mercy

Sad Story

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This past week we laid one of my good friends to rest.  God amazingly and powerfully changed his life.  He was one of the toughest guys I had ever known, but when God changed his heart, he became one of the tenderest guys I have ever known.  It’s amazing what God can do with rough and tough men, and women I might say.  Tracy and Pattie had been married for 37 years and as a matter of fact, he passed away on their 37th wedding anniversary.  The funeral service was standing room only and the graveside service was unusually crowded.

The sad part of this story, beyond the passing of my friend, is what took place some time after the burial service.  Someone stole the flowers from the grave and destroyed them.  I read the post that followed the findings and people were talking about how low people can go and we know this is pretty low.  Someone said, “I’m going to pray for whoever did this, because Tracy would have done the same.”  Others were talking about those people getting caught and then I read the post that grabbed my attention the most.  The post read, “they have already been caught by God.”  The truth is none of us ever get away with anything, God has already caught us doing what we know we shouldn’t be doing.  God has already caught every deceptive transaction and every sneaking sinful interaction.  Many people today are worried about the authorities catching them, but the greatest authority of all has already caught them.  I’ve been caught and you’ve been caught and not only caught, but our actions are recorded and we all will give an account one day.

We can try to hide and cover up the things we’ve done wrong, but we should confess and come forward and repent.  A truth you can believe is found in Numbers 32:23, “and be sure your sin will find you out.”  We may evade the authorities for a while, but never forever!  God is watching each one of us, so do what’s right, treat people with kindness and respect, and love the way that shows you know Jesus.

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It’s Official

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It’s official, you are human!  One thing for certain is that even though some people act strange and weird and like nothing bothers them, they are still human.  Regardless of what the tabloids say, there are no aliens among us and there are no super-humans.  There may be those who don’t seemed to be bother by what bothers most, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be bothered or upset and discouraged.  We all suffer from the same things and we struggle, some more than others.

Accepting the fact that you are human can also be encouraging in that you are not alone in the struggle and you are not alone in the need.  The fact that we get upset, worried, hungry, angry, discouraged, overwhelmed, annoyed, sad, lost, confused, bitter, greedy, jealous, compulsive, obsessive, motivated, aggravated, exhausted, vindictive, destructive, protective, violent, lonely, resentful, prideful and cynical is the short list that verifies we are indeed human.  And all of these, to whatever degree they are experienced, originate from one characteristic we were born with.  We are sinful and so we struggle in this life and in this world because of our embedded nature.  The apostle Paul said,

Romans 7:18-20 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but [how] to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will [to do,] I do not do; but the evil I will not [to do,] that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not [to do,] it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”

You can do whatever you can to overcome the negative side effects of being human, but they will always be with you so long as you live.  It’s like when you were born, you got the same flesh suit everyone else did and it is installed with a nature that is oppressive to your life experience and detrimental to your eternal future unless something is done about it.

Here’s the deal, every human needs Jesus because we are born with a nature that separates us from God.  God sent Jesus to override that nature and provide a new nature for us so we can live joyful, peaceful, grateful, hopeful, graceful, merciful, selfless and loving lives.

It is official that you are human, but you should make sure it’s also official that have been given a new nature through Jesus Christ.  The apostle Paul recognized the old nature and he recognized the only answer and he made it official.

Romans 7:24-25 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! …”

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If You Failed

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If you failed yesterday, start over today with a heart and mind to live in victory.  We do fail, and we fail more often than we would like to admit.  We fail more than people know and we fail in areas that in our minds we shouldn’t be failing in.  Let me just start by saying, we fail mentally to have the right thoughts circulating in our minds.  The enemy loves to invade our minds with thoughts that are anything but uplifting.  We fail mentally when we judge others or entertain thoughts that are self-defeating.  We also fail when it comes to temptations.  Our flesh and old nature still craves what it has always craved and the enemy knows where and how to tempt us.  We fail in our actions or the lack of action.  You should have done something maybe to help someone, but you didn’t.  The enemy that you can’t see wants you to see yourself as a failure because you do fail, and so do I, but that’s not how to see yourself.  It’s true that we fail at home and at work.  We fail the people we love the most and it happens more than once or twice, but that doesn’t make you a failure.

Here’s what you need to know about the failures in your life, mine too!

  1.  Our failures let us know how much we need God’s power and presence in our lives.
  2. Our failures are there sometimes to help us stay humble before God and others.  (We don’t have it all figured out after all.)
  3. Our failures are there as immediate history lessons.  Let’s learn from our failures, and move on doing our best to avoid the traps of temptations and mind games from the enemy.
  4. Our failures serve to remind us that we need the mercy and grace of God.  They should make us grateful to God for another chance in the next day or the next opportunity to get the victory.
  5. Our failures can turn into testimonies for others to hear who know something about failures, but haven’t experienced yet the grace of God in every failure.

