The year is taking shape very fast. 2012 is very strategic in many respects. I try to tell as many as I can; this is the year paradigms will change completely. Doors are opening, no matter whose ox is gored. And I can bet you, the devil is getting really, really mad. God is stepping on grounds that the enemy thought have been conceded to him over the ages. Ha ha! Aiyamexcited!
There are reasons to be excited; but let us get sober first. I refer you to the post that precedes this one; Opening the Door of Mercy. If you do not locate mercy, you may not survive these times. Oh, have you not noticed how cheaply human lives are being taken? What are the criteria that determine who and who become victims and who will escape? It's a bit funny, though scary. It is as if anything can go off anytime, anywhere, and anyone could be there. Oh, we believe bad things happen to 'some other people'. No wonder we easily ask 'Why me?'. May God keep you and me. The Psalmist taught us to say:
'Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us. But to Your name give glory, BECAUSE OF YOUR MERCY...' (Psalm 115:1).
You and I must locate mercy and reside there permanently. Hear what Jesus told some people when a tower fell in Siloam and killed eighteen people. He said 'Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men in Jerusalem?' (See Luke 13:1-5). Just answer that yourself. Paul the apostle said 'So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy'. (Romans 9:16).
See, the devil is mad about a revival that is about to hit the earth. In Revelation 12 we see the dragon standing face to face with the woman in labour, and with his tail he dropped a third of the stars (vs 4). Many of God's children will still be casualties, if they take for granted the mercies of God.
Job's children probably relied on the righteousness of their father. You have got to stop thinking your pastor got you covered, or your General Overseer oversees your soul. And you dare not trust your own righteousness. There is One Righteousness you can bank on. That is where we are going today. By His own mercies, God will open a Door today; the Door of Righteousness. Okay.
I may need to refer to that pivotal Scripture once again. Psalm 24:7-10.
'Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of Glory shal come in. Who is this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.
The Door of Righteousness, no doubt was open by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Before He came, all acts of righteousness were at best a filthy rag before God. (See Isaiah 64:6). You only need to read the Book of Leviticus and see the extent to which man must go to even appear before God. So much depended on the high priests and their carrying out of the many sacrifices stipulated for the purification of body and soul. (See Hebrews 8:3). Sacrifices were done year in year out because the blood of bulls and goats can not take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). Let me tell you a few things about sin.
Never you think of sin as something you do or an act you commit or omit. Of course there are sinful acts, but essentially, sin is a mystery; and the Bible said that much (See 2 Thess. 2:7). And this is the age when the full power of iniquity will come upon men. Maybe I am just imagining things. Why did Paul talk of 'the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who NOW works ... '? (See Eph. 2:2-3). 2 Thessalonians said 'the mystery (of lawlessness) is already at work'. It is as if it had not been at work before. Isaiah saw this when he exclaimed '...darkness shall cover the earth, GROSS (or deep) DARKNESS the people...' (Isaiah 60:2). And you remember the Lord Jesus Himself said '...iniquity shall abound...' (Matthew 24:12). Sin is a mystery and the fullness of it is being unleashed on my generation. So how did I know sin is a mystery?
Many of us think the devil brought sin to the world. I know the Bible said '... the devil sins from the beginning ...' (I John 3:8). Yes. The devil perpetrates sins, but sin did not originate from him. He was the first sinner, but he was not the source of sin. See Ezekiel 28, from verse 12, there was a lamentation for the king of Tyre- a typology of Lucifer- who was the seal of perfection UNTIL INIQUITY WAS FOUND IN HIM. (Verse 15). Another version said 'till sin entered him'. Sin entered the devil too! Sin made him the devil, he has no mastery over sin. Sin is stronger than Satan. Don't let him deceive you. He is as powerless over sin as many people are. In fact, while the blood of Jesus is available for men, Satan can no longer repent.
So if sin is a mystery, what is the way out? Like a covenant, only a higher mystery can solve a mystery. Here is the higher mystery that de-mystifies sin. 1 Tim. 3:16 says
'... without controversy, great is the MYSTERY OF GODLINESS: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory,'
It is not only men, even Lucifer can not understand that Jesus was God in the flesh. How do you comprehend it; that God became man? But that is the joker that dismantled sin! The Omnipotent God was crucified for man?! Scriptures said
'None of the princes of the world had known, for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory'. (1Cor2:8).
So God has de-mystified sin in Jesus Christ. If you have been saved by Jesus Christ, sin no longer have dominion over you! (Romans 6:14).
