It's not a point system

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselfs. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

Imagine a world where God created a point system by which we each had to earn "goodness". One point for saying nice things, lose two points for being mean. We would constantly be striving and those who got more points than others would likely flaunt it, or as the author of Ephesians says, "boast".

When we receive a gift, we don't try to take credit for that gift. If someone complements us, we say, "Thanks! So and so gave this to me.".

Thank God that He set things up so that we couldn't earn his favor or his grace or even that we could muster up faith without it being a gift from him (1 Cor 12:9).

Thank you Lord for setting things up in such a way that we can only attribute our redemption to you and that we can truly find rest because we can't earn that amazing gift of grace.

Present tense - Not limited by time

John 8:58 Jesus said to them "Truly I say to you, before Abraham was born I AM".

He could have said "I was", but throughout the Word, He persistently uses the present tense because He doesn't change and isn't limited by time as we are.

Jesus was very smart and not just intellectually smart, but street smart. And he was full of wisdom.

I wonder in verse 6 and 8 of Chapter 8 what he wrote on the ground when they were wanting to stone the adulteress. Could it have been as simple as the word "LOVE"? Or was it sin, or the word forgive? Or did He write their sins in the sand, so they would know that He was on to them?

Lord, you are the same yesterday, today and forever. Help me to be wise in all that I say and do. Help me to see your perfect timing and enjoy the time leading us to that time versus fretting. Give me rest, serenity and grace, sufficient for each day.

Woman of Worth - WOW

I just got back from the latest women's weekend of the local Tres Dias community here in Tampa. The theme for the weekend was Women of Worth. All I can say is WOW.

There were 30 women that attended and nearly 100 of us that served them on the weekend.

Imagine those service ratios in a hotel or on a cruise or in a restaurant. That service model can only thrive in God's economy.

Those 30 women left the 3 1/2 day encounter totally transformed. The bold became meek and the mild ones left courageous. It is impossible to be in the presence of Jesus and not be changed by his amazing grace.

While this may have been just a favorite hymn before the weekend, these women left truly understanding the unmerited favor - unearned gift that they have received and their worth does not come from WHO they are but WHOSE they are.

They were set free in ways that would be hard to imagine if you do not know his unending love and amazing grace on a personal basis.