Portraits of Grace – Sheila Velez

      It is a pleasure to be able to share with you all today! Thank you, Mrs. Bettina, for this opportunity. My name is Sheila  Velez. My husband and I have been in the same church, which he now pastors, for the last 28 years. The Lord has blessed us with 3 children, and although we have failed him, He has never failed us!

      Today I would like to share a little of my testimony in hopes that it will be of help to some of you out there. My husband and I were married in 1994, and in 2003 we found out that we were expecting our third child. What excitement! The first three months, all went well. Our little one was growing and weaving herself into our hearts. At four months, tragedy stuck my life. My grandfather passed away. He was one of my favorite people, and I didn’t want to miss his funeral, so I quickly made an appointment the next day with the doctor to get the okay to make the trip. The technician did her routine ultrasound, and then called the PA. After a few minutes, they called the doctor. I was frustrated and confused. Didn’t they know that I was in a hurry to get on the road! As the doctor reviewed the ultrasound, she looked at me and says, “We’re going to hospitalize you. There is no fluid in your sac, and everything is in tact. Something isn’t right, so I need to run some tests.” My frustration level soared! My thoughts were… “Just give me an IV of fluids and send me on my way!

      Needless to say, I didn’t make the trip. Little did I know that I was in for a God sent life lesson. Three days after I was admitted, the doctor came in and let us know our baby had cystic kidneys. We were told that more than likely we would miscarry. I was devastated! “How God?! How can this happen to me?! You know that I want to raise this baby for You! How is it that children are born every day to parents who have no intention of raising them for the You, yet You take mine?” These are the conversations that I had with God. I am not proud of this, but I want to be honest. This was my attitude until one day during a message, the preacher read this verse – “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Honestly, I don’t know what the message was about that night, but God used this verse to give me an attitude adjustment. As I read, God seemed to speak in my ear with a firm voice as a father would as he corrects his child. He said, “Who do you think you are to tell me what to do with my own creation? Your baby is mine and was created by me and for me. Her life will be for my glory!” Right there…God gave me peace! A peace I hadn’t had. He didn’t whisper in my ear, “Your baby will be healed.”…but…He did tell me, “I’m in control, and everything is going to be ok.” That night I slept like a baby…finally resting in Him!

      Needless to say, I didn’t have a miscarriage. At 8 months, my doctor induced labor, and on February 23, 2004, a very light skinned, red-headed little girl named Grace was born. After giving her a kiss, she was rushed to the NICU. Our church heard the news and all rushed to the hospital. We told the NICU that we had a very large family, and they allowed them in two by two. As our Brothers and Sisters in Christ patiently waited, they shared God’s love with others in the waiting room, and 5 precious souls were saved! Although our precious Grace visited us for only 16 hours, the lives she touched is eternal! Through this, I learned His ways are perfect! She will never know the pain of this sinful world, for she was raised in a Heavenly world by her Heavenly Father. She cannot come to us, but by God’s grace, we shall see her again! I encourage you today, to stop questioning His sovereignty and Trust Him! May you have a blessed day! 

Portraits of Grace – Yolanda Villazana

My name is Yolanda Villazana. My husband, Sergio Villazana, is the pastor of Iglesia Bautista Palabra de Vida in Easley S.C. We have one daughter, Emily, who is one of the greatest blessings God has given us. She is always ready to jump in and help in any area of the ministry. We have served here at the church for twenty years now and am so thankful for what He has done and am looking forward to what the future holds! God bless!

      As I was reading my Bible this morning, the Lord gave me a verse that spoke to me so sweetly. “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:18‬ ‭He has set me where He wants me in the greatly loved body of Christ, but that is not all, it hath pleased Him to do so! I feel so honored… how is it that I…being just me, am here serving my King? I will never understand it all but He chose me and I will serve, during the  mountain tops and also during those dark valleys. It is specifically through those dark valleys that He shows His sustaining grace in the place where He was pleased to set me.  There have been many, many, valleys in my life but God in His divine wisdom knew that it was the only way for me to grow.

