Archive for the ‘Mercy’ Category

Day 362: Genesis 1–Revelation 21 — The Long Journey Home

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

I do not remember a lot of the things preachers have said throughout my childhood, but I do remember one from brother Ken Hoover who ministered at the Southwest church of Christ in Phoenix when I was in Jr. High. He preached a series of sermons taking one book of the Bible at a time and he would start out with the theme of the book which was always “The glory of God and the salvation of mankind through his Son Jesus Christ.” The message is the same throughout. It’s a message of repentance, forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace. There’s some wrath and punishment thrown in there when necessary, but that is not the goal.

My family (12 of us on my wife’s side) have just returned from a 2 day trip to visit my sister-in-law and her 1 year old son at the rehab facility where they currently reside. She has had many struggles and taken many wrong paths, but we can finally see her starting to take responsibility for them and seeking God and family to help her change her heart and her actions. We have prayed and solicited prayers for her over the years and we finally begin to see the fruit of God’s working in her. She has a long way to go, but God is good and willing to forgive. May we all be as merciful as He is. Our visit was such a joy to all of us and we hope she will be encouraged to continue on her path.

When I read today’s passage in Zechariah 1, it really struck a chord:

“The LORD was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?
“Then they repented and said, ‘The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

This passage could come from any of the prophets or really anywhere in the Bible as this is the message throughout, which is why I titled the blog post Genesis 1 – Revelation 21. As fellow blogger Powell would say “Read the whole thing. It’s good for you.”

The message of forgiveness is to each one of us, as “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. As we close out this year and start a new, may we remember the message: that God loved me so much that he sent His Son to live and die for me so that I might be with him in this life and the one to come.

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Posted in Forgiveness, Grace, Love, Mercy, Repentance, Salvation | 1 Comment »

Day 358: Micah 2-6 — Regaining Focus

Friday, December 24th, 2010

I often get overwhelmed by swarms of details. Thinking of all the little things that need to be done will paralyze me with fear so that I end up not doing anything. Or I might feel that if there is a single part of the task that I am unable or unwilling to do, I might as well not do any of it. But if/when I am able to focus on the purpose of the task I can be motivated to push on to the goal. I often wonder if this misunderstanding and lack of focus is similar to what Israel faced throughout its history. Were they overwhelmed by the seeming complexity or specificity of the Law of Moses? Where there too many things to keep track of and to fall short of so they just gave up?

In the today’s reading in Micah 2-6, we again see the results of the many failings of God’s people. They had fallen so far and I’m certain had a hard time seeing their way back go God. But as we read in Micah the situation is simpler than what we believe. All the laws and ceremonies, do’s and don’ts, sacrifices and rituals are summed up in these few verses:

With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8)

Wow! That’s only 3 things. I can handle 3 things. When we focus on the heart of the matter, what is really important and what God really desires, we may be spurred on to all the details of living rightly with God. But if our focus is off, no amount of rule keeping or sacrifice will bring us close to Him.

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Day 355: Amos 3-6; Revelation 9 — By the Light of the Slivery Moon

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Right now as I write this it is 1:30 AM on the winter solstice and I have awoken to partake in the viewing of the lunar eclipse. Unfortunately it is very cloudy and there are only brief glimpses of the slivery moon. Mildly disappointing. Like someone promised me a grand event and didn’t follow through (at least not with the grand part).

Fortunately God is not like that. He always follows through. Today’s reading in Amos 3-6 is replete with messages from God listing out the warnings and chances he has given Israel to repent. And since they have chosen not to follow him but rather the ways of the nations around him, he will soon destroy them utterly.

Yet just like the small break in the clouds for me tonight, there is a glimmer of hope as there is with every message from the Lord “Seek the LORD and live” (Amos 5:6). God never warns us just to let us know what is coming. He always gives the opportunity to repent and be made right with him.

If we choose not to repent, our fate will be the same as those in Revelation 9. If we do repent, well, you’ll have to read the rest of Revelation to find out how that turns out.

