Saving Grace International Ministries, inc

When was the last time you thought about evangelism? Better yet, when was the last time your church challenged you to build genuine relationships to get out of your comfort zone to connect with someone you don’t normally talk to for the cause of CHRIST?

The answer to those questions are rather simple, evangelism is not talked about much. Where has the burden for the lost gone? It seems that American Christianity at times has become more about entertainment and host of other things and less about evangelism and building relationships for the cause of CHRIST! My heart is burdened to know that there will be people that perish with knowing or accepting CHRIST.

My dear brothers and sisters in CHRIST if your heart does not burden for the lost, would you ask the LORD why that might be? Also, would you ask the LORD to give you a deeper heart for the lost this day! LORD gives a deeper burden to reach those that don’t know YOU, in JESUS NAME I pray, amen!
~Pastor AG

I was thinking about this very thing over the last few days, to often the thing that collects dust the must in Christian homes is the the Bible, but catch this, the Bible is and should be without question the spiritual bread of live that we need daily, not some random piece of cake opened that you indulge in once in a while!

Dust off your bibles my brothers and sisters in CHRIST and open up GOD’S WORD to seek after the LORD, and also seek the LORD in prayer let that be apart of your daily spiritual nutrients!
~Pastor AG

To seek the LORD is one of the greatest joys a believer in CHRIST has!
~Pastor AG

Hymns:

You know today I felt led to sing a particular hymn as I was about to get into the WORD today, you see at first I thought hey I will just turn on YouTube and look up the hymn, but then I remembered that I keep a hymn book on my desk. The story about this particular hymn book is that I bought it at a bookstore that sells used books for .75 cents several months ago and this hymn book was and still is in such great condition.

This then got me to think about the fact that so many nowadays dislike hymns because they aren't edgy enough with epic guitar solos and crazy drumbeats. Still, they are written with more theological depth than most contemporary worship songs written nowadays. So the question you might be asking is, do you think church services should have just hymns or just contemporary songs?

The answer is both as long as they are theologically solid. Don't discard the hymns because you think they are outdated, because they are not but rather so rich theologically. Also, change up the hymns that you sing in your church services, it's easy to sing the same hymn or even a theologically rich contemporary worship song and forget the meaning of the words of the song because it is sung so much that it becomes second nature, thus at times losing value not because of what it is saying, but because it is sung so much where people don't or rather stop thinking of the meaning of the words.

Don't forget how rich theologically a good old-fashioned hymn really is. "Take My Life" is one of my favorites and today I sang it by myself out loud unto the LORD.

So saying that, if you don't own a good old-fashioned hymn book I highly encourage you to buy one to keep at home and open it up and just sing to the LORD, don't use your phone, television, tablet, or computer to have the music playing in the background, no! Let it be a time when it is just you and the LORD.

Anyways, those are my thoughts, I hope that they may encourage you my brothers and sisters in CHRIST.
~Pastor AG

When was the last time that you spent time with someone you didn’t know or maybe didn’t know well?

Did you listen to what they were telling you about themselves, or was it more of just waiting to say what you wanted to say?

Which leads me to this:

Did you pray for them, or rather are you praying for them. Praying that their hearts would be softened to hear the GOSPEL one day, and that GOD would give you the boldness to share the GOSPEL with them.

I will share this, if you want to know how to reach people for the cause of CHRIST, here are some helpful steps to help you with that.

I would like to make this quick comment first, make sure you are seeking after the LORD through prayer and HIS WORD daily for yourself as you consider the steps I suggest below in regards to reaching those around you for the cause of CHRIST.

1. Prayer (start praying for that person or people that the LORD is laying on your heart.)

2. Relationships (build relationships with that person or those people, that is not saying you are to support the sin they are living, no but rather get to know them for who they are. Most people want to be heard not talked at. Even if you disagree with them at least hear them out, don’t shut them down, because the moment you do that in the relationship process is the moment you will close the door for yourself and possibly others to share the GOSPEL with them. It comes down to showing that you are interested in them and you show that you genuinely care about “them” being that person or people.)