      When I was a little girl I was well aware of the trials those around me had been through. My very wise Mother taught us to walk carefully, that a wise person learned from the mistakes of others. I remember that I used to pray the Lord would help me learn without going through a trial, hoping I could avoid the heartache, but it is not possible. We must go through trials in order to grow. In James, He told us of the great result of the trying of our faith.

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

      In Romans, He also tells us the important result of tribulations in our lives: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” ‭‭                       Romans‬ ‭5:2-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

      There will be times in our lives when we will have people we love and serve be the very ones to cause those tribulations. It hurts but we must remember that He placed us where we are because He was pleased to and I must do my Fathers will. He will deal with them, I hurt for them because I love them, I feel the pain of broken fellowship, but my Lord, went through so much more hurt, pain and rejection, how can I expect better.

      I am an imperfect vessel, trying every day to be more like Him, to love like Him and forgive like Him, but I fall so short. So, I will rest in the fact, no, I will rejoice in the fact that it pleased Him to set me here, where I am. I will continue to strive to do my best with elegance, grace, and wisdom because I am representing a sweet little church at the bottom of a hill, and I am representing a kingdom greater than any other, for mine is a heavenly kingdom and my King, the Creator of the universe.

      I find it so amazing that He chose me, and even more amazing are the promises that He will equip me, will never leave me, and He so lovingly sustains me, by His grace. How great and kind and loving is the God I serve, my God, my Father and dearest Friend.

Portraits of Grace – Lisa Hammill (part 2)

      A portrait is defined as “a verbal picture or description, usually of a person.” Grace in the dictionary means “a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior.” For the child of God, our earthly life is full of these “pictures” reminding us of God’s goodness.

      Most importantly would be the portrait of grace in salvation. Knowing we could do nothing to merit forgiveness for sin, Christ willingly gave His own life in exchange for ours so that we could escape eternal punishment and spiritual death. There is no greater love than the love our Heavenly Father has for His children and that is shown in the perfect portrait of Calvary.

      After salvation, we often forget how much we need the Lord and how He desires fellowship with His child. When these times come, He sends reminders our way to humble us and teach us to look toward Him again. I was reminded of this just this past week in a situation with my brother, David. David is 28 years old and mentally disabled. My husband and I took over his care after the unexpected passing of my parents two years ago. David was very close to my mom and was unhappy anytime she wasn’t around. Since I have taken over the role as mother-figure, he is the same way with me now.

This particular day last week I had to run a quick errand. As always, David asked to ride with me and I said, “Just let me run by myself. I’ll be right back.” Those quick retreats are often the only quiet times I can get and sometimes I just like to sneak away and clear my mind. However, David insisted and I complied. Sometimes you just have to pick your battles.

      I glared out the windshield, wishing for my alone time that never came. All of a sudden, David reached up and rubbed the back of my hand. I looked at him, with those big, brown eyes and that loving grin and realized he just wanted to be with me. He didn’t want to go anywhere. We didn’t even have to do anything fun. He just wanted to be where I was.  Instantly the Lord pricked my heart. I thought, “How many times has the Lord looked my way and nudged my heart to spend time with Him for just a few minutes?” How many times have I chosen my own desires and been too busy to stop and look back His way?

1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called
unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Not only does He desire our fellowship, but we are also called to fellowship with Him. This fellowship is necessary to have unity with our Savior. We must make this a priority in the midst of the craziness of our day. Look forward to the times that He may summons you. Always be ready to sneak away and commune with Him for just a moment.

      Time after time our Lord will use different situations to humble us. In the same way that we would display portraits of loved ones throughout our home, our hearts should contain portraits of His grace reminding us that we are so loved by Him. Let’s take time to venture through the hallway of our heart and remember the moments that those portraits represent.

Portraits of Grace – Lisa Hammill (part 1)

I was saved when I was a young girl in first grade. I attended a Christian school and remember our teacher talking to us about salvation. The Holy Spirit began to draw me to Him, and one day in the school office I knelt and asked the Lord to save me, and I believe He did!

