Below is an excerpt of Chapter 1 from "A Common Miracle" by Pastor Bob Grenier.
What brings a person to ruin? It’s simple. It’s a one-word concept given to us in the Bible. It’s called “sin.” You see, one thing that people have in common is the problem of sin. The Bible says that all have sinned — Romans 3:23 — “... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin came into this perfect world that God had created and brought ruin and destruction to man. Man created his own problems, but it’s God who will solve them, if you let Him. You see, the answer to sin is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. Here’s what the Bible says in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” And John 3:17 tells us, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
I want to tell you my story of how God took a young man who had made a mess of his own life, miraculously changed it, and is changing it and will change it more and more. It’s simply a common miracle, and I pray that you might find that miracle to happen in your life.
Coming Tomorrow, Chapter 2 Part 1
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
A Common Miracle - A Gun to My Head Part 3
Below is an excerpt of Chapter 1 from "A Common Miracle" by Pastor Bob Grenier.
Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you that there was another boy named David who used to sleep next to me in that dormitory; and one night I felt him pulling back the covers of my bed and getting into bed with me. I was not sure what was happening and not sure what to do. I just lay there frozen as David did what he did. No one ever knew about it ... not the nuns, the priests, or my parents. Only David and I. Not an uncommon thing to have happen to boys and girls.
What I’m about to tell you is, in fact, not uncommon; and what happened to me is indeed a miracle. Perhaps if you need to, you also can “come to yourself” as the boy in the story did in Luke Chapter 15. I was “coming to myself” looking up over the barrel of that gun. You see, the boy in the story — known to us today as the prodigal son; “prodigal” means “wasteful” — he had it pretty good, also; and he went out, leaving his father and home to live it up, only to find himself at the bottom of the barrel of life. But, he “came to himself,” realizing that what he had been doing had only ruined his life. That’s what happened to me; it’s not uncommon. In fact, it’s quite common and normal for many people.
Coming Tomorrow, Chapter 1 Part 4
Friday, September 14, 2012
A Common Miracle - A Gun to My Head Part 2
Below is an excerpt of Chapter 1 from "A Common Miracle" by Pastor Bob Grenier.
Coming Monday, Chapter 1 Part 3
Happy childhood memories are in my memory bank, like
most kids: lots of friends down the block, spending the night
at your friend’s house, and playing all day long, or so it
seemed; summers that would never end; and childish,
naughty things that your parents did not know about. You
see, I could never have imagined, as a young boy, that my
life would come to where it had come.
My parents put me in an all-boys’ Catholic boarding school called St. Boniface in a suburb of Winnipeg, Canada, where I had been born in 1947. Even then (and even though I only saw my parents once a month for about an hour), life was fun. Recess was my favorite. Playing in the sandbox every day, swinging on the monkey bars, and learning to play baseball filled my days.
The dorm was huge, as all things are for young children. There must have been dozens and dozens and dozens of single-spring, mattress-type beds lined in row after row after row. The nuns taught the classes; the priests conducted the Masses every morning and heard our confessions every week. I had lots of fun and very little trouble or sadness in my life.
My parents put me in an all-boys’ Catholic boarding school called St. Boniface in a suburb of Winnipeg, Canada, where I had been born in 1947. Even then (and even though I only saw my parents once a month for about an hour), life was fun. Recess was my favorite. Playing in the sandbox every day, swinging on the monkey bars, and learning to play baseball filled my days.
The dorm was huge, as all things are for young children. There must have been dozens and dozens and dozens of single-spring, mattress-type beds lined in row after row after row. The nuns taught the classes; the priests conducted the Masses every morning and heard our confessions every week. I had lots of fun and very little trouble or sadness in my life.
Speaking French, thinking in French, and hearing the
church services in Latin and in French was normal and common for me. Staring at Jesus upon the cross up behind the
altar was an everyday thing for me. Little did I know that
calling out to Jesus was what would happen the night when
that gun was pointed at my head. “Jesus Christ” was something my dad seemed to say often (along with other words
that I knew were not right to say) and meant that he was
very mad about something.
In all those Masses and other religious services, I had no idea that Jesus was even alive, that He was someone I could know, who truly died for my sins and then had been raised from the dead; no idea that heaven was truly a place where a person can go once they leave this world; and most of all, I had no idea of the events that would lead up to that gun being placed right between my eyes.
In all those Masses and other religious services, I had no idea that Jesus was even alive, that He was someone I could know, who truly died for my sins and then had been raised from the dead; no idea that heaven was truly a place where a person can go once they leave this world; and most of all, I had no idea of the events that would lead up to that gun being placed right between my eyes.
Coming Monday, Chapter 1 Part 3
Thursday, September 13, 2012
A Common Miracle - A Gun to My Head Part 1
Below is an excerpt of Chapter 1 from "A Common Miracle" by Pastor Bob Grenier.
