grace came down

artwork by Tamara Peterson

This beautiful work of art by Tamara Peterson was so inspiring to me, it led me to a word study of Titus 2:11…

NASB: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men

Amplified: For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind

Phillips:  For the grace of God, which can save every man, has now become known

Wuest: For the grace of God bringing salvation, appeared to all men

Weymouth: For the grace of God has displayed itself with healing power to all mankind

Young's Literal: For the saving grace of God was manifested to all men

Expanded Bible: For God’s grace that can save everyone has ·come [appeared; been revealed].

Pastor John MacArthur writes, ”The Apostle Paul culminates his teaching in Titus 2:11 on how believers are to live by emphasizing where it begins…with the grace of God. God’s grace is His unmerited favor toward wicked, unworthy sinners, by which He delivers them from condemnation and death. But the grace of God is more than a divine attribute; it is a divine Person, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ not only was God incarnate but was grace incarnate. He Himself personifies and expresses the grace of God, the sovereign, eternal, and unmerited divine gift of Him who has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.”

Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon observes that...”In the person of Christ the grace of God is revealed, as when the sun arises and makes glad all lands. It is not a private vision of God to a favored prophet on the lone mountain’s brow; but it is an open declaration of the grace of God to every creature under heaven— a display of the grace of God to all eyes that are open to behold it. When the Lord Jesus Christ came to Bethlehem, and when He closed a perfect life by death upon Calvary, He manifested the grace of God more gloriously than has been done by creation or Providence. This is the clearest revelation of the everlasting mercy of the living God. In the Redeemer we behold the unveiling of the Father’s face. What if I say the laying bare of the divine heart? To repeat the figure of the text, this is the dayspring from on high which hath visited us: the Sun which has arisen with healing in His wings. The grace of God hath shone forth conspicuously, and made itself visible to men of every rank in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. This was not given us because of any deserving on our part; it is a manifestation of free, rich, undeserved grace, and of that grace in its fullness. The grace of God has been made manifest to the entire universe in the appearing of Jesus Christ our Lord."

Theologian A. W. Pink writes: "The Apostle Paul enforces what he said inTitus 2:11 by reminding us that "the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." This is in blessed contrast from the Law, which brings nothing but "condemnation." But the grace of God brings salvation, and that in a twofold way—by what Christ has done for His people, and by what He works in them. "He shall save His people from their sins"—save from the guilt and penalty of sin, and from the love or power of sin. This grace of God "has appeared"—it has broken forth like the light of the morning after a dark night. The grace of God—His loving-kindness, His goodwill, His free favor—hath appeared "to all men."

Pastor Charles Swindoll writes: "Grace is summed up in the name, person, and work of the Lord Jesus Christ...He stood alongside a woman caught in adultery. The Law clearly stated, “Stone her.” The grace killers who set her up demanded the same. Yet Christ said to those self-righteous Pharisees, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” What grace! Under the Law they had every legal right to bury her beneath the rocks in their hands...and they were ready. There they stood with self-righteous fire in their eyes, but He intervened in grace. When His friend Lazarus died, Martha met Him on the road and Mary later faced Him in the house. Both blamed Him for not coming earlier: “If You had been here, my brother would not have died!” There is strong accusation in those words. He took them in grace. With the turn of His hand, He could have sent them to eternity; but He refused to answer them back in argument. That is grace. When He told stories, grace was a favorite theme. He employed a gracious style in handling children. He spoke of the prodigal son in grace. As He told stories of people who were caught in helpless situations, grace abounded…as with the good Samaritan."

Pastor Charles Swindoll continues, ”Understanding what grace means requires our going back to an old Hebrew term that meant “to bend, to stoop.” By and by, it came to include the idea of “condescending favor.” If you have traveled to London, you have perhaps seen royalty. If so, you may have noticed sophistication, aloofness, distance. On occasion, royalty in England will make the news because someone in the ranks of nobility will stop, kneel down, and touch or bless a commoner. That is grace. There is nothing in the commoner that deserves being noticed or touched or blessed by the royal family. But because of grace in the heart of the royal person, there is the desire at that moment to pause, to stoop, to touch, even to bless. To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver. One more thing should be emphasized about grace: It is absolutely and totally free. You will never be asked to pay it back. You couldn’t even if you tried. Most of us have trouble with that thought, because we work for everything we get. As the old saying goes, “There’s no free lunch.” But in this case, grace comes to us free and clear, no strings attached. We should not even try to repay it; to do so is insulting.”

Greek scholar Kenneth S. Wuest writes, “When grace is used in the New Testament, it refers to that favor which God did at Calvary when He stepped down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin. God has no strings tied to the salvation He procured for man at the Cross. Salvation is given to the believing sinner out of the pure generosity of God’s heart. The Greek word for grace, charis, is from chairo which means to rejoice. Charis referred to an action that was beyond the ordinary course of what might be expected, and was therefore commendable. What a description of that which took place at the Cross!”

We are recipients of great favor and a great inheritance. We are the righteous—those in right standing with the Father by virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection—the Lord’s own inheritance. Because we belong to him and are his heirs, God blesses our lives with deliverance, direction, and continual access into his presence. Because of his unfailing love for us, we can enter his throne room and receive his grace. When we ask him to tell us what to do, he will show us which way to turn and will always lead us on the right path. To top it all off, he encompasses, or encircles, us with the shield of his love, which means that he covers us with his favor and with the approval that he bestows on the righteous. This is a wonderful thing to petition the Lord for, on behalf of your loved ones and for your own life.