Unfortunately, as a teenager I strayed away from the innocence I had known as a child and began to live a life contrary to what a child of God should. The Lord had my number though. Even though I was in the world, I never truly felt I belonged there.

After college I came home and was offered a chance to go on a mission trip to Jamaica, which I accepted. I had heard the stories and the testimonies of how the Lord changed lives on this trip. I knew that life as I knew it was over and begged the Lord to give me a chance to live like a true Christian should. He did.

On this trip, the Lord showed me that being saved is just the beginning. I had no idea how alive the Lord could be in your daily life. I began to look to Him in every decision and allowed Him to use me like never before. He birthed in me a love for missions and a great desire to be in the ministry. A year later, I met Nathan and soon after we were married.

We began our life in the ministry just three short months after we were married, becoming houseparents at our church’s boarding school. We were barely in our twenties and had no clue how to care for the troubled teens we now lived with. This forced us to depend wholly and completely on the Lord for guidance which set a strong foundation for our marriage.

The Lord has taken us down some crazy paths but we have always trusted His hand to lead us where He wants. If we follow our own hearts and do what WE feel is right, we will end up making a mess of things. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us how our heart cannot be trusted, even though we may choose things that we feel is right.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it?” Jeremia
h 17:9

In 2009, the Lord led my husband to accept the pastorate at Open Door Baptist where we are now and hope to stay for many years. We are so thankful for providing for our needs, time and time again, and also granting us personal desires as well. He has blessed us with three wonderful, healthy children, and the privilege to care for my special needs brother since my parents’ passing.

My prayer is that I would be found faithful to the grave or until His return whichever should come first.

Portraits of Grace – Rebecca Cultrara

My name is Rebecca Cultrara. I have been a wife for 30 years, a mom for 29 years, a teacher for 10 years, librarian for 6 years and a Pastor’s wife for 12 years. I live in Frewsburg, NY with my husband and oldest son. My two younger sons have autism and live in group homes in the Buffalo area.

My life as a wife began on July 30, 1988. This was a journey I could never imagine being on when I was younger. As any girl dreams, I wanted to get married and have a family. I had no idea my family would not be like I had imagined. God blessed us with 3 wonderful sons. We would learn a few years later our middle son had autism. That took us on a new journey into the world of autism. This was something we had not planned on. Neither did we plan it when your youngest son was also diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old. His diagnosis came a couple of years after his other health issues. I knew we had not planned to have special needs children. God planned it. We were chosen to parent these special guys.

I look back over our lives while the boys were growing up and I realize, even though it was hard at times, I wouldn’t change a thing. We dealt with our middle sons’ bolting which led me to putting a twin bed in their room and a lock on the door. I couldn’t sleep unless I was in their room. This continued for 6 years. The boys lack of fear was fear of mine. My youngest (he was 3) got outside when my oldest went to get something out of the car for his dad. I chased my baby down the sidewalk towards a busy street. He was laughing and I was praying he wouldn’t get hit by a car. Just as he got to the intersection, out of no where a man jumps off his bike and grabs my son and puts him in my arms. I cried and hugged my baby and when I looked up he was gone. If you ask me, I’d say he was an angel.

My sons’ disabilites never kept us from serving the Lord. My husband and I worked at a Christian school for many years. We both taught and he was also the principal. It wasn’t long before he felt the call to be a pastor. Finding the right place wasn’t easy. Some places weren’t accepting of our sons. We even had a friend of ours tell us, as long as we had the boys at home, my husband would never pastor. He was so wrong. God brought us to Frewsburg. The people here fell in love with our sons and welcomed us with open arms.

I was asked once if I ever asked “Why God?” Why me? My answer, Nope. I know God gave me my sons for a very special reason and my job is not to ask why but to give them all the love in world I can. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They are my world. I am on Facebook and part of pages that deal with autism. Its amazing how many moms I have been able to help, because I have gone through what they are going through now. My sons are now 22 and 26. We have been on a new journey in the world of adult autism. We don’t know what the future holds, but for now we are keeping the faith and trusting God to continue to guide us through our journey.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Portraits of Grace – Stephanie Simpson

My name is Stephanie Simpson. I have been widowed for 4 ½ years. I’m a mother of 4 children ages 17-25. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I spent 9 years as a missionary’s kid in France, 3 years in the BEAMS ministry with my husband and 12 years as a Pastor’s wife. I am currently serving in my church as Sunday School teacher and church pianist.

