Tag Archives: Grace

May 15, 2013

Some Thoughts on the Gospel

By Terrie van Baarsel

“God is both just and loving. Therefore, his love is willing to meet the demands of his justice.” -John Piper

I have barely scratched the surface of the implications of the Gospel of Christ.

Christ Carrying the Cross

Christ Carrying the Cross (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Compared to what there is to know–I know next to nothing. The more I learn about the Gospel, the more I realize how much more there is to learn.

The Gospel lays bare my greatest need and then supplies that need. The Gospel asks my greatest questions, and then answers them.

At Calvary, I experience the crushing weight of my sin against God, and at the same time, the weight is lifted; I am set free.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deut. 6:5)

I have loved others more than God. I have loved things more than God. I have loved myself more than God. Like Peter, I have denied Him. Like His disciples, I have slept while He prayed. Like His tormentors, I have played my part in the murder of God.

Apart from the Gospel, my sin looms, my failures abound and the chasm separating me from God is impassable. I am left to face the Sovereign Judge of the universe alone. The soul that sins shall surely die, the Bible says. The wages of sin is death.

But who can fulfill God’s demands? No human being but one has ever done so.

Jesus.

The God-Man lived it out perfectly. He lived the life that I should have. He died the death that I should have. Jesus both bore the brunt of God’s wrath and exemplified the profundity of God’s mercy. The Gospel neither denies God’s right to justice nor stifles His boundless love. It is the perfect mixture of law and grace. Neither is compromised. Both are vindicated.

…so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rom. 3:26b)

How amazing is this Gospel? How deep and wide is it? Eternity may begin to plumb its depths.

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Gospel, Morning Meds

April 23, 2013

Friendship: A Gracious Gift From God

By Terrie van Baarsel

TO MY FRIEND
by Terrie van Baarsel
To while away the hours with a friend
And mark the shadows lengthening again,
‘Tis sweet familiarity that dares
To furtively unveil the mystery there.
Now speak and trust another seeks your best
Or pause and peacefully remain at rest
Where cords of hope hold fast security
And tested true, in time, bear certainty
To find when mist and gray turn into rain
Safe harbor in another’s strength again.
There sheltered, anchor steadfastly and stay
‘Till sun breaks through and steals the clouds away,
And reminisce discovered treasures past,
Reflecting futures clearly seen at last,
That presently reveal God’s plan to be
That He has graciously given to me
My friend.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Poetry

January 25, 2013

Internet Mixer–January 25, 2013

By Terrie van Baarsel

Here’s the Mix:

Another good one from Doghouse Diaries: So true! My husband pointed this out to me just the other day.

Christ is Enough: Jessica Thompson (Liberate) reminds us of the vastness of God’s Grace.

Storing Digital Data in DNA: WSJ article relating how scientists have discovered a technique that may provide a way to store the overwhelming data of the digital age.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About “Jane Roe”:  Justin Taylor gives us 5 things we may not know about Norma McCorvey, aka “Jane Roe.”

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Terrie =)

Comments Off   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Mixer

January 24, 2013

Prayer for My Grandson

By Terrie van Baarsel

On December 24, 2012, our daughter gave birth to a 6 pound 15 inch, healthy baby boy. She named him Kash. I am beyond thrilled to be a grandmother, or as I want to be called, “Oma.” I am awed by the love I already have for this little life. I thought  my days of loving and caring for babies were gone forever, but no, God has blessed me with another opportunity to do so. I am so looking forward to being a part of my grandson’s life as he grows. I’m so excited about teaching him about Jesus! What an amazing grace this is!

Praying Hands (Dürer)

Praying Hands (Dürer) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those who come.  Psalm 71:18

Heavenly Father,
You already know everything about this new baby boy who is now a part of our lives. You knew the precise moment he would make his appearance and the exact number of days he will live on this earth. His personality will not come as a surprise to you. You know what his strengths and weaknesses will be, whether he will prefer carrots or peas, Oreos or chocolate chip cookies. This precious boy has been in your mind and heart for all of eternity. You have formed him and knit him together!

If we could count your thoughts toward him, they would number more than every grain of sand on every shore and in every ocean. Every hair on his head is numbered. This little baby is fearfully and wonderfully made.

Father, my prayer above all is that Kash would come to know You at a young age. Please give  him an awareness of your amazing love that stops at nothing for us, a love vast enough to include the sacrifice of Your only Son, that whoever would call upon His name would be saved.

Lavish your grace on my grandson, Lord! Equip him to be a mighty man of faith, loving and serving You for Jesus’ sake all the days of his life. Make evident to Kash the certainty of your care for him in this very uncertain world. Lord, bless Kash with understanding and wisdom beyond his years and with an early appreciation for the truth of Scripture. Let him see beyond temporary pleasures to the everlasting treasure of an inheritance that will never fade away. Let him taste the freedom that comes through a life lived in obedience to your Word. Grant Kash the adventure of walking by faith and not by sight, trusting in Jesus for everything he needs.