Heavenly Father, thank You that I know that I know that I know that because I have placed my trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, I am redeemed by His precious blood, He has crowned me, surrounded me, encircled me with His glory and honor. Thank you for letting me see the Savior! Jesus is alive, He has come and is coming again! Lord Jesus, thank you for being a light to reveal God to the nations so that more people can know and worship our Father. Thank you for bringing us out of darkness and into your marvelous light. I want to shine your light everywhere I go so that everyone around me will be drawn to you. I ask you to lead me down right paths and to show me which way to turn. Thank you for protecting me from my enemies. You and you alone deliver me from them! Thank you for surrounding me with the shield of your love and favor.Thank you for how Your favor is operating and functioning in my life. It surrounds me and encircles me like a shield. Your favor goes before me and prepares my way. Your favor opens doors of blessing and opportunity in my life. Wherever I go and whatever I do, Your favor is with me, surrounding me, encircling me. Your favor fills my life with overflowing blessing, peace, joy, fulfillment, and abundance. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Titus 2:11 ... pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

Look In—as you meditate on Titus 2:11 ...pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

Look Out—as you meditate on Titus 2:11 ...pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

Weekly LinkUps…

trust beyond measure

artwork by Julie Artz Hanson

Julie Artz Hanson’s beautiful work of art goes so well with the final verses in Romans Chapter Eight, which Pastor Harry Ironside is quoted as saying, “as Paul began this chapter with "no condemnation," he ended with "no separation." Blessed, wondrous consummation of the most marvelous theme ever given to man! May our souls enter more deeply into it, and find increasing joy and spiritual strength as we contemplate this blessed assurance.” Truly, trust beyond measure…

Romans 8:37-39

NASB: But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amplified: Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NLT: No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Phillips: No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through him who has proved his love for us. I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Wuest: But in these things, all of them, we are coming off constantly with more than the victory through the One who loved us. For I have come through a process of persuasion to the settled conclusion that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Young’s Literal: But in all these we more than conquer, through him who loved us; for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor messengers, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, that [is] in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A word study of the word, love, agape, reveals that it is an unconditional, sacrificial love and Biblically refers to a love that God is, that God shows, and that God enables in His children through the fruit of the Spirit. Biblical agape love is the love of choice, the love of serving with humility, the highest kind of love, the noblest kind of devotion, the love of the will (intentional, a conscious choice) and not motivated by superficial appearance, emotional attraction, or sentimental relationship. Agape is not based on pleasant emotions or good feelings that might result from a physical attraction or a familial bond. Agape chooses as an act of self-sacrifice to serve the recipient. From all of the descriptions of agape love, it is clear that true agape love is a sure mark of salvation. Agape love does not depend on the world’s criteria for love, such as attractiveness, emotions, or sentimentality. Agape in the Greek classics spoke of a love called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the object loved. This is the idea inherent in the Father's proclamation, "This is My Beloved Son." Agape is the love that was shown at Calvary. Thus agape is God’s love, and is the love that God is. It is not human affection but is a divine love, commanded by God, produced as fruit in the heart of a surrendered saint by the Holy Spirit, self-sacrificial in nature seeking the benefit of the one who is loved, a love which means death to self and defeat for sin since the essence of sin is self-will and self-gratification, a love activated by personal choice of our will, not based on our feelings toward the object of our love and manifested by specific actions not just to fellow believers but to all men everywhere.

Kenneth S. Wuest describes agape love as follows..."Agape is a love that impels one to sacrifice one’s self for the benefit of the object loved...(it) speaks of a love which is awakened by a sense of value in the object loved, an apprehension of its preciousness. Agape is the love which the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in the heart of the yielded believer. The saint is to order his behavior or manner of life within the sphere of this divine, supernatural agape love produced in his heart by the Holy Spirit. Agape love speaks of a love which is awakened by a sense of value in an object which causes one to prize it. It springs from an apprehension of the preciousness of an object. The quality of this love is determined by the character of the one who loves, and that of the object loved. God’s love for a sinful and lost race springs from His heart in response to the high value He places upon each human soul. Every sinner is exceedingly precious in His sight. The love in John 3:16 is a love whose essence is that of self-sacrifice for the benefit of the one loved, this love based upon an evaluation of the preciousness of the one loved."

Pastor Charles R. Swindoll writes: "The power of Paul's words here in Romans 8 when we are experiencing fiery trials in the furnace of affliction...God’s Word is like a log sitting on top of the ice on a frozen lake. When the ice thaws and melts, the log penetrates into the water and becomes a part of the lake. The trials that come along in life are like that thawing process. They melt the heart and allow God’s Word to penetrate and become a part of us."

Corrie Ten Boom was at the Nazi death camp Ravensbruck where roll call came at 4:30 every morning. Most mornings were cold, and sometimes the women would be forced to stand without moving for hours in the bone-chilling pre-dawn darkness. Nearby were the punishment barracks where all day and far into the night would come the sounds of cruelty: blows landing in regular rhythm and screams keeping pace. But Corrie and her sister Betsie had a Bible, and at every opportunity they would gather the women together like orphans around a blazing fire, and read Romans 8: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Corrie later said: I would look about us as Betsie read, watching the light leap from face to face. More than conquerors. It was not a wish. It was a fact. We knew it, we experienced it minute by minute in an ever widening circle of help and hope. Life at Ravensbruck took place on two separate levels. One, the observable, external life, grew every day more horrible. The other, the life we lived with God, grew daily better, truth upon truth, glory upon glory.

