Beyond Mediocrity Blog

(Image courtesy of http://rs674.pbsrc.com.) Hebrews 4:13 "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (to whom we must give account)."  Romans 5:6 "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." If I were to take your secret thoughts and the things hidden deep in your heart and burn every single one of them onto a DVD, and then I were to take that DVD and put it into your living room DVD player, and after your family and friends had all taken their seats, I was to push play - you would run out of that room as fast as you could, for how great your shame would be.  (Either that or you would smash your TV until the images were gone.)

(Image courtesy of http://www.youthunitedpress.com.) No, a Christian can never give grace.  What about with God's help?  No, not even then can a Christian give grace to others. There is much in the realm of theology (that is, "the study of God," in which every Christian should be actively engaged) that is misguided and untruthful.  One of the deceptions leading to falsehood among confessing Christians is the current distorted definition of grace.

(Image courtesy of http://theodysseyonline.com.) The good, sovereign Lord is faithful to see to it that His followers never get too far off the straight and narrow path of His truth.  He disciplines His people into righteousness, so that they may properly and correctly walk in His ways.  This truth is evidenced in church history.

(Image courtesy of http://realitychurch.com.) What does one make of the phrase: “God answers prayers, but not always the way we want Him to”? This phrase, often quoted by Christians, reveals two things: 1) God’s ways are not our ways, and 2) we do not trust God.