Hosea 3: 1-5

Love That Never Gives Up

One of the Thoughts for the Day this past week were the words: “When you love someone, that love motivates you to give. That same is true with God.” How much can you love another person?  How much can you forgive another person?  The passage from Hosea is one of the great scriptures about grace, grace that never gives up. 

Hosea was a prophet whom God asked to go and marry a harlot. Such seemed far-fetched to a prophet of God, but he obeyed. In the course of time, three children were born to the relationship. But even after the birth of the children, Gomer never gave up her promiscuous ways.  But still God says, “Love her and do not give up.”

The story is as much about the love of God as it is about the prophet for God is a God who never gives up, regardless of the unfaithfulness of his children.

Bullet Notes:

· Although it’s the human tendency to give up, God never gives up.

· Grace always pays the price.

· Grace brings forgiveness and restoration.

The art of forgiving is an art every Christian should develop.  Every life is different when a person leans to forgive and forgives.

The Lord’s Supper is a demonstration of God’s grace that never gives us.

Matthew 25: 31-39

It's the Human Touch That Counts

Suzie Stearns was about to celebrate her 93rd birthday when she was taken from assisted living and hospitalized with all kinds of life support tubes attached and her family called in from all across the country.  Susie was a dedicated Christian with a sense of humor.  With her family all standing around her and unable to speak because of the tubes, Suzie pointed towards paper and pencil and began to scratch out a message. The message: “Please remove these tubes so I can talk.”  Once the tubes were removed, Suzie began to talk as she was often prone to do. Suzie did celebrate her 93rd birthday and a few more, but on her 93rd, three friends sent her 93 roses.  Such is the “Touch That Counts.”

While we tend to keep people at arm’s length, the need is to cultivate a quality of sympathetic understanding and imagination. 

· A church is a poor affair no matter how beautiful, if its people lack the human touch.

· Dr. Samuel Johnson’s last words: “In the meantime, let us be kinder to one another.”

· Jesus’ interest in people was always personal.

 -”Facts” never had to be brought to his attention. 

 “The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads

 them.”  John 10: 3.

· It is from Jesus that we learn that the human touch is the hallmark of real

      religion.

· According to Jesus, the “Last Judgment” will be in terms of whether a a

       person has the human touch.

“Sentimentalism is enjoyment without obligation.” - George Meredith.