The Beatitudes: The Merciful

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. " - Matthew 5:7

Showing mercy takes love, courage and compassion. Being able to completely forgive someone for what they have done and remove the guilt and anguish that is so often associated with unrighteousness requires mercy. I think you will agree that it is difficult. I have seen mercy, in legal terms, described as receiving an acquittal even though you yourself confessed and testified of your own guilt and the jury have found you guilty without a doubt. Can you picture in your mind a time when mercy has been shown to you? Likewise can you picture a time in which you were able to demonstrate a heart of mercy to someone else? Many people find it hard to demonstrate mercy in a world where an eye for an eye is the norm.

As Jesus portrays the image of righteousness for those present on that hill in Capernaum, He paints a picture of God's love and forgiveness. Through God's mercy our sins are forgiven and likewise we should strive to forgive others. We see additional references of this in the book of Luke, the 6th chapter and 36th verse, "Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful." This representation of God's love for His children is manifested throughout the scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New. We are endowed with His blessing when we are able and willing to be merciful to others. This blessing though is caught up in the realization of God's mercy in our own life.

You see, we all need God's mercy in our life. For the redemption of our sins is required for eternal glory with Him in heaven. But it doesn't stop there. For you see, even though God's mercy washes away the guilt and shame of the sin, the very nature of our humanity is to sin again, and we will. It is God's grace that provides us with salvation. We don't deserve it, it is provided without warrant and there is nothing we can do to earn it. It is truly a gift without merit because God so desires for your presence in heaven with Him rather than seeing you condemned to the lake of fire for all of eternity. Grace and mercy go hand in hand. Grace, through Jesus Christ, is God's plan of salvation while mercy is His forgiving compassion for our transgressions.

I had a mother share with me this example of the difference. If Charlie threw a ball through the window, and his Dad forgave him with no punishment. That is mercy. If his Dad went one step farther and took Charlie out for ice cream afterwards, that is grace. Live as one with a heart of mercy and watch how God uses that love and compassion to mold you more into the likeness of His Son.

Finding Me - Day 7

September 16, 2014

It wasn’t a love like you and I know.  I love my friends, my family and my wife – but what is the greatest gift I can give them?  Perhaps my time; my attention, my presence in times of sorrow and hurt.  Perhaps my words; encouragement, advice in times of worry and need.  Perhaps the comfort of my arms; hugs and holding their hand when they are afraid.  I can’t stop them from dying.  I can’t provide an eternal sanctuary for their soul to rest in.  The limited number of people I know in this world is in the hundreds, and my ability to love each of them varies dramatically.  There are probably less than 100 that I would stop everything I am doing and run to their side in the event of a tragic event. 

Why would the Creator of the Universe care about me?  There are over 6.2 billion people in the world today.  Over the course of time there have likely been well over 10 billion people that have walked the face of the earth since the moment God placed His breath into Adam and Eve.  Of these billions of people, only one man walked perfectly righteous, without blemish, sin or fault.  God’s own son, Jesus Christ, lived for 33 years upon this earth to bring God’s love to us, and provide a path of salvation for our redemption.  In doing so, God expressed the greatest love possible to mankind.  He alone loved all 10 billion of us so much that He created a way for us to live eternally within His presence, and thereby avoiding the eternal Hell created for Satan and his followers.

Day 7: Accepting Love
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” – Titus 3:4-6

We all will die.  You cannot save your soul.  I cannot save your soul.
The wonderful things we do for others in our daily walk are just that, nothing more.  These acts will not get you into heaven.  The hundreds of people you know, you work with, you laugh with and you play with cannot redeem your sinful actions.  They can provide advice, guidance, comfort and a warm hug; but nothing more.  We focus so much on how we feel today, without concern for the infinite time spent after we have passed away.  Accept the love of the Father, for in it, you will find eternity and peace beyond your life on this earth.  That is why God cares about you and I.

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How Long is Forever?