Pastor Donald Grey Barnhouse told a personal story that beautifully illustrates death’s powerlessness over Christians. When his wife died, his children were still quite young, and Dr. Barnhouse wondered how he could explain their mother’s death in a way their childish minds could understand. As they drove home from the funeral, a large truck passed them and briefly cast a dark shadow over the car. Immediately the father had the illustration he was looking for, and he asked the children, “Would you rather be run over by a truck or by the shadow of a truck?” “That’s easy, Daddy,” they replied. “We would rather get run over by the shadow, because that wouldn’t hurt.” Their father then said, “Well, children, your mother just went through the valley of the shadow of death, and there’s no pain there, either.”

Pastor George Matheson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1842. As a child he had only partial vision, and his sight became progressively worse, until it resulted in blindness by the time he was eighteen. Despite his handicap, he was a brilliant student and graduated from the University of Glasgow and later from seminary. He became pastor of several churches in Scotland, including a large church in Edinburgh, where he was greatly respected and loved. After he had been engaged to a young woman for a short while, she broke the engagement, having decided she could not be content married to a blind man. This pain led Matheson to write this beautiful hymn…O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee, I give Thee back the life I owe, That in Thine ocean depths its flow, May richer, fuller be. O Love, that will not let me go. O Joy, that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee, I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain, That morn shall tearless be. O Love, that will not let me go. O Cross, that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from Thee. I lay in dust life's glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red, Life that shall endless be. O Love, that will not let me go. O Love, that will not let me go.

Heavenly Father, thank you for Your agape love so great, so awesome, so amazing, that You sent Your One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, to take all my sin, my sickness, my condemnation on that cruel cross. Because I have placed my trust in the finished work of Christ, it is by His stripes I am healed, and there is nothing that can separate me from Your love, O Love that will not let me go . . . truly, trust beyond measure, blessed assurance, I am loved by Your everlasting love and underneath are Your everlasting arms . . . all is grace—amazing grace—from the moment You knit me together in my mother’s womb until the moment I see You face-to-face, in Jesus' precious name I pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Romans 8:37-39 … pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

Look In—as you meditate on Romans 8:37-39 … pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

Look Out—as you meditate on Romans 8:37-39 …pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

* If you liked this post, you’ll love this book – Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ

Weekly LinkUps

the bright Morning Star...

artwork by Tamara Peterson

Tamara Peterson accompanies her beautiful work of art with this Advent devotional …"When they saw the star... Matthew 2:10…Have you ever been somewhere where there are no lights beyond what God has put in the sky? For eight years we lived in Texas and for part of that time we lived out in the country and the Milky Way was above our house. I had never seen so many stars in all my life. I would spend hours sitting on our front porch in awe of what God had created. Millions and millions of lights all glowing from so far away creating an amazing scene in the night sky. Can you imagine the three wise men studying the skies awaiting THE STAR to appear in the night to guide them to the Savior? What JOY they must have felt when they finally spotted it! This one single object created HOPE. If God can create hope with a single star, imagine what He can do with you! Today ask how God can use you to light another's dark night.” Tamara’s beautiful artwork and devotional inspired me as I listened to Chris Tomlin’s rendition of Silent Night and my heart was drawn to a word study of 2 Peter 1:19...... .....Can you imagine the three wisemen studying the skies awaiting THE STAR to appear in the night to guide them to the Savior? What JOY they must have felt when they finally spotted it! This one single object created HOPE. If God can create hope with a single star, imagine what he can do with you!

Today ask how God can use you to light another's NASB: So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

Amplified: And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts.

ESV: And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts

NLT: Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place--until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light shines in your hearts.

Phillips: The word of prophecy was fulfilled in our hearing! You should give that word your closest attention, for it shines like a lamp amidst all the dirt and darkness of the world, until the day dawns, and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Wuest: And we have the prophetic word as a surer foundation, to which you are doing well to pay attention, as to a lamp which is shining in a squalid place, until day dawns and a morning star arises in your hearts.

Young's Literal: And we have more firm the prophetic word, to which we do well giving heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, till day may dawn, and a morning star may arise -- in your hearts.

Pastor Francis Frangipane writes about Christ, who Himself is the "bright Morning Star" (Revelation 22:16): “A day is coming before the rapture, before the second coming of Jesus Christ, when those who follow Christ will be positioned, like the morning star—in the right place at the right time—and they will herald Christ's return. They will come from every nation, people, tribe and tongue, yet they will be one, for Christ will have given them His glory (John 17:22).”

The word, dawns, comes from the Greek word diaugazo from diá which means through and augázo which means shine—literally “to shine through.” This word was used to describe daylight breaking through the darkness of night, picturing the first gleams of the sun piercing the darkness.

Pastor Marvin Vincent writes, "The verb diaugazo is compounded of dia which means through, and auge which means sunlight, thus carrying the picture of light breaking through the gloom. In other words, the truths in the Bible will continue to point to the source of all truth, Christ, until He returns in glory.”

