Surely Goodness and Mercy

WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN, WE ALWAYS HAD dinner together around the family table. Dad would conclude the dinner with a short devotional and then we were encouraged to sing a song as a family, and Dad always encouraged us to sing it with gusto! So we sang, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and I shall feast at the table spread for me...surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life!"

It was many years later that it dawned on me that these were the words of Psalm 23. And what a promise was burned into my memory from a young age-that goodness and mercy would follow me-all the days of my life.

I have seen that goodness exists hand in hand with mercy. God's mercy, God's forgiveness, God's unconditional love-IS goodness. Too often, we become disenchanted with God and think He has not heard our prayers, or hasn't been paying attention because nothing is going right. In other words, nothing is going according to our plans. And so we are discouraged, floundering, even facing a faith crisis. Where is God when we need Him?

Goodness is not what happens to us. Goodness is responding positively to whatever happens to us-no matter how difficult it may be. Goodness is viewing every problem as an opportunity to see God's mercy at work.

Would you like to be able to say that goodness and mercy have followed you every day of your life? The Lord is your Shepherd and, as you follow Him, goodness and mercy will follow you. If you stumble and fall, He will pick you up and you will experience goodness and mercy. If you take your eyes off Him and stray from His path, He will search for you and find you and you will see goodness and mercy displayed. If you are attacked and hurt, He will rescue you, deliver you, and heal your wounds. May goodness and mercy follow you-every day of your life-until you dwell in the house of the Lord forever! What a promise!

Claim it!

Beyond the Hour of Power: Helping the Lost Find New Horizons

By James Richards, Crystal Cathedral Commissioned Pastor

When I was at the lowest point in my life, I turned the television set on, and I heard a chap named Dr. Robert H. Schuller saying, “Tough times never last, but tough people do!” I thought, wow, I need to hear that message. And I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. The first thing my wife, Yvonne, and I did was to join the church in 1994, and were immediately encouraged to get involved in leadership, and I was eventually ordained as a pastor.

Someone in the church came to us and asked us if we could help some people in Pakistan who needed Bibles. We found that, not only did these people need Bibles, they needed help to form a church. In this process, we discovered that millions of people in Pakistan are trapped in degrading poverty, and that the number one reason is illiteracy. So, besides starting our first church, we started our first school. And all of it happened through our Crystal Cathedral New Horizons fellowship (www.newhorizonsmissions.com), which has helped to provide in rural Pakistan the following and more:

Seven churches with more than 3,000 Crystal Cathedral members on fire for Jesus Christ. Plus, hundreds of Bibles distributed and a Bible course for non-Christians created.

• Five schools with 600 students and nearly 400 students sponsored ($59 per student) to attend state-run schools, with the first 80 graduated.


• Emergency medical treatment for many and 400 children immunized. Many widows and orphans are fed each month, clean tap water is now brought to villages, and electricity is connected.


• Goat & Sewing Ministries launched through micro-loans, and a Computer Training Center is planned.

So, we continue the message of the Hour of Power that "God loves you and so do I." We're seeing the difference and it's growing…and growing…and growing!

Lost? God Always Seeks! And Always Finds!

By Sheila Schuller Coleman

It was opening day for Little League. Jim had taken two of our sons, and I was supposed to meet him with the other two at the ballpark. As team mother, I was expected to head the snack shack that Saturday morning. So, after rounding up the myriad uniform pieces for three of our four sons, I dashed out of the house-late as usual.

It took some time for me to get the snack shack up and running, but eventually I had time to break away and see how my sons' opening games were going. I crossed the large expanse of park that housed six baseball fields, looking for my husband. Spotting him, I ran up to him and immediately noticed he didn't have
Nick, our four-year-old, with him.

"Where's Nicky?"

"Nicky? I don't have Nicky. You have Nicky."

"Me? No, I don't! You have him, don't you...?"

Suddenly, we looked at each other in horror as the realization of what we had done hit us. "He's home alone!"

Jim ran to the car. It would take him another fifteen minutes to get home. I
couldn't believe that we had made such a terrible mistake! When he drove into the garage, he saw Nick wandering around the backyard, his hands cupped to the windows. Locked out, he looked longingly into his house, muttering to himself, "I can't believe they left me home alone."

