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Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.’ Psalm 79:9
We don't deserve the grace we need! We have no right to presume God's forgiveness! We have no reason to expect divine deliverance! But in Jesus, God has shown us his incredible love and generosity. We can confidently call out for His mercy and receive His grace, forgiveness, and deliverance — not because we deserve it, but because of who He is and for the sake of His glorious name. In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! "Just because we’re in a stressful situation doesn’t mean that we have to get stressed out. You may be in the storm. The key is, don’t let the storm get in you."
"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." Genesis 8:22
We face one of two realities. One reality is this: tomorrow will come, the earth will turn, and the seasons will pass in their appointed order. The second reality, God will interrupt his appointed order; Jesus will come and we'll share in his glory. These realities are as sure as the sun's coming up in the morning and going down in the evening. Either way, God's promises win out over our fears and Satan's opposition. In other words, by God's grace, we win! “Be careful not to do your "acts of righteousness" before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “ Matthew 6:1
Why do we do the things we do? What is the motivation for our behavior? It's so easy to fall into the trap of doing religious things so we will look good to others. This is true even when culture reacts negatively to our faith. Those around us who know about our faith and the Christians around us become the target of our behavior. While we do want to have the right kind of influence on everyone around us, we must never make our decisions about spiritual service on the basis of being seen by others to be honored because of it. Our goal must be to honor God and bless others! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” Psalm 130:7
What do we have here on earth that is unfailing and inexhaustible? Nothing!......except God’s unfailing love! Even when we disappoint, hurt, offend, or rebel against Him, He still loves us. Whiles we were sinners He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from sin and the penalty of death! Why trust anything or anyone else with our future? Let’s lean on God’s unfailing love!! It’s not about US, it’s All about God! Are you going to get stuck and let the past poison your future? Or, are you going to shake it off and move forward knowing that your best days are still up ahead? What’s happened in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future. Where you’re going is much more significant than where you’ve been.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:9-10
For those of us who find ourselves in places we shouldn’t be, the abiding presence of God might be a bit terrifying. We should find great comfort in knowing no matter where we go, from the moment of our conception to the day of our death, God is always there! God the Father is always there to guide us and sustain us. Even when we are in places we are not supposed to be, doing things we are not supposed to do, He is still there! We can turn to Him in repentance and receive His grace; we can turn to Him in need and receive His strength and we can turn to Him and know we are not alone! It’s not about US, it’s All about God! “There is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” Psalm 130:4
It seems like a paradox: God loves us and forgives our sins, but we are still supposed to fear Him. Though fear and forgiveness seem like contradictory concepts, they actually go hand-in-hand. Godly fear is not terror; it’s reverence. When we truly respect God, we honor His commands. We also acknowledge when we violate His law; because we want to maintain a good relationship with Him. Out of reverence to God, we confess our sins; out of love, He heals and pardons us. Ultimately, fear and forgiveness teach us the love of the Lord, and it is a very good thing. Live in Your God-given Blessings Today! “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:2-3 Life is busy. We find our mind is usually racing to keep track of all the things we need to do. Multi-tasking means multi-thinking. While it’s certainly important to keep life going, if we have a family who is depending on us to do so, it is even more important to focus our thoughts on things above. Paul points out that when we became a believer, we died and the meaning and purpose of our new life is hidden with Christ in God. To learn about life and to grow deeper in Him, requires focusing our thoughts on God our Father. The better we know Jesus Christ, the more we will understand about our life. In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “He judges in favor of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free and…lifts those who have fallen.” Psalm 146:7-8
It’s true that we’ll always have troubles, can we imagine what we would miss out on if we never experienced pain or challenges? No we can’t. Because our trials, although difficult, teach us what’s really important in life and how to console others suffering similar circumstances. Our afflictions confirm God is real, because through them, His profoundly deep, healing comfort transforms our soul. If we never face an impossible situation, how could we ever see God’s glory or experience the power of His presence? We couldn’t. Thank God that even our troubles have a wonderful purpose when we see them through His love! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! |
Pastor Derrick RichardsonPastor of Community Abundant Life Church Archives
September 2023
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Community Abundant Life Church
1701 NW 7th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 (405) 557-7822 Pastor Derrick Richardson |
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“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:7
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