I experienced God’s saving grace at the age of seven. Little did I know then how much God’s sustaining grace would be experienced in my life from that day forward. The moment we accept Christ as Savior we are not promised a life of ease. We do, however, have the promise in Hebrews 13:5b that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. That is a promise I’ve learned to hold onto through the years.

As a child I experienced some rejection from peers and public school teachers because of my Christian beliefs. I had to start learning then to look to the Lord for help and strength. Teenage and college years had their own issues- separation from family, life decisions, courtships, etc. God’s grace saw me through yet another phase of life.

Then came married life and motherhood. If you are a wife or mother, you know the struggles that come with the responsibilities. Out of those twenty-one years, three were spent in mission work and twelve were spent as a Pastor’s wife. Those fifteen years were spent trying to encourage my husband, protect my children, share in others burdens and help in all areas of ministry I possibly could. God’s grace was ever present during these years as well.

In August of 2014, I experienced something I never thought I would have to…the death of my husband. It came as a total shock to us all- complications from a kidney stone! My world was instantly shattered. Somehow through those fourteen days of waiting in the hospital for a miracle, I experienced God’s grace. He gave me a peace and a strength that I knew only He could give at a time like this. 2 Cor. 12: 8-10 became real in my life. Through the funeral, my Lord was there, every minute, upholding me with His strength and giving oh such sweet peace.

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10

It’s been almost five years now since Jeff’s passing. There have been so many challenges with finances, being a single mom, experiencing loneliness and just dealing with the daily struggles of life. The struggles are real and the devil wants nothing more than for me to stay defeated and throw in the towel. That’s where God’s grace steps in once again. I go to the scriptures and start grabbing hold of those precious promises such as 1 John 4:4 which assure me that … ”greater is he that is in you, than, he that is in the world.” I must totally rely on the Lord. It is so important to maintain a daily walk with Him. It is during these precious moments alone with God that He imparts His truths and promises and renews our strength daily. It’s a day by day, moment by moment communion. It involves placing complete trust in Him. He is my Father, my Husband and my Comforter. Knowing this, I should be able to rest in His strong arms and trust Him enough to handle any trial or situation that comes my way, no matter how impossible it may seem. There’s nothing too big that God cannot handle. (Luke 18:27) The outcome may not always be as we had planned but it will always be how God had it planned. His ways are perfect and He knows what’s best for my life and gives grace for every trial and every mile of this earthly journey. We must remember that God gets the glory in all. As the old hymn so wonderfully says, …”His grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

Portraits of Grace – Erica Madden

Living Grace

I would like to preface this devotional with a little about myself. I have been saved for 12 years. I am married to my best friend and soulmate. I am a stay-at-home mom to our 3 daughters and our Boxer fur baby named Nova, the first lady of Eldorado Baptist Church in Troy, NC, a piano teacher, and a lover of the Lord. I am not worthy of all the many blessings He’s sent my way.

He’s God, and He’s good!

I could begin to tell you about the grace that was extended to me as a 15-year-old girl when Jesus passed by my way on April 20, 2007 and saved my hell-deserving soul. About the grace that brought me up out of the horrible pit of miry clay I was in and placed my feet upon the Solid Rock and established my goings. How He put a new song of praise in my heart and made me a new creature altogether…but time would never allow me to tell you the whole story.

I could begin to tell you about the grace it took as a young teenager, saved out of the bus ministry, trying to live a godly life in a not-so-godly home, dreaming of having my own family one day, and how He so graciously gave me the desires of mine heart and allowed me to marry a preacher! And I could tell you about the grace He poured out when my dear pastor was taken to glory just 2 weeks before He was to marry us.

