Author: Bill

Luke 6:37 “Judge not, & you will not be judged; condemn not, & you will not be condemned; forgive, & you will be forgiven; James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Micah 6:8 “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly & to love mercy & to walk humbly with your God.” — God wants us to Be the one to judge last & give mercy first! God wants us to love mercy! Justice is an act of the law & mercy is an act of grace & compassion. Walking humbly with God does help find the correct balance between justice & mercy in a way that glorifies God. When the first murder occurred on earth between Cain & Able, the sentence was, Gen 4:12- When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive & a wanderer on the earth.” Gen 4:13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” 4:14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, & from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive & a wanderer on the earth, & whoever finds me will kill me.” 4:15 Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. — God in the judgment of Cain shows mercy! Our God is a merciful God! We too must learn to be merciful. Mercy always yields mercy! Love Mel

James 4:8 ( ESV)Draw near to God, & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Hebr 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy & find grace to help in time of need. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. &  let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking in nothing.  — Do you know that God rewards those who diligently seek Him! And when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us! We are to seek Him with a pure heart full of faith. So let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith! For He fills us up to FULL, lacking nothing. Love Mel

Matt 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, & yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matt 10:29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Matt 10:31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. — He has His eyes on the sparrows & He has His eyes on us! For we are more valuable than many sparrows! God loves us! We must learn to live & love as we are valued by the creator of the universe! When our heart lines up with His will we will discover the purpose that brings forth the greatest reward! What a treasure! Love Mel

Matt 20:28 Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, & to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 9:35 He (Jesus) sat down & called the twelve. & He said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all & servant of all.” Matt 23:11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. Phil 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: —How many have ever asked to be more like Jesus? How many enjoy serving others rather than being served? Remember what Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” — Gal 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ. — Q: “To Love is to Serve; To Serve is to Love” — Let’s do it for Jesus! Love Mel

1 Sam 16:7 (ESV) The LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.   Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. Isaiah 65:2 All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations. Gal6:9 Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.—This reminds me of the old saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” How many times are we so quick to do just that! I am so thankful that our God gives second + chances! Also, we are to do good, think good & continue to trust God for the best! —ROM 8:28 We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  Love Mel