God Is Mercy
I watched some of the Little League World Series this year–I was rooting for Florida and they won the National Championship and played Taiwan for the World Series Championship. It was a tied game that went into extra innings and finally after a perfect bunt and an error, Florida broke the tie and won the game and the championship. Both teams had played their hearts out for ten days and many players on the Taiwan team were in tears. Some of the Florida players went on the field to console the other team and put their arms around them, and they truly understood their pain because it could have easily been them. When they could have been focused in that moment on their big win, they took time to show the other team compassion and mercy.
This was an act of mercy but scripture tells us God IS mercy. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. The Bible teaches that His essential nature and character is mercy. Mercy holds back from us what we deserve. When you come to the Lord, you are not coming to somebody sitting with a baseball bat ready to club you for every false move.
How is mercy different from compassion? Mercy and compassion are intertwined. Mercy is the fruit of compassion. Mercy is a gift given to someone suffering by someone acting out of compassion. God shows us mercy when we least deserve it. He knows us better than we know ourselves. No matter how much we mess up, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. That doesn’t mean we won’t have some scars from the wrong decisions we've made, but it does mean that “where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.”
Psalm 86:5 says For You, Lord, are good and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Reflect today on times in your life when God’s mercy and compassion were very evident. How can you show mercy to someone this week?
Deb Hill
Assistant to Pastor Ryan
Blessed are Those Who Mourn
“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, … ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’’’ (Matt. 5:1-2, 4)
As Jesus looks out on “the crowds,” He sees a whole bunch of people in a whole bunch of different places in life. Some are discouraged, some confused, some giving and not receiving, and some mourning a loss. It’s to those who are feeling the “sting of death” (1 Cor. 15:56) that Jesus has a word of encouragement - You are blessed even as you mourn.
How can this be?
As we mourn, slowly and over time we “get the grief out.” While grief is everything we think and feel about a loss, mourning involves the things we do to give expression to it. Mourning might include crying, journaling, talking to a trusted friend or two, sitting with a counselor, attending a class like Grief Share, taking a walk or beginning to run again, painting, or just about anything healthy we might decide to do. There is not a one-size fits all approach. But one thing we know for sure is Jesus tells us we are blessed as we do it and because we do it.
Why?
A primary reason is simply and profoundly that mourning is how we let God and people into our lives, our hearts and our grief. (Rare is the person who mourns in complete isolation!) And so, in addition to doing it Himself, it’s through others that God provides the comfort we need in the form of the strengthening, grace, mercy, companionship, perspective, peace, patience, hope, listening ears, and shared tears that He and our friends can bring. Those of us who are mourning, or who have mourned, a loss in the presence of God and the “right people” know what a blessing it is to receive this comfort.
Is mourning hard? Yes! Is it painful? Yes! But does blessing come while we are in it, as well as from it? Yes! If it were not so, Jesus would not have said it.
Today, you may find yourself mourning a loss and needing comfort. Go to the Father and some safe people (2 Cor. 1:3-5). Or you may have someone come your way who is in mourning. My encouragement to you is to be available, be compassionate, and be quiet. Ask questions and listen with your heart. As you do, God will provide comfort through you!
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted by God and good friends.
Scott Smith
Care Pastor
The Kingdom Burrito
San Diego is famous for the Carne Asada Burrito. Steak, Pico, and Guacamole all wrapped up in a giant tortilla. Not long ago, you couldn’t find a Carne Asada Burrito at a Mexican restaurant outside of San Diego County. If you tried to order one, the folks there would look at you funny. Or, if they had something like that on the menu, biting into it brought disappointment. It was never the same or as good as what San Diego taco shops served.
Jesus put even better ingredients in a kingdom package that brings eternal sustenance and immediate flavor. This kingdom burrito is described at the beginning of the greatest sermon ever given.
What is inside this burrito?
comfort
an inheritance
being filled
mercy
seeing God
a name as a child of God
These blessings remind me of a biblical burrito because the ingredients are all wrapped up in the big old phrase for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus starts his list of blessings with that phrase and he wraps it up with the same phrase.
