Happy Sunday

Grace in Vain

Devotion meditation:  2 Corinthians 6:1 "We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."

Devotion Thought: If anyone had the right or a valid excuse to quit serving the Lord, it was the Apostle Paul.  If you read verses one through ten, you will note the emotional and physical arrows that Satan constantly fired at him.  The poison on the tip of the arrow that caused Paul and causes us the most pain is that Satan uses the very people we minister to as the means by which he delivers his fiery darts.  Satan knows this truth: strangers can never fly under the radar of your protection like those who you have been called to love.  Notice that Paul is directing this to the "workers".  It is the workers who are the true ministers of God's grace and most vulnerable to Satan's attacks.  It is the spectators who sit on the sidelines and criticize those who are trying to accomplish something for God.  Although we use verse 2 in regard to salvation of the soul, it is about God's deliverance from the enemy.  It is the simple fact that God wants to deliver us from those that are His enemy and ours.  Paul uses himself as an example of God's deliverance in the physical and emotional traps that Satan constantly sets for us.  That is why he encourages us in verse 3, "giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed".  We have all the grace we need, be careful not to take if for granted.

Action Point:  If you are always blaming the ministry, stop it!  We need to learn to "rejoice in the Lord, again I say rejoice".  When you find your heart flooded with the hurt that people cause, let God pull you to His breast and "succor" you and then deliver you when the time is right.
Dr. Thomas R. Steele

By Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone
Trust in Christ today!

To GOD Be The GLORY

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain

    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
    Let the earth hear His voice!
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
    Let the people rejoice!
    O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
    And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

Daily Smile:
Why did Dorothy get lost in Oz?

She had three men giving her directions.

In The News:

Boy Scouts Delay Decision on Admitting Gays
A decision on whether the Boy Scouts of America will end its ban on gay members and leaders will not be voted on until the organization's annual meeting in May, the national executive board said Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. Deron Smith, the BSA director of public relations, said the executive board would prepare a resolution to be voted on by the 1,400 voting members of the national council. "After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America's National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy," Smith said. The meeting will take place in May in Grapevine, Texas. 

American Pastor Imprisoned in Iran Fears Supporters Have Abandoned Him
The American pastor sentenced to eight years in Iran's Evin Prison is unaware of growing international support for him and instead fears he's been abandoned, according to relatives who met with him this week, Fox News reports. Saeed Abedini mentioned his doubt during a visit with relatives on Monday, the second time he was allowed to see members of his extended family since he was convicted. Abedini expressed apprehension and concern about his fate and openly asked if there were international efforts to secure his freedom, according to the American Center for Law and Justice, and it is believed that his fears are due to abuse and brain-washing techniques used by prison officials. "It is no surprise that the Iranian prison guards are engaging in this kind of psychological abuse," said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the ACLJ. "We know that Pastor Saeed is undergoing physical beatings and torture. And we know there is growing concern about his health. Now, a troubling report that the guards are trying to take away his hope -- by feeding him false information about his fate, trying to convince him that no one cares, that efforts to secure his freedom have ceased. This tactic is predictable but very tragic. What the Iranian guards will never tell Pastor Saeed is that there's a growing international network of support. ... We continue to urge President Obama to personally call on Iran to release Pastor Saeed. And now that Secretary of State Kerry is on the job, it is time for him to follow through on earlier statements that Iran release Pastor Saeed."