Encounters with Grace
Good Morning,
He was a zealot. A persecutor of the early church. Relentless in his pursuit of a legalistic life. A radical encounter while walking down a road changed the course of his life. It was an encounter with the grace of God, and it launched the spread of Christianity. Grace took the person God had divinely designed and channeled it for good instead of evil. The Apostle Paul – Completely transformed by grace.
She was a woman who had struggled with relationships. She had gone through 5 husbands and was living with a man that was not her husband. She was a social outcast and a lowly Samaritan. Yet Jesus took time to engage her in conversation and she had an encounter with grace. She was so radically moved that she invited others from the town to meet Jesus and many of them came to faith. The woman at the well – Loved and accepted by grace.
He grew up in a Christian home but turned away from his faith. As a musician he traveled Europe living and playing hard. He was smart enough to realize the road he was on was not a healthy one, so he turned back to the One who had been there all along. He rediscovered his walk with Jesus and began to use his talents to spread the light and love of Christ. And God has used him on some of the biggest stages in the world. Zach Williams – Rescued and changed by grace.
He was a member of the Royal Navy but was dismissed for insubordination. He began making a living by trafficking slaves. A rough, crass, foul mouthed man he rose to ship’s captain during the harshest days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Yet God met him on the high seas and transformed him into a completely new person. He eventually became an outspoken witness to the horrors of slavery. He even wrote one of the most beloved hymns of all-time. John Newton – Redeemed by God’s Amazing Grace.
An ordinary home builder. Not a rebel, not a saint. Good at analyzing, planning, and controlling. Not so good at trusting. Quick to teach, slower to learn. Over time he learned the value of saying yes to God. He didn’t jump to yes, but often wrestled with it. Yet God used the yes in ways he would not have imagined. Time and again God’s patience and kindness moved him small steps forward. Today he is a pastor, life coach and writer, three things he would never have dreamed of. Ron Klopfenstein – Being continually shaped, pushed and covered by the grace of God.
The grace of God is more astounding than we can get our minds around. It saves us, will usher us into heaven and it breathes life into every single moment in between. Without it we have nothing. What is your personal encounter with God’s amazing grace?
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.- I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind but now I see. – John Newton
Live on purpose,
Ron Klopfenstein
