Welcome to Hank’s Place – In the New Year 2021
Before there was Hank’s Place, we had Come Alive was broadcasting on high powered short wave radio. How much power? Try 30 million watts ERP – effective radiated power!
One broadcast covered an amazing instance of the GRACE of GOD. It’s found in Exodus 33.
Remember the incident of the golden calf, with worship led by Aaron while Moses was atop Mount Sinai getting the 10 Commandments? After this great sin, the people are mourning while waiting to hear what the Lord will do with them. It looks bad; really bad. Moses intercedes. Verse 13: “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found GRACE in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find GRACE in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” What? He begins by asking for GRACE for himself, but then adds, “Oh, and in case You forgot for a moment in all Your anger, all these people – belong to You.”
Pretty clever Moses! God responds saying His presence will go with him.
But Moses replies, “If Your presence does not go with US, do not lead US up from here.” Moses is including ALL of Israel, all those wicked sinners. Moses continues, “For how then can it be known that I have found GRACE in Your sight, I, AND YOUR PEOPLE? Is it not by Your going with US, so that WE, I and YOUR PEOPLE, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”
Moses did not deny their sinfulness. Or that they deserved punishment. Instead, Moses is focused upon the goodness of God and His GRACE. Moses, the Law-giver, is stressing God’s grace! And telling God His GRACE can best be shown by BLESSING a sinful imperfect people!
And it worked! God indicates it is His choice too, for He says, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
In the next chapter God shows Moses His glory, passing by Moses saying, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and GRACIOUS, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” COMPASSION and GRACE are the FIRST attributes He describes Himself as having.
And in the marvel of the New Covenant, a greater grace has been given us in that Jesus lives not just with His people, but within His people! Col 1:27. Glory to Jesus, for of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. John 1:14. And that fullness is within us!
So, have you sinned, badly, or repeatedly, or tried excusing your sin before God? Have you failed Him, failed others – know you are undeserving and should be punished?
Consider what happened in the desert my friend – consider God, Who is Lovingkindness, Grace, and Mercy. Jesus has prepared the Way for us – to come before THE THRONE (Heb 4:12) today, and find that Grace and Mercy — we need — to COME ALIVE!
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An appeal based on “grace” is definitely the way to approach God.
An appeal based on deserving anything for good behavior is absurd, even for the “holiest” among us.
Another appeal worth considering is for “his name’s sake”.
Consider three unique things about our nation in that regard:
1. We were founded for “the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel” in the Mayflower Compact.
2. We have a constitution that is as closely aligned with God’s principles as is humanly possible, and a country is defined by it’s constitution.
3. We also had a Godly administration up until the fraudulent election.
While it’s true that a large segment of our population is anti- Christ, they do not define our country- they are only a cancer within our country, which is defined by our Constitution.