If by chance you failed yesterday, get up today and go again.  If you need to apologize for something, then do it and then go again with victory in mind.  Be who God created you to be in this world today.  He didn’t create you to be a failure, but one who constantly looks to Him and leans on Him in faith.  You are not a failure!

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Delivered

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What a glorious thought to know you are safe and secure living under the watchful care of the Good Shepherd.  The Old Testament story of David and Goliath provides a great foreshadowing of our Savior’s watchful care. It also points out that just because you are watched over, doesn’t mean you won’t be taken and need to be delivered.  David did what Christ does today!  Can I say that again?  David did, as the shepherd over his father’s flock, what Christ does as the Good Shepherd of every child of God.  This is a mirrored image of our Savior in David’s life. It also points out that just because you are watched over, doesn’t mean you won’t be taken and need to be delivered.

“But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, “I went out after it and struck it, and delivered [the lamb] from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught [it] by its beard, and struck and killed it.“ I Samuel 17:34-35

The sheep David watched over were just as we are today, most often oblivious to the threat of lions and bears.  Since we live in the territory of lions and bears, we are always subject to their attacks.  The closer you walk beside the Shepherd, the less chances you have of being taken from the flock, but still many are taken today.  The apostle Peter understood exactly what being taken felt like and wrote to warn the followers of Christ.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.“ I Peter 5:8-9

David valued his father’s sheep and so when one came under attack and was taken, he went after it and delivered it.  This gives us something to think about.  Was there ever a sheep taken that David didn’t go after?  Was there ever a sheep taken that had been taken before?  Was there ever a sheep taken that David gave up on?  Was there ever a sheep taken that David would make an example out of to the other sheep?  Every child of God will see one day how many times they were taken and then delivered by God.  If God has saved you and delivered you from the power of darkness by the blood of Jesus, He will never not deliver you.

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of My Father’s hand.“  John 10:28-29

I have said this recently, that if you are a child of God, deliverance is in your future.  You may not need it right now, but because of the nature of our enemy, you will at some point and many times throughout your life.  And so this truth should cause us to be thankful, humble, watchful, and inspired to stay close to the Father.  Being safe and secure under the watchful care of the Savior doesn’t mean you can be careless in your walk with God.  It means you will be delivered when you need to be delivered.  Praise God!

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Prayer for the Nation

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“Holy Father, we come before You in faith this morning giving you praise for Your love for us.  We declare that there is none like You, O God.  You have created all things and You hold all things together.  We thank You for being intimately involved in our lives and in Your nation.  We thank You for allowing us this privilege to grow up in a place of freedom.  Father we thank You for giving us our greatest freedom through Your son, Jesus Christ.  Today we come to lift up the United States of America to You.  Father, You know the condition we are in and You see the strife, division, anger, and corruption.  Father, as the church, Christians have not been the light and salt You have called us to be.  We pray for mercy.  God have mercy on us for our children and grandchildren’s sake.  Father, have mercy on us and show us the way back to a greater devotion to You and Your ways.  Lord, we know that our lives and this country are ultimately in Your sovereign hands, but we ask for revival among Your people.  We ask that You step in and make right those things that are wrong.  We ask Lord that You stir the hearts of every man, woman, boy and girl who have been born again and who live with Your Spirit.  Stir us so we can stand for truth again.  Stir us so we can love others who don’t agree with us.  Stir us so we can mend the brokenness in our society and especially the brokenness in our homes.

And now, Father, we ask that You be with those in leadership positions over our nation.  We pray for President Biden and Vice President Harris and we ask that You rule in their hearts and give them power over those who try to influence them in the wrong direction.  We ask You to touch their hearts and minds and reveal Yourself to them so they will call on Your name as their own source of strength and wisdom.  Give them courage to do the right things.  Give them wisdom to know what to do, and give them vision to see what are the greatest needs in our nation.  God help them love our nation and to foster a healing spirit in our country.

Father, we confess our sins before You, for our sins are many, and we ask for forgiveness.  We confess that we have been going down the wrong pathway for too many years and we know that only You can turn us back now.  We confess that we have tolerated darkness, and we are in need of missionaries to come to our country.  Lord, save us!  Lord, work out Your plan for our lives and for our nation.  And Lord, give me the power and the will to be Your ambassador to my own country.  I love You and I love this country.  Be our Shepherd and show us the way.  We ask this in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.”

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin

and heal their land.“.