The Kingdom Burrito hits the spot for anyone that:
needs God
Is sad
Is humble
strongly wants to do the right thing
Is merciful
Is pure
makes peace
is picked on for doing the right thing
Is insulted
has lies spread about them because of faith
All believers relate to some of those circumstances at times, and faith might lead one into any of the others. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Matt 5:3,10. Accessing God’s kingdom burrito is not about geographic location. It is about a state of mind. Relish and remember Jesus’ proclamation and access his promise. The kingdom burrito is available at any place and at any time. It was bought and built by Jesus and he serves it as a banquet of blessings for believer’s bellies and beliefs.
Pastor John Riley
A Foretaste of Healing
I was in my late 20s, attending a Bible study with a group of close friends. We had gathered many times before, and on this occasion, they unanimously agreed to pray for my healing. Having had people pray for my healing many times before, I was convinced that God could bend the rules and heal me completely — He just chose not to up to that point. I did my best to assume a posture of hopeful anticipation, thinking, “Perhaps this is the day.”
My Bible study friends gathered around me, laying hands on me, and one by one began asking the Lord to heal me. I fought against the twitchiness of my CP, trying to hold still under so many loving hands. This was nothing new for me. Then, I felt a new sensation in my feet — a pristine tingling that swiftly overtook my entire body. The Lord’s presence was so strong that everyone felt it. Suddenly, I had to stand, so I asked my friends to help me to my feet. I could feel my body changing! My legs straightened as new strength flowed into them, and muscles that had never responded before began to relax and move. I was taking my weight on my legs and relying less and less on my friends for support. The excitement in the group was palpable; I was being healed!
But then, as suddenly as it came, it left. The strength flowed out of my legs just as quickly as it had flowed in. I leaned on my friends again and eventually sat back down, heartbroken. We then sang a teary rendition of "Blessed Be Your Name," and I began the work of coming to grips with not being healed. Over many weeks and tears, the Lord eventually communicated to me that He gave me a foretaste of the body I would one day have, but He wanted me to remain precisely as disabled as I was and still am.
If the Lord heals, it’s for His glory. If the Lord does not heal, He does so fantastically and knowingly, but also for His glory. In Matthew 4:23-24, we see Jesus taking His disciples and healing everyone around, effectively giving Himself a huge megaphone to proclaim His gospel. But His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and that is very, very good. We all have things wrong with us and apart from my sweet metallic stead (referring to my walker), I’m not different from anyone else. We all have thorns in our sides that God wants to use to display His work through. If no thorn yet graces your side, time will provide one. We all will be given ample opportunity to rely on Christ and see His awesomeness.
Jonathan Duncan
EFCC Member
The Word We Forget
The word I am referring to has been relegated to cartoons or memes. We often see a cartoon character dressed in Old Testament-style clothes holding up a sign that says, “Repent…” Then it became not relevant or important over time and we don’t talk much about repentance. However, repentance is the first step in salvation. In Matthew 3:2, John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” After John had been imprisoned, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” It is the first step to being part of God’s kingdom. In Luke 13:3, Jesus says, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” Don’t you agree that this is too important a word to forget?
What does repentance mean and why is it the premier step? It is not just saying to God, “I am sorry I have offended you.” It comes from the Greek word, metanoia, which means to change one’s mind and attitude, a decision that changes the total direction of one’s life. It is turning away from sin and rebellion and turning back to God, reversing course. One commentary described true repentance as “godly sorrow” for sin. It leads to a core change in a person’s relationship with God. The Jews hearing John and Jesus had not realized how far they had strayed from God so the idea of repentance was new to them. For us, perhaps we do not fully grasp the gravity or depth of the sin that keeps us from a holy God but when we do, true repentance causes us to turn away from sin and faith turns us toward trusting in Christ’s death and resurrection. Those of you reading this most likely have already taken this step and this next verse should bring joy to your hearts. “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” Luke 15:10.
For us to “Live in the Way of Jesus, with the Heart of Jesus,” to live as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, only happens through Him and His power at work in us. This new life direction begins with the first step of repentance and faith in His transforming work. May we remember the word “Repent” and how acting on it changes lives forever.
