Amazing Grace
Love Compels me 03/30/2008
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Categories: Amazing Grace, Christ Grace
When you read the Bible, it is evident that God desires our love and loyalty. The greatest commandment He gave us is - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind†(Matthew 22:37). However, with our rebellious nature, we usually do not respond very well with commands. We generally would resent anyone who would tell us what to do. I believe this is the reason why in relation to loving Him, we all need to see that more than expecting it, He has earned it. In other words, He does not just demand love, He deserves to be loved.
Blessings Overflow 03/23/2008
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Categories: Christ Grace
Paul as an apostle had been given some special privileges such as extraordinary revelations. According to verse 7, to keep him in perspective and enable him to grow spiritually, God gave him a thorn in the flesh. With such a language, Paul was obviously referring to a physical affliction that God has allowed for him to have. He pleaded for God to remove it; instead the response He got from God was the assurance of sufficient grace.
Freely and Fully Forgiven 03/16/2008
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Categories: Christ Grace
The heart of Christianity is God’s willingness to forgive the sins of man. When man because of pride and arrogance has decided to turn his back from God and began living for himself breaking His laws, he has invited curse and condemnation upon himself. Yet, despite of everything, God made a way so He can provide forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Why Save Me? 03/02/2008
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
I believe that if there is an area where we should really be amazed with God, it is in His exercise of grace towards us. John Newton gave a wonderful testimony about this grace when he wrote the popular hymn, Amazing Grace. From his own account, he considered himself unworthy of any favor from the Lord because of his sinfulness. Prior to coming to know Jesus as his personal savior, he was a captain of a slave ship; he brought so many captured slaves from Africa who were sold in England. But by God’s amazing grace, not only was he saved, he became one of the leading Anglican ministers of his time.