The words, "morning star," come from the Greek word, phosphoros from phos which means light and phero which means to bring; in English the word phosphorus means a substance that glows in the dark—literally light bringing, light bearer or bringer or bringing morning light. The morning star was the name that Greeks assigned to the planet Venus which was the brightest object in the sky apart from the sun and moon and appeared sometimes as the evening star and sometimes as the morning star. In the desert, the morning star is so brilliant that it appears as though the sun were about to rise.

Theologian W. E. Vine writes that phosphoros is used of the morning star, as the light–bringer in 2 Peter 1:19, where it indicates the arising of the light of Christ as the personal fulfillment, in the hearts of believers, of the prophetic Scriptures concerning His coming to receive them to Himself. In the context, these images (day dawning and morning star arising) point to the parousia or the appearing of Jesus Christ. This was partially fulfilled at Messiah's first coming but will be fulfilled at His return, His light driving away the spiritual darkness of this present evil age. "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star." Here, in Revelation 22:16, Christ triumphantly proclaims that He is the true "Morning Star.”

The word, arises, comes from the Greek word, anatello from aná, which means up and téllo, which means, set out for a goal—literally, to cause to arise, spring up, or be up. It was used especially of things in natural creation, like the rising of the sun or moon.

The word, hearts, comes from the Greek word, kardia, is not used to refer literally to the physical heart, but describes the seat of the desires, feelings, affections, passions, and impulses. Kardia refers to the causative source of a person’s psychological life in its various aspects, and with special emphasis upon thoughts—‘heart, inner self, mind.' "Heart" refers to the volition (your will), the mind, and the desires.

Pastor John MacArthur comments on kardia noting that...”Throughout Scripture, as well as in many languages and cultures throughout the world, the heart is used metaphorically to represent the inner person, the seat of motives and attitudes, the center of personality. But in Scripture it represents much more than emotion, feelings. It also includes the thinking process and particularly the will. In Proverbs we are told, “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7, KJV). Jesus asked a group of scribes, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)... The heart is the control center of mind and will as well as emotion. The problem that caused God to destroy the earth in the Flood was a heart problem. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). God has always been concerned above all else with the inside of man, with the condition of his heart. The second coming of Christ will have not only an externally transforming impact on the universe, but also an internally transforming impact (in your hearts) on those believers who are alive when Jesus returns, forever removing any of their remaining doubts. The perfect revelation of the Scriptures will be replaced with the perfect and complete revelation of Jesus Christ at the second coming."

Pastor Theodore Hiebert writes: “The truth that Christ is coming again must first arise in their hearts, like the morning star, giving assurance of coming day. Assured of His anticipated return, they will be alert to detect the gleams of dawn breaking through the darkness. Those who disregard the light of prophecy will not understand the significance of these harbingers of coming day. Such a living hope must have a transforming impact upon our daily lives.”

What if today you don’t feel like singing songs of joy? What if painful or difficult circumstances have stolen your joy? Frustrations assail you; burdens or responsibilities weigh your heart down, so that the last thing you want to do is sing with joy. Ask God for the grace to praise him; ask him to open your spiritual eyes so that you stand in awe of Him.

Lord Jesus Christ, our Morning Star, we praise You for Who You are. Your glory is higher than the heavens. Your majesty fills the earth. We worship and adore you. Open our eyes to see Your unfailing love and goodness. Renew our trust in Your Word. With a word You brought into existence the stars in the heavens and held the seas in place. Nothing can thwart Your plans. Fill our hearts with songs of joy. You are worthy of our unending praise! You created the stars and turn darkness into dawn and day into night, I bow before You. Nothing can withstand your power! Thank you for your Word, which reminds me of Who You are and calls me back to devotion and truth. Keep me from evil, and guide me along the path of life. Thank you for the free gift of salvation, that we are justified on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Thank You that, right now, we are under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Because we have placed our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed by His precious blood. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. Knowing that God’s love for us and approval of us will never be determined by our performance is the most encouraging promise to which we cling. Oh what a Savior! Jesus, we love You, it is in Your name we pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on 2 Peter 1:19

Look In—as you meditate on 2 Peter 1:19 pray to see how you might apply it to your life.

Look Out—as you meditate on 2 Peter 1:19 pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others.

Weekly LinkUps…

grace came down...

artwork by Tamara Peterson

This beautiful work of art by TamaraPeterson is a perfect match for this anointed and captivating new hymn…as we were worshipping with Chris Tomlin at his recent Adore tour at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, we suddenly experienced an awesome sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the atmosphere when he introduced Lauren Daigle to sing his new song, Noel, Love incarnate, love divine, Star and angels gave the sign, Bow to babe on bended knee, The Savior of humanity, Unto us a Child is born, He shall reign forevermore, Noel, Noel, Come and see what God has done, Noel, Noel, The story of amazing love! The light of the world, given for us, Noel. Son of God and Son of man, There before the world began, Born to suffer, born to save, Born to raise us from the grave, Christ the everlasting Lord, He shall reign forevermore. This led me to a word study of Titus 2:11…

NASB: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men

Amplified: For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind

Phillips:  For the grace of God, which can save every man, has now become known

Wuest: For the grace of God bringing salvation, appeared to all men

Weymouth: For the grace of God has displayed itself with healing power to all mankind

Young's Literal: For the saving grace of God was manifested to all men

Expanded Bible: For God’s grace that can save everyone has ·come [appeared; been revealed].

