A Glimpse – The Gambia

Do you know God’s grace? Here are 7 Bible verses to inspire you to understand this grace.

Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

To understand God’s grace, we have to acknowledge that we have done what is wrong in God’s eyes. We have sinned. We are in need of forgiveness and redemption.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God’s grace is a free gift that doesn’t depend on any good deeds you have done. God’s grace is for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

James 4:6-7 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

In humility we turn to God and confess that we have done wrong. In humility we receive God’s grace and he will lift us up.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

God isn’t a distant God. He came to us and lived among us as one of us. Jesus is full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

You can come to Jesus, just as you are. He knows our weaknesses. Because of the grace of God, we are forgiven our sins.

Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We don’t earn or deserve God’s grace by our good deeds, but it’s given according to God’s own mercy. By grace we are saved through our faith and even become heirs to the kingdom of God.

Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

This is the very last verse of the Bible and it reminds and expresses the wish for God’s grace be with you. “Amen” means “surely”, “truly” or “so be it.” We live by the hope and trust in God’s grace every day.

Kiliŋyaa Yeesu la kafoo kono

1 Wo kamma la, nte meŋ mu bunjawutonkoo ti Maariyo la kuwo kamma la, ŋa ali daani ka baluu niŋ baluuñaa la, meŋ jarita kumandiroo la, ali kumandita meŋ na. 2 Ali si baluu fammajiyo kono, mooyaa aniŋ sooneeyaa, aduŋ ali si muña ñoo ye kanoo kono. 3 Ali si katoo bee ke ka ke kiliŋ ti Nooroo kono, ali ye kayiroo ke a sitiraŋo ti.

4 Bala kiliŋ niŋ Noora kiliŋ ne be keriŋ, ko ali kumandita jiki kiliŋo kaŋ kumandiri kiliŋo la ñaameŋ. 5 Maarii kiliŋ ne be keriŋ, lanna kiliŋ, batisee* kiliŋ, 6 aniŋ Alla kiliŋ meŋ mu m̀ bee Faamaa ti. Ate le be m̀ bee ye santo, a ka dookuwo ke ka bo niŋ m̀ bee la, aduŋ a be m̀ bee le kono.

7 Hiinoo diita ntolu bee kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa la le, ko Kiristu* ye a sumaŋ ñaameŋ ka ǹ so a la. 8 Wo kamma la, a fota le ko:

“A taata santo le,

a taatoo ye mutamoolu samba,

a ye soorifeŋolu dii moolu la le.”

9 “A taata santo le,” ñiŋ ye a yitandi koyirinke le ko, a naata jii duniyaa dulaa dinkariŋ baa fanaa to le. 10 Wo to Kiristu meŋ jiita, ate le mu wo kiliŋo ti fanaa, meŋ taata santo dulaa to, meŋ tambita saŋ fatoolu bee la, fo a si alihawaa bee fandi a la kallankeeyaa* la.

11 Aduŋ ñinnu le mu a la soorifeŋolu ti, a ye moo doolu ke kiilaalu* ti, doolu kiilaariyaa kumafolaalu, doolu kibaari betoo kawandilaalu, doolu lannamoolu kantalaalu aniŋ doolu karandirilaalu. 12 Ka bo wo siloo la, a ye moo senuŋolu parendi dookuwo ye fo ì si a la kafoo yiriwandi, meŋ mu Kiristu baloo ti, 13 fo m̀ bee ye ke kiliŋ ti ǹ na lannoo to, aniŋ Alla Dinkewo* la londoo kono. Wo to le m̀ bee be meŋ na ka ke moo timmariŋolu ti, ko Kiristu be timmariŋ ñaameŋ.

14 Bituŋ ǹ kana ke dindiŋolu ti kotenke, ì ka mennu ñori jaŋ waraŋ jana. Tooñaa, karandiri siifaa jamaa le be jaŋ, mennu naata ka bo niŋ moolu la feere jawoolu la, aniŋ ì la feeretoo neeneeroo, bari ǹ te ke la kotenke feŋ yankariŋo ti, ñiŋ karandiroolu jiibaliŋolu kaŋ. 15 Wo noo to, m̀ be looriŋ tooñaa le kaŋ kanoo kono, m̀ be yiriwaa kaŋ kuu-wo-kuu to ka coki Kiristu bala, meŋ mu kuŋo ti baloo ye. 16 Ka bo niŋ ate le la, balasuufoolu bee keta ñoo bala kiliŋ ti, fasoolu niŋ cokoolu diita balasuufoolu ye le, aduŋ baloo ka meŋ ne, a ka yiriwaa kanoo kono, niŋ suufoolu bee ye ì la dookuwo taamandi a ñaama.

Moo kutoo Kiristu kono

17 M be ali dandalaa la ka ñiŋ bambandi Maariyo kono ko, ali maŋ ñaŋ na baluu la kotenke ko Alla lombaloolu, mennu hakiloo ka tu kuu nafantaŋolu kaŋ. 18 Ì sondomeñaalu be dibiriŋ ne, ì la lombaliyaa kamma la ì fatata baluwo la Alla ye meŋ dii, kaatu ì sondomoo jaata le. 19 Ì naata malubaliyaa, ì bulata ì la niidiyaa kuwolu nooma. Ì ka kuu nooriŋ siifaalu bee le ke, aduŋ kuu buka ì wasa.

20 Wo maŋ ke siloo ti, ali ye meŋ karaŋ Kiristu la kuwo to! 21 Tooñaa, ali ye a la kuwo moyi le, aduŋ ì ye wo tooñaa karandi ali ye le a ñaama meŋ mu ate Yeesu ti. 22 Wo to, ali ali daajika kotoo wura ali bala, meŋ mu ali la baluuñaa kotoo ti. Wo baluuñaa nakarita le ka bo niŋ hame kuu jawoolu la, mennu ye ali neenee. 23 Ali sondomoolu niŋ ali hakiloolu si kutayandi, 24 ali ye daajika kutoo duŋ, meŋ daata Alla sawuroo la ka tiliŋ tooñaa niŋ seneyaa soto.

25 Wo kamma la, ali meŋ-wo-meŋ si fata faniyaa foo la: Moo-wo-moo si tooñaa fo a siiñoo ye, kaatu m̀ bee mu bala kiliŋ ne taa ti. 26 Ali la kamfaa kono, ali kana junuboo ke. Ali la kamfaa kana tara ali kono fo tiloo ye boyi. 27 Niŋ wo nte, ali be siloo dii la Ibiliisa la le.

28 Moo meŋ mu suuñaarilaa ti, a kana suuñaaroo ke kotenke. Wo noo to a si dookuwo ke a buloolu la, fo a si diiroo ke noo moolu la, mennu be suuloo kono. 29 Kuma jawoo kana bo ali daa kono. Wo noo to, ali la kumoolu si beteyaa ka moolu yiriwandi, ka ì maakoyi ì la suuloolu kono, aniŋ ka ì seewondi.

30 Ali kana Alla la Noora Kuliŋo sunundi, ali tamputa ka bo niŋ meŋ na ka a ke ali la suuteerilaŋo ti kiisoo luŋo ye. 31 Ali niikuyaa bee bula, kamfaa, jusuboo, kawuyeeyaa, tooñeeri kumoolu aniŋ kuruŋyaa kuwolu bee. 32 Bari ali ñanta mooyaa niŋ balafaa soto la ñoo ye le. Ali yamfa ñoo ye ko Alla yamfata ali ye ñaameŋ ka bo niŋ Kiristu la.

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

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