HAVE YOU FOUND GOD'S AMAZING GRACE?

Today's promise: God is merciful

Have You Found God's Amazing Grace?

"Only fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God'

They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; no one does good!

…Oh, that salvation would come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel!

For when the Lord restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice."

Psalm 14:1-7 NLT

Rescued from rebellion

Young John Newton called himself an atheist, and his life demonstrated his lack of belief in God. Even the coarsest sailors aboard his slave-trading ship could not stand his filthy speech. He brutalized the male slaves and sexually abused the women, and he prodded other sailors to do the same. The ship's captain finally put him ashore on the coast of Africa, and there he became a servant of slavers.

Finally rescued by another merchant ship, Newton once again fouled the ship with his presence. In a drunken stupor he almost plunged overboard, and the captain wished that he had. Then, amazingly in the midst of a vicious ocean storm in 1748, God touched his heart. Years after his remarkable conversion, Newton commented, "I see no reason why the Lord singled me out for mercy…unless it was to show that with him nothing is impossible."

The fool who had said in his heart that there was no God was now transformed. He became famous throughout England, both as a preacher and a writer of hymns. Without a doubt, the best-known hymn of this former atheist is the following:

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
JOHN NEWTON

From The One Year® Book of Psalms by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen,
Tyndale House Publishers (1999), entry for January 23

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

WHEN NOT TO REJOICE

WHEN NOT TO REJOICE

READ:  Ezekiel 25:1-7; Matthew 5:43-48

Do not gloat when your enemy

falls.  -  Proverbs 24:17

The Akan people of Ghana have a proverb:  “The lizard is not as mad with the boys who threw stones at it as with the boys who stood by and rejoiced over its fate!”  Rejoicing at someone’ s downfall is like participating in the cause of that downfall or even wishing more evil on the person.

That was the attitude of the Ammonites who maliciously rejoiced when the temple in Jerusalem “was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile” (Ezekiel 25:3).  For spitefully celebrating Israel’s misfortunes, the Ammonites experienced God’s displeasure, which resulted in grim consequences (vv. 4-7).

How do we react when disaster befalls our neighbor or when our neighbor gets into trouble?  If she is a nice and friendly neighbor, then, of course, we will sympathize with her and go to her aid.  But what if he is an unfriendly, trouble-making neighbor?  Our natural tendency may be to ignore him or even secretly rejoice at his downfall.

Proverbs warns us:  “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice” (24:17).  Instead, Jesus tells us that we show His love in action when we “love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us]” (Matthew 5:44).  by so doing, we imitate the perfect love of our Lord (5:48).                                    LAWRENCE DARMANI

Lord, open my eyes and my heart to be honest about my attitude toward those who are unkind or unfair to me.  Fill my heart with Your love, Lord, and help me pray for them.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Have a blessed night.

God Our Creator’s Love Always.

Unity & Peace

DO YOU SHOW MERCY TO OTHERS?

Today's promise: God is merciful

Do you show mercy to others?

"God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

Matthew 5:7 NLT

A parable of mercy

Jesus once told a parable of a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. One servant came before him who owed him ten thousand talents — a debt far beyond the means of a servant. When he couldn't pay, the king ordered that he and his family be sold into slavery, but the servant begged for mercy. Then the king took pity on him, canceled the debt, and set the servant free.

The servant did not show similar mercy to another slave who owed him money and had the man thrown into prison. The master heard what had happened, reinstated the debt and threw him into prison.

"That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart," Jesus said, summing up the moral to the story (Matt. 18:23-35).

Have you ever prayed for forgiveness on Sunday than demanded your way on Monday? Have you ever reflected on the cross one moment and inwardly scowled at a brother the next? Ever yelled at your kids for making you late to church? If so, then read the parable again. Jesus' point is simple: Those who have been forgiven of so much should learn to forgive. People redeemed from certain death should act like redeemed people. Those who have received the ultimate act of mercy should learn to be merciful. Anything less shows how little we understand the true depth of the Master's kindness.

Adapted from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and Frank M. Martin, Tyndale House Publishers (2004) p 55

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

GLASS BEACH

GLASS BEACH

READ:  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

“On the day when I act,” say the

LORD Almighty, “they will be my

treasured possession.” Malachi 3:17

Early 20th-century residents of Fort Bragg, California, disposed  of their trash by throwing it  over a cliff and onto a nearby beach.  Cans, bottles, tableware, and household garbage accumulated in huge, disgusting piles.  Even when residents stopped depositing trash on the beach, it remained an embarrassment - a dump seemingly beyond reclamation.

Over the years, however, wave action broke up the glass and pottery and washed the rubbish out to sea.  The pounding surf rolled and tumbled the glass fragments in the sand on the ocean floor, frosting and smoothing the surface and creating gem-like “sea glass,” which it then deposited back onto the beach.  The surf created a kaleidoscopic beauty at which visitors to Glass Beach now stare in wonder.

