Dear John and Doves,
 
 
As I await the Rapture, here's what God has shown me.......
 
As the years go by I SHOULD  experience a deeper sense of awe regarding God's salvation grace, and I  STILL
feel so unworthy. 
Surely I have to do SOMETHING to make myself  more worthy. God tells me to "believe"
on His Son and I shall be saved.  Surely it's got to be "harder" than that!  God sends us the word of
faith thru the preached Word, and the Holy Spirit wells up in my heart to receive that faith! It's at that
point I can believe His Word or reject it.  And thus it's ALL up to God's GRACE!
Then Christ uses all my days on this earth to work out His "graces", Divine Nature, in me! 
 
Obviously, some  of us will grow in God's graces, here on earth,  and some will not. Thus,
The Judgment seat of Christ will be a blessing to some, but a regret to others of the Body of Christ.
Truly God's Grace GOSPEL is a Divine Mystery!
  
I deserve NOTHING and He supplies ALL I need to make me acceptable to God in Christ Jesus.
So when He comes to take us in the "Rapture", It is Christ's WORK in me  that will GO! Everything of my
flesh will perish, be destroyed, and THAT's a mystery, too. The first man, Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, our redemption, is a QUICKening (Life Giving) Spirit.
Surely His Coming  IS MY BLESSED HOPE!  And to ALL that love His appearing!
 
Maranatha!   Sandy B.
\From GRACE GEMS Web site
 
"I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own sheep--and they know Me." John 10:14

Jesus knows those who are His. He knows all about every one of them: their strong points--and their weak points; their besetting sins--and their graces.

The fact of Christ's perfect knowledge of all our needs and requirements, throws great light on some dark providences. It explains some mysteries--why one of us is put up, and another is put down; why one is prospered, and another is impoverished.

Our blessed Master, in His family discipline, commits no mistakes. When He takes an immortal soul under His loving care and into His training-school, He understands the character of each His pupils. He is a most forbearing and considerate of masters. He never lays on weak shoulders, the loads which only stalwarts can carry. All the while, too, how sweetly come the encouraging words, "I am with you always! My grace is sufficient for you! As your days--so your strength shall be." He calls us not slaves--He calls us His friends.

How perfectly acquainted He is, too, with all our weaknesses! He knows our frame; He remembers that we are but dust. Here is great encouragement for penitent sinners. He quenches no smoking flax--He breaks no bruised reeds.

The secret sorrow which I dare not breathe to the most intimate friend--I can freely unbosom to my Savior. Ah, how well He knows every thorn which pricks my foot, and every wound which trickles its silent drops from my bleeding soul! This is a wondrous encouragement to prayer. For my Physician will never administer the wrong medicine, nor fail to help us in the hour of sudden distress!