August 18, 2011
“It makes no difference who you are or where you are from — if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel — that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again — well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone.” Acts 10:35-36 The Message
How do you start a wildfire? Most of our lives are spent trying to prevent such accidents or avoiding their paths of destruction. But God loves to ignite grace wildfires. He told a group of former desert wanderers turned exiled-captives that their lives would be a message of God’s salvation. He could have used another group but He didn’t. He used a group of men and women just like you to show the world around them what grace really looked like when Jesus Christ is putting everything together again. “They” didn’t put their lives together … He did. And their lives became a message that this grace is available everywhere and is for everyone. That’s what God wants for your life: a life “marked” in such a way that you know and love the truth that Jesus has put you back together. He wants to ignite spark in you that can literally reach everywhere you are going. He wants you “marked” in such a way that everyone who meets you “wants in” on what is inside of you. Maybe you were one of those “outsiders” who can remember being on the outside feeling unwanted. Well .. here is the heart of Jesus: His grace .. His salvation .. His real life is what holds you together today. He’s the one who finds you wandering inside your heart. He’s the one who finds you while you’re still living in exile from others. He’s the one who opens the door and invites you inside. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’ve come from. What you see is that Jesus inviting you into real life .. a life trusting God .. a life truly alive with His grace and redeeming love. It’s how God starts wildfires … and it only takes a moment …
“When the non-Jewish outsiders heard this, they could hardly believe their good fortune. All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God — they honored God’s Word by receiving that life. And this Message of salvation spread like wildfire all through the region.” Acts. 13:48-49 The Message
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to No-matter-who-you-are and Where-you’re-from followers of Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)