So, our faith is a mystery too. (1Tim3:9). Godliness - the process of our redemption- is a mystery; so also is Faith; the process of our believing. (1Tim. 3 16e). Faith is not cheap. May you never take your salvation for granted. Ah ha! When Jesus died on the cross, He went to hell to preach the gospel. (See 1Pet.3:18-20). Did Satan repent? No. Noah preached for 120 years, no one believed him. Only his household survived the flood. Even Isaiah began to wonder if anyone really believes the gospel (see Isaiah 53::1). So if you have believed the gospel and are saved by the Lord Jesus, you are a mystery to the devil. You mesmerize him, only that you don't know it.
Another mystery that overwhelm sin is 'Preaching' (See 1 Tim 3:16d). Paul said
'Since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING to save those who believe' (1Cor. 1:21).
No wonder, the wisest man of those days, Solomon said 'He that wins souls is wise' (Proverbs 11:30).
You see, If God came in the flesh, that message ought to be preached until it is believed. If you believed, make others believe. This is the way righteousness will engulf the land. God is sending labourers to the field in droves. These are the days of His power, and volunteers of the gospel must come forth ; For '
How then shall they call on Him who they have not believed? And how shall they believed on Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?' (Rom. 10:14).
This is the season to preach the gospel 'in and out of season' 2Tim 4:2). And trust me, the labourers are here.
The Door of Righteousness is being open. It has been open since, I know. But there are everlasting gates in the nations of the earth and the hearts of men that are going to give way this year and years that follow. There are many examples of nations, tribes and people where the righteousness of God seems to be denied entry for ages. There are generations of idol worshippers, whose lineage is void of any righteousness. Such are the entries, the light of God will have this year onward. If Jesus must return soon, the gospel of the Kingdom will gain a fresh lease. (See Mat. 24:14). And the zeal of the LORD will accomplish it. He said to the devil 'I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it'. He meant every word.
1. Islam. The religion of the millennium is no doubt, Islam. This is one religion which has its history, development and amazing spread in the full glare of everyone. Judaism dates back to about 4,000 years ago; Christianity to more than 2000 years; and Islam is about 1400 years on earth. It is the fastest growing religion for a long time now and Mohammed is the most common name on earth. I love Muslims. Some of my most valuable friends are muslims. The passion and the dedication in that religion as practised by its followers is highly commendable. You just can not deny the obvious. I have tried severally to finish the Quran, and each time, I discover I am not pulled enough. Now, if that is the book that has revolutionalized the world, then there is something more. See, until Islam is de-mystified, this gospel will not even penetrate a Jew. But God has a plan, it has been unfolding. We are reaching the grand finale. The knowledge of the glory of God will fill the earth as the waters cover the seas. You who have heard the gospel and joke with it, beware. People who are hearing it for the first time are about to take it to another level. And the first shall be the last...
2. Kanuri. If you are talking Islam in Africa, you must give Kanuri a big mention. I served the nation as a National Youth Corp Member in Maiduguri, Borno State. Of course, it was the Home of Peace then, not now that it is the House of War. I had some experiences that endeared me to the Kanuris. I also did some research. Kanuri had been entrenched in Islam for more than 1000 years. They are the people who brought the religion to West Africa. And today, only as few as 20 Kanuri Christians are known. I said Twenty, not Two Hundred. Christian Missionaries have been there, of course. We are talking of 'everlasting doors' here. Okay. With God, Moses had to deliver a people 400 years old in slavery, this generation is faced with 1000 year old ideologies. The God who parted the Red Sea is here again.
Now let's get closer to this awesome door. Righteousness is a doctrine for all the religions of the world. It is simply 'doing what is right before the Supreme Being'. So the fundamental question is which religion worships the true God? I am not interested in that debate. God is One, and He is able to prove Himself. That is what the earth is about to witness. Not much effort will be needed to convince men, just watch certain gates begin to lift their heads.
Get closer now...
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Monday, 6 February 2012
OPENING THE DOOR OF MERCY
Glory be to God Almighty for the year 2012. If you are a Nigerian, you will agree that the year started on a rather high note. Let me say here that sometimes, I get really involved in the emotions that trail our national events. But I am too sure this is the year God will open Mercy Doors for Nigeria. Today I will talk about Mercy.