Pastor John MacArthur writes, ”The Apostle Paul culminates his teaching in Titus 2:11 on how believers are to live by emphasizing where it begins…with the grace of God. God’s grace is His unmerited favor toward wicked, unworthy sinners, by which He delivers them from condemnation and death. But the grace of God is more than a divine attribute; it is a divine Person, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ not only was God incarnate but was grace incarnate. He Himself personifies and expresses the grace of God, the sovereign, eternal, and unmerited divine gift of Him who has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.”

Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon observes that...”In the person of Christ the grace of God is revealed, as when the sun arises and makes glad all lands. It is not a private vision of God to a favored prophet on the lone mountain’s brow; but it is an open declaration of the grace of God to every creature under heaven— a display of the grace of God to all eyes that are open to behold it. When the Lord Jesus Christ came to Bethlehem, and when He closed a perfect life by death upon Calvary, He manifested the grace of God more gloriously than has been done by creation or Providence. This is the clearest revelation of the everlasting mercy of the living God. In the Redeemer we behold the unveiling of the Father’s face. What if I say the laying bare of the divine heart? To repeat the figure of the text, this is the dayspring from on high which hath visited us: the Sun which has arisen with healing in His wings. The grace of God hath shone forth conspicuously, and made itself visible to men of every rank in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. This was not given us because of any deserving on our part; it is a manifestation of free, rich, undeserved grace, and of that grace in its fullness. The grace of God has been made manifest to the entire universe in the appearing of Jesus Christ our Lord."

Theologian A. W. Pink writes: "The Apostle Paul enforces what he said in Titus 2:11 by reminding us that "the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." This is in blessed contrast from the Law, which brings nothing but "condemnation." But the grace of God brings salvation, and that in a twofold way—by what Christ has done for His people, and by what He works in them. "He shall save His people from their sins"—save from the guilt and penalty of sin, and from the love or power of sin. This grace of God "has appeared"—it has broken forth like the light of the morning after a dark night. The grace of God—His loving-kindness, His goodwill, His free favor—hath appeared "to all men."

Pastor Charles Swindoll writes: "Grace is summed up in the name, person, and work of the Lord Jesus Christ...He stood alongside a woman caught in adultery. The Law clearly stated, “Stone her.” The grace killers who set her up demanded the same. Yet Christ said to those self-righteous Pharisees, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” What grace! Under the Law they had every legal right to bury her beneath the rocks in their hands...and they were ready. There they stood with self-righteous fire in their eyes, but He intervened in grace. When His friend Lazarus died, Martha met Him on the road and Mary later faced Him in the house. Both blamed Him for not coming earlier: “If You had been here, my brother would not have died!” There is strong accusation in those words. He took them in grace. With the turn of His hand, He could have sent them to eternity; but He refused to answer them back in argument. That is grace. When He told stories, grace was a favorite theme. He employed a gracious style in handling children. He spoke of the prodigal son in grace. As He told stories of people who were caught in helpless situations, grace abounded…as with the good Samaritan."

Pastor Charles Swindoll continues, ”Understanding what grace means requires our going back to an old Hebrew term that meant “to bend, to stoop.” By and by, it came to include the idea of “condescending favor.” If you have traveled to London, you have perhaps seen royalty. If so, you may have noticed sophistication, aloofness, distance. On occasion, royalty in England will make the news because someone in the ranks of nobility will stop, kneel down, and touch or bless a commoner. That is grace. There is nothing in the commoner that deserves being noticed or touched or blessed by the royal family. But because of grace in the heart of the royal person, there is the desire at that moment to pause, to stoop, to touch, even to bless. To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver. One more thing should be emphasized about grace: It is absolutely and totally free. You will never be asked to pay it back. You couldn’t even if you tried. Most of us have trouble with that thought, because we work for everything we get. As the old saying goes, “There’s no free lunch.” But in this case, grace comes to us free and clear, no strings attached. We should not even try to repay it; to do so is insulting.”

Greek scholar Kenneth S. Wuest writes, “When grace is used in the New Testament, it refers to that favor which God did at Calvary when He stepped down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin. God has no strings tied to the salvation He procured for man at the Cross. Salvation is given to the believing sinner out of the pure generosity of God’s heart. The Greek word for grace, charis, is from chairo which means to rejoice. Charis referred to an action that was beyond the ordinary course of what might be expected, and was therefore commendable. What a description of that which took place at the Cross!”

We are recipients of great favor and a great inheritance. We are the righteous—those in right standing with the Father by virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection—the Lord’s own inheritance. Because we belong to him and are his heirs, God blesses our lives with deliverance, direction, and continual access into his presence. Because of his unfailing love for us, we can enter his throne room and receive his grace. When we ask him to tell us what to do, he will show us which way to turn and will always lead us on the right path. To top it all off, he encompasses, or encircles, us with the shield of his love, which means that he covers us with his favor and with the approval that he bestows on the righteous. This is a wonderful thing to petition the Lord for, on behalf of your loved ones and for your own life.

A pastor’s wife once told this true story of a time she was walking down a path in a park, when suddenly, she could see a man running toward her with an evil intent and expression on his face. She cried out, “Jesus, help me!” and instantly she said she actually saw a “hoop skirt of light” shining down around her, and the evil man just kept running past her, as though he had not seen her, and she was safe.