Father, it is a misplaced hope that Kash will live out his days free of heartache and difficulties; we know real life is not that way. So, I place my hope for Kash squarely on you. In humble expectation, I trust that whatever trials he may face; he will never face them alone. Thank you for your promise to work all things together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.

I pray that in times of joy or times of trouble, Kash would be found grateful and trusting in his Heavenly Father who loves him more than I could ever imagine and who is able to do far more abundantly than I could even ask or think.

Thank you Father for hearing my prayer.
In Jesus Name, Amen!

8 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Prayers

January 9, 2013

The Open Hand

By Terrie van Baarsel

You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.  Psalm 145:16

THE OPEN HAND

by Terrie van Baarsel

Drinking deep of deadly lies
Blind and dead to His good will
Had He not plucked me from the mire
I would be left in darkness still.

What antidote to crushing debt
Was freely giv’n by God’s own Son!
No need had I t’was left unmet
Once sin’s power had been undone.

That God would do what I could not!
That God could do what I would not!

That God would hide my life in Christ
And calm my soul so prone to fear
Then satisfy my heart’s desire
By loving me and drawing near!

Oh, the open hand of God
That opens freely and of Grace!
No clenched fist, no iron rod
No punishment meets upturned face.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Poetry

December 24, 2012

Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After–The Christmas Story

By Terrie van Baarsel

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

Christmas is a time of looking back. The once upon a time of the Christmas story is the birth of our Savior and the events surrounding it. We rightly celebrate the miracle of the Incarnation. Emmanuel, God with us!

However, doesn’t the celebration deserve a looking forward to the glorious future that awaits us in Him?

The revelation of Christ surely includes His birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection, all amazing facets of God’s Grace toward us. But, the hope that sets our hearts to sail ever higher and surer is a hope that rests fully on the Grace that will be brought to us at the final revelation of our Savior. Our hope resides not only in that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, but in what we have not yet seen and patiently wait for; we will be like Him and see Him as He really is. This is Grace that is embodied not only in the birth of God’s Son, but also in His future revelation and our future glorification.

God gives Grace. He increases Grace. Grace upon Grace, His manifold Grace! And then, with nothing of our own work or merit attached to it, when all has been fulfilled, He lavishes us with more Grace. We are swept away in a mighty, rolling river of Grace, and the vast seas of this world are but a drop compared to the ocean of Grace that awaits us at the eternal and full revelation of His Son in the world to come. This is the happily ever after we long for.

To this end we hasten, to this end we hope.

Looking back and looking forward; Grace began the Christmas story, and Grace will finish it, too.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Merry Christmas!

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Gospel

December 19, 2012

A Willing Slave

By Terrie van Baarsel
LIberty

LIberty (Photo credit: Stewf)

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16

Here, at first gloss, is a paradoxical imperative. Live free, but live as servants. How can that be?

One of the more glorious aspects of the message of the Gospel is that it breaks the chains of sin that bind us and sets us free to serve God. In Christ, I am still a servant but have a different Master. Rather than serving sin and the flesh, I am set free to serve Christ. Freed from bare rule following, I become a most willing slave to righteousness.

Jesus frees me to cast off the filthy rags of performancism and then clothes me with the perfect cloak of His own righteousness. I dare not use this cloak as a cover-up for evil. It is far too excellent a garment for such contemptible use as that. (Shall I continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be!)

There is no freedom apart from Christ. Write that truth on my heart, Lord! To be a slave to sin is to be free from righteousness. To be a slave to righteousness is to be free from sin. Because of Christ, and of no merit of my own, I am that willing slave to righteousness and find all the more joy in it.

May gazing at the beauty of Christ’s perfect and complete work on my behalf move me to cheerfully lay aside my own rights and puny pleasures in exchange for the freedom of willing servitude and a heart that delights in completely surrendering to Him. Let the Gospel rule in my heart and mind so that I may clearly see and by faith accept that it is finished, there is nothing more I can do to either gain or maintain my right standing and from that vantage point know real liberty.

May the will of God constrain me, and may the will of God set me free.

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Gospel

December 13, 2012

Run!

By Terrie van Baarsel
56/365 morning run

56/365 morning run (Photo credit: kharied)

I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. (Psalm 119:32)

Oh, Christian, run hard after God’s commands. His yoke is easy and His burden, light. His path is free of snares and traps. He goes before you to smooth the way. Follow close. The way is narrow, but well-marked.

Run without fear, for His perfect love casts out fear. Run without guilt; your sins are forgiven. Run without worry; God will provide. Do you love Him? Are you called? Then run without question, for He makes all things work together for good.

