"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S GRACE, CARE AND PRESERVATION OF YOUR LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S GRACE, CARE AND PRESERVATION OF YOUR LIFE"

Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions, and a prayer:

The Book of Job is filled with more pain than one can imagine.
It's also filled with many sayings, though meant to help, do not.
They are sayings by friends to Job that were thought to help explain why what happened to him did happen.
The friends could not have been more wrong.
They thought Job's problems were because of sin in his life, but in reality it was because of an attack by Satan, which God had allowed.

The verse we are looking at was spoken by Job himself. And, it's not only true, but it's true in the application Job was expressing.
Please enjoy it.

1. God has given His children life.
Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.

Jesus is life, and God has given us Jesus, and for those who have turned to Jesus and believed in Him, and received Him, He is theirs.
Believers have life, because they have Jesus.
The life spoken of here is of course life that is eternal, it is life that is connected with God through Christ.
We have both physical life, but we are no longer dead in our sins, we are alive together with Christ.
God has given us eternal life.

Joh 3:16* “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 5:26 “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,

1st John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

2. God has given His children favor.
Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.

Favor or grace. The undeserved blessings of God. We cannot earn it, we do not deserve it, there is nothing we can do to have it, except believe God. We are saved by Grace through Faith.

God has given us grab.

Ro 5:15* But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

1Co 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.

2Co 8:1* Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

Col 1:6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

3. God has given us care, which preserves our lives.
Job 10:12 You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.

The idea here is put this way in the NLT
Job 10:12 You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care.

What a great way to say this. " My life was preserved by your care"

How true it is. He because of His care for us has, is and will preserve us all the way to heaven

Questions:

1. Can you please try to take a moment and imagine what your first thought will be like when you see the face of Jesus in heaven for the first time?

2. Can you think back over your life, and try to count the times that your life was spared? Only to realize now that it was God who did the sparing. And, He did it because He loved you and cared for you.

3. Do you know that the grace care and love and mercy of God have no end?

4. Are you filled with hope and joy in knowing that God has saved you and your on your way to heaven?

A prayer:

Father we tell you often, but we love You. And we will tell You forever and forever. We will be singing your praises through eternity.
We will always be grateful for what You have given to us. Please help our lives to be so genuine and glowing that they have an impact on those who are potential christians. They just aren't saved yet. Make us compassionate and caring and aware of who we speak to and who we are influencing. May we be used by You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD BLESSING US BY HIS CORRECTION"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD BLESSING US BY HIS CORRECTION"

Job 4:17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
Job 4:18 For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.

Some explanatory thoughts, applications, questions, and a prayer:

The Book of Job is believed to be the oldest book in the Bible.
It's a story of how God allowed a man's faith to be tested to the limit.
And, Job passed the test, and in the end was blessed more than before.

We are simply going to look at 2 verses which deal with the blessing of God in our lives as He corrects us.

1. Happiness is found in the man whom God corrects.
Job 4:17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

God actually will bring joy in to our lives through His correction.
It sounds odd to think that, but it's true.
It's not joyful when we are being chastened, but it yields joy if we yield to God through the process.

Chastening means, correction, instruction, to be taught.
Sometimes we bring on the chastening ourselves, but there are other times where God is the initiator.
He does so to help us learn, grow and mature in our walk with Him.

2. We are instructed not to despise the chastening of God.
Job 4:17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

To despise means, to reject, abhor, become loathsome, refuse.
It's not easy to accept correction.
God knows that it's not easy.
And perhaps this is why we are instructed not to despise His correction.

3. Chastening is not pleasant to go through, but God binds us up, He wounds, but His hands make whole.
Job 4:18 For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.

This is very informative.
While the chanting is not pleasant, we are told what God will do for us through it.
He will bind us up.
He may wound us through the chanting, but He follows it up by binding us up.
It's through His hands working in our lives that we are made whole, and put on the right path.

Some questions:

1. Have you ever taken the time to think about the fact that Your heavenly Father loves you so much that He will take the time to bring correction into your life when needed?

2. If you have been corrected by God you have a personal testimony do you not of the joy that follows the correction?

3. Doesn't it make sense to let the one who knows everything have His way with us in this matter of correction?

4. Isn't it true that though He wounds, He also bandages, and though He strikes, He also heals with His hands?

A prayer:

Father who do we have in heaven that is like You? No one. Who do we have anywhere here on earth like You? No one.
You alone are God, and You alone have all the wisdom, and all the power and love to bring correction into our lives.
Father we want to be those that do not despise, but welcome Your correction.
And, we want to say thank You for all the correction that You have brought into our lives over the years.
We love You Lord God. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT THE LORD DOES FOR HIS PEOPLE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT THE LORD DOES FOR HIS PEOPLE"

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, explanation, questions and a prayer:

This Psalm of David deals with two truths about God. It reveals to us how God deals with the wicked and with His own people.
The wicked act without knowing that God sees them, and that God will one day act towards them.
The righteous can take comfort in knowing that God is aware of them ( in their plight and difficulties ) and that He will ultimately deliver them. We see in this Psalm, "The ways of the Lord" In particular the ways of the LORD towards His own people.

1. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

God orders or directs the steps of a good man.
How true it is that we are not always aware in the moment of Gods directing our steps.
But, later on down the road as we look back we may be able to see very clearly how He was directing

Sometimes we are more conscious of His direction, when we hear HIm speaking to us and directing us right from His Word.
Thus one of the benefits of being in the Word regularly, is that you place yourself in a position when God can clearly speak to you, and you can be very aware that He is speaking to you.

2. The LORD delights in the way of a good man.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

Here we see that every detail of our lives is of interest to the Lord.
He takes delight in every single detail of our lives.

We are His children, and he cares more than we can imagine.
The word delights means, to take pleasure in, be pleased with.
So that's what He does.
He takes great pleasure in all aspects of our lives.

3. Though a good man fall, he will not be utterly cast down.
Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

This is a very comforting truth.
The fact is that we do fall.
What man is there that does not sin.
But when we do fall, or sin, we are told here that we will not be utterly cast down.

We do and will stumble, and we will fall.
But that is not the end of the story.
We are in the hands of God.

4. The LORD will uphold him with His hand.
Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

This verse ends the thought and the truth for us of how God acts towards us when we do fall and stumble.
Here's what the Lord does for His people.
He upholds them with His hand.

Or He holds them by the hand.
Just as a parent would take hold of and keep holding the hand of their child, the Lord does not let go of us.
He holds our hands.

Questions:

1. Does it ever seem to You that God is not really there?

2. Haven't we all had those times, wondering where the Lord is?

3. But isn't it also true that God's Word tells us exactly where He is?

4. And isn't it true that God's Word tells us what God is doing in our lives?

A prayer:

Father, as we are in this day of our lives, a day that You have given us life and breath, we want to say thank You for Your exquisite and precise consistent never ending care for us. Who but You could care so much for us, and who but You has the capacity to exercise such loving and powerful and meaningful care for His children. Thank you Father in Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FUTURE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FUTURE"

Psalm 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions, and a prayer:

This Psalm, is simply called, "A Psalm of David" But, it's more than something simple.
It's chock full of truth.
Truth about God, about man, about grace, about sin, and about the ways of the Lord and the ways of man
It tells us of how the Lord acts towards people and what the future holds for people.

1. Sadly their are evildoers, and they shall be cut off.
Psalm 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.

Evildoers exist because of sin. We were all born sinners but we all do not have to remain in that state.
We can be born again, forgiven of our sins, and made children of God, heirs of God, and citizens of heaven.
And, we can look forward to spending eternity with God.

But, for those who refuse Christ, and insist on having their own way, the future is a far different picture.
They shall be cut off.
Cut off means that they will not enter heaven, but will stand before the Great White Throne Judgement of God and then consigned to the Lake of fire forever and ever.

This is what the future holds for evildoers.

2. Happily there are those who wait on the LORD, and they shall inherit the earth.
Psalm 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.

But for those who have come to faith, trusted in Christ to save them, and have been saved from and forgiven of their sin, the future is glorious.

Notice what it says awaits those who wait or trust in the Lord. "The shall inherit the earth" This is speaking of our reigning and ruling with Christ during his 2nd coming back to earth for 1000 years, and inheriting the new earth that God will prepare for his people.

We as sinners, evildoers have had a terrible past, but in coming the cross we have been changed by God and have entered into His family, and enjoy the rich hope of the most glorious future available to any human being.

Some questions:

1. Have you personally come to Christ for salvation?

2. If you have not will you please today, turn from your sins, and place your faith in Christ?

3. Will you ask God to reveal His mercy, grace and love to You?

4. Do you know that God will take no pleasure if you die in your sins?

5. And do you know that there will be joy in heaven if you repent of your sins and come to Christ?

A prayer:

Father there are two roads. A narrow and a wide. We were all on the wide one leading to destruction, but You met us along the way and said, turn in here, turn and come onto this narrow road that leads to heaven. Oh Lord whom do we have in heaven but You to thank.
If it were not for Your mercies we would still be perishing. But now we are being saved. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT LIFE AND LIGHT"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT LIFE AND LIGHT"

Psalm 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

This Psalm, Psalm 36, is called, "A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord"
In this Psalm, David covers the alphabet of life as it were.
From the terrors that we encounter as we serve God to the deliverance in the midst of those terrors, to the praise that fills our hearts as we see the wonderful faithfulness of God.
Let's just look at one simple but significant verse today. In this verse there are two important truths told us about God.

