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Listen while you read: "Near To The Heart Of God"1 (Lyrics) |
One of my favourite programs on television was Touched by an Angel. I enjoyed watching every episode, but it was the last episode, which came in two parts, "I Will Walk With You", that really struck home with me. A short synopsis of the story is as follows:
Monica's last assignment before she replaces Tess stems from meeting Zack, a travelling handyman, on the bus to Ascension, Colorado. When they arrive there, they find out that there are no kids in town. Apparently two years prior, all of the children were killed when the school's boiler exploded. Monica finds out that there are people there whom she recognizes as former assignments, and that this assignment is no coincidence. Things soon become clear when the town developer claims to have seen Zack before. He finally figures out where: it was by the school on the day of the explosion. This claim leads everyone to look at Zack as the killer. Zack is whisked off to jail to protect him from the grieving crowd, and Monica sets out to get the best representation that she can. The prosecuting attorney, according to Monica, is the devil, who succeeds in bringing the case to trial, along with witnesses against Zack. The townspeople testify that it was only after Zack arrived in town that little things belonging to their children began to go missing, which according to an expert, is a trait of a serial killer. Zack admits taking the items; he is found guilty, and given the maximum sentence for his crimes, and he is to be transferred to prison the next day. In the meantime, a developmentally challenged young man, Joey, confesses that it was he who set the boiler on its deadly course, because the devil tricked him into turning the heat up so that he could keep some orphaned kittens warm. When Monica arrives at the cell the next morning to tell Zack, she finds the cell empty. Perplexed, she goes to meet Tess, and it is there that she sees Zack once again. Zack reveals himself for who he truly is, her Lord, Jesus Christ. Monica apologizes for not recognizing Him. He answers her by saying, "If you knew that it was Me, you would have done anything for Me, but you did it to a stranger. Well done, good and faithful servant."
Matthew 25:35-40 – "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me." Then the righteous will answer Him, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?" The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." (NASB)
What if Jesus has returned, but we are still too blind to see Him in the faces of our fellow human beings?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for not loving our neighbour as ourselves. Help us to see Your face in every person that we meet. Help us to treat others as we would like to be treated. Help each and every one of us to be a change agent in someone's life whenever the situation arises. Amen.
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Tuesday, October 15, 2024 – In Paris, Ontario — Pray for the fall Alpha series that is running at Paris Community Church, Paris, Ontario, that through this ministry, people may be better connected with one another and take a step closer in faith to Jesus.
Pray for healing-Update DS: "Update October 13, 2024: The result is that the operation is possible, but fraught with..." 
Thanks for sharing Rosemary.
Dear Rosy: Thank you for your reminder and message this morning!
Excellent! am passing it on.
(Texas)
Thank you for this. If only we could remember the Truth of what Jesus taught us and always live our life accordingly.
Rosy, I loved that episode, too. The verses you quoted were my mother’s favorites, verses she chose to live by. Thanks for sharing this. Blessings.
I love this program too.
Let us stay strong in our faith, loving the Lord and helping others so we will know Him (or His emissaries) when we meet them.
Loved this message Rosemary, your gift of writing is beautifully touching.
Thanks Rosemary for a reminder we can all use in living the life of a practical Christian. I always remember the last lines of the Ancient Mariner where the poet says: ÈHe liveth best who loveth best all creatures great and small…”
WE never know who it is to whom we extend kindness…nor do we ever know to whom we are denying a helping hand…the essence of Christianity.
Blessings.
Hi Rosemary:
Thanks for sharing this story. “Touched By An Angel” is one of my favorite T. V. series too. I missed these two episodes. Keep up the ‘angelic’ writing. It brings JOY to many!
Our front flower bed with my Rosemary plant is surrounded by tulips.
Dear Rosy, thank you so much for today’s devotional it really touched my heart. So many times we only see the faults and negative things about our fellow human beings perhaps even thinking they are not as good as we are.
How terrible of us, God loves each and everyone. Jesus came into this world for all and paid such a price should we not therefore, look at each person through His eyes with compassion, His love, His kindness and servitude.
May God continue to bless you as you reach out to other with these devotionals.
Rosemary, your prayer in this devotional is a prayer Christians should pray daily — from the time their feet hit the floor until they lay down and close their eyes at night. I just came from a shopping trip, and right there my husband and I had two opportunities to speak for our Lord and master. Once was simply to a fellow Christian who needed to have an arm around their shoulder, and an agreement that the Lord was sufficient for current needs being faced! What a good and precious thing in our day.
For passers by — this time with someone of another race, another place in the community. This was a special time to indicate we loved all people. Go Christians! Make the best of every time God puts you in a place and time to express in actions and words His saving grace. Just a word, a hand shake, an arm on someone’s shoulder. “What the world needs now is love, God’s love…”
Amen and Amen.
(Georgia)
Rosy,
Your devotionals are always very touching. God bless you.
Dear Rosemary,
Recently I began again to read at Matthew, and have completed Matthew and am well-into Mark so I’m fresh into Jesus’ work and way again.
Your devotional confirms a great aspect of Jesus’ ministry —
“If you knew that it was Me, you would have done anything for Me, but you did it to a stranger. Well done, good and faithful servant.”
I enjoyed your choice of scripture and your prayer.
Thank you.
Keep writing.
Your scripture verse has much meaning to me.
We are involved in prison ministry. “I was in prison, and you came to Me”.
Those in prison really need to have the word of the Lord. We have met people who are Christians but we have also met those who have had no Christian teaching in their lives. They are meeting Christ for the first time and it gives them hope. We have seen men transformed through the love of Christ.
Thank you for this scripture.
Thank You for your devotional. I pray every day that God’s love, mercy and grace will be in me and will be seen by everyone I meet. I am overjoyed to think that I may see Jesus’ face in everyone I meet. I know now that when a complete stranger smiles at me, it is, in truth, not a stranger. I thank God that He brought your words to me today.
(BC)