My Three Friends

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But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us…according to His mercy…He poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

~Titus 3:4-7 {Selected}, CSB

The mercies of one Christ are able to forgive a world of Cains, if they will repent and believe.

~Lewis Bayly


We are doing a study in 1 Peter on Wednesday night and we began a couple of weeks back with ! Peter 1:3 verse “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great MERCY has caused us to be born again to a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  Although the three words, Mercy, Grace and Hope are not found in this verse, the idea is there and that set me to thinking and thanking. These three may be my best friends and we get all three in Jesus. Reminds me of the parable of the wealthy Roman nobleman who had only one son and he was not the responsibility type. The nobleman’s most trusted slave was a man named Servius and the Nobleman made him the heir of the entire estate. When the nobleman died and the lawyer executed the will he informed the son, “You father left everything to Servius. The entire estate is his. You are allowed to choose one thing from the estate, what do you choose?” He thought for moment and then said, “I will take Servius.” Servius was still a slave and a part of the estate. By choosing him, the son got it all. God has entrusted everything to Christ: in choosing Him, you get it all.

After studying I Peter 1:3, I decided that Mercy, Grace and Hope are three of my best friends and if you don’t mind, I would like to describe them to you. Mercy is always reaching down. She is easy to spot even in a crowd. Mercy sees us in the pit and reaches down to lift us out. Mercy saves us from what we deserve. When everyone else walks out, Mercy comes in. She stoops to the helpless, the guilty, and the fallen and rescues us from the judgment our sins deserve which is death and hell. Grace is closely related and yet different. Grace stands with arms extended and hands open. Grace gives us what we could never deserve. Her hands are never empty. She doesn’t ask us to earn her gifts—if we could earn them, they wouldn’t be grace. Mercy lifts us from the pit; Grace gives us a place at the table. Then there is Hope, blessed Hope, enduring Hope! Hope is always looking forward. Her eyes are fixed ahead. She refuses to live looking backward. There is a beam in her eye and brightness on her face because she sees beyond today’s darkness to what God has promised tomorrow. When the road becomes difficult, Hope whispers, “Keep the faith. Keep going. God isn’t finished yet.”

They are kin, there is no doubt but they are also distinct:

Mercy looks DOWN and sees where I am.
Grace reaches OUT and gives what I need.
Hope looks FORWARD and sees where I am going.

WOW! What wonderful friends! Amen and Amen.

  • Praise the LORD, Bill Southern did not need a stent. He is getting new Meds and the surgery he needs looks doable. Hallelujah!
  • I didn’t get a pic but we had a great crowd and Keith’s and Judy’s and the food was phenomenal. I would have been late for the lunch but Keith’s gill went haywire and lunch was delayed. I got there just in time. I did not miss a bite.
  • All the preacher except one are coming to the Point on October 26.
  • Mens Breakfast this Saturday at 8:00 am @ Libby’s in Priceville
  • Wednesday night: I Peter 1:13-21…A Call To Holiness
  • I try to do an Act of Kindness everyday but I do not always succeed. Yesterday, it came back on me. As I was leaving HH, I stopped at the snack bar to get a diet Mt. Dew. I got to counter to pay and the clerk said, “Sorry sir, we can’t take cash.” I said, “I will put it back, my wife does not trust me with a debit card.” A yound nurse was in line behind me and she said something to the clerk. I couldn’t undertand what she said so as I start to put the drink back, she said “No, you keep the drink.” The young woman bought me a drink.TYJ! Then I stopped at LOWES in Huntsville {Haysland Square} and got some paneling for the garage. I exclerated too fast coming through Hartselle and he slid out of the back of the truck. Traffic was heavy and I could not stop but I did get turned around and two young African Americans {how is that sir Michael} had stoped to keep people from running over it, I got as close as I could and they loaded back in my truck. Two acts of kindness toward me in one day. It kind of melted my old cold heart.

Have a Terrific Tuesday and thanks for reading the blog!!!!

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