Devotions - Prayer

We need to Repent!
*Every decision has a consequence!
Repentance has fruit and works; not just words.
*We need to return to God. Recognize the goodness of God!
*Repent while mercy is still available
*How many times do we sin yet He shows grace? I have learned that nothing compares to the love I have in Jesus Christ.

2 Chronicles 7:14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.

*We must humble ourselves to be blessed..

Steps for God to Forgive and Heal Our Land.
1. Humble thy selves
2. Pray
3. Seek my face
4. Turn from wicked ways

God chastens His own children, but punishes the children of the world.

Blessings He Promises
1. God will hear us
2. Forgiveness of sin
3. Healing of the land

*Our requirement to God’s request for revival!

Joshua 24:15 But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”

*One of the primary reasons we don’t see revival is when we forget the goodness of God. Pride rises up and we forget!  GRATITUDE HAS LEFT US!

1 Peter 5:6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

Without believers getting serious about making a difference in the society we’ve been called to there will be no change for good.

All our flowery words about Jesus are not enough. Our actions must match our words in order for it to become truth.
“Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Matthew 23:28

2 Corinthians 7:10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

Lord Jesus heal our land.  Change our hearts, mind and spirit one by one to KNOW YOU More.   Help each one of us to lift the name of Jesus up in our families, friends, work and social groups.  Let us be Your Voice to all we spend time with.  Amen

“I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish.” (John 11:25-26‎)

There are a lot of benefits to believing in Jesus and having a relationship with him, but even if there were nothing else, there would still be this, and it’s a pretty big deal: When you believe in Jesus Christ, you are guaranteed eternal life.

Your eternity is sealed because of Jesus’ Resurrection.

You see, Jesus bringing himself back to life changed everything. It literally split history into A.D. and B.C. It’s the most important event. And, it proved three things.
First, it proved that Jesus is exactly who he claimed to be. He repeatedly said he was the Son of God who came to die for our sins. And he did just that.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most well documented events in history. It would stand up in any court of law. In fact it has many, many times throughout centuries.

The Resurrection also proved that Jesus keeps his promises. Jesus told his disciples that he was going to let the people kill him and that he would come back to life. If he kept that promise, then you know you can trust the other promises in the Word of God.

The third thing the Resurrection proves is that there is life after death. If Jesus Christ hadn’t resurrected, you would have no hope for the future.

Jesus said in John 11:25-26, “I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish”.

That is an amazing benefit, and it’s available to you today. What’s the qualification? You must believe.‎ You must be ALL In!
That is an amazing benefit.

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in Heaven one day. I confess my sin, and I believe that you are God, my Savior. Amen.”‎

You don’t have to be a perfect person, but you do have to have a pure heart. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:21, “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work”).

God uses all kinds of people. He uses shy people. He uses outgoing people. He uses all different races, ages, stages of life, and backgrounds. He uses men and women. God will use plain vessels, and he’ll use ornate vessels. He’ll use big vessels and small vessels. But there is one thing that God will not use: He will not use a dirty vessel. You have to be clean on the inside.

How do you do that? How do you purify yourself? You do it through a simple word: confession.

Augustine said, “The confession of bad works is the beginning of good works.”

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing”.

The word “confess” It means you agree with him: “God, you’re right. It wasn’t a mistake. It was a sin. It was wrong.”

• It doesn’t mean you bargain with God (“I’ll never do it again”).
• It doesn’t mean you bribe God (“I promise to read my Bible every day if you’ll forgive me”).

You just admit it. That may seem too simple to you. You may say, “All I’ve got to do is admit it, and God will forgive me?” Yes! It’s called grace! (grace is not a license to sin, no grace gives us the power not to sin. see Gal. 2:20)

Take time this week to sit down with a pad of paper, and say, “God, what’s wrong in my life? Show me. I’m going to write it down, and I’m going to admit it. I’m going to confess it to you.” Then, when God gives you an idea, you write it down.

Make a list, and then write 1 John 1:9 over it and say, “God, I admit these to you. These are wrong. I don’t want them in my life.” Ask God to cleanse your life. God will forgive you! This is the starting point to being used by God. You must purify your heart.

Hebrews 10:26 put the fear of God in me to not try and fool God.  He knows all and sees all!