But when he came to himself,...
But when he came to himself,...
LUKE 15:17
I LOOKED UP JUST OVER THE BARREL OF THE .25 caliber pistol that was pointed right between my eyes and saw David M.’s eyes looking back at me. He then moved the pistol to the right side of my head and fired off a round. He moved the pistol back to the middle of my eyes and said, “If you don’t get me the money you owe me (the money was from a drug deal gone bad ... more about that later), you’re in big trouble with me; and I’m going to hurt you.” Off to the left, my friend, Russ B., was laughing as if all this was really funny. It was not funny to me. It was terribly frightening.
At that moment, I wondered a number of things. How could my friend, Russ, be so cruel as to laugh when I was so scared, and this was no idle threat? And then, more than anything else, I wondered to myself, “How did I get to this spot in my life? What had happened to me that I had wound up in this situation?” It was one of those “your life flashes through your mind” moments. I thought to myself, “How did I go from being a normal, everyday kind of kid from a pretty decent and normal family, to getting myself into this kind of a fix?” Little did I know that I was “coming to myself,” much like another young man had done many years ago.
Coming Tomorrow, Chapter 1 Part 2Tuesday, May 1, 2012
"having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand" Rev 20:1-3
This is nearly the end of the things the Lord showed John, those things that he was to write and then send to the 7 churches listed in chapters 2-3.
This unnamed angel came down from heaven ( by the way, the Bible teaches that there is an innumerable company of angels that have been created. And, many of them are in heaven )
But, this angel, came down, and he had two things in his hand.
1. The key to the bottomless pit.
2. A great chain in his hand.
3. The bottomless pit.
These would be similar to what we see a police officer having, that is, a key to a set of handcuffs, and a jail cell if you will.
As far as I know there is not much else said about these two items ( other then a mention here or there in Revelation ) I just don't know much about these things. But, I do believe of course that they exist. The pit, the key, and the chain.
But, once John sees the angel, the angel then lays hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and binds him in this pit for 1000 years. He will be incarcerated in this pit for this very, very long period of time.
In fact, it may be like he will be in solitary confinement. Left there by himself, all alone as it were.
Here is what John says.........
1. He is cast into it.
2. He is bound there for 1000 years.
3. He is shut up in the pit. ( can't get out, i.e door locked, and in chains. )
4. He has a seal set upon him. ( this apparently has to do with securing Satan there )
5. He will not deceive the nations during this 1000 years.
6. He will be released at the end of the 1000 years for a little while.
A few additional thoughts in reflection.
Things on earth are often a picture of things in heaven, or temporal, physical things, are often a picture of spiritual invisible things. Jails, Jailers, keys, prisons, etc.
I wonder how frustrated Satan will be during the 1000 years.?
Satan will most likely not be able to communicate with the outside world.
Satan will not be allowed any visitors, or receive mail or care packages in the pit.
He would know that he will be released at the end.
He knows what the Bible says.
He has a faith in the Bible if you will.
He will still do his deceiving at the end.
He will ultimately wind up in the lake of fire.
A few more thoughts in reflection.
1. We are free in Christ.
2. We are not going to a pit, but to heaven.
3. We are not chained, but bound with cords of love to God.
4. We know the truth, and are free in a sense from deception.
5. We have angels who help us not bind us and place us in a pit.
6. We are in possession now of eternal life.
7. We will ever be with the Lord.
8. We are not going to the lake of fire.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
This unnamed angel came down from heaven ( by the way, the Bible teaches that there is an innumerable company of angels that have been created. And, many of them are in heaven )
But, this angel, came down, and he had two things in his hand.
1. The key to the bottomless pit.
2. A great chain in his hand.
3. The bottomless pit.
These would be similar to what we see a police officer having, that is, a key to a set of handcuffs, and a jail cell if you will.
As far as I know there is not much else said about these two items ( other then a mention here or there in Revelation ) I just don't know much about these things. But, I do believe of course that they exist. The pit, the key, and the chain.
But, once John sees the angel, the angel then lays hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and binds him in this pit for 1000 years. He will be incarcerated in this pit for this very, very long period of time.
In fact, it may be like he will be in solitary confinement. Left there by himself, all alone as it were.
Here is what John says.........
1. He is cast into it.
2. He is bound there for 1000 years.
3. He is shut up in the pit. ( can't get out, i.e door locked, and in chains. )
4. He has a seal set upon him. ( this apparently has to do with securing Satan there )
5. He will not deceive the nations during this 1000 years.
6. He will be released at the end of the 1000 years for a little while.
A few additional thoughts in reflection.
Things on earth are often a picture of things in heaven, or temporal, physical things, are often a picture of spiritual invisible things. Jails, Jailers, keys, prisons, etc.
