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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Thursday,
June 15, 2023
Yesterday's
sunset on
Route 283 West
"Grace
Alone"
Message
summary: Today
we consider
the utter
impossibility
of attaining
salvation by
our good works
apart from
God's grace.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Last
night we were
on our way
home heading
west on 283
when we saw
the brilliant
sunset aligned
straight ahead
of us on the
highway. The
picture is not
nearly as
stunning as
seeing it
"live" but
Brooksyne
still snapped
our lead photo
from the
passenger
side. Of
course any
time the sun
is on the
horizon it
seems to go
down very
quickly.
Brooksyne
jokingly
suggested,
"Let's get
closer so I
can get a
better
picture". I
informed her
the sun is 93
million miles
away so
"getting
closer" would
not make any
difference!
The
concept of
getting closer
for a photo
makes sense in
many cases. If
we see an
interesting
barn or a
particular
landscape
during our
travels it's
often a better
photo if taken
up close. Many
photographic
settings we
see after
passing them,
so I often
turn the car
around while
Brooksyne
steps out to
get a closer
shot.
However
in other cases
"getting
closer" has no
real value.
When we
visited the
Grand Canyon
we'd see
people
standing on
the edge and
reaching out
with their
camera to take
a photo across
the canyon.
Being 18 miles
in width the
extra few feet
surely makes
no difference
apart from
giving those
with
Cremnophobia*ą
like me the
heebie
jeebies*˛
Through
the years I
have sought
illustrative
material on
the utter
impossibility
of attaining
salvation by
our good works
apart from
God's grace.
A
few examples I
have used:
- a long distance swimmer may get a bit farther in swimming across the ocean than a non-swimmer would but would still fail miserably short.
- A long jumper attempting to jump across the Grand Canyon versus a person in a wheelchair. He would get a little farther but would still fail miserably short!
Phil
Wickham, in
his
outstanding
song "Living
Hope", begins
the song by
describing our
hopeless
condition
apart from
Christ:
How
great the
chasm that lay
between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Our
daily texts
will be
familiar to
many readers,
perhaps you've
memorized
them. The
first two
describe our
sinfulness
from God's
perspective
summed up in
Romans 3:23: "fall
short of the
glory of God".
Ephesians
2:8,9 is a
verse that all
Christians
would do well
to memorize: “For
it is by grace
you have been
saved, through
faith—and this
not from
yourselves, it
is the gift of
God—not by
works, so that
no one can
boast”.
Jerry Bridges
notes, “God’s
grace does not
supplement our
good works.
Instead His
grace
overcomes our
bad works,
which are our
sins.” Writer
Erwin Lutzer
observes,
“when the mask
of
self-righteousness
has been torn
from us and we
stand stripped
of all our
accustomed
defenses, we
are candidates
for God’s
generous
grace.”
Good works are a result and outflow of God’s amazing grace. Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them".
Good works are a result and outflow of God’s amazing grace. Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them".
Accept
God’s generous
grace today
and proclaim
with the
Palmist, “But
with You there
is
forgiveness”
(Psalm
130:4).
Daily
prayer: Father,
nothing we
receive on
this side of
heaven,
whether it be
of great
monetary value
or an
achievement
extraordinaire'
they can't
come close to
the gift of
Your salvation
poured out for
us through the
death of Your
Son, Jesus
Christ. Your
marvelous,
infinite grace
exceeds our
sin and guilt
and thereby
You rescue us
from the
dominion of
darkness and
transfer us
into the
kingdom of
Your beloved
Son, our
precious Lord
and Savior. We
are saved,
satisfied and
forever
grateful.
Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Living
Hope"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Calvary Church
Grace
alone, which
God supplies;
Strength unknown He will provide;
Christ in us, our cornerstone –
We will go forth in grace alone.
Strength unknown He will provide;
Christ in us, our cornerstone –
We will go forth in grace alone.
*ą
Cremnophobia
is the fear of
cliffs and
precipices.
*˛
Heeby Jeebies
is a state of
nervous fear
or anxiety.
I'm
glad the
traffic police
weren't out to
give each
Canada goose a
ticket for
jaywalking
smack dab in
center of a
major
intersection.
It's not
uncommon to
see cars
stopped on
this stretch
of Oregon Pike
waiting for
the goose
family to
waddle their
way across the
highway.
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WEBER -
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In considering support we are so pleased when we hear from you, our readers, that our messages are a source of teaching and encouragement to you. We also urge you to consider the mission aspect of these daily teachings that are freely available and read by many all over the world.
To
donate
directly
online
click here.
(This will
open to a page
that
designates the
offering
to: STEPHEN
&
BROOKSYNE
WEBER -
700001-237376 SERVING
IN SPECIALIZED
CHAPLAINCY)
If
you desire you
can also
donate
directly
through PayPal
using this link.
This will open
to a page that
states
"Brooksyne
Weber". We
keep this
option
available due
to the
familiarity,
convenience,
for
international
supporters,
and for those
who may not
need an
official
receipt. You
can also set
up for
recurring
donations.
Thank
you,
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
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radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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