2 Chronicles 7:14

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Get Real!

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On the same day Jesus rose from the grave He appeared to the apostles.  He spoke peace to them and then showed them His hands and His side. This was not only the visible proof that He was the One they had committed their lives to, but the showing of His hands and side has far more greater meaning to us.  

Recently I smashed the ends of my fingers on both hands. My fingernails have turned black and ugly from the injury. The painful incident and my startling reaction to it was so traumatic that I have shared it with many people. I’ve shared the story because I witnessed God help me in that moment of pain. I was manually pulling down a garage door and my fingers got caught between where two panels come together. I couldn’t pull my fingers out and I couldn’t lift the door back up. The pain was severe and I didn’t care who heard me yelling in pain.  But I know it was God who quickened me to kick the door up with my foot, releasing my fingers.  I’ve shared this story because in my personal trauma, God was with me. Many times we are quick to share our physical wounds with others, but not so quick to show the wounds on the inside. Most of the time we don’t want people to know about the wounds of our hearts and minds, but when we do, something happens to whoever is listening. They are relieved to know you are real and can relate to what they maybe going through. Those disciples must have felt so alone and discouraged until Jesus appeared and showed them His wounds.  When was the last time you got real with someone like Jesus did and showed them your wounds? What about the wounds on the inside? Jesus showed His wounds and the disciples were glad and believed in Him. Don’t be afraid to show people the healed wounds in your life.  It just may bring the healing to them they need.

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Flag Doesn’t Fly

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I noticed this morning as I walked outside that my flag wasn’t flying. As we come into this Inauguration Day we can be so anxious we forget who is in control. We can be so disgusted that we don’t pause to pray. The depth of disgust for a nation that has fallen away from God and true righteousness is rightly measured by our dependence on prayer. It is voiced, texted, tweeted, bannered, blogged, aired, and detailed in many different formats and platforms, but its greatest impact is when it reaches the throne of God in prayer. We groan at what we hear and see in the media, but true anguish of heart is taken up and echoed by the groaning of the Holy Spirit.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit [is,] because He makes intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.” Romans 8:26-27

You can expect the correction of a nation that has gone astray to be hard. You can expect the correction of a nation that has shaken its fist in the face of God to be hard. You can expect the correction to be what no one wants to hear, the judgment of God. As my own children have grown, my discipline has changed to where now it is reshaped to advice and counsel, but not so with God. We have not outgrown the discipline of our God. We should pray and cry out like the children of Israel held in bondage with hard labor.  We should do it for the sake of our children and grandchildren who will grow up in a world completely void of a holy influence if we don’t. If you have a voice for the kingdom of God, use it!  Use your voice in prayer protest to God.

“Holy Father, you see the mockery in my country and you understand the plots of evil men. Father we desperately need You to step in and turn us back to You. You alone are our hope for the future, so we turn to you. Lord Jesus there is a love in our country but it is for power, money and control.  Father we are a guilty people, but many are Your people called by Your name, and we call on Your Name today. We ask Father that You turn the Whitehouse into a White House that has been washed in the precious blood of Your Son. Hear our cries O LORD and answer us before it’s too late.  We trust in Your ways and we want Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us the power to pray and to be honest with You in confession. We believe You are coming again and whatever it takes to make us ready to meet You, we submit to Your divine plan. Cause us to hate what You hate and to love what You love, and we know You love people because Jesus came to the cross.  His suffering and death made a way for us to know You and be with You for all eternity. Bless us with what we need to come back to You. In Jesus Name I pray-Amen.

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Learn this Prayer

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Learn this prayer, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble…” Psalm 31. This was a prayer of David who cried out to the Lord in a time of need. This single petition is repeated around eleven or twelve times just in the Psalms. Perhaps you were like me growing up learning different prayers to pray, like the “God is great” prayer before a meal or the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer and the “Lord’s prayer”. There’s definitely nothing wrong with those prayers to the Father, but this humble and desperate prayer of David is the prayer for the times we live in. The proud will not say it and the oblivious will only petition God for what they want. But the sincere child of God who realizes the trouble we are in will recognize and repeat this prayer. Your life maybe great and I hope it is, but know that as a nation we are in the deepest spiritual waters we have ever been in. And mercy is our greatest need right now. The Lord asked the blind man, “What would you have me do for you?” Jesus would asked that question for our sake. What may look obvious to you may be oblivious to others and I say that because not everyone understands the trouble we are in and the mercy of God we need. Psalm 123:3 extends the plea for God’s mercy, “Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us.”

Let me encourage you today to learn this prayer because the trouble we are in will become increasingly obvious and you will already know what to ask the Father. His mercy is our greatest need!

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