"'Mercy and Sacrifice" 

Hoses 6:6 "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

Poignant verse. Old Testament too, take note. We are not inclined towards mercy. We live in a "get even" culture and "get ahead" too, seemingly at any expense or anyone's expense for that matter. I have a little story by Nikki Giovanni shared with me by Keith Rankin that will make you think about mercy, at least maybe rethink mercy. 

Mercy

She asks me to kill the spider.
Instead, l get the most peaceful weapons l can find.
I take a cup and a napkin.
I catch the spider, put it outside and allow it to walk away.
If l am ever caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time, just being alive and not bothering anyone,
I hope I am greeted with the same kind of mercy.

Ok ok... l get it... spider crawls on you or a kid it probably dies. But, many a daddy long legs have been rescued by me and l feel good about it. I get it... black widows, brown recluses, and spider bites get a different response. But, how often we rush from no mercy to final judgment. Not only with insects either. I am also not saying that my kids someday should get me a cup and napkin and put me outside. Although a quiet ice floe sounds inviting on some days.

What l am saying is that we too often sacrifice too many things when a little mercy is needed. After all, l received a lot of mercy, didn't you? Knowing God means asking Him if there is another way. My wife recently left us a note on the kitchen counter that basically said "if you see ants, kill them." I get it, the ants really do torture the best kitchen cleaning person.  But, I amended the note to say "Run for your lives, trust me, she will kill all of you." I have not seen the ants much. I think they respect me.  But, they were warned.

So today, how about a little more mercy, with God's creation, and especially those He came and died for.... that includes me and you,
Pastor Fred 
 

1John 4:a "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment."

Only Jesus can conquer our fears. His love that lets you know that "everything is going to be ok", is the only truth that can relieve us from the torment of our fears. He paid for the torment on the cross, and Him conquering sin and death on that cross is the empowerment we need to relinquish our fears. That simple phrase... "perfect love casts out fear" is fundamental to the healthy, functional life in Christ.

If you can grasp, receive, and maintain this understanding, you can be free from so much dysfunctionality and trouble in your life. If not, you may be doomed (until you change it) to repeat your miseries. The following quote my friend shared is so powerful. "The more fear you have the more controlling you will become. The only antidote to fear is faith in God." Specifically, faith in His personal love for you.

Please ingest this and receive it as a daily supplement to your walk in Christ. He loves you, perfectly. Therefore, believe and receive the benefits of that. No excuses or blame letting for when we don't.

With His perfect, all-powerful love,
Pastor Fred 

"8 Bible Verses To Help Overcome Bitterness" 
Crystal McDowell

DAY 8

Bitter or Better?

“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” (Proverbs 14:10).

Each of us has a choice to become better or bitter in our lifetime. The better is that God loves, forgives, and makes a way for His people to escape bitterness. The bitter is a lifetime wasted in regret and anger—burdened and burdening others. We were created for more. We were born again to conquer the world, Satan, and the flesh through the grace of God. Be free today from bitterness and be better!

"8 Bible Verses To Help Overcome Bitterness" 
Crystal McDowell

DAY 7

Ephesians 3:17-19

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

No matter what the situation that brought on bitterness, the love of God can cover your heart and mind so that you can be free. By remembering and meditating on the love of Christ for you, you will long for His presence and peace. In the forest of bitterness, we forget how much we are loved. This love of God not only sent His Son to die for you, but it also wants the best for you in this lifetime.

"8 Bible Verses To Help Overcome Bitterness" 
Crystal McDowell

DAY 6

Ephesians 4:31

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

There’s only one way to deal with bitterness—get rid of it like you get rid of smelly garbage. Retaining bitterness has the same effect as smelly garbage to a home, it infiltrates every area of your life. As with garbage, you may become so accustomed to the smell that you may not even know it exists. However, anyone who visits will know it. Confess and repent of the bitterness in your heart so that the Lord can bring you to a better place of knowing Him.

"8 Bible Verses To Help Overcome Bitterness" 
Crystal McDowell

DAY 5

Colossians 3:13

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” 

There are believers who think they don’t need to forgive if they don’t feel like it. The problem is that keeping angst in your heart towards others tends to lead down the road of bitterness eventually. The Lord instructed His people to forgive, not only when they feel like it—but out of obedience to Him. We forgive as we have been forgiven—immediately. Forgiveness doesn’t remove the consequences, but it frees us from the burden of bitterness. 

"8 Bible Verses To Help Overcome Bitterness" 
Crystal McDowell

DAY 4

Ephesians 4:26

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”

Many times bitterness is the result of unresolved anger. We could be angry with God, with ourselves, or with others. Anger that is not dealt with can easily become a dangerous bitter root in our hearts. We must be honest with ourselves when we are angry and pray asking the Lord for strength. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we can have insight into the reasons we are angry and how to deal with them.

Cling to HOPE and His Rays of Light

As I write the devotional this week, I am mindful of so many people who I know and love that are going through very troubling and difficult times in their lives, robbing them of the JOY that God promises for all who believe in Him. I so enjoyed my trip back East this year (as I always do) because I took the time to do quite a bit of reading.  