1 John 4:4 lets us know:  We fight FROM Victory—not for Victory.  Jesus paid our penalty that we may be free to worship and Glorify Him.  Amen

Satan’s Candy Store         taken from John Piper

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. (1 Peter 4:1)

First it puzzles. Did Christ have to cease from sin? No! “He committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22).

Then it clicks. When we arm ourselves with the thought that Christ suffered for us, we realize that we died with him. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). When we die with him we cease to sin.

It’s just like Romans 6. “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. . . . So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:6–7, 11).

Peter says, “Arm yourselves with this thought!”

Paul says, “Consider yourselves dead!”

The weapon for our vacation is a thought/consideration.

When the temptations of Satan come — to lust, to steal, to lie, to covet, to envy, to retaliate, to put down, to fear — arm yourself with this thought: When my Lord suffered and died to free me from sin, I died to sin!

When Satan says to you, Why deny yourself the pleasure of lust? Why deal with the mess you could avoid by lying? Why not go ahead and get that harmless luxury you covet? Why not seek justice by returning the same hurt you received?

Answer him: The Son of God suffered (really suffered!) to deliver me from sinning. I cannot believe he suffered to make me miserable. Therefore, what he died to purchase must be more wonderful than the pleasures of sin. Since I trust him, my susceptibility to your allurements has shriveled up and died.

Satan, be gone! My mouth doesn’t drool any more when I walk by your candy store.

SO: Why deny yourself the pleasure of lust? Why deal with the mess you could avoid by lying? Why not go ahead and get that harmless luxury you covet? Why not seek justice by returning the same hurt you received?…..

Answer him: The Son of God suffered (really suffered!) to deliver me from sinning. I cannot believe he suffered to make me miserable. Therefore what he died to purchase must be more wonderful than the pleasures of sin. Since I trust him, my susceptibility to your allurements has shriveled up and died. Satan, be gone! My mouth doesn’t drool any more when I walk by your candy store.

We now fight From Victory not For Victory (1 JN 4:4)  Amen

Matthew 28: 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority(The scope of Christ’s authority is the entire universe) in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Scripture teaches us to tell others about Jesus Christ. And while sharing the gospel is awesome, it is simply not enough. We should continue to encourage and invest in new believers.

We don’t know where to begin reading in the Bible(Suggest the Book of Ephesians/read all 6 chapters each day for a month and journal what are hearing) or how to spend time with their heavenly Father.

Of course, God takes each person’s spiritual journey seriously, and He won’t leave a seeking heart unsatisfied. At the same time, we have a responsibility to invest in the lives of spiritual brothers and sisters by sharing our understanding and experience.

This type of teaching is called discipleship, and it is both an honor and a great responsibility. Verse 28:20 teaching them to observe. Disciples are not just taught what to believe, but how to obey. Jesus taught practical holiness. As you commence this type of relationship, consider the following points.

• First, make sure to continually spend time with the Lord so that you are growing and in tune with His Spirit.
• Second, be prepared with a plan. Your friend needs to understand the basics, such as how to read the Bible, what prayer is, and where to find fellowship. New believers will have questions–answers are important, as is your ability to find resources when you are unsure of how to reply.
• Third, help the individual understand generally what to expect as he embarks on his Christian walk.

Most of us learned, struggled, and learned some more till we began to understand the basics of life in Christ. Godly mentors can be a tremendous help.
And remember, no matter how long we’ve believed, we never stop needing advice and encouragement from those farther along in the journey.

Christ’s program of missions: “make disciples of all nations.” It involves three steps: (1) “go,” (2) “baptizing them” and (3) “teaching them to obey everything”.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for all the individuals that have spoken and taught me Your Word over the years.  Thank you too Lord, for my weekly male mentor and my hourly female mentor Laura, my wife, our Home Church plus all the groups we do which speaks into me also.  Bless them all Lord for all the seeds they have planted-I am so so blessed.  Amen

Copy and share this letter from Pastor Bruce Olson with family and friends this Easter season.  You will be blessed as I have been blessed.