Jim swept him up into his arms. "I'm home, Nick! Are you all right?""Yes. I knew you'd come back for me."

When lost, do you KNOW that Jesus will come back and find you? Think how panicked we were as parents to realize we had left our 4-year-old son home alone for so long. How much more God cares about us when we have lost our way, lost our joy, lost our desire, lost our enthusiasm, lost our passion for our dreams, even lost our faith in Him-if even for a brief time.

Lost? KNOW God loves you as surely as Nicky knew we would come back for him! God always seeks! And He always finds! Lost? God Always Seeks! And Always Finds!

The Lost Has Been Found!

By Robert H. Schuller

Legend tells us that the beautiful Helen of Troy, over whom many battles were fought, was lost after one of the battles. When the army returned to Greece, Helen was not on any of the ships. Menelaus, at great personal peril, searched for her and finally found her in one of the seaport villages.

She had been suffering from amnesia. Forgetting who she was, she had stooped to the lowest possible level and was living as a prostitute. Menelaus found her in rags, dirt, shame, and dishonor. He looked at her and called, "Helen!" Her head turned, and he said, "You are Helen of Troy!" With those words, her head lifted and her back straightened into a posture of one who knows her worth. She had been redeemed!

You may be deflated and dishonored in your own eyes because you don't realize who you are. You are a member of the royal family. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life, you are a member of the family of God. You are no longer a lost soul. You have been forgiven and have recovered your honor!

Love Letters from the Bible...

As we celebrate "LOVE" this month, it's always wonderful to refresh our souls with God's word on the subject. Here are just a few of the nearly 400 scriptures (these from the New Living Translation) that give us just a glimpse at God's wisdom and truth on the subject of LOVE…

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices
whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

-1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7

"Jesus replied, 'The most important commandment is this: …The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.'"

-MARK 12:29-31

"So now I (Jesus) am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should LOVE each other."

-JOHN 13:34

"We LOVE Him, because He first loved us."

-1 JOHN 4:19

"Dear children, let's not merely say that we LOVE each other; let us show the truth by our actions."

-1 JOHN 3:18

"There is no greater LOVE than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

-JOHN 15:13

"Your LOVE for one another will prove to the world that you are my (Jesus') disciples."

-JOHN 13:35

"Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and LOVE-and the greatest of these is LOVE."

-1 CORINTHIANS 13:13

LOVE - The Gift That Keeps on Giving

By Robert H. Schuller

What is the secret of real joy? Christians know the answer—it's the love that bubbles up from deep within your heart and soul when you tear yourself loose from selfishness and bear the burdens of someone else, caring enough to share yourself with that person. Then love activates and gives you the results of joy.

So, LOVE is, indeed, the secret to real joy.

Each of us distinguishes ourselves as individuals. Some have special talents. Others attract friends easily. Still others accomplish amazing achievements. But Christians should all be distinguished by the love they give away. It should burst forth with such enthusiasm that it could never be hidden. It should be patient, kind, trustworthy, persevering.

You won't even have to tell people that you love Jesus Christ. You won't be able to keep it secret, because love will give you away!

The Patience of the Eagle

"LOVE IS PATIENT..." These are the first three words of the Apostle Paul's universally known "Love Chapter" in the Bible…included in his first letter to believers of Jesus Christ living in Corinth. "Love is patient."

Throughout our lives, patience seems to be demanded of us almost constantly: Patience with our children…patience with our aging parents…patience with family members…patience with automated phone systems... patience with a boss or employee(s). This list is long-maybe even endless.

The noble eagle, God's wondrous creation, displays for us a perfect example of patience. The eagle patiently soars above the earth…relaxed, no wing movement, just riding on air currents. It patiently focuses on its search for food. No rush—this glorious creature knows its meal is there - God's plan always provides.

Then, suddenly, he spots it…in an instant, without hesitation, he responds and dives rapidly to claim the prize provided. Knowing when to take action is as important as the patience required in waiting for the moment to do so.

"Love is patient," but it also knows when it's time to take action! Currently, Dr. Schuller and Pastor Sheila are seeking members for the 2011 Eagles Club - persons who pledge to give $50 a month for 12 months... or, a one-time gift of $600. If you love Hour of Power, then please respond - take action - today. Trust God for the resources to do so... but make the commitment to join the 2011 Eagles Club, now.