It will be mainly about doors this year. And I will focus on certain 'everlasting doors'. By the end of the year, you would have walked through at least, 12 extra-ordinary doors. I said at the beginning of the year that certain doors have been shut since the foundations of the earth - for reasons best known to God alone. For similar reasons, He is opening those doors one after the other. It is an exciting year. I used to envy Paul the apostle a lot. He was fond of saying certain truths were revealed to him and through him to his generation which have been hidden since the world began (1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:3-10; Rom. 16:25). I have discovered that every generation must press into God and make demands for its own share of God's never ending mysteries.
Oh yes, 'the secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever...' says Deut 29:29. Solomon even said God takes glory in concealing a matter, that (true) kings take glory in searching out the matter. (Prov. 25:2). When you become a believer, you are become a 'fellow' in the mysteries of God (Eph. 3:9; Mat. 13:11). Of course, we have the Spirit that does the searching if only we know how to engage Him (1 Cor 2:11). The devil gets jittery because he cannot even tell how much you know already. He is so full of guess work, and most times in his desperation he advances the very course of God. (See 1Cor. 2:8). That is why lack of knowledge- not the devil- is the fundamental cause of any believer's suffering (Hos. 4:6). These doors are first of all in your mind, but they are very real. I trust God to open your eyes today
.
Let us approach the Door of Mercy together.
1. MERCY IS AT THE CORE OF GOD'S NATURE.
God's mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1:107:1:
Moses was the man God called 'friend'. God said while He would speak to other prophets in dreams and visions, He spoke with Moses 'face to face'. In other words, He was plain with Moses. (See Num. 12:6-8). Have you wondered how even Genesis was among the Five Books of Moses? Moses was not there in the days of Abraham, how come it was he who wrote about Abraham? Oh, God sat Moses down and dictated all those events to him.
I said all these to say this 'You can go to the bank with what God told Moses'. Moses was so intimate with God that the Psalmist said God made known His ways to Moses and His acts to the rest of Israel. (Psa. 103:7). So I wanted to know some of these 'ways of God' exclusively told Moses. The Psalmist did not waste time to quench my curiousity. The next line (verse 8) says 'The LORD is merciful... abounding in mercy...'. I wanted to be very sure the Psalmist is right. I decided to probe a little more. In Exodus 33, Moses and God were engrossed in one of those tete-a-tete, and in verse 13, I heard Moses tell God 'Show me now Your way'. Wao! I perceived that God wanted to talk Moses out of that request, but Moses would not be outdone, so in verse 17, God decided to oblige Moses. I like stories.
Anyway by verse 5 and 6 of Exodus 34, God descended and stood beside Moses and these were His words 'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious... keeping mercies for thousands...'. He had said earlier in the same parley that 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy...' (Exo. 33:19). So the mercy of God is one of the 'ways' that was exclusive knowledge to Moses! Scriptures say our God is rich in mercy (Eph 2:4). Need I prove it more to you?
2. PREROGATIVE OF MERCY
There is something called the 'Prerogative of Mercy' rooted in British tradition, where only the monarch had the power to withdraw death sentences that a judge had pronounced on a convict. There comes a point where all have been said and done, the man must die. It takes a voice with that special authority to say 'No!'. For many years, no one could guess the factors that would make a monarch reverse a death sentence. Forever and ever, no one can explore all the factors that trigger the mercies of God. Oh, He said 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy...' Yoruba calls Him 'Ase eyi owuu'. He does what pleases Him.
I know my generation like principles. We believe God is bound by His principles. Yes, I agree. But we must know that God's principles are first and foremost extensions of His person. God is first a Character. And mercy is key in His characteristics. And no principle can bind His mercy.
I like Paul. As a lawyer, he attempted to interrogate God and search out the basis for God's mercy on the nation of Israel. That is in Romans 9. By the time he got to verse 18, he encountered the prerogative of God's mercy and he said in verse 20; 'But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?...' He said God is like a potter, and He makes vessels- some are vessels of honour, others are vessels of dishonour; some are vessels of mercy, others are vessels of wrath.
Job never really complained about his predicament, he just wanted to understand the basis for his suffering. (See Job 23:1-4). He has kept all there is to keep of God's laws, how did he (as it appeared) fall out of God's mercy? Anyway, by the time God asked Job a few questions, Job exclaimed '... I have uttered what I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me which I did not know' (Job 42:3).
Habakkuk got seriously worried about God's silence in the face of so much perversion of judgement (see Hab. 1:1-4). By the time God answered him, Habakkuk exclaimed in 3:17-18 'Though the fig tree may not blossom... yet will I rejoice'.