Perhaps  you feel as though your life  has become a dump-a mess beyond hope.  If so, you need to know that there is someone who loves you and waits to redeem and reclaim you.  Give Jesus your heart and ask Him to make you pure and clean.  He may tumble you a bit, ,and it may take time to smooth away the rough edges.  But He will never give up on you.  He will make you into one of His jewels!                                      DAVID ROPER

Lord, when we have nothing left but You, we are right where You want us.  You can use any situation for Your glory and our good.  You never give up on us.  Help us to relax in Your love.

God loves us too much to let us remain as we are.

INSIGHT

Paul wrote the letter of 1 Thessalonians to assure the believers that Jesus is indeed coming back, even though we don’t know when.  Everyone who believes in Him both the living and the dead-will meet Him in the air and be with Him forever.  After assuring us of this wonderful truth (see ch.4), Paul reminds us in today’s reading that while we eagerly wait for Christ’s return, God is working in us to prepare us to be in His presence.                                                   J.R. HUDBERG

Have a blessed night.

God Our Creator’s Love Always.

Unity & Peace

DOES GOD TREAT YOU THE WAY YOU DESERVE?

Today's promise: God is merciful

Does God treat you the way you deserve?

Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to anger and full of unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we desire. For his unfailing love toward those who love him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west.

Psalm 103:1-12 NLT

About this week's promise

Mercy is compassion, poured out on needy people. But the mercy of God, which he expects us to model, goes one step further. God's mercy is undeserved favor. Even when we don't deserve mercy, God still extends it to us. Our sin and rebellion against God deserve his punishment; but instead he offers us forgiveness and eternal life. If God was merciful toward us despite our sin, how merciful should we be toward those who have wronged us?

From the TouchPoint Bible 

(Tyndale House) p 1233

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

THE MEANING OF A NAME

THE MEANING OF A NAME

READ:  Matthew 1:18-25

You are to give Him the name

Jesus.  - Matthew 1:21

According to a New Your Times article, children in many African countries are often named after a famous visitor, special event, or circumstance that was meaningful to the parents.  When doctors told the parents of one child that they could not cure the infant’s illness and only God knew if he would live, the parents named their child Godknows.  Another man said he was named Enough, because his mother had 13 children and he was the last one!  There’s a reason for everyone’s name, and in some cases it also conveys a special meaning.

Before Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord told Joseph, “[Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means “the Lord saves.” In that day and culture, many children would have been named Jesus, but only one came into this world to die so that all who receive Him might live eternally, forgiven and freed from the power of sin.

Charles Wesley wrote these words we often sing as Christmas nears:  “Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free; from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee.”

Jesus came to turn our darkness into light, to transform our despair into hope, and to save us from our sins.

                                                                    DAVID MCCASLAND

Heavenly Father, in Jesus we see Your loving purpose and boundless grace.  We humbly acknowledge Your Son as the One who came to save us from our sins.

Jesus’ name and mission are the same-He came to save us.

INSIGHT

Joseph is a popular biblical name.  The first Joseph in the Bible is Jacob’s son who, after being sold into slavery by his brothers, rose to great influence in Egypt (Genesis 37-50).  Two other Josephs are mentioned in the Old Testament period:  a musician (1 Chronicles 25:2, 9) and one in the lineage of Christ (SEE Luke 3:24, 30).  In the New Testament we begin with the earthly father of Jesus (Luke 2; Matthew 1).  Next is Joseph of Arimathea, who assisted in Jesus’ burial (Matthew 27:57).  Finally, we read of Joseph Barsabbas (Acts 1:23), who was considered to fill Judas’ vacated apostolic office; and Joseph the encourager, better known as Barnabas (Acts 4:36).                                        BILL CROWDER

Have a blessed night.

God Our Creator’s Love Always.

Unity & Peace

IS YOUR HOME MARKED BY THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT?

Today's promise: God is always ready to help us and expects us to help others

Is Your Home Marked By the Fruits of the Spirit?

"When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.…Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another."

Galatians 5:22-26 NLT

The Spirit-filled home

"How do you remember your childhood home? Was it a loving and welcoming place? Maybe there were evidences of kindness and generosity — fresh homemade cookies, a dollhouse or model planes you and your dad built together, a warm welcome always waiting for you, an old couch to be shared with brothers and sisters.

Perhaps you don't have such wonderful childhood memories. Not everyone does. Homes can be places of cruelty as well — places full of criticism and humiliation, places characterized by conflict, jealousy, and pain. Loving homes don't just magically appear. They are the result of a husband and wife's commitment to letting God's Spirit control their lives. When you follow the Spirit's leading, God produces kindness, goodness, patience, and love in your lives. Then the home a marriage creates can become a light to the neighborhood, a place where friends and neighbors can experience genuine love and acceptance. If you are married, what type of home do you want your marriage to create? Ask God today to plant the seeds of loving kindness in your life, your marriage, and your home."

From Praying God's Promises for My Marriage by Jon Farrar (Tyndale) pp 132-33

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House