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forgiveness

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4 Stories of Forgiveness

It wasn't all that long ago that these four stories occupied headlines around the world. Reporters were shocked and awed. Families whose loved ones were ripped out of their lives by hatred, found it in their hearts to respond with unmerited forgiveness. (more…)
Bob Jones
May 12, 2022
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ISIS, FORGIVENESS, MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS

Twelve seconds of silence is an awkward eternity on television. Amr Adeeb, perhaps the most prominent talk show host in Egypt, leaned forward as he searched for a response. Moments earlier, Adeeb was watching a colleague speak with the widow of Naseem Faheem, the guard killed by a suicide bomber at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, Egypt on Palm Sunday. Across the Middle East and around the world Muslims and Christians are observing in reverent awe an exceptional grace displayed in the face of evil. Forgiveness: Christians Do The Unimaginable 2017-05-31 14:34:45Z | http://piczard.com | http://codecarvings.com Naseem Faheem, the guard at St Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria, Egypt had redirected a suicide bomber through the perimeter metal detector, where the terrorist…
Bob Jones
June 4, 2017
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Amazing Grace in Charleston

Jon Stewart began his June 18th edition of The Daily Show with an emotional, joke-free commentary about racism and gun violence in America following the shooting deaths of nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. “I’ve got nothing for you in terms of jokes and sounds, because of what happened in South Carolina,” Stewart said. “I honestly have nothing other than just sadness once again that we have to peer into the abyss of the depraved violence we do to each other and the nexus of a gaping racial wound that will not heal yet we pretend doesn’t exist.” A Gaping Wound When a nation’s comedian finds humor inappropriate, you know the events of the…
Bob Jones
June 19, 2015
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A TIMELY GIFT

The handwritten note reads, “I’m really sorry, I don’t have money to give to God’s church. Please accept my watch as I want to offer it to God as my thankfulness.” The words are written on the back of an offering envelope. The person’s name was on the front. The Gift and the Giver The envelope was unopened and carefully sealed. I had the impression I was holding a priceless treasure. Inside the envelope was a woman’s watch. It was a “Citizen” brand, “Eco-Drive,” well worn. No numbers on the watch face – just lines. The watch reminded me of one my mother wore. The giver noted - “no batteries needed as it is a windup watch.” It kept perfect…
Bob Jones
May 20, 2015
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Unbroken: The Rest of the Story

Louis Zamperin is a hero worth getting to know. Zamperini survived his B-24 Liberator's crash into the Pacific during WW2. He endured 46 days in a liferaft, was captured by the Japanese, imprisoned on “Execution Island” – a place that every known prisoner had been put to death, was starved, suffered beatings and torture at the hands of sadistic guards for over two years. Angelina Jolie's film version of Louis Zamperini's life graphically depicts the violence he endured. What Jolie misses in a film characterized as her "triumph" is how Louis triumphed over his traumas. His faith story is mostly absent from the film until the end. The closing slide says it all - “After years of severe post-traumatic stress,…
Bob Jones
December 21, 2014
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WHY WE SAY “COME AS YOU ARE”

North Pointe is known as the “come as you are” church on 167 Avenue in Edmonton. Why do we say, "Come as you are?" More Than A Welcome We take our cues from Jesus. He said, “Come to me all who are loaded down with burdens and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) That’s an invitation to anyone and everyone – the burned out, the discouraged, the overachiever, the non-religious, and the _________ (you fill in the blank). "Come as you are" is an invitation to freedom because that's what Jesus offers. He doesn't give added burdens. He gives rest. The kind of "rest" Jesus provides is more than the refreshing of a good night's sleep. Its rest for…
Bob Jones
July 30, 2014