North Washington United Presbyterian Church

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries November 03, 2020 Full of Grace and Truth John 1:14-18... To gain a greater understanding of God’s grace, we need only look at Jesus, who was the personification of grace and truth. Both were perfectly displayed in Him, and neither was ever compromised in the slightest. With truth, Christ made people aware of their hopeless, sinful condition; with grace He offered forgiveness to all who would come to Him in faith. This is clearly seen in Jesus’ interactions. People willing to admit their sins were drawn to Christ and His offer of forgiveness. But the Pharisees, who saw themselves as righteous, didn’t think they needed His grace. And so they rejected it, mistakenly believing that their legalistic practices made them acceptable to God (Rom. 9:30-33). For the greatest display of grace and truth, however, we must look to the cross. There, our Savior suffered the just penalty for sin so God the Father could extend grace to those of us who believe in His Son. Now divine goodness, love, and mercy pour over us in an endless supply of grace upon grace (John 1:16). Having such an abundance of God’s favor should fill us with gratitude and overflow into Christlike responses toward others as well. Bible in One Year: John 8-9

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries November 01, 2020 A Covenant of Salt... To get the most out of this devotion, set aside time to read the Scripture referenced throughout. God made agreements with His people in many unusual wayswith stars (Gen. 15:5), a rainbow (Gen. 9:13-16), and even salt, which is mentioned three times in the Old Testament (Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5). By definition, a covenant is a formal, binding agreement or promise. And this type of commitment requires mutual trust that the other party will abide by the terms. Because salt keeps its flavor for a long time, it became a symbol of endurance in the ancient world. And so the substance was used to seal an agreement between two partiesto establish trust and ensure that the promise made would endure above all else. We, too, are asked to make a lasting commitment to the Lordto profess our faith, pray without ceasing, and draw near to Him. Think About It Take a few minutes and read Genesis 9:1-29 and Genesis 15:1-21. What might stars and rainbows have in common with salt? What is the salt in our commitment to God? How do we demonstrate our loyalty today? Bible in One Year: John 4-5

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries November 02, 2020 A God of Grace Ephesians 2:1-9... In all our attempts to know God, we must face the fact that ultimately He is beyond our understanding. From our perspective, His attributes may seem at odds with each other. For instance, He is a God of vengeance (Psalm 94:1) who will judge the earth (Psalm 98:9), but He is also described as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (Ex. 34:6). God in His utter perfection is all of these thingswithout any contradiction at all. The Lord will judge unrepentant sinners, yet He is gracious to all who trust in His Son for forgiveness and salvation. Grace is His goodness and kindness lavished upon everyone who receives it. It’s totally undeserved because there is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable to Him. And on the other hand, we can do nothing to separate ourselves from His grace. This is God’s gift to believers in Christ, and it can never be taken away from us. We were saved by grace, are sustained by it every day of our Christian life, and will be recipients of the surpassing riches of divine grace for all eternity. What an amazing gift from our Father! Bible in One Year: John 6-7

A Prayer for Understanding Ephesians 1:15-23 November 1, 2020

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 31, 2020 God Is Good to All Psalm 118:1-4... God is good. We see evidence of this everywhere we look. We might wonder why good things happen to bad people, or why bad things happen to Christ followers. However, no matter how great our service to God, we are no more deserving of God’s goodness than anyone else. Only God can judge what is truly good, and He bases this on His knowledge of our hearts. Too much of a good thing can have negative effects. For instance, a $10 tithe may not seem like much to a young person, even though he earns just $100 a week. But later that same person, now successful and wealthy, may struggle to give $1000, even though the amount represents the same percentage of his paycheck. God knows this about us and will bless us accordingly so we are not tempted to turn away from Him and worship the gift instead of the Giver. When we are not wise stewards, the Lord may withdraw some of His benefits from our lives. Instead, let’s follow in the thanksgiving and praise of today’s psalm. Remember, no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). Every good thing comes from God (James 1:17). Walk according to His will, follow His ways, and He will shower His goodness upon you. Bible in One Year: John 1-3

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 30, 2020 Listening Through Restlessness Esther 6:1-11... When we’re too preoccupied to hear God’s voice, He may get our attention by giving us a restless spirit. The book of Esther gives us a wonderful example of this. In the sixth chapter, we see that King Ahasuerus could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king (Est. 6:1). As a result, Ahasuerus became aware of an assassination plot that had been foiled by a man named Mordecai. Filled with gratitude for this act of service, he made plans to honor him. What Ahasuerus could not have known, though, is that Haman, one of the royal advisors, was plotting to hang Mordecai and exterminate the Jewish population (Est. 5:14). As a result of the king’s intervention, Mordecai and the rest of the Jews were saved. Now, what started this process? A restless night. The king didn’t know why he couldn’t sleep, but we know: God was trying to get his attention. How often has this happened to you? You go about your life, but a restlessness seems to hang over you. In such moments, ask, Lord, what is it You want to tell me? You’ll discover that God can speak to you in your unrest. Bible in One Year: Luke 23-24

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 29, 2020 Distracted Listeners 1 Samuel 3:1-10... Have you ever tried to have a discussion with someone who wasn’t really listening to you? It can be frustrating. It’s practically impossible to get your message across, but it also shows the other person’s selfishness. When we have something to share, we naturally want undivided attention. Guess whatGod is the same way. He speaks with a purpose and expects our complete focus and attention. If we have been walking with Him, we will often hear His voice immediately. It may come as a gentle whisper in our spirit, or it could be an obvious, miraculous sign. But we don’t always walk perfectly with the Lord, do we? When we’re distracted, God must do something to get our attention. He may give us a restless spirit or speak a word of wisdom through a friend. He might even do something drastic, like bring about an unexpected move or career change. When we’re not tuned in to the Spirit, God’s warning signs can feel like spiritual attacks. Could He be trying to break through your distractions? Prayerfully consider how He may be speaking to you, and see if you can discern His message. Bible in One Year: Luke 20-22