3. Pray more (Now that you have built a relationship with said person or people you will know how you can be praying for them specifically and pray for yourself that the LORD would give you the WORD’S to speak, and that HE would give you boldness to share the GOSPEL with them.)

4. Share the GOSPEL with them!! (Don’t be afraid to share the GOSPEL with them, and once they come to faith in CHRIST follow up with them, be the person who is discipling them and doing life with them, don’t just leave them high and dry, that is definitely not what you should do.)

I will add this, at any point you feel lead invite them to your church, and don’t just invite them let them know there will be an open seat next to you any time they would like to come.

My hope and prayer my brothers and sisters in CHRIST is that this post may be of help and encouragement to you as you strive to reach those around you for the cause of CHRIST.
~Pastor AG

The pursuit of GOD is not a fly by night thing, no! We must choose each and everyday to pursue after GOD!

Our pursuit of GOD must be both when things are going great and even when things are not going so great!

Develop a daily pursuit of GOD, both in prayer and HIS WORD!
~Pastor AG

The culture does not dictate your theology, but rather the WORD of GOD should dictate your theology! The more you pursue after GOD through HIS WORD and in prayer the more you will develop a biblical GOD honoring theology! But the less you pursue after GOD, and pursue what the culture says as okay, then you will lack a biblical theology and hold to a worldly theology!

Seek after GOD with everything you have, dig deep into GOD’S WORD and through prayer as well daily!
~Pastor AG

So here is a thought for this morning:

“SIN”

There is a lack of talking about sin or it seems addressing issues of sin. Why is that? You see the Bible talks about sin and what it does, it pulls us away from GOD. Yet to talk about “sin” or issues of sin is becoming taboo! That makes no sense to me. Hear me out before you cast a stone upon me. If we truly have a love for someone we’ll share the GOSPEL with them, the GOSPEL is only good news when someone realizes they are a sinner in need of a SAVIOR, that SAVIOR is JESUS CHRIST.

The great reformer Martin Luther whenever he found himself in sin, even the littlest of infraction of sin he would good to his knees in prayer and repentance on a concrete floor. That convection came out of his time with the LORD. With that being said “Sheol” (hell) is a real place. Without CHRIST that is where people are headed with a one way ticket. So why not talk about sin and issues of sin and the effects of sin? We must not water down the gospel in fear of offending someone. At the same time we must slow down and examine our hearts motives before GOD. Even before typing up this post I had to examine my own heart before GOD.

Let me tell you I still sin, but when I sin I repent earnestly before GOD. I am grateful that although I am a sinner who has been saved by grace through faith in CHRIST, but that doesn’t mean I should go on willfully sinning well holding up waving a card in my hand that says I am forgiven, that is counterintuitive and then keep on sinning freely, no not at all.

If you have been redeemed through CHRIST you will still sin, with that being said we need our brothers and sisters in CHRIST to help call out sin in our lives because they have that love as the body of CHRIST for one another. At the end of the day who really likes to talk about sin, sin it’s self is and should not be a joyous topic to talk about in my mind. But sin and issues of sin even though hard need to be talked about.

Also to my dear brothers and sisters in CHRIST stop just merely inviting people to church as the way for someone else to deal with that person’s sin or issues of sin, but reach them where they are at. By the way I am not saying it is bad to invite people to church I am all for that and encourage that, with that being said if you invite someone to church you should make it your responsibility to follow with them in some way and start walking with them as they open up about sin or issues of sin in there life. As you do that you will know how to specifically pray for them.

“SIN” we just can’t be afraid to talk about it anymore, or try to water down sin to make someone feel good about their sin. With that I will end with this and a prayer.

As spoke greatly on the topic of sin in this post, share the GOSPEL with those around you, you see once someone realizes they have fallen short of the glory of GOD and are destined to hell they need to hear the good news that JESUS saves! That they can repent and accept JESUS CHRIST as LORD and SAVIOR and have eternal life.