Heavenly Father, thank You that I know that I know that I know that because I have placed my trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, I am redeemed by His precious blood, He has crowned me, surrounded me, encircled me with His glory and honor. Thank you for letting me see the Savior! Jesus is alive, he has come and is coming again! Lord Jesus, thank you for being a light to reveal God to the nations so that more people can know and worship our Father. Thank you for bringing us out of darkness and into your marvelous light. I want to shine your light everywhere I go so that everyone around me will be drawn to you. I ask you to lead me down right paths and to show me which way to turn. Thank you for protecting me from my enemies. You and you alone deliver me from them! Thank you for surrounding me with the shield of your love and favor.Thank you for how Your favor is operating and functioning in my life. It surrounds me and encircles me like a shield. Your favor goes before me and prepares my way. Your favor opens doors of blessing and opportunity in my life. Wherever I go and whatever I do, Your favor is with me, surrounding me, encircling me. Your favor fills my life with overflowing blessing, peace, joy, fulfillment, and abundance. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Titus 2:11

Look In—as you meditate on Titus 2:11 pray to see how you might apply it to your life.

Look Out—as you meditate on Titus 2:11 pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others.

Weekly LinkUps…

Your grace IS sufficient...

artwork by Tamara Peterson

This beautiful work of art by Tamara Peterson inspired me and drew my heart to a word study of 2 Corinthians 12:9:

NASB: And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
.
Amplified: But He said to me, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
.
Phillips:  but his reply has been, "My grace is enough for you: for where there is weakness, my power is shown the more completely." Therefore, I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ.
.
Wuest: And He has said to me, and His declaration still stands, “My grace is enough for you, for power is moment by moment coming to its full energy and complete operation in the sphere of weakness.” Therefore, most gladly will I the rather boast in my weaknesses in order that the power of the Christ [like the Shekinah Glory in the Holy of Holies of the Tent of Meeting] may take up its residence in me [working within me and giving me help].
.
Young's Literal:  and He said to me, “Sufficient for thee is My grace, for My power in infirmity is perfected;” most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Christ may rest on me.
.
The Message: and then he told me, "My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.

.

A Greek word study of this Scripture reveals that Jesus’ first words are "is sufficient" which places emphasis on our supply of His grace; a truth which gives us encouragement to face difficult times. Jesus' response to Paul follows a chiastic pattern (a literary device in which a sequence of ideas is presented and then repeated in reverse order. The result is a “mirror” effect as the ideas are “reflected” back in a passage. Each idea is connected to its “reflection” by a repeated word, often in a related form...e.g., he came in triumph and in defeat departs)

A...is sufficient
     B...for you
          C...my grace
          C...my power
     B...in weakness
A...is perfected

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect IN weakness.”

IN distresses—circumstances forced upon you, reversals of fortune against your will. This could refer to any situation where you feel trapped. You didn’t plan it or think it would be this way. But there you are, and it’s hard.

IN persecutions—wounds, abuses, painful circumstances, acts of prejudice or exploitation from people because of your Christian faith or your Christian moral commitments. It’s when you are not treated fairly.

Whether IN distresses or persecutions, Corrie Ten Boom encourages us...Look at self and be distressed,Look at others and be depressed,
Look at Jesus and you’ll be at rest!

The word grace comes from the Greek word, charis meaning “to rejoice.” Someone has written that the word grace is probably the greatest word in the Scriptures, even greater even than “love,” because grace is love in action, and therefore includes it.

Charis is a word which can be somewhat difficult to define but one of the most familiar definitions is "God's unmerited favor." In the present context, grace speaks of the supernatural power available to Paul to enable him to bear up under his "weakness", the trial of a thorn in his flesh. Grace is God's unmerited help for one undeserving with no thought or ability to give recompense. Grace is not some static concept but is a dynamic force, which totally transforms the believer's life beginning with salvation, continuing in our sanctification, and then all through eternity in our glorification. Grace enables the believer to endure without grumbling or complaining, and enables our weakness or suffering to be used for God's glory.

Grace is God’s supernatural provision for our every need when we need it. God in His grace gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy He does not give us what we do deserve.

Pastor John MacArthur writes: “When God declared to Paul in answer to his prayer, “My grace is sufficient for you,” He affirmed the total sufficiency of His grace for every need in life—to believe the gospel; to understand and apply the Word to all the issues of life; to overcome sin and temptation; to endure suffering, disappointment, and pain; to obey God; to serve Him effectively; and to worship Him. God’s grace was sufficient for the deepest pain Paul (or any other believer) could ever experience.”