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“Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”   - Psalm 23:6
Wow, what a statement of faith from King David.  The forethought and knowledge, that the mercies of the Lord and the goodness would always be there.  Not temporarily during the good times, not for a few years, no “all the days of my life”.  God’s love is a constant, unchangeable guarantee that David recognized early on in his reign over God’s children.  He drew from this promise in his battles with Goliath, in his dealings with Saul, and in leading the armies of Israel against numerous foes.  He especially leaned on this grace during his period of disobedience and indiscretions with Bathsheba.

He held true to the belief that God would never leave him, no matter what.  He fully experienced God’s unchanging, unconditional love which we also draw from.  No matter how many days you are blessed to walk this earth, it is important to note that God will never stop loving you.  You could have a past of unmentionable sins and transgressions, but God’s love doesn’t change.  You could come to His table heavy laden with guilt, embarrassment and shame, the grace of Jesus Christ, created by His death for your sins, and His resurrection can wash you white as snow.  This doesn’t change throughout your entire life on this earth.  It is available today, and should you sin tomorrow, His grace is still sufficient to those with a redemptive spirit.

Holding this final verse of the 23rd Psalm close to your heart is my recommendation.  Hold onto the knowledge that as a follower of Jesus Christ your days are determined and planned for.  Your eternal destination is secure and your reservations are locked in.  Indeed, trusting in the Lord’s salvation will ensure your ability to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  That is not just good news, but great news that you can rely on as truth from the Lord.  Grab a hold of it today, won’t you, there’s no better news coming your way than this.
PRAYER:Almighty Father,
We call upon your grace, peace, love and mercy to reign down upon us.  You have delivered us from the grips of the evil one and drawn us close to Your Son.  You have given us salvation, and the promise that You will always be by our side, in good times and bad.  We draw near to Your word and hold close the truths of our future to dwell in the Your house forever. In this we can be assured.  By the power of Jesus Christ we pray.     Amen
             

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Put Down the Gavel

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“We love, because He first loved us.  If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." – 1 John 4:19-20

She fell at his feet, half naked, bruised and battered.  Her eyes were swollen from crying as she looked up into his eyes.  She said nothing, but He saw her fear and plea for mercy emanating from her face without a single word.  Those that trailed behind her, shouted and screamed obscenities, vulgarities and condemnation.  According to scripture: “But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” – John 8:7  Her accusers left, and she remained near his feet, I imagine, filled with thankfulness and love for His grace upon her.

He spent the night in chains, in a dark hole in the ground where rats and snakes dwell.  His body was clothed only in a loin cloth, and hung limp from the shackles secured to the wall above his head.  When the morning broke the opened the dungeon door and brought him forth.  He then was forced to the top of a hill where he did not want to go, but was forced by the guards and magistrate of the day.  His arms were bound to the wood and his cross was raised before the people of Jerusalem.  As the day went on, the sun beat down upon his flesh and the people cursed him and spit upon him as he hung helpless.  His breath was becoming desperate and shallow as his lungs began to collapse.  He observed another on the hill that day and recognized Him as the man from the temple earlier in the week.  He was praying and speaking to Jehovah, and asking for forgiveness for those who condemned Him, loving them even in this circumstance.  The realization came that this was no ordinary man, not a criminal at all, yet here He was being crucified along-side those who were.  As the day drew on, the criminal spoke to the man who hung in the middle.  “And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”  And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” – Luke 23:42-43

Jesus loved those who by the world’s standards are completely undeserving.  Those living in sin, those who had broken commandments and harmed other individuals in the process.  He demonstrated His grace and love to those who the world had condemned, because they came to Him for salvation and redemption.  Which of you has never broken a commandment, has never sinned or lived unrighteously?  Do you hold yourself more unrighteous than those who came directly to the Son of God?  Do you refuse the truth of God’s love, grace and mercy as available for you?  I say today, that if Jesus Christ’s atoning blood and grace was sufficient for the forgiveness of one of these sin filled people, it is sufficient for the sins of all mankind.  For if it is not sufficient for the redemption of all sins, than it is not sufficient for any.  For God has provided but one path to righteousness, forgiveness and eternity with Him in heaven.

