spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Apr 24

The Gate

by Brenda Poulos

John 14:6- “I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

I rummage around in the console of my car for the remote control. One push of the button and the gate slowly opens, admitting me to the neighborhood.  Whether operating by a gate code, a special sticker on the car’s front window, or a “clicker”, I’m sure those of you living in gated communities understand if I confess that I still sigh with relief when the gate “recognizes” me and swings wide, granting access to my home.

I am speaking about my earthly home, of course.

But, what about my heavenly home? 25529773694_403d73b5bd

Is it true that some will be admitted to heaven, while others will be turned away?

According to this verse from the book of John, the only access to God and heaven comes through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Christians find peace for their souls and reassurance of eternal life in heaven as they trust Jesus as Savior.

My heart aches for those who have not put their trust in Christ—those who will be turned away at the gate.

Don’t read this and think, “I’m a good person. Surely, God isn’t speaking about me.”

The Bible says that God is not a “respecter of persons.”  His laws apply to everyone, no matter their age, nationality, or earthly notoriety.

You may be beautiful in the eyes of the world. You may be smart, generous, and kind to others. You may be a hard worker, a good son or daughter, but if God cannot look at you and see his Son, then you will be left standing alone outside the gate.

YOU are the very reason I write this blog each week.

I pray that you will consider John 14:6 and that, in Christ, you will find the way to your eternal home.

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Mar 20

A Free Gift for You

by Brenda Poulos

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Luke 3:22- “… and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

 

From her hospital bed, Lois opens a card with a familiar picture of a white dove on the front. The very sight of it warms her heart and reminds her of the peace of God.

Jenny pulls into the parking lot of a hospice thrift shop. She notices a familiar dove symbol on the sign as she enters the building.

Bill buys his wife a new Bible for her birthday. He has her name inscribed onto the leather cover, choosing the symbol of a dove to accent the beautiful printing.

What is it about the dove that makes it a popular symbol among Christians?

Two prominent stories in the Bible involve the dove. One is about the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descending upon him as a dove.

In Genesis 8, Noah released a dove after the flood. When the bird returned to him, it had an olive leaf in its mouth, letting Noah know there was dry land nearby. Many commentaries consider this as marking the end of God’s judgment and the beginning of a new covenant with man.

What is this “new covenant?” Jesus explained at his last Passover meal that his blood would be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28). By this, he was affirming that his death and resurrection was the means by which he would bring salvation to all who would believe.

No more would the offering of animal sacrifices be required to cover their sins, a ritual that required repetition on a daily basis. Instead, Jesus would shed his perfect blood once—for all.

A free gift for all who would believe in the Son of God for the forgiveness of sins.

Not because of righteous things that we might do, but because of His great mercy.

He loved us. He gave himself for us.

That we might have eternal life.

May the Holy Spirit descend on you, like a dove, declaring to you the good news of His salvation and the truth of the gospel…

For this reason, He endured the Cross.

 

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Jul 13

Grace vs. Works

by Brenda Poulos

Romans 11:6– And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

One of the most popular songs of all time is Amazing Grace.

We say Grace before our meals.

Grace is a very popular girl’s name.

Philip Yancy wrote a book called, What’s So Amazing About Grace?

 I am a member of Grace Church.

Grace. What does that word mean?

Simple. It is undeserved merit.

It would be like me winning The Pulitzer Prize.

When we accept Jesus as our savior, God showers grace upon us. That is, he confers on us undeserved merit, or forgiveness of our sins.

We don’t deserve this merit, this forgiveness. We cannot work for it. It cannot be earned. That is why it is called grace.

Some people believe that by doing good works, they can earn a right standing with God. But, when you read Romans 11:6, we see that God is telling us that works is the opposite of grace.

God did not have working your own way to heaven as a part of his plan. No, he planned to give us a free gift of eternal life through his son, Jesus.

Why would he have sent Jesus to the cross to die if he planned to have you work for your salvation? What kind of loving father would have done that? That would mean that Jesus suffered and died for nothing!

But, that’s not how it happened. Knowing we could never earn our place in Heaven, he saved us by HIS GRACE through faith in Jesus Christ.

The next time we sing Amazing Grace, may we do so with a thankful heart—one that truly understands that this undeserved merit was not made possible by good works that we may have done, but by the greatest act of unconditional love that this world has ever witnessed.

Brenda

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Apr 19

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant

by Brenda Poulos

Mark 16:15- He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Our dear Pastor Bob went to heaven Friday afternoon. This is a trip he was planning for quite some time. In fact, ever since he came to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, he had the assurance he would someday see Him face to face.

Pastor Bob took seriously the Great Commission. Everywhere he went—including the hospital where he had testing and Chemo—he never missed an opportunity to share the gospel with others. Pastor Bob was all about sharing the love of Christ with a hurting world. In everything he did, he pointed the way to Jesus.

He was all about relationships and building strong ties with everyone he could. He knew that if others could sense his real concern for them, they would listen to the message he shared with so many.

In a sermon a couple of weeks ago, Pastor Ben (another of our pastors at Grace Church in Mesa, Arizona) told us that only 5% of Arizonian’s attend church. That leaves 95% who potentially have never heard the gospel.That’s a staggering statistic!

Now just to be clear, I am not saying that going to church will assure a person of a home in heaven once they pass from this life into the next. In fact, the Bible declares that only those who put their faith in Jesus as Savior will enjoy eternal life with Him. That’s the message Jesus asks every believer to share. That’s the message that Pastor Bob passed along and that is the reason that he will hear these words when he stands before the heavenly throne, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

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