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Cheryl McKay writes: In the past, Mark & Patti Virkler have honored me by featuring my film and book releases in their newsletter. They interviewed me when I released Never the Bride: A Novel, and Finally the Bride: Finding Hope While Waiting, my book for singles in need of hope, and announced to their readers when my film The Ultimate Gift was released in theaters. Now, with the release of my next book, Finally Fearless: Journey from Panic to Peace, I would like to honor the Virklers, and the amazing ministry they have with Communion with God and Christian Leadership University, and share with you how it made such a big difference in my life in relation to the story behind writing this book.

Jesus, please reveal more to me about grace and how we believers replace grace with law.
 
Ben, My church has a propensity to go back under the law. They tend to want to prove to Me
how good and faithful they are and in the process turn away from My grace and crawl into the law.

If you examine your life closely you will see that you have some special ability in which you excel. This may not be something that is widely valued or lucrative. It may not be something that is highly visible to bring fame and the recognition of men, but in my love for all and my generosity, creativity, and impartiality I have neglected no one in my distribution of talents. Do you know what yours is? You honor the giver of your gift when you develop and exercise it, and if you look to me you will sense my pleasure when you do so. I put the desire in you to lead you into your destiny. Delight yourself in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.

Have you ever sacrificed for something that didn’t benefit you personally? Environmentalists are willing to make personal sacrifices for the purpose of benefitting the planet even if the benefit is small and indirect. What is the direct benefit from your activities as a Christian? Are you willing to do them even if they don’t benefit you personally? Yet if environmentalists can make such sacrifices for a world that will perish regardless, how much more should you be willing to do so for my Kingdom that will endure for eternity? Every faithful act you make in obedience to me has a positive effect even if you are unaware of it now, and I am saving your reward for you as treasure in heaven.

Lord Jesus, there is a teaching that says we are working under the law when we apply the self examination in I Corinthians 11:27-30 for communion to things we have done, when instead we should look at this through the eyes of grace and look to You and what You have done for us. What do You say about this teaching?
 

Do you long for world peace? Would you settle for peace in your heart? The peacemakers are blessed, but there will still be wars and rumors of wars. There is strife even between fellow believers, and many with inner turmoil. Yet you can have peace within, even as you live in a world of conflict. You understand that light drives out darkness. Do you understand by faith that love casts out fear? Have you observed examples of this? In like manner peace is a spiritual entity rather than the absence of conflict.  You receive it internally from the Prince of Peace. It is more powerful than conflict and when brought to bear will drive it away. Receive peace from me and manifest it as a peacemaker, my child.

Are you familiar with the parable of the wheat and the tares? Tares from the enemy are discovered in a wheat field. The workers propose to tear them out, but the owner shows greater wisdom in allowing them to grow up together until the time of the harvest. Are you familiar with the law of reaping and sowing? Each type reproduces after its own kind, so that wheat begets wheat, and tares beget tares. Yet there is a higher law of redemption in which tares can be changed into wheat. This involves a transformation at the most elemental level, a change in spiritual DNA to bring you into adoption as my son. This is the radical good news of the gospel I have commissioned you to preach.

You know that I love you. You know that I called you while you were yet a sinner, and reached out to you while you ran from me. I love you the way you are. Yet I want you to change. If you see a contradiction here it shows that you don’t understand the difference between affection and approval. I do not love you because you are righteous, but because I love you I made it possible for me to impute righteousness to you. My redemptive work in your life begins with your salvation, but it continues with your transformation into my likeness. If I loved you while you were far from me, I will continue to love you while my image develops in you.

Do you think it is enough not to curse and condemn others to live in good will towards them? I tell you that love is more than indifference. This is a first step, but it leaves you neutral and disengaged. Love goes beyond this to be an active involved blessing in the lives of others. I have given you an example to follow. I did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that through me the world may be saved.  Commandments not to do evil are followed by commandments to do good. You may point out that it is not possible to be an active blessing to everyone because the task is too great, but I faced the same limitations you do and was still able to do my Father’s will toward those he had given me.

Do you understand the importance of evangelism? My apostles asked me for boldness in proclaiming the gospel message and you should make it a priority as well. Yet it is still a process that calls for patience. It is an area in which pushing faster and harder doesn’t always give better results. People react badly when they feel they are being coerced or turned into a project. They become defensive and resist even when there is no reason to resist. Look for and respond to every opportunity to obey me, but realize that there are times when you plant and times when you water, but only I can give growth and increase.