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Grace and Mercy

The Slave Trade
John Newton

Reading about Grace, I was directed towards a lovely section from David Jeremiah's book, Captured by Grace. Using the Hymn Amazing Grace he traces the outlines of God's loving kindness towards the hymn's author, John Newton, and the Apostle Paul, the author of much of the New Testament. The following lines show how, as A.W. Tozer explains, in God mercy and grace are one; but as they reach us they are seen as two, related but not identical.As mercy is God’s goodness confronting human misery and guilt, so grace is His goodness directed toward human debt and demerit.


Grace and Mercy

Mercy withholds the knife from the heart of Isaac.
Grace provides a ram in the thicket.

Mercy runs to forgive the Prodigal Son.
Grace throws a party with every extravagance.

Mercy bandages the wounds of the man beaten by the robbers.
Grace covers the cost of his full recovery.

Mercy hears the cry of the thief on the cross.
Grace promises paradise that very day.

Mercy converts Paul on the road to Damascus.
Grace calls him to be an apostle.

Mercy saves John Newton from a life of rebellion and sin.
Grace makes him a pastor and author of a timeless hymn.

Mercy closes the door to hell.
Grace opens the door to heaven.

Mercy withholds what we have earned.
Grace provides blessing we have not earned.

Praise God for His AMAZING GRACE!

High Power Soccer At Northside 2011

5th Annual High Power Soccer and VBS at Northside

Kick off was a blast on our first day of High Power Soccer and SonQuest Rainforest at Northside Bible Chapel in Barrie, Ontario. 56 kids enjoyed a full morning of soccer drills, crafts and a Bible lesson. Seeing Shawna and the others in the Rainforest skit was amazing. The memory verse for today was Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Here are some of the High Power campers enjoying the singing...

The Lesson of Obscurity

Charles Spurgeon preached to thousands in London each Lord’s Day, yet he started his ministry by passing out tracts and teaching a Sunday school class as a teenager. When he began to give short addresses to the Sunday school, God blessed his ministry of the Word. He was invited to preach in obscure places in the country side, and he used every opportunity to honor the Lord. He was faithful in the small things, and God trusted him with the greater things. “I am perfectly sure,” he said, “that, if I had not been willing to preach to those small gatherings of people in obscure country places, I should never have had the privilege of preaching to thousands of men and women in large buildings all over the land.

Remember our Lord’s rule, “whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 221

The King's Speech Therapist

The King’s Speech

I recently saw and enjoyed the film The King's Speech. It was about the special relationship between Albert, Duke of York and his speech therapist Lionel Loguo, who treated his severe stammer. They became lifelong friends and reminded me of another King and His friends. Before his coronation, The King informed the bishop that his therapist Lionel would be attending. The Bishop protested, explaining that it would be virtually impossible to have him included as a guest. “He will be with me in the Kings’ box”, was the monarch’s reply. “But that is reserved only for family”, the bishop responded. “That,” the King said, “is exactly why he will be there”. His therapist was not royalty, just a commoner and not even qualified as a speech therapist, but he was the King’s friend and he was treated as if he were family. Jesus said “You are my friends” (John 15:13). The Bible declares of believers in Christ that they are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). We have no claim to royalty as members of Adam’s fallen race, but being born again into the God’s family, He has “made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ”, (Ephesians 2:6). He is the King and we are ‘in the King’s box’!