I could tell you about the grace He gave when I birthed all three of my children by c-section (not an easy or peaceful task!) I could tell you how His grace and mercy filled that hospital room for 8 days while I cuddled and rocked my newborn as she struggled to breathe due to RSV.

I could tell you all these different stories and situations where God has expressed His grace, but I could never begin to tell you the whole of how God has been gracious! 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee…” That word “is” puts this verse in present tense. It doesn’t say “was” or “will be.” It “IS” sufficient! That means that every single moment that I live, His grace IS sufficient for me! Whatever problem or situation I encounter, His grace IS sufficient for me! It is living grace! It is an active and functioning grace that meets me right where I am, day in and day out.

As a wife to a pastor, I need grace! As a mother to two toddlers and an infant, you better believe I need grace! As a  daughter, a sister, and aunt, a friend, and most of all, a child of God, I need grace! What a glorious feeling it is to know that whatever I may face, there is new grace there waiting for me. As one of my favorite songs puts it: “Grace not yet  discovered, Grace not yet uncovered…And He’ll give new grace I’ve not needed before.”

What about you, friend? Have you tasted of the Lord’s grace lately? Remember, His grace IS sufficient for every need!

Portraits of Grace – Tina Hice

      My name is Tina Hice. My husband is a Pastor in Salamanca, NY. I have 5 children and 3 grandchildren. My two passions besides my family are helping ladies overcome their brokenness while learning to use it for good and teaching families how to use God’s creation to better their health both physically and mentally. I love teaching on these topics and do so as often as I get the opportunity! I have a Facebook page called Broken But Not Finished. Psalm 147:3 “He health the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” My business is Oil is Well and my healthy website is www.myyl.com/oil.iswell  III John 1:2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

My name is not “Divorced”

      When I was asked to write this testimony, I was a little uneasy at the way I believe the Lord was asking me to write it. See we all have things in our lives that tend to define us if we let them. Things like abuse, divorce, death etc. These things although difficult to overcome, do not have to define who we are! Failure is an event, it is never a person! The only time failure becomes a person is if you quit after the last failure.

      We all have a story! We all have brokenness; my brokenness does not define me. It does not make anyone else’s brokenness more or less difficult to bear. It is simply my story of God’s grace!

      My story is tainted with abuse, divorce, a chronically ill child, 2 total loss house fires, infidelity of a spouse, miscarriages and more. Yes, I am a broken person with a broken past and probably some brokenness in the future, but I am so much more… I am a Child of the Living God! I am a product of His mercy and Grace!! Jeremiah 29:11 “ For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you and expected end.” He knows where you should end up and if you let Him, He will get you there in spite of our failures!

      To sum it up, I was in an abusive marriage for 10 years. I could write books on God’s love, protection and grace towards me and my children during those years. I did everything I knew to do, prayed and sought Godly counsel from my preacher. I did not and still do not believe in divorce, but in the end, it happened. I remember listening to Bible on cassette almost 24 hours a day to keep my mind right. God held me through those times and answered so many prayers! I did not deserve His love, but He reached down and gave me peace that truly passed all understanding!! What a wonderful, merciful God.

      I write all this to say, I am divorced but that doesn’t define me! I am a Child Of God, and that is what defines me. God has blessed me beyond measure. I truly believe if I had pursued a divorce or left the Lord and sought my own happiness, He would not have blessed me as much. Even though He has blessed me, sin comes with a price. Whether mine or yours, sin affects those around us. I have watched my kids have to go through such difficulties as a result. But I have also watched as God has showed them His power first hand. I want to say, if you are married, fight for your marriage!!!! If you have already suffered a divorce, or any brokenness, that does not mean God is done with you! Get up and serve Him! He loves you!

Portraits of Grace – Yetta Grace Miller

My name is Yetta Barnett-Miller.  I am a PK and a PW but most importantly a child of the King! I enjoy being a PK (pastor’s kid), PW (pastor’s wife) and I love serving my Lord!  Because of growing up in a pastor’s home, I accepted the Lord as my Savior at young age.  I am married to Brent, an assistant pastor.  We have been serving the Lord together for almost 12 years.  One of my hobbies that I have created into a small business is called Graceful Designs.  I greatly enjoy using my talents of decorating, organization, and creativity to help others have beautiful events (wedding, reception, bridal/baby shower, party, etc.). 