March 28, 2015
Dear Faithful Friend,
The Passion Week is upon us. Easter Sunday will again let us focus on the great victory Christ won over death through His resurrection from the dead. Summarizing biblical revelation:(1) the prophets told of the Plan of God. (2) Christmas manifested the Grace of God. (3) The death of Christ on the cross expressed the Love of God. (4) The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, demonstrates the Power of God. And without the 4th, without the resurrection of Jesus – the first three don’t make any sense!Paul puts it this way in the resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” If Christ is not risen, we are hopeless!
Let’s review the historical reality of Christ’s resurrection. The Gospels are the record of Jesus:His life, teachings, miracles, predictions, death and resurrection. In the 4 Gospels there is more attention given to the resurrection than to anything else, except for the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. But, are there “contradictions” in the account?Consider the facts about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
First note that in the great fundamental facts of the resurrection there are absolutely no contradictions.

1) Christ’s body is placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea on Friday afternoon.

2) The tomb is sealed with a great stone and Roman soldiers are placed as guards.

3) On Sunday morning women came to the tomb and saw the stone rolled away and the body gone.

4) These early visitors were told by angels that the Lord had risen.

5)On that day, the Lord Jesus appeared on five different occasions.

6) During the 40 days of post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, He showed Himself only to believers.

7) Jesus showed Himself in His real physical body.

8) This body was the same body that the disciples know was Jesus before His death.

9) During the 40 days, Jesus instructs His disciples to evangelize the world.

10) All appearances of Jesus abruptly ended at His ascension into heaven. In these fundamental truths, there are no contradictions!

Second, with regard to the variations in the accounts, details are givens by various witnesses.

No two witnesses see the same thing in precisely the same way. If all 4 accounts were precisely the same, we would assume they all copied some common source. But because they are faithful to the facts and to themselves, they differ from one another in their specific account of the experiences. So, any variations, or single recordings (such as the Emmaus disciples found only in Luke 24) only substantiate the reality of the actual events. Any variations are perfectly consistent with truth and of utmost importance for establishing it!
The evidence for Christ’s resurrection can be viewed in 5 classes: 1) the empty tomb, 2) the post-resurrection appearances, 3) the testimony of the guards, 4) the change in the Apostles, and 5) the rise of the Church. Let’s review the second set of evidences, the post-resurrection appearances of our Lord.
There are 10 appearances of the Lord Jesus during the time between His Sunday resurrection and His Ascension into heaven:
1. To certain women as they returned from the sepulcher after being told by angels that He had risen, Jesus greets them, Matthew28:1-10, (Mark 16:1-8).
2. To Mary Magdalene at the sepulcher, probably upon her second visit to the tomb, John 20:11-18, Mark 16:9-11.
3. To the Apostle Peter, before the evening of resurrection Sunday, but we have no specific details, Luke 24:34 and 1 Corinthians 15:5.
4. To the 2 disciples, Cleopas and one unnamed, on the way to Emmaus, Mark 16:12 and Luke 24:13-35.
5. To the 10 Apostles, Thomas absent, and others on Easter evening, Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:36-40, John 20:19-23 and 1 Corinthians 15:5.
6. One week later, to all 11 Apostles, the record of Thomas’s great confession, John20:26-28.
7. To several of the disciples at the Sea of Galilee, while they were fishing, exact time, undesignated, John 21:1-23.
8. To the Apostles and above 500 disciples at once, on an appointed mountain in Galilee, Matthew 28:16-20 and 1 Corinthians 15:6.
9. To James, under circumstances of which we have no more information, 1 Corinthians15:7.
10. To the Apostles at Jerusalem, immediately before the ascension of Jesus, on the Mount of Olives, Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-52 and Acts 1: 3-8.
In these appearances of Jesus, it is interesting to note the following facts:
1. At first it seemed to be an unbelievable tale. They thought someone had taken the body.
2. They really have no idea He will rise from the dead (although He had predicted it)!
3. Upon seeing Jesus, He is not immediately recognized.
4. Those who heard about the resurrected Jesus from others, could not accept it. Thomas was the outstanding example of this. He needed to see for himself that the One crucified, was actually the One risen from the dead! Because of his testimony, the testimony of a realist, an empiricist, a sceptic, a later inquirer can be sure of the fact of Jesus’ resurrection!
5. Jesus appears to a wide variety of His followers, under very different situations.
6. The response of those who see Jesus is varied: fear, sadness, sadness and joy, unbelief.
7. The apostles needed to be convinced that this was not a vision of a spirit.
8. They witnessed the resurrected Christ consume food!
9. They are absolutely sure of the resurrection!
Some final thoughts:
The evidence for the resurrection was given at the very time, under the very place where these events took place. The facts may have been objected to, but, no evidence came forth which contradicted the facts.There is a beautiful naturalness about the appearances. No blazing manifestations. Rather, Jesus appears in a dignified humanity, the natural transition from human lowliness, to glorified humanity!The appearances abruptly cease after Jesus ascension – except to Saul whose name becomes Paul.
I pray you will be thrilled by the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Read again 1 Corinthians 15 and see that because He is risen, we too will experience resurrection from the dead!Blessed Easter
Bruce Olson

