We who are in Christ Jesus can receive an endless supply of grace from the Lord Jesus. His death on the cross and His elevation to where He sits on the Throne of Grace made all of the difference in the world for those of us who are found cloaked in Him. He is for us and not against us. A time is upon us when we had better learn how to receive from the the grace of our Lord. Over time the Lord showed me clearly that I did not have a giving problem but I did have a receiving problem. The Lords will is so balanced and blessed. We were called to give away all of our finances and over the past few years that has been done by helping widows, orphans, and native pastors suffering in some of the hardest to reach places on earth. At the end of November 2010 all of our personal resources had been poured out to the point that we had no resources for our own family. Yeah I know it sounds "loco" but it is what the Lord asked of me saying, "Even if others don't give you still have to give". And likewise, "Don't limit me to what you see in your checking account because I am so much bigger than your bank account". The Lord showed me that I was more like Peter than I would have ever admitted or recognized on my own. Peter was someone that I had always seen as "impulsive". He denied Christ, he cut the ear off of a man who came to take Jesus to be tried, beaten and crucified. Peter was the guy who got out of the boat in the midst of a raging storm only to sink and need rescue. I said, "Lord, I'm like Peter?" He said, "What you have always taken for impulsiveness in Peter I always saw as willingness". Then He ask this question, "Are you as willing to serve me?"

I had been saying for years that M300 Ministries was a 100% faith based ministry and the Lord was saying, "Let's see". I don't talk like that anymore because the Lord taught me that a man's faith can fail him, if he walks in his own faith. When Satan desired to sift Pete like wheat the Lord told Peter, "Stan has desired to sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith might not fail you. When you return encourage your brothers". So in that sentence is embedded the fact that a man's faith can fail him in severe testing if he walks in his own faith. Faith was meant to be the size of a key that opens a door on a never ending freight train. The key of faith will get you in and get the train started but the train is grace from God that will get you home.

Then the Lord showed me Peter as the only one who got out of that boat out there walking on water. It was not impulsiveness that drove Peter to walk on that water it was "willingness and faith". The whole scene caved in when Peter realized that his faith was perhaps not set in the grace of Jesus Christ but in fact Peter was walking in his own faith. It's a very subtle thing. The devil likes to make things subtle in order to deceive. The devil is a liar and as Peter began to see the waves, the wind and the danger he took his eyes off of the Lord and began to sink. We all know that part but the Lord helped me to see that as Peter was sinking and going under not one of the other disciples dove in to help him. It was only Jesus who extended a Mighty Hand to rescue Peter.


Some of us need to learn to stop looking to men, jobs, bank accounts, portfolios, gold and all of that rubbish and learn to fix our "key of faith" on the grace of Jesus Christ who stands ready and able to rescue, redeem, save and supply all of our needs. Before we read the passage below I want to clarify again to you that the Lord gave me an understanding of myself being out on the turbulent seas trying to walk in my own faith. The Lord showed me something important and it was a conversation that happened over the howling winds. As I literally felt the cold waters rushing over my head I looked back to the boat where my friends were. My friends the disciples and no help came from there. I looked all the way back to my Nazareth and not a soul stirred in my Nazareth to help me. Then He said it in a matter of fact way. The Lord said, "You have faith, great. You have commitment, great. You lack one thing...surrender to my grace." I had the feeling he may have whispered something similar to Peter but it's not recorded in scripture. But that was it. I needed to surrender.

The problem was I had already surrendered my home, my land, my life, all of my finances, my retirement and the inheritance of my children. So I shared this with my wife who promptly said, "What else is there to surrender?" I was perplexed and I told my wife, "I don't even know anymore where I start and where I end. There is not much of me left. It's mostly Him".
A few days later the Lord would teach me more about what I needed to surrender to. He showed me Peter again and sent me to the Word where He was finished with the Supper and then girded himself with a towel with a wash basin in his hand and began to wash the feet of the disciples. When the Lord to to Peter and reached out to wash his feet Peter said, "Lord forbid it that you should wash my feet". The Lord looked at Peter and said in a matter of fact way, "If you don't allow me to wash your feet you have no part in me". This was huge because Jesus had already told Peter that His name was Peter saying upon this rock I will build my church. So this guy Peter was in a matter of fact way not going to have part in Jesus if he did not allow Jesus to wash his feet. Praise the Lord that people responded, "Not only my feet Lord but my whole body". The essential thing is this matter of letting the Lord serve us and provide for us. Jesus was essentially telling Peter, "Part of my nature as God is to serve. If you can't receive me, service, enabling, resources, leading, guidance, provision, empowerment, etc. then you have no part in me." It was like saying, "Peter you don't have a giving problem but you do have a receiving problem." This is what the Lord was showing me in my life that I had to be able to receive from Him by His grace.


The Lord showed me that I had a receiving problem. What was I to do? Complete and utter surrender was the answer. How do you live that out? Just do it sounds to simple but it is a good answer. We have to know who we are surrendering to. I've been in the Lord for over 30 years so I like to think that I know Him. The Lord said, "Surrender to my grace". The Law demands from us with Thou Shall and Thou Shall not but grace gives to us. Grace can come to us from God in the form of enablement from the Lord for our every need. The grace of the Lord is richly in our favor as sons and daughters of God. When God sees us who are in Christ, He sees Jesus. When we raise up the grace of the Lord we show His Majesty. The Lord has good plans for us to do good to us, not to harm us but plans to prosper us. We have to "surrender to His grace" so that we can receive from Him.

As we witness the demise of the global economy and the U.S. economy the Lord is making it clear to me that we who are Christians had better learn how to surrender to God's grace and to receive of Him. Do you remember a passage of scripture in the book of Revelations that speaks of having to receive a mark to buy, sell or trade? I'm not drawing any other conclusion here other than to say that in these latter days those of us who are cloaked in Christ need to surrender to God's Economy of Grace not having neither a giving problem or a receiving problem.

When you read this passage of scripture the Holy Spirit will help you come to know how to "surrender to the Lord's grace" and you will see how God's Economy of Grace works. Praise the Lord.

M300 Ministries is happy to share with you an area where "your gift according to God's grace" will supply a vital need. The devil has always exercised a strategy of decapitation and he has a strategy to "decapitate the leadership" of M300 Ministries. The devil has withstood us with a "spirit of lack" that is to be overcome by a "Spirit of Grace". Grace flows from the Lord to you, from you to us, from us to the orphans, widows and suffering pastors serving in the hardest to reach places on earth. The Gaines Family understand "God's Economy of Grace" and they see a restoration and an elevation flowing into their lives and the life of M300 Ministries. You have been given seed to sow by the Lord for His glory. Sowing here at M300 Ministries and in particular towards this ministry need will raise up much glory to God by meeting the need of God's people. Give to the Director Support Fund today! Praise the Lord.