For now, I’m going to head outside one more time and hope for a break in the clouds and then back to bed with the sane people.

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Posted in Amos, Grace, Judgment, Mercy, Redemption, Repentance, Revelation | 2 Comments »

Day 348: Daniel 9 — For Great Mercy

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

In Daniel 9 we read the fervent prayer of Daniel lamenting the sins of Israel. It’s not a finger pointing. In fact he uses the first person plural throughout. Lots of “we”. He includes himself in it all even though he was likely very young when all of it was going on. At no point does he shirk the responsibility or blame anyone else. He bears the full brunt of the shame and punishment for the nation he loves. Quite a different picture from what we would expect, a distinct contrast to the Pharisee that Jesus mentioned who was so thankful to not be as sinful the tax collector just around the corner.

Later, in his prayer for mercy he once again assumes a posture of humility. As he pleads for forgiveness, it is not because he or Israel deserves mercy but because God is righteous. “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.” And it is for God’s own sake, not his own that Daniel asks for mercy.

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Posted in Blame, Daniel, Forgiveness, Mercy, Repentance, Sin | Comments Off

Day 331: James 2:12-13 — Judgment or mercy?

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

“Do you want God’s judgment or His mercy?” I’ve heard that question many times before — generally in a Bible class, or perhaps a sermon. If there’s a spoken answer, normally it’s not immediate. People sometimes have to think about that one.

Mercy. Why would I need that? I’m basically a pretty good person. Mercy? Sure, a thief or a murderer, or maybe a tax cheat might hope for mercy, but I’m none of those.

Judgment. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Finally all these so-and-sos I see every day will get what’s coming to them. Why would I worry about judgment? Like I said, I’m one of the good guys.

The truth is, we all deserve judgment (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23), not just the sexually immoral, idolaters, haters, drunks, and the others Paul lists in Galatians 5:19-21. We all deserve judgment, but all who live for Christ (and live in Him — Ephesians 2:13, Colossians 2:6) will receive mercy as well. James makes a pretty good point though, with this warning:

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12-13)

So just as Jesus warned that we will be forgiven with the same degree with which we show forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15), we will also me shown mercy in proportion to how we show mercy.

And that realization causes me to strive for more compassion, more tolerance, more understanding in how I deal with others.

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Day 313: Jeremiah 31:1-32:15, 2 Timothy 4:9-Titus 1:5 — Real Estate

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

It’s interesting some of the object lessons that God uses to get his points across. We find one here in Jeremiah 32 involving a real estate transaction. With the recent economic woes in our country over the last 2 years centered around the housing market, many people are panicking that their homes will never sell or be worth what they once were. Many economic forecasters are optimistic and many are pessimistic about a recovery. Whatever the case, no one really knows what will happen till it happens. It seems that the war torn nation of Israel has suffered a similar dip in their real estate market. The king was mad at Jeremiah for being so negative about their outlook. So Jeremiah tells him a story. God had Jeremiah invest in a field as a demonstration of the recovery that would one day come. He didn’t say when and hinted that it might be a long way off, but it would come.

For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land. (Jeremiah 32:15)

Jeremiah 31 is all about God restoring Israel and no longer punishing the whole nation for the sins of some (or many). Each person would be responsible for their own sins. It’s a message of forgiveness and mercy and a message of hope for those who have remained faithful against great trials and opposition.

Paul also practices a bit of forgiveness and mercy in 2 Timothy 4:9-18. First he has forgiven Mark for his past desertion. And to the metalworker who did him harm he urged forgiveness (tempered with caution at further interactions). He left judgment and punishment up to the Lord.

May we have the hope of forgiveness for our many transgressions and the kindness to forgive others and show mercy when they sin against us.

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Day 227: Psalm 18 — Do you “racham” God?