With this in mind, who are you judging and condemning from the acceptance and forgiving grace of God?  On what grounds are you basing your judgment and determining that you have such authority on earth?  Does God’s love have limitations or boundaries?  I say no, it does not.  His love and grace is limitless, unbound and overwhelming.  The openness of the recipient is the limiter.  We are called to love others and God has loved us.  This act is the most difficult challenge you will face in life, because it is our instinct to judge others against our standards in life, when in reality they will be judged only by their Creator.  We are to provide guidance and loving direction to those we see in sin and unrighteousness, but it is not our position to claim their fate in the eternal judgment of mankind.  Share the love of God without condemnation and then let God work within those individuals to bring them to the realization of their sinful actions.  Trust me, He’s much better at it than you will ever be.

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Shame Revealed

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“…Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven." – Luke 7:47-48

I hear you call me in the midst of my fear.  Calling to me “Child, come to Me.”  Why am I left all alone here to fend off these demons within my soul?  I am blind to Your glory and I am weakened from the fight.  Lift me up oh Lord, and help me to fight another day for Your grace, for Your mercy and love.  I do not know where the world is taking me, and I don’t want to go.  I want to follow Your word, Your path and live within Your purpose for me, yet I cry out in angst and sorrow with the bittersweet pain of falling short of who You called me to be.  Why are these chains wrapped around my heart so tightly, and what has happened to the key?  For where I am, I do not want You to go.  The shame and guilt rises up as You search my soul, and open the doors despite my plea.  Falling to my face I cry out for Your leniency and forgiveness.  Turning my back I try to run from the place where You have carried me to, but my feet resist and I look up into Your eyes.  I see the unrighteousness being consumed by Your spirit for my sake and my heart washed clean once again.  I fall into Your arms, crushed, redeemed and forgiven, for the scars upon Your back are deep with the burdens of my careless and selfishness.

Your love for me is unquestionable, and never ending.  You stand in my unrighteousness and present me worthy of God’s love.  You are my Savior and my Lord.  Help strengthen me to become more like You and less like them Lord.

             

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Let It Go

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“I--yes, I alone--will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” – Isaiah 42:43

The yelling ensued across the room as he walked out the front door of their home.  He had gone to far and said things he never should have said.  Her past was littered with mistakes, but so was his.  When he brought up what she had done to their family years before it was more than she could take.  She indeed had held onto the guilt of her past as much as he had held onto it as a weapon to inflict pain and control over her.  Suddenly the door was opened and she was coming onto the porch screaming at him for things he had done in his past.  The battle continued on their front lawn, and a few neighbors paused for a moment to take in the sight.  After all, the rumor mill needed more content and this one would be good for weeks to come.

What happened next though surprised everyone, even the two adults arguing.  A small girl emerges from the door and walks between the married couple.  Taking the hand of her Mommy and then taking the hand of her Daddy, she knelt down between them and lowered her head.  Amidst tears from both adults, this young child poured out the most wonderful prayer of forgiveness, love and compassion.  The husband and wife embraced the child and in turn followed up with their own prayers of forgiveness and thankfulness to God Almighty for giving them such an incredible child.  The neighbors went on about their business and the only gossip around the block for the next week was about the peace that God brought to this family through a small child.

There is a song from the group Casting Crowns that is title “East to West”  A few of the lyrics from the song:

“Can you show me just how far the East is from the West
‘cause I can’t bear to see the man I’ve been come rising up in me again.
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
‘cause you know just how fare the East is from the West
one scarred hand from the other.”

Refers to Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  The real question is “Do you honestly believe it?”  One of the most crippling acts of humanity is our inability to forgive and forget.  There is nothing good that will come from it, yet we continue to hold onto the memory of how we’ve been hurt and how we’ve hurt others.  The act of recalling an old transgression is a weapon of the enemy to control you and to continually propagate his message that you are unworthy of God’s love.  By reliving our past and refusing to accept that God has forgiven us, we wallow in the depths of the depravity that went along with the original act.  This will only draw you away from God and in turn become more reliant upon yourself, rather than His mercies and grace.