Faith Resources / The Twelve Basket Club

God’s commandments are not intended to make us miserable–they’re meant for our own happiness.

Satan’s lie in the Garden of Eden caused Eve to question God’s motives behind His command (Genesis 3:5).
Malachi 2:15 says God hates divorce. God doesn’t hate the people who divorce. He hates the act of divorce because of the damage it does to people. God loves people.
Today, people see divorce as an easy way out of marital problems. But this is based on the misconception that the mate is the problem–which is rarely the case.
People who blame their mate for their problems give in easily to divorce, thinking that a new partner will solve the situation.
Yet second marriages have over twice the failure rate of first marriages. That’s because we take ourselves and all our unresolved problems into the next marriage.
You can’t control other people–not even your mate. But through obeying the Lord, you can control yourself and have fullness of joy.

God’s commands tell us what will produce true happiness for us.

As a believer, God has provided the Holy Spirit for you and I so that we can experience the power of the gospel that allows us to live the Christian life.
Today, if you have not done so, invite the Holy Spirit to fill your life to overflowing so that you can be a witness in your home, workplace, city and nation.
Choose to make your spiritual condition your top priority. Spend more time on your spiritual well being than you do your physical well being. You and everyone around you will be eternally grateful that you did.

Heavenly Father, we know that a cheerful heart is a blessing to ourselves and others and a response of genuine trust in You. We ask that Your joy bubble up in our daily lives. Amen.

The Word of God assures us that our Father hears our cries and responds.
He is the only True Source of our strength and hope.

2 Samuel 22: 7 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.
*It doesn’t matter where you are when you cry out to God, because He hears and is listening to you all the time. He knows and sees your heart, and knows your heart’s motives, but despite it all, God hears you when you cry out to him. Trust Him, believe Him, and leave it all on the alter. God is in Control!

God protects us and carries us gently when we are wounded!
*Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.
**It all starts with the relationship we have with God. If He is your Shepherd then you allow Him to lead in all areas of your life!

*You dwell in His presence all the time – no time out!  We are likened to a sheep because without a shepherd we have no direction. 1 Peter 2:25.

The sheep has no defense mechanism and always depends on the Shepherd to protect him. The best way to understand this is for us to talk with God – Job 22:21.
*****He is the Chief Shepherd, the Great Shepherd!

Experiencing God’s Love is the only thing that will give us hope for the future, even when we can’t understand the way in which He leads us.
* “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me…”Psalm 23:4

Afflictions teach us to bend our knees, to cry out to the Lord in all our
problems and troubles.

“I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You
have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75).
**David is saying, Lord, I know why You
afflicted me. You saw that when all was going well, I went ASTRY, becoming
careless, so you allowed trouble to come upon me. You knew it would drive me to my knees and bring me BACK to brokenness. My affliction was evidence of Your faithfulness to me!

I know many people including myself who have had to battle awful bondages in their lives—drugs, alcohol, cigarette, co- dependency, Loneliness, Fear, Control, Unforgiveness, Feelings of Unworthiness, Shame-Guilt, Pride —and temptation rages every day. Yet I say to all such people:
** God Cares For You! God knows the misery you are going through and God alone has the power to deliver you.

The Lord does not constantly hover over you, saying, “You’re miserable because
of what you did. You failed Me and now you’re paying the price.”
No! You do not serve such a God, you serve a loving Father who feels your grief the moment you first feel it.
** No matter how you got into your affliction, God hurts with you
and He wants to deliver you.