Just check out John 3:16

“For GOD so loved the world, that HE gave HIS only SON, that whoever believes in HIM should not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE. (ESV)

And after someone comes to faith in CHRIST help them to find a local church and be baptized as a public declaration of there faith in CHRIST, after all baptism should follow at some point shortly after accepting CHRIST as LORD and SAVIOR.

My prayer: FATHER I pray that YOU would help us to be a people who aren’t afraid to talk about sin to talk about issues of sin GOD, even help us to look into our own lives and if there’s issues of sin in our lives that we need to address help us to address them LORD, thank YOU for this day the fact that we have woke up, the fact that we get to seek after YOU today is a blessing. I pray for those today that are struggling with certain sin or issues of sin in their lives LORD that they would repent and turn to YOU. I pray for those who don’t know CHRIST that they would come to faith in Christ and I pray for those my brothers and sisters in Christ, who have been afraid about talking about sin or issues of sin as to offend somebody, give them boldness to love that person so much so that they would talk about on issues of sin and what sin does and how it keeps us away from YOU. I thank YOU for the opportunity to make this post. May YOU be honored and glorified through this post today in JESUS NAME, I pray AMEM.
~Pastor AG

Amen and amen! So very true!
~Pastor AG

"Do you know who taught the eagles to find their prey? Well, that same GOD teaches HIS hungry children to find their FATHER in HIS WORD."
~ William Tyndale

Amen!
~Pastor AG

Teach me YOUR way, LORD, and I will live by YOUR truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear YOUR NAME.
~Psalms 86:11 (CSB)

No matter where you are at you have a chance to impact people for CHRIST. But it all starts with the time you spend with GOD daily! Think about this, how can you impact people for CHRIST if you don't have a good relationship with CHRIST to began with?

Also how do you know what is biblical, compared to what is not biblical if you are not also in the WORD daily? Look around you at what the world calls good, compared to what GOD and HIS WORD calls good! There is a vast difference, you see the world wants you to accept sin in general as okay, GOD wants you to repent and flee from sin! Also the more the more you seek after GOD both through HIS WORD and prayer, the more you will develop a burden to reach the lost and hurting in your community!

Do let another day go by if you call yourself a believer that you aren’t in GOD’S WORD or seeking HIM in prayer, after all truthfully without GOD we are nothing!
~Pastor AG

Something to ponder:

If one says GOD is good all the time, why does one complain when things don’t go one’s way?

Think about that question in your own life. Don’t be the hypocrite that says GOD is good one moment, and the next slander someone to death that you disagree with. Have open dialogue with said person or people, on another note if you struggle with complaining about everything, ask GOD to reveal to you why that is, meaning what in your life is causing you to do that. Because no matter what GOD is good! Even when one thinks HE is not!
~Pastor AG

Prayer is the backbone of the christian life, which is also married with digging into GOD’S HOLY WORD! They go hand in hand!
~Pastor AG

My heart breaks this afternoon after reading a few articles on what took place in the UMC. It is disheartening, listen plan and simple if your church or denomination rejects the Bible and what it says you need to leave immediately and find a biblically solid church. The UMC says been embracing a sinful path for years, this is nothing new, now they have committed 100 percent to walk in that sinful path with no remorse. I am praying for those of you who I know who I also know stand firmly on the WORD that GOD would direct your steps as you navigate what is next for you and your families.

I stand firmly behind GOD’S definition of marriage of one man and one woman. Also just because I know I need to say this, I have and will always meet people where they are. But let me be very clear that does not mean I have to or will accept sin as okay, because it is not.

I literally said last night to a pastor friend the two biggest issues that are facing the church is human sexuality and evangelism, both the church in America is steering away from, but both are pressing issues that need to be talked about more. The fear is I find that people don’t want to offend others as a Christian, but honestly to someone living in sin the Christian life will offend them.

We need to stop walking on egg shells, but exemplify love to those around us even if they will never agree with you and I. That does not mean you are forced to accept sin as okay, but because you truly love someone you will pray for them and share the GOSPEL with them!