Jonah disobeyed God's instruction to go warn Nineveh. By the time he obeyed, God had mercy on Nineveh. Jonah got angry. 'Why did you make a show of me, God? Why not just go ahead and forgive them without me preaching?' I like real people talking to God, not pseudo-righteous people.
Jesus came to demonstrate God's prerogative of mercy at different points of His ministry. It was a Sabbath day and that was the day the full essence of the Law comes to bear on a Jew. On Sabbath days, he should not do any work- not even cure anyone if you are a physician. Jesus saw a man with a withered hand on one Sabbath day. He knew the Law but He had mercy on the man and healed Him. That was the day the Phariseees signed His death warrant (Mark 3:1-6). It is amazing how men can get really mad at God for being Himself. Jesus was face to face with another Sabbath day bait. A woman who for eighteen years had an infirmity that made her bent over was in the synagogue where Jesus was. Jesus healed her- against the Law. (see Luke 13:10-17). Of course, you know the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery and was condemned to die by stoning. Jesus displayed God's prerogative of mercy there (see John 8:1-12). There was also a thief hung beside Jesus at Calvary. God alone has the prerogative of mercy. So in the course of His ministry on earth, Jesus gave us an assignment in Mattew 9: 13 when He said '... Go and learn what this means 'I desire Mercy and not sacrifice'...'.
3. LEARNING MERCY
My generation likes sacrifice. There should be 'Seven Steps' to everything- and when there is none, it does not make sense. God desires Mercy- not Sacrifice. Sacrifice shows things have gone bad. This is what Jesus said we should learn. So how do we learn Mercy if it has no principles? How did Moses know the ways of God? Scriptures tell us that God's ways are on the seas (Psalm 77:19). If someone walks on the seas, you cannot count on his footsteps. How do we get the footprints of God's mercy? But that is where we are going today, so get ready.
You see, if you have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your soul, I do not know what is holding you or what you are waiting for. Oh yes, you enjoy His mercies too and that is why you are still alive reading this. But there is an advantage you have in God by salvation. And as a sinner, God forbids that I condemn you. I have commited sins- and this is the truth, I still fall into sin from time to time. Oh yes, I still enjoy His mercies and look forward to so much more (Jude21). But I am now in a covenant. The covenant of mercy (I will explain this later). Sin has lost its hold on me. I am only inviting you to a higher realm in God's mercy. You cannot afford to be so exposed to the vicissitudes of life. Covenant Covers Completely. What I am talking about is for you to make one conscious decision today to give your life to Jesus. Will you take this chance? No one will even know you are praying, so say this prayer and mean it; 'Lord Jesus, I come to you today as I am. I offer my life, my spirit, soul and body to You. Save me and deliver me from Satan and the power of sin. Wash me with Your blood and make me a new person. Thank You, Father for saving me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
This is the only way I know of that you can truly learn mercy. Because, Paul said we should come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy (Heb. 4:16). You see, if you are in a court, and you plead guilty in a case against you, you have opened yourself up for mercy. That prayer is the access to God's prerogative of mercy.
But I can tell you two other ways you can experiment with God's mercy.
Have mercy on other people (Matthew 5:7; 18:23-35)
Fear God (Luke 1:50)
4. COVENANT OF MERCY
A covenant is not what we think. We like to think of covenant as having terms and conditions. Of course, that is true. But you must look at every covenant from the perspective of who initiated it. The initiator usually has done the major part of the deal. How can God call you into a covenant and expect so much from you? Why burden yourself? He said "Come unto me, I will give you rest. Take my yoke and it is easy and light' (Matthew 11:28-30 paraphrased). In other words, the yoke you are carrying in the covenant is like you are resting.
So each covenant is unique, each with its own terms. And as far as the covenant of mercy is concerned, you have just kept your own part, if you prayed and meant that prayer above, or if you have prayed a similar one before. See Psalm 25:10; 'All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies' and the next verse sums up this art of 'keeping His covenant'; '...O LORD, pardon my iniquity for it is great.' The mercy that conquers sin is too much for any devil to handle.
In Psalm 89:28; God said 'My mercy I will keep for him forever, and My covenant shall stand firm with him'. Now God emphasied that no matter what happens, He will never break His covenant of mercy with David. (See Psalm 89:34). That is the mercy that Paul was interrogating in Romans 9. This is the point where you become an enigma to men and to the devil. This is the door God is opening for Nigeria, and for you.
Mercy door is open today.
Enter.
