SALVATION: A SATURDAY SHORT!

A Saturday Short that is long in meaning.......

Salvation is from the LORD. His work. His grace. His gift for His glory.

Accordino to Scotty Smith, Ephesians 2:8, is a glorious reminder for we who suffer with Gospel-amnesia, grace allergies, freedom dementia, and chronic unbelief. 

A salvation heads-up!

MOST ENCOURAGING GIFT EVER

A PRICELESS GIFT!

ENCOURAGING WORDS OF SCRIPTURE!

The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

CHOOSE: TO CELEBRATE THE REFORMATION

On this date 500 years ago (1517),  Martin Luther nailed his "95 " theses for all to see.

On this 500th anniversary of the Reformation some truths, nailed to that All-Saints' door in Wittenberg, stand out to me!

I am not justified by "my" works but my justification is a result of God's grace through the righteousness of Christ, who knew no sin, and died for mine. (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24)

1. By Scripture alone
2. Through faith alone
3. In Christ alone
4. To the glory of God alone

Today I choose to celebrate Reformation Day as a reminder to "RETURN TO THE GOSPEL!

CHOOSE GRACE

For Christians, "under grace" is the best life choice. The place to be.

Pastor Cole continues to remind us that God desires progress NOT perfection in our Christian Walk. So.....why don't we seek grace not perfection as Emily Ley's 2016 title, coupled with God's word, implores us. (Ephesians 2:8)

Young women, juggling careers and motherhood, would especially appreciate the encouragement in this book to embrace simplicity and celebrate joy.

• Here's the thing about doing it all: even if you can do it all, no one can do it all WELL. (p.13 )
• I will hold myself to a standard of GRACE not perfection. (p.16) 
• Sometimes the problem isn'a our organizational skills; it's our abundance of things. (p.45)
• You don't need a Pinterest-perfect home; you need a home that works for you and makes you feel ALIVE. ( 55)
• We're more likely to lose our patience with our loved ones when we carry the weight of stress on our shoulders. (p.135)
• Grace and Gratitude go hand in hand. (p. 151)

Even this "old granny" found some "grace gems" worthy of choosing.

G is for……………Gifts of Grace

12/14/09
Popeye, the comic strip character (which began 80 years ago) gave us lots of food for thought---mainly about spinach. But I also remember him saying, I “yam” what I “yam.” I could say that about myself and the connotation would be derogatory. “I yam what I yam”…..apart from God’s grace, what “I yam” is not a pretty picture. Today "I yam" tired, grumpy and "down." But God......continues to bestow grace on this undeserving old lady.

I learned years ago that grace is "unmerited favor" from God. This gift of grace is a description of the character of God---His gift to humanity. We just have to receive this beautiful gift all tied up with His love---open it up and use it. What a gift----and we can never use it up!

Theologian, J.I. Packer, describes grace this way, “New Testament grace means God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves.”

Here’s a gift of “grace scriptures” for you today---open the scripture that appeals to your heart and use it in your life---that’s what meditation does. Open the Bible, accept the Word and use it for yourself and to bless others.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. I Peter 4:10 (THOT---the gift does, in fact, go on)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2 (THOT---Grace always precedes peace in the salutations (I found 16) of the epistles ----God’s grace must be present in order to experience His real peace.)

Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. (Romans 5:14-16)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (Ephesians 2:8)

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (I Corinthians 15:10)

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (John 1:16)

I hope you chose your gift of grace carefully and prayerfully and will continue to delight in it throughout the week.