So, what I'd like to do today is share something I read by one of my favorite authors, along with a picture I took from the back porch of my friend, Pauline's home, where we are blessed to stay every year.  Both of these two things say it much better than I could with my words, and I pray that if you are struggling right now (physically, emotionally, spiritually), that you will hear and see God at work as well.

From Jesus Calling, 56 Devotions for Comfort by Sarah Young (Page 34):
     SOFTLY, I ANNOUNCE MY PRESENCE.  Shimmering hues of radiance tap gently at your consciousness, seeking entrance.  Though I have all Power in Heaven and on earth, I am infinitely tender with you.  The weaker you are, the more gently I approach you.  Let your weakness be a door to My Presence.  Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present help.

     Hope in Me and you will be protected from depression and self-pity.  Hope is like a golden cord connecting you to Heaven.  The more you cling to this cord, the more I bear the weight of your burdens; thus, you are lightened.  Heaviness is not of My kingdom.  Cling to Hope and My rays of Light will reach you through the darkness. (Psalm 46:1; Romans 12:12; Romans 15:13).
     "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer".  Romans 12:12

Have a blessings-filled weekend and week to follow.  We invite and welcome you to join us Sundays at Grace Harbor for Adult Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. as they begin the study of the Book of James, Worship Service, and Children's Sunday School at 10:00 a.m.

Love In Him, Charlotte Adams

DAY 3

Proverbs 28:13

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” 

Once we recognize that bitterness has taken hold of our hearts, we need to confess it out loud to the Lord and to other mature believers. When Naomi returned to Bethlehem after losing her husband and sons, she asked family and friends to refer to her as “Mara” meaning bitter. Her situation made her bitter, but before the end—she was blessed by the Lord with a grandson. When people know how we really feel, they can pray and encourage us to overcome the bitterness inside. 

"8 Bible Verses To Help Overcome Bitterness" 
Crystal McDowell

DAY 2

Psalm 51:10

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” 

Bitterness is never good for anyone, but especially for those who are in the faith. Giving our hearts over to bitterness means that we have resisted the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The Lord will reveal the sinfulness of bitterness in our hearts and compel us towards seeking His healing and forgiveness. We aren’t stuck in bitterness as long as we recognize our failings, repent, and humble ourselves to receive a new spirit from the Lord. 

"8 Bible Verses To Help Overcome Bitterness" 
DAY 1 

I wanted to share with you a series of 8 mini-devotionals that really ministered to me. Crystal McDowell has captured a very fresh biblical perspective on "bitterness" that touched my heart deeply about my need to confess, forgive, reconcile, and move forward. Hope these words comfort, convict, and bless you too. 
Tenderly,
Pastor Fred

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

A bitter spirit can happen to any one of us if we aren’t careful. A bitter root can grow subtly in our hearts long before the fruit of it rises to the surface. Unresolved anger, an unforgiving attitude, resentment, jealousy, and continued disappointment are just a few of life’s struggles that cause us to plunge into bitterness.

There is a remedy for the bitter spirit—it’s the healing balm of the Word of God. Taken in small doses over a period of time can release the tortured soul to know love, joy, and peace from the Holy Spirit. Study the following 8 Bible verses to help overcome bitterness:

When bitterness attempts to take over our hearts, we need to circle back to our Lord and remember that He overcame the world. While the Lord has promised us that He will never leave us—He never promised that life would be easy. Many times life doesn’t seem fair and we are tempted to give over to bitterness. Trials and difficulties will pass away, but God’s grace is given in abundance for those who lean and trust in Him through the tough times of life.

"Our God Is In The Business of "Miracles" 

I am blessed to be writing my devotional to you this week from the 7th day of my 12-day vacation with my family and friends here in Northern Virginia.  I generally attempt to share what’s on my heart because that’s what seems to just flow, so my thoughts this week, and last week, like so many of you, I’m sure, focused on what can only be described “as a miracle.”  I am, of course, referring to the 12-member Thai youth soccer team and their coach trapped in a cave in northern Thailand for 18 days from June 23 until the separate miraculous rescues of all 13, concluding on Tuesday, July 10^th.  Miracle!

Even if one could give a count of the miracles that are described in the Bible, we know that there are many more unaccounted for, because it would be impossible to give an accurate accounting of “miracles” in the Bible, or elsewhere.  There is only one thing that can probably be safely stated about a miracle, and that is, you know it when you see or experience one.  Didn’t we all hear, or say ourselves, when the last rescues took place on Tuesday, “That was just a miracle” or “What a miracle”?  Would you be able to define to anyone what you meant when uttering such a thought?  It can’t really be put into words, but suffice it to say, you just “know that you know” it was another one of God’s miracles. I know that I seemingly speak that with such authority, and I do, because of my belief in the awesome power of an ever-present God.