Psalm 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

1. "For with You is the fountain of life"
Psalm 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life;

Here we are told what is with God.
And what is with God is not found anywhere else except with or in God.
It's called the fountain of life.

What a great visual this is for us. A fountain that gives life.
Who does not love a fountain?
But, when have you ever seen one that gives life?

You have in Jesus Christ.
He is the way the truth and the life.
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

We were in death, dead in our sins and trespasses, but God who is rich in mercy, even when we were dead in our sins, has made us alive together with Christ, for by grace we have been saved.

If you have Jesus you have life1st John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1st John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

2. In Your light we see light.
Psalm 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

This second truth about Jesus is that He is light.
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

In the Bible "light" means truth. Jesus is the truth as compared to that which is not, or compared to the lies of the father of lies the devil.
But there is something more here.
The verse says that "In Your light we see light"
What does this mean?
It seems to mean, that as we look at Jesus ( who is the truth ) we see more truth.
Jesus is eternal.
There is not end to Him.
We can never fathom all the truth that He is.
We will enjoy forever seeing the truth, more and more.

But down here, we can learn and grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Questions:

1. What questions do you have for God right now?

2. Have you considered asking Him for the answers?

3. Do you know He promises to answer you and give you wisdom?

4. But, do you now that He wants You to have faith in Him, and not be double-minded.?

A prayer:

Father thank You for life and thank You for life. They both are ours's as believers. And, they both have come from You to us by grace, through faith. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT CHRIST AND HIS SECOND COMING"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT CHRIST AND HIS SECOND COMING"

1st Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions, and a prayer:

Paul was not writing about the 2nd Coming of Christ, though he certainly mentions it.
He was actually writing about the ordinance of taking communion, or the Lord's supper.
There was a lot of disorder and lack of respectful worship taking place in the Corinthian Church, and even during the time of celebrating the Lord's supper there were some very ungodly things taking place. So, Paul was writing to bring correction to them about these problems.
But in doing so, he happens to mention in 11:26 this astounding and wonderful truth. Jesus is coming back once again to the earth.
And, we are to celebrate what He did for us on the cross by taking communion, and keep celebrating it, right up till the time of His 2nd Coming. So in that sense the Lord's supper is a good reminder, Jesus is coming again someday.

1. We can celebrate what Jesus did as often as we like to.
1st Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

There is no Biblical prescription for how often we are to celebrate the Lord's supper. It's really an individual matter for us personally, and also for the church leadership to determine as they feel led by the Holy Spirit.

Each time we do observe it though, we are looking back to the cross where Jesus died in our place, paying the full payment for our sins.
It's interesting that the Lord has given us this ordinance to celebrate, because it does help us remember what He did for us.
It actually focuses us very specifically on what He did for us.
He died in our place, He took our punishment when He deserved none.

2. We are celebrating the Lord's death on the cross for our sins when we take the Lord's supper.
1st Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Imagine that God wants us to be mindful on a regular basis of what He has done for us.
He certainly knows that we can have our minds so crowded out with so many things, that we can in a sense forget what He did for us.

So, knowing our tendency to forget and become so filled with so many other thoughts, He helps us by having us pause to simply remember what He did for us.

He is reminding us of the greatest act ever accomplished for mankind.
Without Christ shedding His blood for us we would not have a way to get to heaven.

3. We look back to the cross, but in doing so, we are instructed to look forward to the 2nd Coming.
1st Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

The communion service is a double blessing as it were. We not only look back, but we look forward.
Each look is focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

We look back to the cross.
We look forward to the clouds parting and Jesus descending to the earth once again.

The cross and the clouds.
The next time we see a cloud, which of course we see every day, may God remind us that Jesus is going to one day descend right through the clouds and make His return to the earth.

Questions:

1. Isn't it a blessing that God wants us to remember these two most glorious truths?

2. Isn't it wonderful that God understands our human weakness and frailty to forget?

3. Isn't it a blessing that He has given us these practical means to remember His Son?

4. God says, look back, and look forward. Thank You Lord.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for sending Jesus. Holy Spirit we pray that You would teach us more about His wonderful name.
We also pray that our lives would be supremely focused upon Jesus. That may sound like a lot to ask, but not for You. You can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. May we be found day by day, "looking unto Jesus" In His name we pray, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.