Saved from Ourselves

On August 20, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 107: 17-22

Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all kinds of food; and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.

Just as Proverb 1: 18 teaches, those who plot and scheme and are full of rebellion, lay traps for themselves and bring about their own sufferings. Then when they are weighed down by the misery and torment they have caused themselves, they cry out to the Lord for deliverance. They do not deserve God’s lovingkindness and gentleness towards them. They are only reaping the fruit of the very seed they intentionally and willingly sowed. When the crop they planted comes in, they cry to God for his mercy and deliverance.

Thank God He is so full of grace and mercy and that He is first and foremost love. Because of who he is, He saves us out of the quagmire we have wrought for ourselves. Our part then should be to sing His praises. He has saved us from ourselves. Sing praises to the Lord. Tell of His great works. Don’t let the miracles he has performed in your life be your secret. Offer Him sacrifices of Thanksgiving by praising Him; telling him how appreciative and grateful you are and tell others how great is our God.

Back to Top

Sit Down with Mercy

On June 11, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 3: 25                 (God’s Word Translation)

God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God’s approval is given through faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past.

 There is a new mercy seat and his name is Jesus. In the Old Testament we read about the mercy seat which was the top of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark held, among other things, the tablets of law which were given to Moses. God in His great love and compassion for His people covered the law with the Mercy Seat. Now He has done it a second time in the person and sacrifice of Jesus.

 We are seated in the heavens with Jesus (Ephesians 2: 6). That is what it means to abide in Christ. We are in Him and He is in us. We abide together. We are again covered by mercy. God has given us His approval because of our faith in the victory of Jesus’ shed blood. It does require our confidence in Jesus’ victory however, but once we have faith in the blood of the perfect lamb then we are seated with him in the mercy seat. No longer does our sin condemn us. God withheld judgment until He could get the perfect sacrifice into place. Now the blood of Jesus speaks for us and completely washes away our sin. God has covered us with His overflowing mercy.

Order your personal theology so that you do not perceive yourself as a sinner but rather as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5: 21). We are saved by grace. When we embrace the truth of our righteousness in Jesus we will not be drawn to sin. We are humbled by his magnanimity and though we may make mistakes we sure don’t seek out sin. Righteousness makes you righteous. Sit down in mercy and arise in His righteousness.

Back to Top

Land of Contempt

On May 6, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 9: 1

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

There has been a great reconciliation going on since the time of Jesus. God has always had it in His heart that ALL peoples should be welcomed into the family, even the Gentiles. When Jesus was eight days old he was taken to the temple in Jerusalem and a devout man named Simeon took Jesus into his arms and under the anointing of the Holy Spirit proclaimed that he was “A light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel” (Luke 2: 32). Jesus even came from a Gentile land as we see above. 

Though certain lands appear to be cursed and the lands of undesirable people God has a plan for reconciliation. People often divide the world into “we” and “they” but God loves everyone. He sees everyone as a child of His. Some children do not honor their parents and run off in defiance but God loves one and all. 

We too once were errant children but many of us were fortunate to live in a land blessed by God, a land known by God and where God is known. But even as Jesus came from the other side of Jordan so will many others and they will find the grace of God awaiting them. There is no one too far gone that God cannot save. His hand is not too short to reach into lands treated with contempt and bring out children. Let us pray for the Lord of the Harvest to touch and save our friends, family and others who are figuratively living across the Jordan. Let us also pray for those lands which are estranged from God that they may find truth, love and mercy. There is darkness but the light is much greater.

Back to Top

Throne of Grace

On April 14, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 4: 16

Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

Did you know that God’s throne is called the throne of grace? That’s right. He sits in grace. But what about the throne of judgment; where is that? Well, I don’t know. I searched the Bible and it turns out its not there. Curious! We have heard about the judgment seat and the throne of judgment for so long that most of us expect it to be real but it turns out that it is just the figment of religion. It is a good device, like the boogey man, to get us to do what religious minds thinks we ought. You know, “Be good or you will fare poorly when you face the throne of judgment. How interesting, though, that God says come before me where I sit on the throne of grace dispensing, well, grace. He isn’t dispensing judgment; He is giving away grace. 

In the Old Testament God had an ark made which was kept in the Holy of Holies and that is where He would meet mankind. The seat of the ark, God called the Mercy seat. It is there in the place of mercy that God chose to meet with people. And what do you suppose is dispensed from the seat of mercy? Yes, mercy. People have this crazy notion of God being an angry, vengeful, judgment dealing God but that is stuff and non-sense. Others believe He is a benevolent God now but maintain that He was mean in the Old Testament. Well, then why did He name His seat, His throne “Mercy”? He chose where He would meet humans and He chose to meet them over mercy.

That is pretty good, but it wasn’t good enough. You see, He had to be the dispenser of mercy because there was no other answer for the sin of man. Aahhh, but we have a new covenant made on better promises by a better mediator (Hebrew 8: 6). So God was able to get a new throne. Hallelujah! He now sits in grace, on the throne of grace, dispensing grace. 

This is where God always wanted to be and thanks to Jesus He is the King of Grace, the God of Grace. Grace, the calling card of our dear Father, is your birthright vis- a-vis the new birth. God invites us into His throne room to receive grace, mercy and help, not judgment. 

Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It cannot be earned but rather is a gift from a loving father. It is the power for things to simply go well for you. It is the invitation for you to hang out with God. Because of grace, because of God’s favor upon you, where once you were an orphan and an outcast, now you abide in the actual presence of the Almighty free from stain or blemish. You are the perfect, redeemed, restored child of the Most High. Grace does all this for you and more. Unmerited favor, mercy, help in time of need, these are all yours through the blood of Christ. They are all pouring out from the Throne of Grace where your beloved is seated.

Get a new image of your father today, the father of grace. Let the idea of grace fill you. Our father has promoted us from mercy to grace and mercy was pretty good. You have been invited into the throne room. Go with the confidence that your father is awaiting you with a smile. But don’t look for the throne of judgment. You won’t find it in Dad’s throne room.

Back to Top

God’s Plan for Mercy

On March 21, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Exodus 25: 17, 22

And you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. And there I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim.


God directed Moses to make an ark which was a box about 3 ¾ feet long by 2 ¼ feet wide. Within the ark God had Moses place the tablets upon which the law was written along with some manna and Aaron’s staff. A top was made for the ark. That lid is called the mercy seat or some translations call it the atonement cover. Both names convey God’s intent to show His people mercy.

Many people think that the God of the Old Testament was a vengeful, angry God but look at His kind, tender mercy here. He covered the law with the mercy seat. Not only that but also bear in mind that God told Moses that they would meet above the mercy seat between the two cherubim. God didn’t tell Moses to take out the tablets of the law and hold them up in order to meet with Him. No, He, instead, showed Moses a picture of the grace He longed to shower on His people.

Whenever you read the Old Testament you should constantly tell yourself that you are under a much better covenant enacted on much better promises (Hebrews 8: 6) and sealed in the blood and testimony of the Messiah Himself. Nonetheless, how can one not be blessed by seeing that even in the Old Testament, even in the desert when the Israelites were sorely trying His patience He covered the law with mercy? And whenever He met with Moses they were both constantly put in remembrance of His great mercy. God put mercy above the law. He never wanted to give His people law or a king other than Jesus but we have proved to be a rebellious and stubborn species. God’s great love has consistently been poured out upon us anyway.

God’s hands always were full of love, charity and mercy and are so even to this day. The law will always lead to bondage but the love of God always brings deliverance. There is no chain on you that the mercy of love cannot break. Receive His mercy today and know that He loves you.

Back to Top