"When God gives orders and tells us what will happen if we fail to obey those orders perfectly, that is in the category of what the reformers, following the biblical text, called law. When God promises freely, providing for us because of Christ's righteousness the status he demands of us, this is in the category of gospel. It is good news from start to finish. The Bible includes both, and the reformers were agreed that the Scriptures taught clearly that the law, whether Old or New Testament commands, was not eliminated for the believer (those from a Dispensational background may notice a difference here). Nevertheless, they insisted that nothing in this category of law could be a means of justification or acceptance before a holy God ... The law comes, not to reform the sinner nor to show him or her the "narrow way" to life, but to crush the sinner's hopes of escaping God's wrath through personal effort or even cooperation. All of our righteousness must come from someone else-someone who has fulfilled the law's demands. Only after we have been stripped of our "filthy rags" of righteousness (Isa. 64:6)- our fig leaves through which we try in vain to hide our guilt and shame-can we be clothed with Christ's righteousness. First comes the law to proclaim judgment and death, then the gospel to proclaim justification and life. One of the clearest presentations of this motif is found in Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. In the sixteenth century, the issue of law and grace was more clearly dealt with than at almost any other time since the apostles."
Modern Reformation Good News: The Gospel for Christians (May/June 2003)
A Prophecy: I Heard "Grace Over America�Grace, Grace!"
Theresa Phillips
"Time for Grace Over America. Will You Share It?"
It's not very often you are awakened with a word like "Grace!" I was, and it was wonderful! With all the media hype and the relentless stabbing of people with the mouth, I found it so refreshing to hear the word "grace"; and then I heard:
"Time for grace over America. Will you share it?"
That gets my attention, for I adore America!
Then I heard this: "I am a good King. I am a loving King, and I adore My citizens!"
How wonderful to have that relationship with His Majesty, King Jesus! He loves us and He is placing grace over the nation!
"Is There Anyone?"
Then I was drawn to remember the grace of King David�the grace that he extended; and when I thought of it, I felt the Presence of His majesty so strong, I had to jump into the Word and live it! David was a great King: He is depicted as a righteous king, not without fault, as well as an acclaimed warrior. A man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).
I heard the Lord ask, "Is there anyone?"
2 Samuel 9:1-3 (AMP) And David said, "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" And of the house of Saul there was a servant whose name was Ziba. When they had called him to David, he said to him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "I, your servant, am he." The king said, "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the (unfailing, unsought, unlimited) mercy and kindness of God?" Ziba replied, "Jonathan has yet a son who is lame in his feet."
As I was reading this I heard, "Is there anyone left that I can bless? I desire to bless!" said the Lord. Naturally, I said, "Me, Lord, over here!"
"Who Will Come to My Table?"
But then He said again, "Who will come to My table? Who will sit at My table?" With this, I began to break, for I wasn't sure if I was worthy to sit at a King's table. For when a King is present we know it is only his "closest confidants" that are bid to come. At a King's table one hears matters of state, the orders of the day, the very things closest to the King's heart. Was I to hear? Yet, He is asking today, "Who can I bless who is left?"
2 Samuel 9:4-5 And the king said, "Where is he?" Ziba replied, "He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar." Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar.
Where are we? Where are you? Where am I? This was my own questioning. Yet, I heard Him call, so I must be accepted. He is calling. The King is calling, bidding us to come and sit at His royal table�to dine with Him, to be preserved by Him, to receive back all that has been taken from us. It's the nature of a King to tend to His subjects. It's His responsibility as a sovereign leader to do so.
We are citizens of His Royal Kingdom and He will take care of us�restore back to us all our spiritual, royal lineage that He has for us. We are joint heirs with Him�it is our inherited right, by the Blood right of the Cross. We are grafted in. He did this, after all, for all of us.
I hear Him saying..."Go, Church. Go get them. All those who are lame, all those who have been rejected, all those who have once been an enemy. Tell them I will restore, restore, restore! I know I am King."
"America, Grace I will Extend to You"
David knew he was king. He had nothing to fear. Jonathan's son was alive, he was near. He had David's love; it was his by inherited rights. Jonathan was David's dearest friend. His family was not about to be ignored any longer. There must be affirmation. This son is, after all, of royal blood! Kings recognize royalty; they know their own kind.
Grace is extended by David the king. Grace to a lame man who once shared the pleasures and rights of the Kingdom. Grace brought restoration to a man who had lost it all. (Sounding familiar, America?) Grace was invoked by love�Grace!
"America, grace I will extend to you. Now I will raise the Church to a place of unmerited favor!"
2 Samuel 9:6-7 (AMP) And Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance (respectful behavior). David said, "Mephibosheth!" And he answered, "Behold your servant!" David said to him, "Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father (grandfather), and you shall eat at my table always."
O how wonderful! O how wonderful God is, granting grace to America, grace to come and eat at His table.
A Movement of Supernatural Proportions!
As I read on, I heard this:
"A movement of supernatural proportions is in America. The movement is this: Many of those who have once been in the forefront of the Church are coming back! They have shown Me great respect. They have repented, and I am calling My own back to Me. For I long to have them at My table.
"I long to show mercy, not judgment. I long to show grace and favoritism. I love to love. Who will come? Is there anyone left for the sake of My Loving Father who has not been called back? Is there anyone left who was banished, alone, robbed, discredited, lame, rejected, fallen and can't get up?
"Go get them, bring them to Me," says the Lord. "I will place them once again at the King's table and cover their weakness with the gilded skirts covering My table. No one will see the weakness in My Presence. None will question the validity of their presence.
"For I am longing. Why you may ask? For I love America, and from her shores has come the living Gospel. The breath of My word and I shall have grace on her; I have remembered her. As I heard Israel cry out, I hear America!
"What she has done in the past I do remember. Her children of faith have touched nations�I know it! Well done, children. Well done. Come and sit at My table now and listen to what is on the King's heart. Come, let Me cover you. Let Me hide your shame. Let Me restore you," says the Lord. "What you hear, what you think you see is not My Kingdom in your midst. My Kingdom has joint heirs of grace!"
"Father, Grant Us this Wondrous
Grace You Have Sent"
A prayer of great blessing fell upon my lips. I wish to share it with you, if I may:
O Father, I see You high and lifted up. I see Your Son next to You, seated in the Heavens. I see my seat near Him when I look up. O Father, grant us this wondrous grace You have sent. Grant us the heart of mercy toward those who have been left out or walked away, broken and abandoned, lost and left out. I cry, LORD, make me a Ziba. Give us strength to forgive those in this family as You do. Grace is on Your heart today.
O Lord, I ask for it to be mine as well, for You O Lord are the Scepter of GOD the Father; I long to touch You. I long to be near You! I pray You will receive us. We hear the call to go and find, go and tell, and go and be the bearer of the Good News of GRACE. But most of all, we hear, "Go and restore. Bring them to be blessed!"
Then we will all dine with You and feel the wonderful grace You have shed upon us, and then we too can shed it upon others. This we know, O GOD, will change us. We know grace is Your love, and we choose this day to accept the King's favor and walk in the steadfast grace You have given us.
Shine, America, shine. The King's grace is present. In Jesus' name, Amen.
quote from David R Huskins: " If in our pursuit of GRACE we become as critical and judgmental toward those who still see law as they do of those who don't see it, we have not really embraced law we have just traded one set of legalism for another form of self righteousness. GRACE does not make us a Holy Ghost prosecutor it makes us servants of all. Grace to all and upon all that believe."
