Nobody knows what the Front Door Guy’s name is, but there he is, every week, with a smile on his face ready to welcome new people into the church. He likes to act all innocent, but he is in on the secret, high tech, well planned out mission to target and capture new people and convert them into church members.
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One of the cool things about releasing a new book, such as my latest book ‘God’s Grace Apart From Law’ is many people seem to also discover for the first time (or rediscover) my previous books too. I’ve received a lot of great reviews of my new book (you can read them here), but I also received a new review for my first book, ‘Look! The Finished Work Of Jesus’ that someone wrote on Amazon on the first day of the new year. I was really encouraged by it; blown away really, so I thought I’d share it with you:
This is the most life changing book I have ever read! It’s Truth + Liberating. It’s the Gospel! I’m experiencing the simple and profound truth of what Jesus accomplished at the Cross as a reality in my life now. I never fully understood or grasped the full impact of the Cross until I read this book. It is written in an easy to understand way. And I feel like I can read my Bible in a whole new light now. Amazing! Thanks a million Mick!”
That was really encouraging to read for me, because it really is the outcome I hope for in my writing. That people will finish the book and feel free and happy in the Lord. It’s really wonderful to hear my books play a small part in the forward motion of my readers spiritual journey. I believe when we see the simplicity of God’s love, and the fullness of Jesus’ finished work upon the cross, we find not only rest for our souls, but also praise on our lips, for our Christian life is transformed from being focused on our failures to being focused on the perfect success of Jesus. He has done it all for us, securing our acceptance and our perfect unity to our heavenly Father – we are now rejoicing in that good news!
I’m really thankful every time I read the reviews and thoughts of my readers, and especially blessed when it turns out my book has had such a positive impact in their lives. So much goes into writing and releasing a book, it’s a huge task to complete, and so it really is encouraging to read people’s thoughts about them.
So, just wanted to share that with you, as I’m feeling quite encouraged by it.
I’ll keep on writing. I hope you’ll also keep reading. If you have read one my books and would like to write a review for it, just click on the book image below and take it from there. I’d love to read what you thought about it, and I’m sure many others would too!
Blue skies,
Mick
“Love is a gift to give. Love is a gift to receive. Love is the language of heaven. Love is the power of God on earth. Love is what little children naturally understand. Love is what grown adults need to remember. Love is the greatest, for God is love, and you, my friend, are dearly loved too.”
OK, a new year and the comic is back. I have spent the past few months creating new characters and reworking the comic to allow it to flow in a full, feature length, epic story, with an ending that will make Hollywood jealous. I will update the story of how John came to join Pastor Moses’ church every Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
Keep in mind that the comic strip will run as a progressive story so try your best to follow along each week as the plot, and craziness, thickens. For all you long time followers of my blog, you may notice some of these comics have been used in the past on my blog, but fear not, many will be new, and some have been revised to be even funnier and fit into the overall story better. I will also be posting other articles and thoughts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So you can make ‘Searching For Grace’ a daily visit if you want to. OK, so onto the comic…
The contents of this comic may cause
involuntary fits of laughter. Do not read
this book while operating heavy machinery.
Bobby is one of the young guys in Pastor Moses’ church and a passionate church volunteer. He has listened to all of Pastor Moses’ sermons on how to successfully climb the church leadership ladder. He’s committed to becoming one of the next generation of church leaders… but, well, it seems he still has a few gaps in his belief system…
Well, here it is. 2012 has finally arrived. And on the first day of this new year I have to say, I’m feeling pretty optimistic, and I am believing for an amazing year for everyone. God’s grace is our home; it’s like the spiritual air we breathe. So, in 2012, as we breathe it in and breathe it out, let’s be excited at the positive effects such a grace-filled life is sure to experience in this new year.
This year I have decided to bring back the ‘Searching For Grace’ comic. Yes, that’s right, Pastor Moses and the gang will be back every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Also, I will be getting back into the swing of interviewing different authors and thinkers from around the globe. Last year I interviewed a whole bunch of great people (you can view the list in the sidebar) and I hope to be able to continue this year, as it is a lot of fun, and I’ve received a lot of great feedback from listeners encouraging me to continue.
This year, I’ll also be releasing my debut novel. It is called ‘God’s Grammar’ and I’m super excited about it. It is set to be released on May 2nd. I’ll be sharing more details about this book in the coming weeks.
So, this year I’ll be doing my very best to have new content each day on the website. Some comics, some blog posts, some of my little quotes on God’s grace and love, a few interviews too… oh, and lately I’ve been a real book worm, and loving all the reading I’m doing, so I think I’ll also start sharing some book reviews this year too.
OK, let’s jump into 2012! Happy days.
If you haven’t signed up for my email list, then make a great start to the year and do so now! 
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Blue skies,
Mick
Always in our joy
Even in despair
Love, our hope, is holding us
Love is always there
From the valley to the mountain-top
From our shame to our delight
Love will never leave us
Love remains our light
For Love, our hope, is greater
Than the present and all time
Love, our good companion
Is Love, our great Divine
Poem by Mick Mooney.
View Mick’s books on Amazon.com here
The Apostle John is an amazing character. He is most well known by the title he gave himself in his own gospel account: “The disciple that Jesus loved”, second to this title, John is often referred to as ‘The Apostle of love’, due to his continual reference to love in his letters to the Church. What many of us seem to either forget, or never really see, is that the Apostle John was not always defined by ‘love’.
