Zechariah prophesied concerning John,] "You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God." Luke 1:76-78
Where does salvation come from? Does it come from our sense that something is desperately wrong and we need to change and make it better? Does it come from casting things in a more positive light so we don't become discouraged and quit? Does it come from a lucky break? Does it come because we are scrupulously righteous and deserve it come our way? Does it come from rigorously obeying everything in the law? No! Salvation and forgiveness come from one source, "the tender mercy of our God." In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! ‘For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.’ Romans 15:4
If the Bible is a love story, then its theme is hope! No matter how dire the circumstances, no matter how big the enemy, no matter how deep the sin, no matter how lost the people, no matter how empty the cupboard, no matter how wide the river, no matter, just no matter…God repeatedly gives His people reason to hope in a brighter tomorrow. God brought the assurance of tomorrow in Jesus! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" Isaiah 29:15
Aren't we so very silly sometimes! We try to hide what we are doing and what we are planning from the Lord. We are only fooling ourselves. Just knowing God knows our plans and sees our actions is threatening. After time to think it through, it’s good to know God does see everything! This insures justice will be done and our mess will be evaluated by our intentions, not just our failures! It also means those who plot to do us harm will have to answer to God, and we don't have to worry about "settling the score" or "getting even." In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
Who are your closest friends? Good friends are hard to come by in a world of superficial acquaintances and shallow relationships. "Hanging with the crowd" can give us a false sense of belonging, but often leaves us wounded and alone in times of trouble. Open, honest, supportive, and loving relationships don't happen without investment. Ask the Lord to lead you to close friends in His family. Minister to and serve those around you as you listen to their requests, faithfully upholding them in prayer. Trust God will give you a "stick-through-thick-and-thin-friend." Development of Christian friends is an investment of effort and time, they are friends with whom we can share with always. In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:17
So much of what we pursue is fleeting. Once we acquire it, we have to try to preserve it because we know it will soon be gone. God has promised us that just as He is eternal and will live forever, so also are those who pursue a relationship with Him and are committed to do His will. Let's sit down and look at how we spend our time, our money, and our efforts and ask if what we are pursuing is really something that is worth having. Then let's ask one more important question: "Even if it is worth having, is it going to last long enough to make a difference?" In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! "Now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:10
As a result of God's mercy, we have become a people who are uniquely and exclusively cared for by God. The fact we are the recipients of His mercy makes all the difference in the world as to how we respond to difficult times. God watches over us with enormous interest. Why? Because of His immense mercy, freely demonstrated in spite of our not deserving it! One day grace will be gone! (Romans 6:1-2) In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! If a care is too small to be turned into a prayer it is too small to be made into a burden.
“Bad temper is contagious—don’t get infected.” Proverbs 22:25 MSG
Sometimes people can be rude, very rude. When other people are unkind to you, you may be tempted to strike back, either verbally or in some other way. Instead, remember that God corrects other people’s behaviors in His own way, and He doesn’t need your help (even if you’re totally convinced that He does). When other people behave cruelly, foolishly, or impulsively, don’t be hotheaded. Speak up for yourself as politely as you can, and walk away. Then forgive everybody as quickly as you can, and leave the rest up to God. Amen! 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."
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Pastor Derrick RichardsonPastor of Community Abundant Life Church Archives
April 2024
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