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Psalm 18:1 begins with the word רָחַם [racham /raw·kham/]. It is often translated as “mercy,” “compassion,” “love,” “merciful,” etc. It relates to loving deeply or having deep compassion or tender affection. I have struggled all my life with these three English words, “I Love You!” Growing up, we did not use the words. It wasn’t until I got married that I learned how to show love and receive it. Now, I have a granddaughter and when she enters the room, she hears from me these three words, “I Love You!”

I wonder how often we tell God these three words? Do you love God? Psalm 18 is a Royal Psalm attributed to the king. The Psalmist writes that he was in trouble and called out to the Lord. The Lord answered and came down and took care of the enemies. The king loved God!

As we wake up this morning and kiss our spouses and say, “I Love You!” Take a moment and look upstairs and remember to tell God of your love. Today is the Lord’s Day and we will gather around the world to tell God we love Him by gathering to praise, worship, sing, hear His Word, pray, fellowship, and participate in the Body by proclaiming Jesus’ death (our salvation) until He comes again.

“God, I Love You!”

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Day 191: Acts 7:42-8:3 — Choices & forgiveness

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

And Saul was there, giving approval to his death…But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Acts 8:1, 3

Those are, I think, some pretty sad verses. Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story, because we know very well of Paul’s life & ministry, and we’ve read his letters. We also know that when Paul was doing these horrible things, he believed them to be the work of God, so he slept very well, having a clean conscience (Acts 22:3-5; Acts 23:1).

Do you believe Saul/Paul was forgiven for persecuting the Church? Of course you do. I do too, and so did he (Romans 8:1). Can you imagine Paul writing to the church at Corinth, telling them “I beat my body daily because the sins of my past are too great for me to bear”? I can’t imagine that at all. No, Paul was very convinced of God’s forgiveness, offered to Paul through His grace, bought with the blood of Jesus.

We have been offered that same grace, yet we hear people today say things like, “I know God has forgiven me, but I just have a hard time forgiving myself”, as they hang their head in shame. Consider this — if someone sinned against you and he repented, wouldn’t God forgive him? Wouldn’t you forgive him? Then what right do you have to not extend the same forgiveness to yourself that God has already given? To refuse to forgive oneself is to reject the forgiveness God has given us through Jesus, and we do not have that right.

Paul made some pretty terrible choices, as have all of us, but what part of “no condemnation” doesn’t cover that? Friends, we should thank God each day that we don’t have to live lives of despair and regret. We cannot change anything done in the past; we can only accept God’s mercy and move on to the future. That’s exactly what murderer, persecutor, and sinner Saul of Tarsus did.

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Posted in Acts, Free Will, Grace, Mercy | 4 Comments »

Day 30: Matthew 18:21-35 — Do the math

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Any parent understands the concept of a child breaking the rules 7 times. I suggest any parent also understands the concept of a child breaking the rules 490 times. We love our children, we forgive, we go on.

21Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22

Not only is forgiveness a little tougher when the child is not my own, but it’s even tougher when it’s not a child at all. When it’s an adult who knows better and wallows in the pig sty anyway, it’s much harder to forgive. Scripture doesn’t say, but Peter’s mouth must’ve gaped when Jesus said to forgive “not…seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Some people have trouble distinguishing grace and mercy. (Grace is giving someone something good when he doesn’t deserve it. Mercy is not giving someone something bad when he does deserve it.) Jesus gave two great examples of mercy — one applied and one denied. One slave was forgiven a debt of over a million dollars, but he wouldn’t forgive his fellow slave a debt of a few dollars, at which point slave 1 was thrown into jail to be tortured forever.

Jesus says this is how we will be forgiven — if we show mercy, we will be shown mercy. Sound familiar? (Matthew 6:14-15)

For some people, the most difficult forgiveness to give is to forgive themselves. One possibility is that they don’t feel truly forgiven by God. Has God promised to forgive and cleanse you with the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7)? God has kept His promise; if you are His child, you are forgiven.

Question:

Can you identify with someone who can’t forgive himself? Do you think this is an implied rejection of the forgiveness God has already given?

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Posted in Forgiveness, Matthew, Mercy | 2 Comments »