You are a sinner.  You can’t deny it, and you can’t overcome it by yourself.  God has provided a means to repent of your sins and be washed clean each and every day.  His promise is that He will take your sins upon His back and set you free from carrying that guilt any longer.  You have to believe it to be true though.  The guilt that you continue to feel is not from God, it is manmade and therefore from the world.  Releasing yourself from this guilt is crucial to growth in your spiritual walk.  The Holy Spirit dwelling within you will convict you of your wrong doings and push you back to a path of righteousness, but He will never condemn you for it.  That is the work of Satan. 

Today, lay out your sins before the Lord and ask Him to remove them once and for all, and then pray that the Holy Spirit wash them from your mind, and give you peace to overcome the associated guilt.  Likewise, forgive those who have wronged you in life, and realize that they will one day stand before the Lord, just like you will and give an account for their transgressions.  Put justice into the rightful hands where it belongs, hands that have nail scars to qualify Him for the position.


             

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Do You Love Me?

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“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." – John 13:35                                                                              

  He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not, He loves me! 

  Magic 8 ball “Tell me, does he love me?”  - “It is decidedly so”

  The electronic game 20Q took 17 questions to establish that I was thinking of “love”


For centuries people have sought love.  It has been debated, fought over, killed for and misunderstood.  It is often stated that it is a requirement for life, for without it one cannot truly experience emotion.  Face it, even if someone says they don’t love anyone, there is still the high likelihood that they love books, movies, cars or even food.  There are multiple definitions for the term “love” which clearly state just how complex it is.  It is generally accepted though that love is an emotion of endearment or affection between individuals, between a person and their pet and between a person and inanimate objects.  Recognize that the central theme across any definition is the person.  Love is contained within each individual to be shared as decided with outside benefactors.  It is an emotion that can be contained from a provider perspective, but the opposite is not true.  We cannot control who chooses to love us.

  Most readers of the scriptures will equate love to Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth, and they would be accurate.  But did you know that the word “Love” appears in the bible 697 times: 439 in the Old Testament and only 258 in the New Testament (only 74 of those appear in the first 4 books of the New Testament during Jesus walk on earth). Still, if I make the statement “God loves you”; it is often times seen as cliché and loses value in a superfluous world where people are seeking the physical instantiation of love. For many millions of people, it’s almost as if our Creator has become “out of sight-out of mind” in this world. Personally I find that incredibly sad.

  So what is meant when we refer to the fruit of the Spirit regarding love?  What is often times overlooked is the purity of this love from God the Father. Deep philosophical discussions have been had on this topic. I’m not going to bring closure to these debates in one 10 minute devotional, but stay with me. First, one must recognize that God is the Creator of all life. Yours, mine, your neighbor, the Jew in the Synagogue and the Muslims in lower Manhattan. Yes all life. Second, when they were created in the womb, the Holy Spirit loved them with ALL of His being. Third, God’s love cannot change. It is exactly the same today as it was 2000 years ago with a small Jewish boy in Nazareth.  Finally, God’s love for All of mankind is so incredibly deep that He was willing to look His son in the eyes; as Jesus plead to have this cup removed; and tell him “You must die my son, so they can live.”  If you are able to wrap your head around these facts, then take the next step and accept that God’s love is without bounds of time, physical characteristics, biasness or depth. Still with me?

  So what does this mean to you and me as we are growing in our Christian walk? Simply put in John 13:35- Love one another as God has loved you and all will begin to see Christ in you.  Are you up for it?  Can you love those that do not believe in Jesus?  What if in their disbelief they choose to kill Christians?  What about the person with different moral values than you, or the person who has offended you deeply?  Every one of us knows the depths that love holds within our hearts and mind, and yet as important as it is, we reserve the right to give it away to those we deem worthy.  If my actions in life were a determination on whether God loved me, I can assure you, He would not.  I am so grateful that through the loving grace of the Father, He does not withhold His love from anyone, and specifically me


PRAYER:
Lord,
  Thank You for loving us unconditionally. Thank You for the grace of the cross, and the redeeming Spirit that brings us to a place of sanctification in Your eyes. Thank You for giving us the ability to love each other through You and with Your power. What we cannot imagine of our own strength is available through You Lord and we thank You for that. Help us to forgive and to put our biasness and judgments away, to open our hearts and eyes to love Your children as You do. Be our guide and our mentor in these situations. Amen

             

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