Monday, March 31, 2008

Life-Giving Mercy

True mercy is putting our 'compassion into action.' Jesus is the greatest example of this kind of mercy. In his encounter with the adulterous woman(John 8), he not only physically saved her life, he also gave her the opportunity to embrace a new spiritual life she had seemingly never known. Also, in the story of the woman at the well in chapter 4 of John’s Gospel, we see how his power and presence transform the woman from a five-time divorcee to an anointed evangelist who reached her community with the gospel message. Christ clearly majored in misfits and outcasts. He healed the sick, made the lame walk, loved the lepers, gave sight to the blind, made deaf ears hear, gave life to the dead . . . We could go on and on, but the point is that he saw those in need, and he showed them compassion by intentionally choosing to do something about it. A truly awesome thing about Jesus’ mercy is that it meets us both physically and, better yet, spiritually. He loves and forgives everyone, from loose-living prostitutes to dishonest tax collectors to regular old sinners like us!

Monday, March 24, 2008

...Of Races and Runners

A story is told of a race between two neighboring rival schools. The two best runners for each team often ran together in the offseason and thus became very good friends. As this much-anticipated race began and progressed, the two were running stride-for-stride. As they rounded the last turn, one began to take a short lead. The one who was slightly behind tried desperately to catch up, and somehow their feet got tangled together, causing the second-place runner to fall hard onto the track, yelling and grabbing his bloody ankle. When his friend, who was only twenty-five yards from the finish line realized what had happened, he stopped running, went back to help, and lost the race. What do you think the spectators who witnessed this race
remember about it? How many persons five years later could even recall who eventually won the race? What lesson is seen here?

Monday, March 17, 2008

Cheeseburger and Fries

A friend of mine is a retired truck driver who has eaten in his share of restaurants and diners during his years out on the road. He made a good analogy when he said that for years, he would
go into the diner and not even look at a menu. Every time it was the same order: cheeseburger and fries. He was so comfortable with his cheeseburger and fries that he never bothered to consider anything else. He feared that maybe he had become this way in his spiritual life as well. Same old, same old, predictable and bland. How about you? Is it time you tried something new?

Monday, March 10, 2008

Bouquets Book now available!









Bruce Hamsher puts everyday evangelism and daily discipleship into easily readable and understandable terms. By choosing to develop intentional relationships with those outside our personal circles, we can bring people to Christ and help turn lost souls into believers. By patiently cultivating relationships in the world around us, we can live out the scriptural call to be “the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved” (2 Corinthians 2:15). Includes a study/discussion guide.

“In a practical, sound, and biblically-based manner, Bruce has captured the essence of what it means to ‘be the aroma’ of God to those around us. Bruce offers clear, concise guidance on developing purposeful relationships. As you learn the importance of being honest, real, and available in your relationships, you will be overwhelmed by the flow of blessing that will
result. Your friendships will never be the same.”
—Stephen R. Wingfield, Steve Wingfield Evangelistic Association

Bruce Hamsher is a pastor at Berlin (Ohio) Mennonite Church and a certified pastoral counselor. He holds a ministry degree from the Masters International School of Divinity. Mentoring and discipleship have been an important part of his pastoral ministry.
Paper, 90 pages, 978-0-8361-9407-4: $11.99

Available at your local Christian bookstore or by contacting Circle of Friends Ministries, 1 330 852-0000.

Published by Herald Press, 616 Walnut Avenue, Scottdale, PA 15683. Phone: 1 800 245-7894.
http://www.heraldpress.com/ hp@mph.org