I want to share some thoughts about God’s grace.  When I think of the word grace, I think of two things: it is my name and it is what God has shown me.  My parents named me Grace.  I like to think that it was not just because they liked the name or that it flowed well with my first name, but that perhaps it was a word that was special to them since they both had experienced God’s saving grace.  God’s grace is the unmerited favor He has shown us.  We don’t deserve God’s love, grace, or even compassion, but because of those things we can have eternal life thru Him.  Let’s use this acrostic to help us remember what grace can mean to us.  G – Gift from God, R – Repentance of sin, A – Accept His free gift of salvation,   C – Commit to living a life that is according to God and His Word, and E – Eternal life with a Heavenly Father. 

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  We deserve death for our sin.  Our sin has separated us from God.  But halleluiah, we have a Savior who took the punishment for our sin on Himself!  Two important, convicting verses are Romans 3:23 and Acts 2:38. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  Acts 2:38 tells us, “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  We are all born as sinners        because “…as by one man sin entered in to the world…” (Romans 5:12).  We need to see that we are sinners that need a Savior!  We need to repent of our sin, submit to God’s will for our lives, and live for Him.  When we accept, repent, and submit to our loving God, we then have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to help us grow in Christ and to have conviction of sin.  One thing we sometimes forget, when we repent of our sins, is that we need to turn from those sins.  Repentance is not just asking forgiveness but is also turning from them. 

As a child of God, we need to follow God’s will for our lives.  In college, this became real to me as I was searching for what, where, and how to live my life.  The Lord showed me through sermons and my own personal devotions, that I needed to be surrendered to His will and not my own.  When I finally did this, I had amazing peace from God!  Without the Lord, I know I would not be married to the man He had for me, and I would not be serving the Lord with that man.  God has been so good to bless my life with godly parents, godly friends, and a godly husband. 

One of my favorite verses is John 3:16. It is a common verse to some, but it has great meaning to me.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

God loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to take that punishment for your sin.  Oh, what a love that is!  Have you accepted this beautiful gift of salvation from our loving Lord?

Portraits of Grace – Raquel Canales

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12

My name is Raquel Canales. I was born in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. I studied in the Baptist Bible Institute in Mante, Tamaulipas, Mexico. I served the Lord in Saltillo for 13 years with my husband and family enjoying every minute of it. God’s grace was with us there all the time, providing everything for the church and our family.

Sister’s, a lot of us have heard many times about God’s grace. But, do we fully understand the importance of this concept. Let’s see its meaning first: Grace: Is Love, Kindness, mercy, and an unmerited gift. We can understand this concept better when we read this Bible verses that show us our condition. Romans 3:10 “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.” We can also see in Romans 3:23 the reason: “For all have sinned”… We all have sinned, and sin is all the bad things we say, think or do.

Like lying, is a sin we often put colors to; sometimes we say: I told a white or pink lie. But that does not make it less a lie and lying is sin. That means we cannot justify ourselves and there is a terrible consequence, sin separates us from the  glory of God. Here is where we see God’s grace for mankind. One of the meanings of grace is: “an unmerited gift”. But God in His love and kindness is willing  to give us his grace. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

We see God’s grace to the world when he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ to pay for our sin. It was his sacrifice, the      shedding of his blood that made possible, for God to give us the gift of his grace. And the biggest blessing of all is that we all can have it, it is FREE. Praise the Lord! John 3:16 says that is for all whosoever believeth in him. God does not show partiality of persons. Romans 2:11. Rich or poor, tall or short, God loves us and gives us his grace. How can we receive his grace? Through faith in Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1-2; 10:9).

Receiving Jesus Christ in our hearts as our Lord and Savior. (John 1:12) We need to share this gift of God’s grace, so that more people come to Jesus Christ and enjoy this great blessing.