Shade tree wisdom 4/17/13

Shade tree wisdom 4/17/13


The news read that George Beverly Shea died at age 104. He was the soloist with the Billy Graham New York Crusade in 1957 who sang “How Great Thou Art” 97 times during that week. The choir joining the majestic refrain:

“Then sings my soul, my Savior, God to thee,

How great Thou art, how great Thou art.”

That Swedish folk melody contains this truth.

“And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the cross burden gladly sharing

He bled and died to take away my sin.”

The lines emphasize again the grace of God to mankind. Martin Luther understood this truth of grace very well. His study, especially of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 2, makes this quite clear

Of that he wrote (WLS II,#2207) “The world wants to win heaven from God by right, although He is causing the message to be proclaimed throughout the world that He wants to give it to us for nothing (by grace). I will not let you win heaven form Me. Therefore make no other gods do not invent things that you do yourself. . .Do not begin with your good works allow Me to have mercy on . . .Do not begin with your good works; allow Me to have mercy on you. . .Such fools we are we want to give, when we ought to take . .The world is just as mad and foolish It wants to Him who has guivenall and from whom we receive all.”

In his hymns “It is well with my soul” Horatio Spafford has this line.

“My sin, O the bliss of this glorious tho’t,my sin, not in part, but the whole; is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul.”

“By Grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless.” Thank the Lord for this truth, and for showing it to us so clearly in His Scriptures. Ephesians 2,8.9 “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast”.

GPD 4/17/13