JESUS is the only way, there is no other way to SALVATION.

Check out what Romans 6:23 has to say:>

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of GOD is ETERNAL LIFE in CHRIST JESUS our LORD. (ESV)

Sin leads to eternal death, repent and draw near to GOD by accepting JESUS CHRIST as LORD and SAVIOR if you haven’t.

Again I will say this, no matter who you are I truly have a love for you, because I have that love for you I want to share the GOSPEL with you. Let that be our hearts cry. Church the culture is knocking at our doors so much so they are about to knock the doors of the hinges, we must stand firm for CHRIST, we never more then ever by GOD’S leading stand firm!

The battle has been and is at your doors. Now with saying that if you disagree with someone do not and let repeat that again, do not slander them or treat them like they are less than, because they are not. Be the bigger person and walk away if you have to. I have seen to many of my brothers and sisters in CHRIST treat people in a negative way when someone disagrees with them, whether in person or on social media.

MY PRAYER: FATHER I ask that you wake up your church today to not just be the so called Sunday Christians, but rather to have a deeper heart for seeking after you through prayer and your HOLY WORD. Help to get out of the pews on Sundays to share gospel with those around us, no more country club Christianity, LORD guide our steps, help us to minister with both grace and mercy, but with a boldness for JESUS! Let us not stray to the right or left, but straight forward down the narrow path.

Break our hearts daily for what breaks yours, oh LORD we are not promised another day, but yet here we are this day help us to make the most of it for your glory. LORD I prayer for any church or denomination walking in error, that they would repent and turn back to you in JESUS NAME I pray, AMEN!

The last thing I will say, is this if you don’t feel loved I love you, and there are people who are around that love you and would love to share the gospel with, or who would love to be an ear for you and just to what you are going through.

My hope is that GOD is honored and in and through your lives my fellow brothers and sisters in CHRIST!
~Pastor AG

For the WORD of GOD is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
-Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

May we always stand bold for GOD, having tender hearts towards the people we are called to reach for HIS glory!
~Pastor AG

It can be funny how people view success, but never put in the time or effort to achieve something! At times people will coast off of past achievements, but come on let’s be real that particular well will run dry way sooner than you think.

Don’t be one of those people who just look back at the past whether because of negative life experiences or absolutely positively amazing experiences that you think you will never get to experience again. And well with that mindset you won’t.

And if you are a believer in CHRIST strive to make sure your life each day is one that glorifies CHRIST, and I know no one is perfect.

Set goals, whether if it is reading a chapter of a book each day to working on a writing project, whatever it may be, challenge yourself, because if you don’t you will be content staying right where you are in life and wondering why you aren’t successful after all these years!
~Pastor AG

The below quote from Milton Vincent's book "A GOSPEL Primer for Christians: Learning to see the GLORIES of GOD’S Love" pg. 19

I read this book a few years ago, it is not a long book, but if it is read in the right manner it will take you a good while to read through it, such a convicting read. I highly recommend that book to anyone looking for literally a GOSPEL-centered book that will constantly point you back to GOD'S HOLY WORD!

"As long as I am stricken with guilt of my sins, I will be captive to them, and will often find myself re-committing the very sins about which I feel most guilty. The devil is well aware of this fact; he knows that he can keep me tormented by sin’s guilt, he can dominate me with sin’s power.

The GOSPEL, however, slays sin at this root point and thereby nullifies sin’s power over me. The forgiveness of GOD, made known to me through the GOSPEL, liberates me from sin’s power because it liberates me from its guilt; and preaching such forgiveness to myself is a practical way of putting the GOSPEL into operation as a nullifier of sin’s power in my life."
~From Milton Vincent’s book “A GOSPEL Primer for Christians: Learning to See the GLORIES of GOD’S Love pg. 19

The moment we say it is about me, and put me in front of CHRIST, is the very moment we fall flat on our faces, because it is about CHRIST, and CHRIST ALONE! We our absolutely nothing without CHRIST!
~Pastor AG

Tonight’s dinner!

