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Show Rttbb,' fry ((\ THE ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF GOD Ephesians 3: 20-21 enjoy eating fish. Recently, when I have gone out to eat, they has often had cod fish offered as the special. I asked myself why cod in this area? It comes primarily from across the I world on the banks of Newfoundland shores of New England. Yet, or the it is offered as a special in intermountain America. So I did a little ch-ecking and here is some of what I discovered. I found out that cod fish offered around the world it can be special because of For they tell me deposit some nine as a fertility and fruitfulness. that one, single cod fish will million eggs. That is a number that Bill Gates and a few others may understand well, but its vastness bewilders and baffles me. For with all might and all of my intellect, I just cannot fathom or imagine such a vast and mighty host. All I can do, at best, is think about the drops of water in the oceans and the grains of sand on the of my 1 ground. Then, passage and was expectations. Listen to the I came across this Biblical reminded of our great Apostle writing to the at Ephesus: "Now exceedingly Paul church of faithful believers unto Him who is 'able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ to all generations, forever and ever, Amen. What a wonderful benedictive promise! He had been explaining the mystery of God's grace with its loving purpose- and our need to appreciatethe gift. In conclusion, he speaks in what might be called unspeakable terms about the realms of Divine grace. N ow this word abundance in the original Biblical languages is a word about thickness, fatness, full-grown, rich, above the ordinary, beyond measure, exceedingly. It is David's cup of oil running over. (Psalm 23) It is the twelve baskets full of broken pieces left over 2 (Mark after Jesus fed the multitude. 9: 17) are makes available to us First, God gives in abundance. to us an ABUNDANT GRACE TO SAVE US. All sinners and Romans 5: the offense 8; Luke unspeakable. some of the provisions that God It is joy Here 8: we we need to be saved, sheep are According to like 20, "Moreover the law entered that might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded the more." Under the law, we sin more and more and became more and more wicked. But unrighteousness drive us serves as a our tutor to draw and closer and closer to Christ. At His feet, the grace of salvation. Second, God gives us an ABUNDANT PARDON TO FORGIVE US. I like the way we can access prophet Isaiah puts- it in chapter sixty five verse 7 : "Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together blasphemed me on the the ... hills; therefore I will into their bosom." measure their former work He invites- us to have 3 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: let him abundant life, Lord, and He- will have mercy on our God, for He will abundantly return to the him; and to pardon." (Isaiah 5 5: only pardoned me He took care 7) I am glad that He not for what I had don-e of now and then. Third, 'God gives us an then, but ABUNDANT On, what a say with the Psalmist, "I SATISFACTION TO FILL US. blessing to be able to (Palm 23: 1) Just stop and cravings, the longings, the shall not want." think about the desires, and the lust that drive us here on earth fleshly tabernacle. Then to be able to say "I shall not want" is a powerful and abundant atonement. Listen to Him singing with delight, "They are- abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink form the river of Your pleasure." (psalm 36: &). fourth, God gives us an ABUNDANT in this QUIETEN OUR RESTLESS SPIRIT. We do get uneasy. We do get PEACE TO 4 restless. We do get agitated and fidgeted and jittery and wobbly, and fickle. Praise God for His abundant peace. Paul says when you get like that, "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God; and the peace of God, (Oh Hallelujah) which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 6-7) He is my peace make and I can sing with: "When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul." Fifth, God gives us an ABUNDANT LIFE TO EQUIP US. Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10: 1 0) We are- always une-asy and unprepared when the thief comes, but when the Master comes, He gives us the assurance that all is well. We can 5 rest like John on His bosom. We can trust Him provide all that we need and can use. We can live equipped to fight off all the fiery darts of satan to win the victory like He did "On Calvary, On Calvary, On Calvary, On Calvary, to . He died and settle the debt of sin all." 6 once and for |