Jesus originally gave John, and his brother James, the title of: ‘sons of thunder’, most likely due to their passion, a passion that was for God, but not necessarily for love. It’s interesting that when John heard some people, in this case Samaritans, refused to accept Jesus, he was so disgusted at their willful rejection of his Lord, that he went to Jesus and asked, full of faith, if he should call down fire and brimstone from heaven and destroy them for their willful rejection of Jesus. At this point, to John’s shock, Jesus rebuked him for such a thought.
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Luke 9: 51-55
Not many people remember Johns early days as a ‘fire and brimstone’ preacher, but that was what he originally thought it was about. So what changed John’s mind?
Perhaps it was while he held Jesus’ weeping mother in his arms as they watched Jesus dying for the sins of the world?
Perhaps it was when he heard Jesus offer his final request up to God before his last breathe: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Perhaps it was when he ran to the tomb and saw it was empty, realising his Lord had not only died for the sins of the world, but he had also conquered death, and was resurrected in glory, and believed?
Perhaps it was the decades that pasted by, where he witnessed time and time again the power of God’s grace to draw the wickedest of people into the arms of their redeemer; transforming their lives into a testimony of God’s love?
We’ll never know what changed John’s understanding and theology, but his life shows us a journey we take. No matter where we start, even if it is a fire and brimstone preacher like the Apostle John, or a murdering Christian hater like the Apostle Paul, we can all journey to be known for something greater, something purer, something far more divine. My hope is that I too end my life being remembered as a disciple of Jesus who couldn’t stop testifying to the greatest truth a human heart will ever know: God is love.
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16
“To judge others is a wide path, easy to access and get carried along upon. But to love others is a narrow path; hidden at first glance, in fact it takes time to even discover its trail, but blessed are those who seek it out and journey upon it.”
“God is OK with our weaknesses; in fact, he’s probably the only one who doesn’t judge us for having them. In a world that demands we be stronger than we are, thank God he accepts us just as we are. Going so far as encouraging us by saying “my power is made perfect in weakness.” The truth is we grow stronger because we can stand with him, even in our weaknesses, without fear or condemnation. God understands. God cares. God loves.”
Click here to view my new book: ‘God’s Grace Apart From Law’
Below is an excerpt from my new book’s intro: God’s Grace Apart From Law
Paul’s letter to the Roman Church is, in a nutshell, a testimony of God’s grace: the Gospel of God. It brings into focus not only the correct way to understand the New Covenant reality of grace, but also, perhaps more significantly, the correct way to understand the Old Covenant of law. The importance of this clarification cannot be understated. In fact, it was the dominant theme Paul continued to clarify to the church throughout his entire known ministry. To Paul, the Christian life was lived through the profound reality of grace.
Sunshine Coast Sunrise © by Jiaren Lau
The New Covenant is the awakening of God’s divine way of the Spirit, established at its appointed time through the finished work of his Son. Paul was convinced of this new era of grace, and, in a way that perhaps only Paul could do, he explained how all things found their reality in grace and how all things are achieved through the power of grace. Grace was not merely a nice word to Paul; it was the very nature of God. It was to Paul, and remains true for every generation, the all-encompassing power of the Almighty.
Some, in Paul’s day, thought ‘grace’ was a word thrown around in Christian circles to excuse someone’s failings; Paul understood it as the very essence of the empowered Christian life. The message he shared, when we search for its foundations in Scripture, is evident. However, in Paul’s day it was, and still is to this day, a revolutionary message that many in the church simply could not bring themselves to accept. They preferred to dismiss Paul and his understanding of the gospel as one not worthy to be listened to. That is a sad situation indeed as God called Paul specifically so the church could and would embrace the message he shared. While it was Jesus’ unique ministry to establish the reality of grace for all of us, it was Paul’s unique ministry to explain the reality of grace in words we, as the church, could grasp.
In fact, at least once after his resurrection, Jesus needed to speak directly to one of his early disciples to clarify that, indeed, it was God himself who had appointed Paul as his ‘chosen instrument’ to bring the reality of the gospel message to the world. The Apostle Paul, as the unique instrument chosen by God, was given the revelation of God’s good news directly into his spirit. Paul himself testifies about this reality in his letter to the Galatians:
I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12
If Paul received this message of good news that he so passionately preached directly from Jesus then it’s certainly a good idea to take hold of the gospel that Paul preached and embrace it, love it, and live in it. This is, in fact, the very reason Paul was given such an amazing revelation of the gospel in the first place; it was for the benefit of the body of Christ. In fact, even the Apostle Peter, who walked with Jesus for three years and was closer to Jesus in his earthly ministry than anyone else, encouraged the church to listen to Paul’s message.
Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:15-16
The reason Paul preached the gospel so passionately was so Christ’s body, his church, would discover their promised rest in it. According to Paul’s own testimony towards the end of the book of Acts, it was his divine mandate to preach this wonderful good news:
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. Acts 20:24
Everything Paul did was, in one way or another, connected to this one goal: to testify to the gospel of God’s grace. We see Paul doing this in all his letters; however, nowhere does he lay out the nuts and bolts of the gospel of God’s grace as systematically as he does in his letter to the Romans. Why did Paul do such a thing? Was it to prove to the world that he was a wise and learned scholar? I doubt anyone would conclude that. In fact, I don’t think anyone would judge Paul’s motives as self-gratifying. On the contrary, for it seems evident that Paul wouldn’t have found any personal satisfaction in being known for his academic credentials. His boast was not in what he knew; but rather, in the profound reality that he was known and loved by God. It was this reality that consumed his attention; he found his peace in the grace of our great God. Paul didn’t seek to identify himself as a theologian; rather, he identified himself as a child of God radically set free ‘in Christ’.
You can view the full book and read some reviews on amazon.com. Click Here To Read/View