It will be mainly about doors this year. And I will focus on certain 'everlasting doors'. By the end of the year, you would have walked through at least, 12 extra-ordinary doors. I said at the beginning of the year that certain doors have been shut since the foundations of the earth - for reasons best known to God alone. For similar reasons, He is opening those doors one after the other. It is an exciting year. I used to envy Paul the apostle a lot. He was fond of saying certain truths were revealed to him and through him to his generation which have been hidden since the world began (1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:3-10; Rom. 16:25). I have discovered that every generation must press into God and make demands for its own share of God's never ending mysteries.
Oh yes, 'the secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever...' says Deut 29:29. Solomon even said God takes glory in concealing a matter, that (true) kings take glory in searching out the matter. (Prov. 25:2). When you become a believer, you are become a 'fellow' in the mysteries of God (Eph. 3:9; Mat. 13:11). Of course, we have the Spirit that does the searching if only we know how to engage Him (1 Cor 2:11). The devil gets jittery because he cannot even tell how much you know already. He is so full of guess work, and most times in his desperation he advances the very course of God. (See 1Cor. 2:8). That is why lack of knowledge- not the devil- is the fundamental cause of any believer's suffering (Hos. 4:6). These doors are first of all in your mind, but they are very real. I trust God to open your eyes today
.
Let us approach the Door of Mercy together.
1. MERCY IS AT THE CORE OF GOD'S NATURE.
God's mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1:107:1:
Moses was the man God called 'friend'. God said while He would speak to other prophets in dreams and visions, He spoke with Moses 'face to face'. In other words, He was plain with Moses. (See Num. 12:6-8). Have you wondered how even Genesis was among the Five Books of Moses? Moses was not there in the days of Abraham, how come it was he who wrote about Abraham? Oh, God sat Moses down and dictated all those events to him.
I said all these to say this 'You can go to the bank with what God told Moses'. Moses was so intimate with God that the Psalmist said God made known His ways to Moses and His acts to the rest of Israel. (Psa. 103:7). So I wanted to know some of these 'ways of God' exclusively told Moses. The Psalmist did not waste time to quench my curiousity. The next line (verse 8) says 'The LORD is merciful... abounding in mercy...'. I wanted to be very sure the Psalmist is right. I decided to probe a little more. In Exodus 33, Moses and God were engrossed in one of those tete-a-tete, and in verse 13, I heard Moses tell God 'Show me now Your way'. Wao! I perceived that God wanted to talk Moses out of that request, but Moses would not be outdone, so in verse 17, God decided to oblige Moses. I like stories.
Anyway by verse 5 and 6 of Exodus 34, God descended and stood beside Moses and these were His words 'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious... keeping mercies for thousands...'. He had said earlier in the same parley that 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy...' (Exo. 33:19). So the mercy of God is one of the 'ways' that was exclusive knowledge to Moses! Scriptures say our God is rich in mercy (Eph 2:4). Need I prove it more to you?
2. PREROGATIVE OF MERCY
There is something called the 'Prerogative of Mercy' rooted in British tradition, where only the monarch had the power to withdraw death sentences that a judge had pronounced on a convict. There comes a point where all have been said and done, the man must die. It takes a voice with that special authority to say 'No!'. For many years, no one could guess the factors that would make a monarch reverse a death sentence. Forever and ever, no one can explore all the factors that trigger the mercies of God. Oh, He said 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy...' Yoruba calls Him 'Ase eyi owuu'. He does what pleases Him.
I know my generation like principles. We believe God is bound by His principles. Yes, I agree. But we must know that God's principles are first and foremost extensions of His person. God is first a Character. And mercy is key in His characteristics. And no principle can bind His mercy.
I like Paul. As a lawyer, he attempted to interrogate God and search out the basis for God's mercy on the nation of Israel. That is in Romans 9. By the time he got to verse 18, he encountered the prerogative of God's mercy and he said in verse 20; 'But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?...' He said God is like a potter, and He makes vessels- some are vessels of honour, others are vessels of dishonour; some are vessels of mercy, others are vessels of wrath.
Job never really complained about his predicament, he just wanted to understand the basis for his suffering. (See Job 23:1-4). He has kept all there is to keep of God's laws, how did he (as it appeared) fall out of God's mercy? Anyway, by the time God asked Job a few questions, Job exclaimed '... I have uttered what I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me which I did not know' (Job 42:3).
Habakkuk got seriously worried about God's silence in the face of so much perversion of judgement (see Hab. 1:1-4). By the time God answered him, Habakkuk exclaimed in 3:17-18 'Though the fig tree may not blossom... yet will I rejoice'.