You may think God is not helping you at all, but the very moment He heard your
cry, He went into action.
*”So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them” (Exodus 2:24-25).
* The word acknowledged here means, “He began to act.”
*God heard their cry and began taking action on their behalf.

**Rejoice and be grateful for the challenges that prove that you still have what it takes to face difficulties and overcome.  It takes discipline and hard work, but you are well able to do what the Lord has set before you.  This is a time when you can come face to face with fear and presumption and walk away knowing the truth.  Renew your confidence and trust, and be convinced that you can do all things through Christ.  Do not be afraid!
* Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

As we look at the fallen world around us, we all need to lift our eyes up to God and put ALL of our Faith and Hope in Him. For the saved In Christ, one day “God will wipe away every tear, there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.”
Revelation 21: 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

As believers, we all need to live for Heaven and not get depressed or angry about our fallen world. Pain and suffering point us to God and how much we need Him.

Luke 11:28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Thank you, Father, that we are grass, that we do fade away and that you’re Word remains forever! Remind us of this in our personal wilderness.   Thank You that You keep Your promises and never abandon those who serve You. Be with us and help us to share Your gospel message. Glorify Yourself in us that others may see Your righteousness, mercy and grace. Amen
Our love only becomes genuine when God’s Love first penetrates our hearts.
* “We love, because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19

Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry!!!

” And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27.
Although bitter food is good for the body, “bitterness” is never good for the soul.
Childhood experiences that brings bad memories, Damaged emotions we can not let go, Regrets we can not forget, Hurtful words that cuts through our hearts, Betrayal of trust… The root goes deep and it slowly poisons us… our joy escapes us…. The cure… The GRACE of God that brings healing to our soul.

Forgiveness Ensures Freedom!
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” – Hebrews 12:15

In business and life the opportunity to harbor bitterness for a wrong suffered is great. We are given plenty of opportunities to grow bitter from relationships that bring hurt and pain.

The writer of the Hebrews passage above admonishes us not to miss the grace of God so that we won’t take up bitterness as a response to life’s pain.

He cautions us against this because he knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness.

If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned to it. God’s grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives. We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead. We can even become physically ill from it.

God does not live in bitterness. He lives in grace. He has provided grace for every person to walk in.

Let me ask you a question: When does God give us “grace”? Oh, I know, every act of God is full of grace. But specifically . . .

“Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16

Answer from above verse: “in time of need.”
That is In trials, tribulation, distress, wilderness experiences, illness, suffering . . . whatever defines your unique “time of need.”
* Now, ponder this: “Be careful that none of you fails to respond to the grace of God, for if he does there can spring up in him a bitter spirit which can poison the lives of many others. Hebrews 12:15

One day I was challenged to deal with an individual who hurt me terribly. I was faced with a decision. Would I choose bitterness, or would I choose grace?
Replace Bitterness with Forgiveness
*If you don’t learn to transform the pain you’ll transfer it.
*You may be justified in your bitterness, but it still contaminates everything.

Oh, how my natural tendency was to choose bitterness. But God provided the courage to choose grace. With that grace came freedom – a freedom to love and even accept the person who was the source of such pain.
*Matthew 18:23-30
*Authentic forgiveness is never cheap!
*Forgiveness means you choose the way of LOVE over HATE, letting go of your right to hurt them back. 

Matthew 6:14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
*Jesus gives a startling warning about forgiveness: If we refuse to forgive others, God will also refuse to forgive us. Why? Because when we don’t forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. God’s forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. It is easy to ask God for forgiveness, but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us for sin, we should ask ourselves, “Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?”

This is the real place where Christ’s power is most revealed. We cannot live without His supernatural grace.
Are you in need of grace today?
It is there for the receiving.
It will take courage to accept it and walk in it.
This will be your step to freedom!

God help me Forgive others as You have forgiven me and You Lord take any cup of bitterness from me, that I will be set Free. Give me the Grace I need for each hour of each day.  God give me opportunities to show off your grace. Give me the strength and the wisdom to know your grace and to share it with others. Help me to go the extra mile for people, so that they can see God’s grace through me.  I forgive all who have wronged me in the name of Jesus.  “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.”
2 Peter1:2  Amen

Ephesians 1:6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.