Run without doubt, for He promises you wisdom. Run without thirst; living water is yours. Run without hunger; He is the bread of life. Run by faith, for by it you are justified. Run with joy, for therein lies your strength. Run in love, for that is the greatest commandment of all. Run and take heart; He has overcome the world.

Run for His sake. Run by Grace. Run that He may be glorified. Run well, and do not faint.

Run with abandon, beloved. Has He not set your heart free?

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

Comments Off   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Gospel

December 12, 2012

Together For Preaching

By Terrie van Baarsel
St. Peter Preaching 06.jpg

St. Peter Preaching 06.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SERMON NOTES–Pastor Mike Berry
December 9, 2012–Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church

The following notes were taken from a sermon that was part of our CFBC Winter Seminar: Together for the Gospel.

THE VALUE OF GATHERING TOGETHER FOR THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD

Preaching is the pinnacle of worship.

Preliminaries:
-preaching is a positive thing (the word “preach” often has a negative connotation)
-preaching is a heralding of Scripture, lifting up of God and the Gospel

We need to hear God’s Word preached, together.
-This is an irreducibly complex proposition. You cannot remove any part of it and still have it be true.
-This is a need, not an option.

1. We need God.
-We have been made to have a relationship with God.
-Ps. 42:1-2 (like the Psalmist, my soul pants for God, my soul thirsts for God).

2. We need God’s Word.
-If it were not for God revealing Himself to us through His Word, we would be lost.
-He reveals Himself in love through His Word.
-John 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

3. We need to hear God’s Word.
-Hear=Listen with the attitude that it will impact our wills.
-Rom. 10:17, So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

4. We need to hear God’s Word preached.
-Not just by ordained ministers.
-The preaching of God’s Word is sacramental, a means of Grace.
-Rom. 1:15-16, for I am not ashamed of the Gospel…
-The preaching of the Gospel is even for saved people.
-Eph. 4:11; 2:20
-If the Gospel is being preached, we are to be thankful.
-1 Tim. 5:17-18
-Preaching is not just something that happens after worship. Preaching is worship.

5. We need to hear God’s Word preached together.
-Something special happens when God’s people gather together.
-In the New Testament, we are the temple of God and He is pleased to manifest His presence when God’s people gather to hear the preached Word.
-Acts 2:41-44
-The body grows together under the preaching of God’s Word.
-The preaching of God’s Word is not mere giving and receiving of information. It is worship.
-If we don’t gather=modern Protestant Monasticism

Questions:

What if we don’t gather together to hear God’s Word preached?
-We are despising a gift of Jesus.
-We grow at different rates.

How can we take advantage of the preacher?
-Like physical exercise:
Stretch out before the preaching: prepare beforehand.
Exercise yourself during the sermon: active listening, fight to pay attention, understanding this is a spiritual activity.
Warm down after the sermon: process the sermon and talk about the message with others, i.e. Care Group.
Continue the burn: take whatever you learn and work with it.

What if the preacher isn’t Milton Vincent (or your favorite pastor, or well-known preacher, etc.).
-If the Gospel is being faithfully preached, it should not matter.

What if the preacher is wrong?
-Understand that humans have frailties.
-Compare what the preacher says to Scripture.
-Get further clarification/feedback from preacher.
-Talk to your pastor if need be.

“The mature worshiper is easily edified.”

Comments Off   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Sermon Notes

November 29, 2012

A Perseverance Not My Own

By Terrie van Baarsel

The last 4 or 5 months have been the most difficult I have ever faced.

There, I said it.

My struggles have to do with people in my life that I love very much. These trials do affect me, but what hurts worse is watching those close to me suffer. Loved ones are battling against disease, facing single motherhood, reaping life-changing consequences for sinful choices, awaiting family custody hearings, and grieving prodigal children.

I am sure I have shed more tears in the last few months than I have in my whole 57 years on this earth.

But today, Paul’s assurance to the Philippians, written so many years ago, has encouraged this believer as well. In chapter 1 verse 6, he writes:

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

In the darkest hour, God never fails to light the way with Grace. Grace that works itself out in encouraging words written centuries ago that remind us: God is still at work not only in me, but in the people I love.

Our stories are not fully written yet!

Our lives get messy. In fact, life stinks sometimes. There have been moments over the last several weeks that I have positively squirmed under the pressure. I have let it get me down. At times, I have felt downright hopeless.

That’s why the eternal perspective we enjoy by virtue of the Gospel is of such great importance. Without it, our hope would wither and die.

Thank God for assuring me today that even in the mess we make of our lives, He is still working. He will complete what He started. I will hold on to that truth as tightly as I can, all the while knowing that when darkness overwhelms me and I let my grasp slip, that the perseverance of the saints of God lies not in their own ability to hold on, but in the power of the Gospel of Grace.

By His Grace and for the Gospel,
Terrie van Baarsel

10 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Gospel

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