Pastor Hanmer William Webb-Peploe was born in 1837, in England. When asked about his favorite Bible verse, he replied in writing: “A very large number of texts have been, in my lifetime, of special service to me, through the goodness of God; but that if I have to choose one out of the whole book which has been of special help to me, I should mention the words in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for thee,” which were made by God’s mercy at a time of special trial a blessing of remarkable force to my soul. It had pleased God to remove my youngest child under circumstances of peculiar trial and pain, and I had just laid my little one’s body in the church yard when, on returning home, I felt it my duty to preach to my people on the meaning of trial, and finding that this text was in the lesson for the following Sunday, I chose it as my Master’s message to them and myself; but, on trying to prepare my notes, I found that in honesty I could not say that the words were true, and therefore knelt down and earnestly asked God to “Let His grace be sufficient for me,” and while I was thus pleading I opened my eyes and saw a framed illuminated text, which my mother had given me only a few days before, which was placed upon the wall during my absence at the holiday resort where my little one was taken away from us. I did not notice the words on returning to my house, but as I looked up and wiped my eyes, the words met my gaze, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” The ‘is’ was picked out in bright green, while the ‘my’ and the ‘thee’ were painted in another color. In one moment the message came straight to my soul, as a rebuke for offering such a prayer as “Lord let thy grace be sufficient for me:” for the answer was almost as an audible voice, “How dare you ask for that which is? God cannot make it any more sufficient than he has made it: get up and believe it and you will find it true, because the Lord says it in the simplest way: “My grace is (not shall be or may be) sufficient for thee.” The lesson that came to me, and which I seek to convey to others, is, “Never turn God’s facts into hopes or prayers, but simply use them as realities and you will find them powerful as you believe them.”

After the homegoing of my Daddy, Eston Willis, we discovered in his Bible the following poem which describes our Master Weaver's plan…My life is but a weaving, between my Lord and me; I cannot choose the colors. He worketh steadily. Oft times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride, forget He sees the upper and I the under side. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why, the dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skillful hands, as the threads of gold and silver, in the pattern He has planned.

Consider the underside of a handmade tapestry described in this poem. The elaborate coordinated threads on the exterior side of the fabric, woven with precision and creativity, produce a work of art intended by the weaver. The side that will not be seen, however, is a tangled mess of thread, yarn, and knots. How similar to life! Christ uses what appears to be random circumstances with no meaning—simply knots and tangles—and makes something beautiful out of them.

Lord Jesus, help me keep my focus on You, even in suffering, knowing that You are at work mending and making whole, raising up the broken to life...IN my weakness...thank You for Your promise that Your grace IS sufficient for this day. Thank you for the power and grace of Your Holy Spirit, Who gives me the strength to persevere in prayer even when I am at my weakest moment and ready to give up. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on 2 Corinthians 12:9

Look In—as you meditate on 2 Corinthians 12:9 pray to see how you might apply it to your life.

Look Out—as you meditate on 2 Corinthians 12:9 pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others.

Weekly LinkUps…

overcome by a Good, Good Father

artwork by Bonnie Miller

I pondered this colorful work of art by Bonnie Miller on our Artful Story—Journaling Facebook page, while listening to the anointed new hymn, Good, Good Father by Housefires II featuring Pat Barrett…I've heard a thousand stories of what they think you're like, but I've heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night, You tell me that you're pleased and that I'm never alone. You're a Good, Good Father, It's who you are, It's who you are, It's who you are, and I'm loved by you, It's who I am, It's who I am, It's who I am. I've seen many searching for answers far and wide, but I know we're all searching for answers only you provide, because you know just what we need before we say a word. Love so undeniable I can hardly speak, Peace so Unexplainable I can hardly think, as you call me deeper still…into love, love, love…You are perfect in all of your ways…You are perfect in all of your ways to us…this drew my heart to a word study of the word, overcome, from Romans 12:18-21:

NASB: If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Amplified: If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.

NLT: Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” (Deut 32:35) says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” (Prov 25:21-22) Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Phillips: As far as your responsibility goes, live at peace with everyone. Never take vengeance into your own hands, my dear friends: stand back and let God punish if he will. For it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine. I will repay’.... these are God’s words: ‘Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head’. Don’t allow yourself to be overpowered with evil. Take the offensive—overpower evil by good!

Wuest: If it is possible so far as it depends upon you, with all men be living at peace.  Do not be avenging yourselves, beloved ones, but give place at once to the wrath, for it stands written, To me belongs punishment, I will repay, says the Lord.  But, if your enemy is hungry, be feeding him. If he thirsts, be giving him to drink, for doing this, you will heap burning coals of fire upon his head.  Stop being overcome by the evil, but be overcoming the evil by means of the good

Young’s Literal:  If possible—so far as in you—with all men being in peace; not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give place to the wrath, for it hath been written, `Vengeance [is] Mine, I will recompense again, saith the Lord;' if, then, thine enemy doth hunger, feed him; if he doth thirst, give him drink; for this doing, coals of fire thou shalt heap upon his head; Be not overcome by the evil, but overcome, in the good, the evil.

Overcome which in Greek is nikao from nike, means victory, to get the victory, overcome, conquer, or subdue. Nikao means to conquer, to be victorious or to prevail in the face of obstacles. The verb is in the present imperative and thus is a command to keep on overcoming. May we be empowered by His Spirit to stand firm against the onslaught of evil, being supernaturally enabled. Overcome describes the quality of a true saint who may stumble and fall, but who God always picks up and he continues onward and upward in the power and motivation of the victory Christ has already won for us on the Cross. The only way to overcome evil with good is to do it in reliance of God, motivated and enabled by His indwelling, empowering Spirit.

Pastor Warren W. Wiersbe has said, “As children of God, we must live on the highest level—returning good for evil. Anyone can return good for good and evil for evil. The only way to overcome evil is with good. If we return evil for evil, we only add fuel to the fire. And even if our enemy is not converted, we have still experienced the love of God in our own hearts and have grown in grace.”

