Inspiration – James G. Owen, Author

by James G. Owen

Grace is not messy, and this word implies being disorderly, confusion, and untidy. Grace is orderly because everything we see in nature is orderly. In fact, grace is clean, pure, and planned. Grace is a gift that is freely given by our Creator because he loved us so much to provide a way out of imperfection caused by sin, and a path to escape the second death which is eternal damnation. The gift of Grace is undeserved because Adam and Eve chose to disobey and sin entered all creation, and the result is a curse that runs through the generations of mankind.

Jehovah, God our Father and Creator loved us so much that he was merciful on mankind and provided grace. Instead of letting us remain in an undeserved state he chose to bring us into an unmerited state of grace because in his redemption of mankind grace would perfect us to a higher plane by which we were created, a return to the original state of man in his image.

Grace is more than unmerited favor. Grace is a ladder to higher spiritual growth and brings us to a point where we are used in the defeat of Satan by means of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. You see, grace in the Greek is charis, a blessing and blessings from out of his kindness towards us. Grace is an operation, a process. From the beginning of forgiveness and becoming born again (our soul is saved to attain eternal life) grace takes us to sanctification in which we are cleaned up being readied to serve to spread the gospel to the world to win souls to become disciples of men. Next, we are brought to the level of receiving a spiritual gift, and our spirits will display to people the fruits of the Spirit, which is how people recognize us as disciples of Jesus because the Spirit will bear witness.

Grace grows from just unmerited favor to charisma which is Greek for the Holy Spirit action of emboldens people to be able to witness to people, and will show its power, Dunamis in meeting needs of the unsaved. Charisma also leads the person to work in spiritual gifts as I have mentioned above. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11,

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits: to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.”

After the distribution of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit these gifts we find they will be administered through the five- fold evangelistic ministries. They are found in Ephesians 4:11-14.

“And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ^for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”

As we grow spiritually, we will become more experienced in our ministerial work gaining wisdom and knowledge. Also, through the times of trials and temptations in overcoming them we are brought to a higher plane of grace. He moves us higher each time we overcome, thus perfecting us to serve in greater capacities.

Within the spiritual gifts and the ministries are the fruits of the Spirit that will display themselves. The gifts of the Spirit are:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

God has brought us on a journey from salvation and forgiveness to working in his kingdom to win other souls from the enemy that were to be destined for destruction. He has brought us to full fruition in the operation of grace so that we can meet our destiny. God is working to bring all things to an end and is saving those people who accept him as Lord and King. For it is Jesus who is the head of the kingdom and will be eternally on his throne. He is reigning now and sitting at the right hand of Power.

Notes:

1. Scriptures used as been taken from the American Standard Version and the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.

2. Greek 5486 charisma, Biblehub.

3. Greek 5485 charis, Biblehub.

4. Merriam-Webster Dictionary for definition of messy.

The week of Passover is about the slaying of a lamb to shed its blood for the Hebrew people so that their first born would not die in the night that the death angel passed over. It is also a time of which the Paschal Lamb’ blood was spilt to provide redemption for all the people. Also, this story tells all mankind that the blood of the Lamb that was spilt during his time in Jerusalem before his blood was fully split at the hill of Golgotha on a cedar tree by the Romans so that all men, regardless of ethnic group which one belonged could have salvation from sin. In the New Covenant, which was prophesied in Jeremiah, this covenant was fulfilled on the cross that Jesus shed his blood for us.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Before he went to his death, Jesus prayed through the night at an old olive press among the grove of olive trees, which is located between Jerusalem and the Mount of Corruption (Mt. of Olives). He prayed in agony because he was a man. He was not afraid, had no fear, but knew his destiny was to be the sacrifice and die. His death was to come by the accusations, and the desire of the Judeans who felt threatened by his ministry and wisdom, because he confronted their sins and telling the people when asked if he was the Messiah, Jesus said, “I AM”. In parts of Palestine Jesus was rejected as he cast out demons from those possessed, and those who kept their possessions fled to their city, and those who came to meet him told him to leave. (Matthew 8:34) They would not accept him, yet even this rejection of the messiah was prophesied as well in scripture. (Isaiah 6:10)

“And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.”

Luke 23:2

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

John 1:11

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

I receive not honour from men.

But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

John 5:39-43

Isaiah’s prophecy set the stage for Jesus to be rejected by the Judeans. During his time in ministry, the gospel was given to the Judeans by John the Baptist. Jesus had very little contact with the Judeans because the sought to kill him, and he knew if they were successful then his death was to too early. So, he went among the Hebrew tribes in the rest of Palestine in Galilee, and preached, taught, healed, delivered, and raised the dead.

“Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

^“While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

John 12:35-40

All the rejection, and the sins of the world was upon his shoulders and grieved his spirit because of mankind’s sin, idolatry and pagan worship, sickness, diseases, mental disorders, demon possessions, the Law of Traditions, and their evil behavior. Every sin you can think of was all over the world, all in the region of Palestine. Therefore, he grieved, prayed, and sweated blots of blood over the millstone that was anointed by oil in a place called Gethsemane.

It was during this night after he prayed that Judas came with a band of people and Judeans. Here is the setting of Juda’s betrayal for a pittance of 30 pieces of silver. Every step of Jesus’s life was prophesied, and now being fulfilled. This is what happened during the first part of Passover, Jesus preparing for his death and being the last sacrifice for man.

Notes:

All scripture used was taken from the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/gethsemane-and-the-olive-press

Tag: Inspiration

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