Consider what repentance has meant in your life. How has God changed the direction of your life? How could the message of repentance and faith help someone you know?
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
Teacher, Preacher, Healer
Matthew 4:21 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.”
He came teaching, preaching, and healing. That’s the Jesus of Matthew 4. He called fishermen to follow him and they went about teaching, preaching, and healing.
He came teaching like a Jewish Rabbi, because there was a lot for those Jewish followers to learn, and there was a lot for them to unlearn….oh, we’ll get to that in the coming weeks..…
He came preaching, a man on a mission, with good news to proclaim and zero time to waste! All that the prophets had prophesied, all that the patriarchs had promised, passing down God’s covenantal promises generation after generation….the time had finally come.
Flip over to the gospel of Luke chapter 4; we find Jesus preaching and teaching. He reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”…..he takes a seat and simply says,
“Today….. this scripture….. is fulfilled….. in your hearing.”
And you could have heard a pin drop.
The “Good News” Jesus came to preach…..“I’m here. I’m it. I’m the one you were promised, I’m prophecy fulfilled, the one you’ve waited for. The Kingdom of God is staring right at you.…. I am Messiah.”
And Jesus came healing. Full of God’s Spirit, Jesus miraculously healed people physically to point to their needs and his ability to heal spiritually. He healed because he was compassionate certainly, but he healed pains, diseases, and seizures to prove he had the power to heal permanently. Jesus restored sight to the blind for them to see the way, the truth, and the life. He made the lame walk, so they might know the thrill of walking in obedience with their Redeemer. He healed EVERY disease, EVERY sickness to prove there was nothing that could keep them from living life fully loved by the Father. For the paralyzed, the possessed, those in pain…Jesus said, “No. Not today. It’s the year of Jubilee, the year of the Lord’s favor, and you’re gonna experience the joy of freedom like never before because I am with you, I am the Good news.”
Donielle Winter EFCC Member
Follow Me
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus grew up, and spent his ministry among people who knew Scripture by memory, debated its application with enthusiasm, and loved God with all their hearts, all their souls, and all their might (Deut. 6:5). God prepared this environment carefully so Jesus would have exactly the context he needed to present his message of Malchut Shamayim, "The kingdom of heaven" and his followers would understand and join his new movement. He fit his world perfectly. This helps us understand the great faith and courage of his followers who left Galilee and went to the whole world to bring the good news. Their courage, their message, the methods they used, and their complete devotion to God and his Word were born in the religious communities in Galilee.
Matthew teaches that Peter and Andrew didn’t hesitate for a moment. Andrew had already served as a disciple under John the Baptist. The brothers believed Jesus to be the Messiah, the promised Christ who would bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. They did not even pack up their work. They left their nets behind and immediately began to follow Jesus, demonstrating full commitment to whatever path He would lead them on. Their faith in Jesus is remarkable, though they did not yet have any idea what they were getting into.
So in the verses above when Jesus asked Peter, Andrew, James, and John to “follow him”, it was a statement that Jesus had confidence that they could be like him. The fact that Jesus came and asked . . . they couldn’t refuse.
It would be awesome if Jesus physically walked up to us and said “Follow me.” It doesn’t mean that God will lead us to quit our jobs, sell our houses, and head out into the mission fields overseas….but he might. It might mean that God has already led us to our mission field to be the light where we work today, where we live, in our own community and neighborhoods. He may be leading us to be like him with our co-workers, our friends and our families. We just need to be prepared to follow him wherever he leads.
Deb Hill
Assistant to Pastor Ryan
Life Interrupted
My maiden name is Smith. A common last name in many cultures stemmed from the type of work that the person did—silversmith, gunsmith, locksmith, or possibly blacksmith. This is distinctive when a person’s job ends up coupled with their identity and in some ways defines it. It’s not so different now. When you meet someone for the first time, what is one of the questions often asked? “What do you do for a living?” Learning someone’s occupation offers clues to personality, interests, and values. Work can be a fulfilling expression of personal makeup, give purpose, and provide the patterns of our days.
