Grace

The miracles of Jesus, which happened while he was here on earth, are like a big pointing sign for us to come to him and realise that Jesus, while he was here, is actually God in person - here he was in the flesh doing amazing miracles and amazing things, all to bring us to a realisation that he is indeed God - three in one - God the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

You just never know when things happen in this world, and they could immediately lead you to absolute stardom or utter disaster or both! I remember a fair while ago there was an actress called Grace Kelly. She was amazing and beautiful and was certainly a very rising star.

She was a star in most of the movies years ago, and she was extremely popular - so popular that Prince Rainier of Monaco couldn't help but make a personal move over to Hollywood to meet her and eventually ask her to marry him.

Rainier was a prince in Monaco. He was born on 31st May 1923. He reigned there for 56 years after the death of his maternal grandfather, Prince Louis, on 9 May 1949.

Grace was born on 12th November, 1929. She was an amazing young Hollywood star with many admirers. Rainier came over to Hollywood especially to meet her, and they married on the 18th of April 1956. She retired from movies at the age of just 26 and became Princess Grace of Monaco.

Prince Rainier and Princess Grace were so popular, and they made headlines constantly right around the world. 

 

It was on 13th September, 1982, that Grace suffered a mild cerebral hemorrhage while driving back to Monaco. Princess Stephanie, her youngest daughter, was in the passenger seat at the time, and she tried to gain control of the car, but because the road was steep and winding, they lost control, and the car tumbled 30 metres, or around 100 feet, down the mountainside.

They were both rushed off to hospital, but Princess Grace was declared brain-dead, and she had no possible chance of survival. She died the following night around 11 pm. 

It was such a sad time. It seemed that everyone was in a state of shock and dismay as the word spread quickly throughout the whole world that Princess Grace of Monaco had died so suddenly.

Death is such a sad time. It can be a long time for family and friends, sadly watching loved ones slowly and quietly pass away, or it can be sudden and completely unexpected. Very similar to what happened to Princess Grace that day as the car careened off the winding road. Unexpected and unanticipated. It happened suddenly and was so unexpected.

The death of Jesus and the way he died was also completely unexpected. Well, it was for a lot of people living there in Jerusalem. In fact, so many people living there wanted him dead, so they were happy to see the end of him. I find that so hard to comprehend. This man was living in their city, healing the sick, talking constantly to the people, telling them about God, and bringing them face to face with the reality of God and of eternal life.

There were also many, many people who loved and admired him. Astounded at his miracles, listened so much to what he had to say and turned to God because of just that. While Jesus was here on earth, he was amazing and incredible.  

He performed many miracles, and one of them, as recorded in the Bible in Matthew chapter 8, verses 1-4, tells us how Jesus healed a guy with leprosy. It went like this: When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out with his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean." Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Jesus was an astounding and astonishing person while he was here on earth. As God, he could do stunning things, like the miracle above, even though Calvary was on the agenda and he knew it. 

Still, of course, he was so willing to die horribly on the cross for us and take away sins and kill them there, and then all we have to do is accept what he did for us all those years ago and ask him to lead our lives.

Dying like he did - and it was pretty ghastly - he so willingly gave up his life as he knew it here on earth and paid for each of our sins. How does that work?

Jesus's death on Calvary was the epitome of sacrifice. By dying, he paid the price for each of our sins, regardless of what those sins were or even what they are today. 

Heaven awaits those of us who decide in our hearts to come to Him, let Him lead us, and make Him first in our lives.

Hell also awaits, and Satan, on the other hand, will try to put as many obstacles in our paths to try to dissuade us that God is not real, and even if He were, you would have no part in His promises.

So, all we have to do is accept Jesus's sacrifice for us, which can abolish our sins and our past mistakes, which in my case are pretty horrendous, and ask him to lead us and be the very first in everything we do and everything we say.

God's huge blessings to you, and I hope to see you next time.