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 28, 2020 Reasons to Trust Proverbs 3:5-6... It’s easy to trust God when life is pleasant. In difficult times, though, it can be challenging. Yet that’s exactly what God tells us to do: Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you (Psalm 50:15). We can trust the Lord for several reasons. One is because of His love for us. We see it clearly demonstrated through the Father’s character, Jesus’ atoning death, and our adoption as a child of God. Another reason we can rely on Him is His infinite wisdom (Rom. 11:33). He always knows what is best for us. We don’t understand all that goes into God’s plancompared to the full, clear view He has of our life, we see just part of the picture. So, what He chooses for us may not always make sense. We can also depend on God because He is sovereign. Remember that our Father can accomplish whatever Hein His wisdom and lovechooses to do. He is in complete control of all things; even Satan must get His permission before taking action (Job 1:9-12). We understandably don’t like adversity and may feel tempted to ask, Why, Lord? Yet by recognizing that God acts in love, wisdom, and sovereignty, we can know that He’s permitted the situation and has our long-term best in mind. So we can replace Why? with gratitude and trust. Bible in One Year: Luke 17-19

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 27, 2020 Suffering Alone Psalm 88... When we face hard times, it’s important to remember the One who promises to be by our side. While Paul was suffering from a thorn in the flesh, God told him, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). In other words, I’ll take care of you. But Jesus doesn’t set aside a reserve of grace and assistance to help us six months from now. We get exactly what we need when we need it. He says, I will never fail you. I will never abandon you (Heb. 13:5 NLT). Jesus won’t break that promise, and we can find strength in Him. We may never know why friends or loved ones forsake us in a time of need, but as painful as their abandonment may be, we can let it teach us to rest in God. Sometimes the only way we will learn to lean on the Lord is by finding that all other supports are gone. At some point, we all experience heartache. But one thing is certain: Jesus will be standing by our side to strengthen and deliver us in our time of need. One day we’ll have the privilege of looking back over our life and seeing how He proved His faithfulness over and over again. Bible in One Year: Luke 14-16

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 26, 2020 How to Know You’re Saved 1 John 5:9-13... The most important issue we must settle in this life is our eternal destiny. Throughout history, local churches have been composed of both believers and unbelievers, and it’s often difficult to tell the difference. That’s why John wrote his first letter. He wanted to assure the true Christians of their salvation and warn those who professed belief but lacked saving faith. John gives a fourfold test describing the beliefs and practices of genuine believers: Right understanding of Christ and salvation (1 John 2:18-27). To be saved, we must have the true gospel and the only Savior, as described in God’s Word. Right attitude toward sin (1 John 1:5-29, 1 John 2:1-2). True believers hate their sin and are quick to confess and turn from it. Right practice of obedience (1 John 2:3-6). God’s commands are not burdensome to those who belong to Christ. Although they fail at times, the overall direction of their life is one of obedience. Right relationship with God’s people (1 John 2:7-11). Christ produces within His true followers a love for fellow believers, demonstrated by a desire to be with them. If you have doubts about your salvation, reading the book of 1 John will help you settle the issue. Bible in One Year: Luke 12-13

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 25, 2020 Loving Your Enemies... To get the most out of this devotion, set aside time to read the Scripture referenced throughout. After preaching the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us to love and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). But that can feel like an impossible task: Why are evil, broken peopleespecially those who harm blameless believers for professing faithdeserving of our prayers? Nonetheless, we should be encouraged to pray, knowing that both Jesus and Stephen did so for the people who caused their deaths (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60). Think of their words as a reminder that even persecutors are created and known by a God who loves them just as much as He loves us. Remember, the Lord can radically and miraculously change the heart of anyone, even someone who seeks to wound His church. Think About It Jesus said, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28). How can we do that in today’s world? Are you able to consider those who persecute Christians as people God loves? Bible in One Year: Luke 10-11

God Has a Plan Ephesians 1:1-14 October 25, 2020 Pastor Bob Edmundson

Charles Stanley ~ In Touch Ministries October 23, 2020 Judgment Day for Believers 1 Corinthians 3:10-15... Followers of Jesus need not fear judgment day; in fact, Christians can look forward to receiving rewards according to their deeds. But all people would be wise to understand what the Bible says about our approaching time of evaluation. How will judgment differ for believers and nonbelievers? Everyone who has chosen not to have a relationship with Jesus will suffer eternal separation from God. But believers’ works will be rewarded. On what basis will Jesus distribute His rewards? Jesus looks at the opportunities God gave us to serve Him (Eph. 2:10), along with the abilities and gifts He provided. He doesn’t expect the same level of achievement or work from everybodyHe’ll consider how we responded when God opened a door of service for us and reward accordingly. What about things we’ve done that weren’t in line with God’s will? Such works are regarded as worthless, so we will miss out on rewards we could have had (1 Corinthians 3:15). Jesus is righteous, so we can trust that His judgments will be accurate and fair. How do you think He’ll respond to you? I pray you have the courage to follow God’s will and one day receive His rewards with open arms. Bible in One Year: Luke 6-7