty and power of our own sin so that we can live our life as a new creation which he calls the righteousness of God. Today may you in the depth of your heart experience the renewal and life of his grace.  Allow his grace to be yours in every detail of your life as you choose to rejoice before him.  May those who meet you today experience the kindness of our Lord through your words, your actions and your expressions. in His righteousness there is no condemnation!!! It is a great way to live.  Enjoy!

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

This Psalm is one of my favorites.  To delight is a very energizing thought and emotion.  It does not say - exhaust yourself, strain yourself, worry yourself, or condemn yourself;  it says delight yourself in the LORD.  To delight means to find enjoyment, pleasure in and experience joy.  What is so refreshing about God’s grace is that it creates a genuine delight for the Lord and that changes the intent of our desires. Today let His Grace penetrate your soul and you will find yourself delighting in the Lord.  If you will allow this grace of delighting yourself in the LORD to be who you are each new day, things will happen in your journey that will be overwhelming with joy. Those around you will experience that life that is called eternal.  Smiling and refreshment will be just who you are and each day will seem like you opened a new gift.  Enjoy!

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.  Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:16, 17 NLT

When we were young we began to learn the importance of who we are and what we are called.  Our name and the name of our family became important.  A good question to ask is - "When someone uses your name, what comes to their mind?" In the grace of Jesus the Christ there is a freedom, a richness and a joy in who you are.  Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.  In fact grace creates new emotions which sound like – sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Today enjoy the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.  Think of who you are now because of the grace of our Lord.  Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks... This message of grace in Jesus Christ can give refreshment  and rebirth in relationships to those around you. Today is a good day for people to know your name.  Enjoy!

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High.  It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. Psalm 92:1,2 NLT

The emotions of always giving thanks are at all times good for us. It is good to give thanks to the LORD.  Almost everybody on the planet wishes to have relationships that can be called good, yet many of us are groaning from the inside out because our relationships within our family and friends are not good.  Many relationships are broken not because the giving of thanks but because of words and actions that had nothing to do with being thankful.  Well, here is some very good news.  God's grace can heal emotional wounds, so that grace becomes what we are to our family and our friends.  Grace frees us up to give thanks and proclaim his unfailing love in the morning and his faithfulness in the evening.  That carries over into all areas of our life.  Today may you choose to give thanks and proclaim your unfailing love to the LORD in the morning and the evening.  This day will bring the beginning of making all things new in your journey with family and friends.  Enjoy!

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.  Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin  

Psalm 51:1, 2 NLT

Here in these words we have a man who has become exhausted from all the choices he has made and there results. Most men and women usually think of God as seeing all their failures, all their irritations and then offers nothing but condemnation.  Many do not think of God according to his great compassion, which is His grace. Here is what His grace can do for all of us. blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. Grace is his unfailing love (NIV) given through Jesus Christ that accomplishes this forever.  Here we experience, compassion, kindness, peace and a life that is absolutely breathtaking.  Today are you willing to experience His great compassion that removes all the shame of your sins and your guilt? When God’s grace penetrates your heart like this, your nature is changed. May words like delight, rejoice, praise, thanksgiving and encouragement be words used by everyone you know, to describe you. In that condition your hope will be a full cup. Enjoy!

Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises?  Absolutely not!  If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it.  But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  

Galatians 3:21, 22 NLT

What is so amazing about God’s promise is that it gives something to us that we cannot ever accomplish or obtain by ourselves. If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. So we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  It is called grace and known as a new life.  This new life is given through what God promised his grace would do through Jesus the Christ.  Sin is the conflict of our soul and it has no ability to love; it can only lust because it is always self-seeking.  The law says do, Grace says done!  The freedom of God’s grace lets us choose how we will respond to our opportunities.  We can now see clearly the difference between new life (freedom) and being a prisoner to our sinful emotions.  Today let your heart be refreshed in who you are because God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  His grace lets you choose what direction your thoughts and emotions will go.  We now know why we sing – “Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me.” Enjoy!

The man said, "This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man."  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. 

Genesis 2:23-25 NIV

This is how life started in a relationship for the man and the woman, The man said, “This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh;” and then sin came.  In sin things became shameful, embarrassing, confussing and sexual immorality became normal.  Man began to be angry, irritated and lustful instead of loving and in so doing the relationship with his wife became difficult.  The woman had emotions for something different and things became exhausting.  Sin always desires to overrule God’s plan even in marriage. But Grace can renew all of this and can give a man or a woman a new place to start. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.  Grace (the nature of God’s love) gives the freedom to love and encourage. Being overwhelmed by God’s grace is truly the most renewing way to live through this life. It recreates our nature for holiness, it can heal the wounds of the past; it can give a new beginning every day for marriage and family.  Today please allow yourself to enjoy the life of being overwhelmed by his grace. The victory you are looking for is found in his grace, that is Jesus Christ.  It is a love that expresses itself without condemnation or shame and therefore refreshes the one you are with. In grace, words of kindness, praise and encouragement come naturally. You will find that grace is everything you have hoped for and everything you could desire. Enjoy!

Praise the LORD, O my soul and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

Psalm 103:2-4 NIV

Sometimes during the hurriedness of our days we forget the magnificence of all the benefits of God’s grace that have been given to us. Praise the LORD, O my soul and forget not all his benefits.  If we forget all His benefits, graciousness usually leaves our emotions and in comes a less than stellar attitude to replace it.  Think of the rejoicing we can have over our ability just to see, to hear and to feel His benefits!!!  God’s grace has been given in Jesus the Christ so that we may receive forgiveness, be redeemded and crown us with love and compassion. Think of this, that because of his grace there is now no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1) .  Living with a heart and attitude of love and compassion could refresh all our relationships and change the direction of our home, our community and our nation.  Today delight in his grace for all that you are, all that you have and all that has been forgiven.  Then feel free to do to others what he has done for you.  Enjoy!

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16, 17 NLT

In all the busyness of life may we all remember that God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus the Christ.  Even the thought of being loved gives emotions of being valued and in some sense importance. Yet even here our sin nature brings heartache, complaining and at times a desire for something else.  We see it all through our daily life, with anger, immorality, divorce and unpleasant words of all kinds.  Living in God’s grace changes all things, for it is God’s unfailing love that is given through Jesus Christ.   When we receive His love through his grace, a new nature begins within us and it is called eternal.  Today celebrate, give thanks for his unfailing love and faithfulness for you. Allow yourself to be a gracious blessing to others. In fact, his grace will give you emotions of joy, kindness and encouragement for yourself, which will naturally affect others in a very good way. Enjoy!

But - "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.  He generously poured out his Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior."  Titus 3:4 - 6. NLT

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, which resulted in – He washed away our sins.  Think of his mercy that is revealed here with words such as - his kindness, his love, he washed away our sins, he gave us a new birth and a new life, he generously poured out his Spirit upon us, WOW!  Does that not sound like a brand new restart? Today rejoice in living in the new life of his love, kindness and mercy.  Grace comes as a gift, with hope and joy which are always renewing.  This day is a good day for expressions of thanksgiving and praise, so let it happen through your life and mouth.  By your example, everyone around you will experience the power of his grace and mercy that brings about a new life.  His kindness and love are yours forever. Enjoy!