These men were fishermen when Jesus came upon them and asked them to be under the yoke of his teaching—defined by the job they carried out each day. Some were in the middle of casting their nets to catch fish in shallow waters. Each cast held hope of earning the name “fishermen.” Others were mending the holes in the netting to throw it back in again and achieve success. The routines of their days were set by these actions day after day… until Jesus interrupted them.
We all know what it feels like to be interrupted in the middle of something. It can be frustrating as we are enmeshed both physically and often psychologically as we earn our identities by the work we carry out. However, God interrupts our busy lives and calls us in a new direction. For these men, it meant leaving everything behind, all of the tools of their trade and the people with which they worked were left behind. For James and John, it was their father and the craft he had taught them that they left behind. No longer would they find fulfillment in the size of their catch or help to maintain the family business because ahead of them was an opportunity to find their greatest fulfillment from their greatest interruption. Their new interests and values would be shaped by this man, this King, whom they chose to follow, and in the following, embracing the title of disciple and learning a new way that would define them.. the way of Jesus.
Here are a few questions to ponder:
Where/how is Jesus interrupting you and leading you in a new direction? Will you trust Him and follow?
What sets your value system and guides the way you carry out the day-to-day tasks?
Jessica Klootwyk
Discipleship Director
A Grateful Heart
Have you ever received a care package while away from home? Maybe during those college years, or while on a military deployment, or as a young camper swatting mosquitos and missing the comforts of home. Unwrapping the package is like getting a warm hug from afar. Each item thoughtfully chosen holds a big impact.
My most impactful care package came while serving in the Air Force and deployed out of the country. The box was full of items that I needed, but also ones that simply were meant to bring me joy. They reminded me that though I was out of sight, I was still seen, loved, and cared for. This was important as the tangible support gave me a little bit of courage in a time when things were unpredictable. I imagine the same was true for Paul.
As Paul’s needs were provided for “in full payment and more” (Philippians 4:18) his praise for the God who connected them through their love for Christ overflows from his lips. God’s provision became manifest through their acts of obedience. This feeling of security while the security team of Caesar’s palace watched his every move wasn’t based upon ignoring or stifling negative emotions, but instead about focusing on the reasons to be thankful. Gratitude offers us a wider lens to see the good and since God is indeed good, Paul could see Him at work in his life.
The journey through the book of Philippians has opened our eyes to see there can be joy amid hardship that can inspire us to remember the “hope that will not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). The care package of Jesus led to the gift of the Spirit, and that ultimately leads to eternal life at home in the Father’s house. There all needs are fulfilled by His presence.
Jessica Klootwyk
Discipleship Director
BFF’s
Philippians 4:15-17
Garth Brooks once said, “I got friends in low places” and while that might suggest they are not the best friends to have in life, the song seems to say how in various ups and downs in our journeys we need friends who give us life. Paul had those types of friends. He needed friends when he traveled, he needed friends when he was imprisoned, and he needed friends after he took a beating. He just needed people in his life he could count on. So think for a moment, who are those friends for you?
Paul explains that friendships that are based in Christ are special, they are partners, (v.15), they last over time (v.16), and they produce fruit or build up (v.17). Paul didn’t want friends in low places, he wanted friends who he could pour into and then know they would be friends for an eternity. He wanted friends he could help grow! Life-giving friendships are valuable, they were for Paul and they are for us. A life-giving friendship should at times give joy, encouragement, help, guidance, and many other things that fill our souls. Those types of relationships are ones we want to keep healthy and hold onto.
One unique aspect I want to talk about is in verse 17. Paul appreciated the support and gifts, but he had a different purpose. He says, “...but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.” He wanted them to grow in faith, grow as disciples, and have eternal significance. In friendships, discipleship should be a vital part of the process. Our friendships should give us comfort, encouragement, and fun, but they should also make us more Christlike. Paul wanted his friends to have that opportunity in their support of him, which is so intentional and a really good model for us to follow. Where you can today, be a friend to someone. Be there in the low and high places, be there when you are needed and when you're not, and help them live in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus. Praying God blesses you as you do!
Pastor Jeremy