I believe everyone has been filled with awe to have witnessed the immeasurable acts of God’s intervening power and spirit to bring all of this to such a “miraculous” conclusion. As believers, and hopefully, even for those who profess (for now) not to be, let’s give all thanks and praise, for this recent miracle, and all other seen and unforeseen ones, to our AWEsome God. He reigns!   (Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him, who revere and worship Him with awe, who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness. Psalm 33:18; Be in awe and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted throughout the earth. Psalm 46:10; And all men shall reverently fear and be in awe; and they will declare the work of God, for they will wisely consider and acknowledge that it is His doing. Psalm 64;9;Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God.  And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.” Luke 5:26. “And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said to one another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him? Mark 4:41).

Have a very blessings-filled weekend and week to follow. We invite and welcome you to join us Sundays at Grace Harbor for Adult Bible Study at 9:00 a.m., where the Book of Romans(16) is currently the study, and Sunday Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School at 10:00 a.m.  

Love In Him, Charlotte Adams

"Keeping Score?"

Psalm 130:3  "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?"

Many of us love to keep score. It is the fundamental element of measure in sports. It is the measure of success for the "almighty GPA" in school. In our obsession to control and opine, it is the foundation if "oneupsmanship".

The score is the ultimate determiner of winners and losers. We love the score. Especially when we win. Who got the most votes? 51% or better yet 50.1% means we are best or right or comparatively better, right? I hear that 46.9% of statistics are made up. (lol) What is it about the score? Maybe just an ongoing game to make ourselves feel better more than half the time.

Aren't you glad God isn't keeping score? It is a relief to trust His perfect judgment and grace. Imagine if we received red checkmarks for all our sins and misdeeds, all our missteps and misunderstandings. O Lord have mercy on us. None of us could stand if He kept score. But, He doesn't, and we do too often.

When l woke up this morning l wept because of His grace toward me. His mercy was renewed and l got a fresh start. I can face my earthly consequences because He paid the ultimate price with His perfect sacrifice. When l get to this place, l see everybody differently. With the eyes of my heart. How about you? What's the score? You winning?

Humbly,
Pastor Fred 

"The One In Charge"

Psalm 138:3 "In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.."

God did not remove all of David's troubles, and He won't remove all of ours, even though we cry out like David for God to do so. We are not to treat God as a genie in a lamp who grants all our whims and wishes. Sometimes God takes us out of our trouble, but more often He stands with us and walks with us through it.

God always answers when His children cry out to Him, every good Father does. He may not answer us the way we want to be answered, or when we want to be answered, but He always answers. God will often give strength, or confidence in our souls to help us face trouble. Boldness and strength come not because we get everything we want at the exact moment we ask for it, but because God is in charge. He knows what we need. So we trust Him.

Working on this principle with you.
Pastor Fred 

"Freedom in Christ"

Galatians 5:1,13
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 13 You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

As we just celebrated our freedom this 4^th of July, I hope we all know the true price for that freedom. Our freedom came at the expense of God’s only son our Lord Jesus Christ, for only through Him do we really have true freedom.

I hope that in between family, friends, food, and fireworks we all took a moment to meditate on all those who have sacrificed so much so that we could have this day, especially Christ our Savior.

Rejoice in the Lord,
Vicky Tucker

“Elohim Chayim”

Joshua 3:10
Joshua said, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will certainly drive out before you the  Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites."

Our God, the only True God is not an idol. He is not made of wood or clay, or silver. He is not an animal or part of nature, or a word or poem. He does not live in buildings nor does He need us to exist. He is God Almighty, Elohim Chayim. He always was and always will be.

He not only is pre-existent He also is the source of life itself. He is the resurrection and the Life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is all in all. He has authority over life and death. Authority over all that is living. Everything that has life only lives because of Him.

Wow…how amazing is He? He is among us and goes before us and has taken up spiritual residence inside of us. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. He breathes into everyone as the breath of life and we are living souls.

Praise the Living God!
Pastor Fred

"Praying His Word" 

"So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
1 Kings 3:9

I have recently been studying and praying "back to God" the prayers from the Bible. In particular, at 8:18 p.m. each evening when I pray for the church, I pray these on behalf of Grace Harbor. No matter what the circumstances of the original prayer, they always seem to be application to us.

This prayer is Solomon asking God for wisdom in making decisions for the people of God. Right now our church and school leaders are making decisions about construction, class space. Where will we meet? How will we have services? What enhancements can we do? Etc. My prayer for our leaders is as Solomon prayed. Help them distinguish the right thing to do.

Try praying the prayers back to God- it takes the focus off you. Just google prayers of the Bible- there are several resources.

Prayerfully,
Angie Wahl

"Thank God for Everything" - Max Lucado
 
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thessalonians 5:18
 
I read about a lawyer who won a case for his client. The two men celebrated with a nice dinner. At the end of the meal, the client handed the lawyer a fine wallet made o Moroccan leather. “Please accept this as my token of appreciation.” The lawyer resisted. “No, I can’t settle for a wallet. My fee is $500.” The client looked at the lawyer and shrugged. “Whatever you say”. He opened the wallet and extracted ten $100 bills. He reinserted five of the bills and handed the lawyer the wallet.

Don’t be too quick in your assessment of God’s gift to you. Thank him. Moment by moment. Day by day. Meal by meal. Thank God for...EVERYTHING.
 
Max Lucado - God is with you Every Day Devotional