Greek Scholar Kenneth S. Wuest writes: “As to heaping coals of fire on the head of the one who has injured one, that is equivalent to satisfying his hunger and quenching his thirst. The latter two actions meet a desperate need of that individual, and are an outstanding kindness shown him. Heaping coals of fire on his head also meets a desperate need. In Bible times, an oriental needed to keep his hearth fire going all the time in order to insure fire for cooking and warmth. If it went out, he had to go to a neighbor for some live coals of fire. These he would carry on his head in a container, oriental fashion, back to his home. The person who would give him some live coals would be meeting his desperate need and showing him an outstanding kindness. If he would heap the container with coals, the man would be sure of getting some home still burning. The one injured would be returning kindness for injury, the only thing a Christian is allowed to give back to the one who has injured him. This act of kindness God could use to soften the heart of the person and lead him on to repentance and the offering of a recompense for the injury sustained. In this way the Christian would overcome evil with good.”

Pastor Ray Stedman states, “You say, "What do you expect me to do? Somebody hits me—do you expect me just to sit there and do nothing? Oh, no. There is something you can do. Look what it is: "On the contrary: 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Two things will happen if you refuse to avenge yourself and let God do it: First, you will be enabled to act positively instead of negatively. That will result in what Paul, quoting Proverbs 25:21-22 calls "heaping burning coals on his head." This doesn't mean that you are going to get even by another process—burning his head. No, this refers to the ancient way of lighting fires. They didn't have matches in those days, so if you wanted to light a fire in your home, you couldn't go and borrow a match. But you could go and borrow some coals from your neighbor. Of course, you took along an earthen jar that would not burn. Then you would ask your neighbor if you could borrow some coals to light your own fire. Now, if he was a good neighbor, he would fill the jar and you would carry the padded jar home on top of your head. This became a picture of an ample, generous response to a neighbor's need. Because of that, it became a metaphor for responding so generously to your neighbor that it made him ashamed of himself for his attitude toward you. That is what Paul is suggesting here. The second result of leaving vengeance to God is that you win the battle. If there is a conflict going on, you will win it if you respond with doing good instead of evil.

Pastor Ray Stedman continues: “I was reading one day a story about a boy who was in the army. He was a Christian and had formed the habit of praying beside his bed before he went to sleep. He kept up this practice in the army, but he became an object of mockery and ridicule to the entire barracks. One night he knelt to pray after a long, weary march. As he was praying, one of his tormentors took off his muddy boots and threw them at the boy, one at a time, hitting him on each side of his head. The Christian said nothing about it, and just took the boots and put them beside the bed and continued to pray. But the next morning, when the other man woke up, he found his boots sitting beside his bed, all shined and polished. It so broke his heart that he came to that boy and asked him for forgiveness. That led, after a time, to that man becoming a Christian. This is what Paul means when he says you overcome evil with good. As Abraham Lincoln once said, "The best way to overcome an enemy is to make him your friend." Three times in this passage the apostle has stressed the fact that you are not to return evil for evil. In Romans 12:18-21 he states it. So, throughout this passage it is underscored that the major way we express love in the world is by not reacting in vengeance when we are mistreated by the world. Can you imagine what would happen if Christians would begin to act this way? How many times we turn people away from Christianity by assuming the same attitude the world around us has. Surely, this is a practical way Paul has of reminding us that we are not to be conformed to this age. We are not to think like they do. What a testimony of grace that would be!

Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon states: “Beloved, this spirit of forgiveness is the Spirit of God, and he that hath it becomes like to God. If thou wouldst rise to the highest style of being, rise thou to the condition of a being who can be injured, and yet forgive. To be just is something, scarcely for a righteous man would one die; but to be merciful and kind is much more, since for a good man some would even dare to die — such is the enthusiasm which a loving spirit will kindle. Rise above mere righteousness into the divine atmosphere of love. But whether men love you or not is a small matter; whether you conquer them or not is also a little matter, but that you should conquer evil, that you should be victorious over sin, that you should receive from your Lord at the last the “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and that you should be like to God in your nature, this is of the utmost importance to you, for this is heaven. Heaven is to have self dethroned to be purged of all anger—to be delivered from all pride. Heaven is in fact to be God-like. May we be made so through Jesus Christ our Savior, by the work of his Holy Spirit.”

Heavenly Father, You’re a good, good Father. It’s Who You are. Thank You for Your tender whispers of love in the dead of night, when You tell me that You're pleased, that I'm never alone, and I'm loved by You…It's who I am…You give me my identity…who I am in Christ. You know just what we need before we say a word. Your love is so undeniable I can hardly speak. You give me a peace so unexplainable I can hardly think, as you call me deeper still…into love, love, love…You are perfect in all of your ways…You are perfect in all of your ways to us. May we trust You in the big plan you have for our lives. May we yield to the empowering presence of Your Holy Spirit in the innermost part of us, taking authority over our soul—the seat of our emotions, and our body—our fleshly desires and appetites, so that You overcome us with Your love, so overwhelmed by Your grace, that all we can do is say, Thank You, as we shine the muddy boots thrown at us.

Previous word studies…

Romans 12:1-2…flawless…transformed by the Spirit

9 word studies from Romans Chapter Eight…

12 word studies from Ephesians Chapter One…

Weekly LinkUps…