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The sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ that was made to redeem
mankind from their sins is a gift that we should think on often. Such
perfect love and sacrifice can not be understood by our finite minds, but
still was made by an infinite God with infinite mercy who willingly died so
that He may redeem His creation from their sins. I am thankful that God so
loved me that He sent His only begotten Son to die on a cruel cross so that
I might be saved from an eternity in hell. God's love and salvation come
to all who will simply receive. I encourage you to acknowledge the Lord
who died for your sins and show Him by your praise that you are thankful
for all that He has done for you. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) (John 3:1-18)
I hope you are encouraged and challenged by today's message to be thankful
always for the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made so that we might be made
righteous before God the Father.
GIVING IT ALL
It was a bitterly cold Christmas Eve in Korea in 1952. A pregnant young
mother, Bak Yoon, hobbled through the snow toward the home of a missionary
friend where she knew she could find help. Tears of sorrow froze on her
face as she mourned her husband. He had recently been killed in the Korean
War, and she had no one else to turn to. A short way down the road from
her missionary friend's house was a deep gully spanned by a bridge.
As Bak Yoon stumbled forward, birth pains suddenly overcame her. She fell,
realizing that she could go no further, and crawled under the end of the
bridge. There, alone, under the bridge, her baby boy was born. Bak Yoon
had nothing with her except her heavy, padded clothes. One by one, she
removed all pieces of her clothing and wrapped them around her tiny son,
still connected to her body by his umbilical cord. Then feeling exhausted
she lay back in the snow beside her baby.
The next morning Miss Watson, long-time missionary, drove across the bridge
in her car to take a Christmas basket of food to a needy Korean family. On
her way back, as she got near the bridge, the car sputtered and died - out
of gasoline. She got out of the car and started across the ridge. Through
crunching snow under her feet she heard another sound - a baby's faint cry.
She stopped, unbelieving, and heard the cry again. "It's coming from
beneath this bridge!" She crawled under the bridge to investigate and
there she found a tiny, bundled baby, warm but hungry, and young Bak Yoon
frozen in death. With a knife from her tool box she cut the cord and took
the baby home with her. After caring first for the child, she, along with
some helpers, brought Bak Yoon's body back to near where she lived and
buried her here. She named the baby Soo Park, and adopted him.
He was strong and healthy and so grew up among many other orphan children
that Miss Watson cared for. But to her, Soo Park was special. She often
told him, "Your mother had great love for you, Soo Park," and about how she
had proved that love. He never tired of hearing of his beautiful mother.
On Christmas day, his 12th birthday, snow was falling. After the children
had helped Soo Park celebrate his birthday, he came and sat beside Miss
Watson. "Mother Watson, do you think God made your car run out of gasoline
the day you found me?" he asked. "Perhaps He did," she answered. "If that
car hadn't stopped, I would not have found you. But I am so glad it
stopped. I love you and am very proud of you, Soo Park." She put her arms
around him.
He rested his head against her. "Mother Watson, will you please take me
out to my mother's grave? I want to pray there. I want to thank her for my
life." "Yes, but put on you're heavy coat. It's very cold." Beside the
grave, Soo Park asked Mother Watson to wait at a little distance. She
walked aside and waited. As the astonished missionary watched, the boy
began to take off his warm clothing, piece by piece.
Surely he won't take off all his clothing! She thought. He'll freeze! But
the boy stripped himself of everything, laid it all on his mother's grave,
and knelt naked and shivering in the snow. She waited one minute, two
minutes. Then she put her gloved hand on his snow covered shoulder.
"Come, Soo Park. Your mother in Heaven sees how much you love her. I will
help you dress." Then in deep sorrow he cried out to the mother he never
knew: "Were you colder than this for me, my mother?" And he wept bitterly
because he knew of course, she was.
Jesus stripped Himself of His royal garments to come and live among us.
Was He that cold for us? Surely we never have to wonder if He loves us, or
even how much He loves us. He demonstrated that to us nearly 2000 years
ago. Celebrate in His love.
Author Unknown
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Hebrews 4:14-16 "Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest, that is
passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Psalm 103:10-14 "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us
according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so
great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from
the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a
father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him. For
He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust."
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men
count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Romans 10:9-11 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture
saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed."
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today's Selected Poem: HE TOOK MY PLACE
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem170.htm
Today's Selected Testimony: MY GOD IS AWESOME
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony3.htm
In Christ's Service,
Dwayne Savaya
Gods Work Ministry |
