Quote from Forum Archives on February 3, 2002, 11:17 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Don't you think it is important to know that you matter? One of
my favorite prayers is one I like to call "The Power Prayer", one
of many powerful prayers that the apostle Paul prays in his
various missionary letters to the early churches. This one comes
from his letter to the church in Ephesus, and is recorded in
Ephesians 3:14-21.

In this letter, Paul wants to let us know about the incredible
love of Jesus Christ - from God, the Father, made available to
each of us. I really believe that this love has been made
available to each one of us. Unfortunately, just like other
things, not everyone will take advantage of this incredible love,
nor will everyone realize just how incredible this love really
is!

If you are discouraged today, for any reason, have hope. Put
your hope, not in the things that have discouraged you in the
past, the things you wished would happen but haven't happened,
put your hope in the One sure thing - the love of God, clearly
shown and demonstrated through Jesus Christ.

I want you to know that there is nothing you can do to diminish
the love He has - for you, for me. The only possible thing you
can do to yourself is not to embrace that love - that's the only
way to turn it off is to completely turn away from it. Yet, even
if you do that, (though I certainly do not recommend such a
response) His love never fails. Not only that, His mercies are
new every morning.

I will never take that love for granted, nor deliberately abandon
or trample on that love. For to do su, for me, is just like
trampling a beautiful rose on the ground or (a bigger picture for
me) driving a nail directly into the side of Christ, the One I
love.

I do, however, fall short, I fail, I sin, I desperately need His
gracious provision for my life. Can you say anything different?

I appeal to each one of you today to embrace the deep love of
Jesus Christ and also embrace His wondrous love, as the apostle
Paul (once a persecutor of Christ) learned to do. It is a
life-changing event.

Dear Lord,

Hear my cries for forgiveness for my own transgressions, and my
embracing of Your loving response of deep love and compassion.
Instill Your love deeply within each of us, and bring us Your
peace. I humbly ask these things in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Reply-to: PCCWeb Daily Devotional <daily@presbycan.ca>
Subject: Daily Devotional for Sunday, February 3, 2002

PCCWeb Daily

Sunday, February 3, 2002 Today's Devotional

I'm Accepted Just The Way That I Am!

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with
all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height
-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you
may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19
(NKJV)

I volunteer at our local Bibles For Missions store once or twice
a week. I enjoy the social aspect, as well as being able to help
with what needs doing. The one thing I enjoy the most is going
through bags and bags of clothes that people have donated.

Some of the clothes are beautiful, to-die-for clothing, while
others are worthless. They have holes, or the zipper doesn't
work, or they are so dirty that no amount of washing will ever
get them clean. These clothes end up in recycling, and Bibles For
Missions gets paid by the pound.

As I go through the clothes, I have often thought that these bags
are similar to people's lives. If these were people, would God
throw them into recycling? And even the most beautiful-looking
people have some really horrible things mixed in with them. Does
God love us less because we have some physical or emotional
disability? Does God love us less because we are separated or
divorced, or because we are on drugs? The list is endless. God
loves each and every one of us, the same way. It doesn't matter
what our faults or problems are.

Sometimes we think that our sin is so bad as to be unforgivable
-- God could never wash us clean. Rest assured that God will
forgive anything, no matter how "unforgivable" we think it is. He
loves us far more than words can express. All we have to do is
humble ourselves, and admit that we have a problem. That can be
hard, but we can do it! And we need to trust that He will forgive
us. That's right. God will take our sin and carry it for us. He
loves us that much.

I am somebody, because God loves me And I'm accepted just the way
that I am. His love is higher, it's deeper and wider Than you
and I will ever understand. Prayer: Thank you, dear Lord, for
loving us no matter what we have done. Help us to trust that you
are our Saviour. Help us to be humble and to confess everything
before you, Lord. Forgive our sins and come into our hearts to
make us clean and renewed, white as snow. In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

Karen Knuff karen_knuff@telus.net Maple Ridge, British Columbia,
Canada

Today's Canadian Bible Society Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-20
bible.gospelcom.net/bible?Matthew+5:1-20

The PCCWeb Daily Devotional on the Internet
The PrayerLine, Subscription and Feedback features on this page,
as well as a searchable archive of over 1700 past devotionals,
are all accessible through daily.presbycan.ca.

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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