Jonah disobeyed God's instruction to go warn Nineveh. By the time he obeyed, God had mercy on Nineveh. Jonah got angry. 'Why did you make a show of me, God? Why not just go ahead and forgive them without me preaching?' I like real people talking to God, not pseudo-righteous people.
Jesus came to demonstrate God's prerogative of mercy at different points of His ministry. It was a Sabbath day and that was the day the full essence of the Law comes to bear on a Jew. On Sabbath days, he should not do any work- not even cure anyone if you are a physician. Jesus saw a man with a withered hand on one Sabbath day. He knew the Law but He had mercy on the man and healed Him. That was the day the Phariseees signed His death warrant (Mark 3:1-6). It is amazing how men can get really mad at God for being Himself. Jesus was face to face with another Sabbath day bait. A woman who for eighteen years had an infirmity that made her bent over was in the synagogue where Jesus was. Jesus healed her- against the Law. (see Luke 13:10-17). Of course, you know the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery and was condemned to die by stoning. Jesus displayed God's prerogative of mercy there (see John 8:1-12). There was also a thief hung beside Jesus at Calvary. God alone has the prerogative of mercy. So in the course of His ministry on earth, Jesus gave us an assignment in Mattew 9: 13 when He said '... Go and learn what this means 'I desire Mercy and not sacrifice'...'.
3. LEARNING MERCY
My generation likes sacrifice. There should be 'Seven Steps' to everything- and when there is none, it does not make sense. God desires Mercy- not Sacrifice. Sacrifice shows things have gone bad. This is what Jesus said we should learn. So how do we learn Mercy if it has no principles? How did Moses know the ways of God? Scriptures tell us that God's ways are on the seas (Psalm 77:19). If someone walks on the seas, you cannot count on his footsteps. How do we get the footprints of God's mercy? But that is where we are going today, so get ready.
You see, if you have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your soul, I do not know what is holding you or what you are waiting for. Oh yes, you enjoy His mercies too and that is why you are still alive reading this. But there is an advantage you have in God by salvation. And as a sinner, God forbids that I condemn you. I have commited sins- and this is the truth, I still fall into sin from time to time. Oh yes, I still enjoy His mercies and look forward to so much more (Jude21). But I am now in a covenant. The covenant of mercy (I will explain this later). Sin has lost its hold on me. I am only inviting you to a higher realm in God's mercy. You cannot afford to be so exposed to the vicissitudes of life. Covenant Covers Completely. What I am talking about is for you to make one conscious decision today to give your life to Jesus. Will you take this chance? No one will even know you are praying, so say this prayer and mean it; 'Lord Jesus, I come to you today as I am. I offer my life, my spirit, soul and body to You. Save me and deliver me from Satan and the power of sin. Wash me with Your blood and make me a new person. Thank You, Father for saving me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
This is the only way I know of that you can truly learn mercy. Because, Paul said we should come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy (Heb. 4:16). You see, if you are in a court, and you plead guilty in a case against you, you have opened yourself up for mercy. That prayer is the access to God's prerogative of mercy.
But I can tell you two other ways you can experiment with God's mercy.
Have mercy on other people (Matthew 5:7; 18:23-35)
Fear God (Luke 1:50)
4. COVENANT OF MERCY
A covenant is not what we think. We like to think of covenant as having terms and conditions. Of course, that is true. But you must look at every covenant from the perspective of who initiated it. The initiator usually has done the major part of the deal. How can God call you into a covenant and expect so much from you? Why burden yourself? He said "Come unto me, I will give you rest. Take my yoke and it is easy and light' (Matthew 11:28-30 paraphrased). In other words, the yoke you are carrying in the covenant is like you are resting.
So each covenant is unique, each with its own terms. And as far as the covenant of mercy is concerned, you have just kept your own part, if you prayed and meant that prayer above, or if you have prayed a similar one before. See Psalm 25:10; 'All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies' and the next verse sums up this art of 'keeping His covenant'; '...O LORD, pardon my iniquity for it is great.' The mercy that conquers sin is too much for any devil to handle.
In Psalm 89:28; God said 'My mercy I will keep for him forever, and My covenant shall stand firm with him'. Now God emphasied that no matter what happens, He will never break His covenant of mercy with David. (See Psalm 89:34). That is the mercy that Paul was interrogating in Romans 9. This is the point where you become an enigma to men and to the devil. This is the door God is opening for Nigeria, and for you.
Mercy door is open today.
Enter.
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