As I say that I am thankful for this food, yeah to some it’s just pasta and meat sauce with bread, but to me I see how GOD has provided this food.

I am thankful, what about you? Are you thankful for the food the LORD has provided you this day for you and if you have a family, for your family as well?

You see it can be so easy to take this very food in my case this pasta and bread for granted, but to that I would say it must not be taken for granted. Look around you, you and I have much to be thankful for on a given day. The physical food is one thing, now what about the spiritual food which is your pursuit of GOD?

EVERYDAY that the LORD allows another day of life we must not take it for granted, we must be thankful even in the hard seasons thank the LORD, devote yourself to the spiritual food that is known as seeking after the LORD in prayer and seeking HIM through HIS WORD.

You see truth be told in the morning I will need to make something again to eat for breakfast, then lunch and then finally dinner, but how much more important is the spiritual food that you and I need each and everyday?

Let me tell you, it is so very important! So with all that being said be thankful for what the LORD has done, is doing and will do in your life! Also, be thankful for the physical food in my case again it is this pasta and bread nothing fancy at all. Oh and be thankful for each and every single day the LORD gives to glorify HIM in and through your life!

May we all have a deep, deep desire for the spiritual food in our lives each and every day! May we always have are focus on the LORD, no matter the season of life we are in!
~Pastor AG

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,
And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I AM with you always, to the very end of the age.”
~Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

We should instill those very words from CHRIST into our hearts, and I will simply add that if you profess JESUS as LORD and SAVIOR, HE is calling you to be bold and reach those around you in HIS name!
~Pastor AG

HE is risen! JESUS has conquered the grave!! HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!
~Pastor AG

"FATHER, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing CHRIST in me."
~ Jim Elliot

Let us who confess CHRIST echo the same prayer in our own lives as that of Jim Elliot.

Matter of fact, LORD help us who confess CHRIST to have a deeper heart for prayer both individually when seek after you daily, and corporately when we gather as the local body of CHRIST!
~Pastor AG

“We owe CHRIST to the world--to the least person and to the greatest person, to the richest person and to the poorest person, to the best person and to the worst person. We are in debt to the nations.”
~DAVID PLATT

Laziness in regards to your pursuit of GOD, creates apathy, which creates staleness, which creates a lack of seeking after GOD!
~Pastor AG

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!

I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my GOD while I have my being.
~Psalm 146:1-2 (ESV)

Praise the LORD for who HE is!

Praise the LORD for SALVATION that is found in CHRIST by the grace and mercy of the LORD!

Praise the LORD for struggles that come in and through our lives that they may push towards glorifying and praising the LORD all the more!

Praise the LORD for our persecuted brothers and sister’s in CHRIST who teach us how to stand for CHRIST even when tremendous danger is knocking that the door!

Praise the LORD for HIS grace!

Praise the LORD for HIS mercy!

praise the LORD for convection through the HOLY SPIRIT when we our in error!

Praise, praise, and more praise should constantly abound from our lips for the LORD!
~Pastor AG

The LORD reigns; HE is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed; HE has put on strength as HIS belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

YOUR throne is established from of old;
YOU are from everlasting.
~ Psalm 93:1-2 (ESV)

The LORD reigns, but yet to my brothers and sisters in CHRIST, and even to myself, do our lives constantly reflect this very truth in our own lives. The reality is at some point in our lives we will fall short of living out this very truth, but in order to combat that, we must always strive to keep our gaze on HIM!

It is so easy if we are not careful to let our focus be more on the temperal (the things of this world), instead of the eternal (in this sense I mean keeping our focus on GOD.)

Simply put, the LORD reigns! The LORD is HOLY! So we must treat the LORD as such! If you find your self struggling to allow the LORD to reign in your life, would you just stop what you are doing right now and ask the LORD what you might be putting in front of HIM that is keeping you from allowing HIM to reign in your life!

The LORD reigns, and will always reign!
~Pastor AG