I wonder how frustrated Satan will be during the 1000 years.?
Satan will most likely not be able to communicate with the outside world.
Satan will not be allowed any visitors, or receive mail or care packages in the pit.
He would know that he will be released at the end.
He knows what the Bible says.
He has a faith in the Bible if you will.
He will still do his deceiving at the end.
He will ultimately wind up in the lake of fire.
A few more thoughts in reflection.
1. We are free in Christ.
2. We are not going to a pit, but to heaven.
3. We are not chained, but bound with cords of love to God.
4. We know the truth, and are free in a sense from deception.
5. We have angels who help us not bind us and place us in a pit.
6. We are in possession now of eternal life.
7. We will ever be with the Lord.
8. We are not going to the lake of fire.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Monday, April 30, 2012
And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Rev 20:4
This is our future. Those in Christ have this future. The future is coming, and we will live and reign with Christ.
The Bible speaks so often of hope and joy. And, calls us to rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Rejocing in hope, knowing we have a future with the Lord, is the greatest blessing possible for a human being.
You may be in the dumps today, you may have the blues today, you may be confused, discouraged, depressed, wondering what happened to the good old days, or will my life ever get better again etc, etc, ?
One thing for sure, it will.
You have in Christ the promise of being with Him forever, and of His blessing forever.
One of the other wonderful and super truths if you will about God, is that since He is eternal, He is infinte, and His grace is eternal and infinite, it will take Him forever to unfold His grace to us.
This means, that there will never come a time when we have come to know His grace completely. He will spend eternity revealing to us the riches of His grace.
He will never say, "Ok, that's it, that's all the grace I have for you, there is no mnore " No, that will not happen.
So,back to you if your down in the dumps etc. Can I encourage you to look up to the Lord, He is faithful, He will is with you, He is not going anywhere, He has a plan, He will never leave you, He is working all things according to the counsel of His own will, He loves you, He has new mercies for you today, etc, etc, etc.
We are on our way to heaven. We are guaranteed safe arrival. We will ge there, He has promised that to us.
And, once we arrive with Him, we will not only live and reign with Him for a 1000 years, but, will go on into the new holy city and the new earth, and all that God has planned for us, which extends beyond our ability to comprehend.
May the rich blessings of God's peace and mercy be yours today.
Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Thursday, April 19, 2012
For I will set my eyes on them for good. Jeremiah 24:6
When the Lord said what He said through Jeremiah to Judah, ( see above in the title ) it was at a point when they would be taken into captivity by Babylon.
So, from the people's perspective, they were in a very difficult and horrible situation. Imagine being taken out of your own land by an enemy, and being relocated in a strange land. Hard to imagine.
But, there they were in this situation and the Lord is saying, "I will set my eyes on them for good etc. "
The next few verses in Jeremiah 24 detail what the Lord would do for them.
One of those is, giving them a heart to know Him.
We do know from the NT, that God is always working all things according to His own will. Eph 1:10-11, and that He is working all those things together for our good. Rom 8:28
In other words, God is always with us, carrying out His plan, even in the darkest moments, the most difficult times, the times when we wonder where God is, and think that He has given up on us, etc, etc.
During those times God is doing what He always does. Which is to carry out His plans in our lives
Our God is faithful. He always does what He says He will do without fail
He never says anything that He does not intend to do, and eventually does do,
So, today, may the Lord fill you with His comfort. He intends to do good to you, and for you.
It's a work He does in your heart, and it is centralized in your knowing Him.
You are His people. In Jeremiah 24 He repeatedly uses the term "My people" That's how He regards you. You are His
Blessings to you today from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
So, from the people's perspective, they were in a very difficult and horrible situation. Imagine being taken out of your own land by an enemy, and being relocated in a strange land. Hard to imagine.
But, there they were in this situation and the Lord is saying, "I will set my eyes on them for good etc. "
The next few verses in Jeremiah 24 detail what the Lord would do for them.
One of those is, giving them a heart to know Him.
We do know from the NT, that God is always working all things according to His own will. Eph 1:10-11, and that He is working all those things together for our good. Rom 8:28
In other words, God is always with us, carrying out His plan, even in the darkest moments, the most difficult times, the times when we wonder where God is, and think that He has given up on us, etc, etc.
During those times God is doing what He always does. Which is to carry out His plans in our lives
Our God is faithful. He always does what He says He will do without fail
He never says anything that He does not intend to do, and eventually does do,
So, today, may the Lord fill you with His comfort. He intends to do good to you, and for you.
It's a work He does in your heart, and it is centralized in your knowing Him.
You are His people. In Jeremiah 24 He repeatedly uses the term "My people" That's how He regards you. You are His
Blessings to you today from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)