Mercy

A Merciful Perspective

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 ESV

The Civil War was a long long time ago. In our efforts to right the wrongs of present day racial injustice it is unhelpful to drag out the history books of events that ended more than one and a half centuries ago. It was a terrible and ugly war consuming the lives of at least 400,00 troops just on the Union side not the least of whom was our President Abraham Lincoln.

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My own Great-great Grandfather; Captain Charles Curie fought with a regiment from Brooklyn and returned weak and near death from dysentery. But no historical facts make me any better or worse than anyone else. What counts is my own heart. The only thing powerful enough to transform hearts like mine is the mercy and grace of God. So when we feel impelled to go out and demand change in the world, then we must start with a cry for mercy. God will get the judging part right in the end. Jesus calls us to mercy, and it is only His mercy that can change our world today.

Whatever Happened to Mercy?

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy Matthew 5:7

Whatever happened to mercy in our political arena and in our community? Where is forgiveness clearly messaged towards people who don’t agree with us, live up to our standards or fit in with our tight knit circle? When we are anxious to pick up stones to throw at people we might want to be careful of whom we hit. The person who is today’s vicious opponent may one day become a missionary like Paul. The liar we contend with at work could one day become a pillar of our church like Peter. Skeptics who question all we believe in could one day be like Thomas who traveled all the way to India bringing the message of the gospel!

Looking at racism, looting, and violence it is easy to begin to feel that some of those people really don’t deserve mercy. But that misses the point. Mercy cannot be deserved! Mercy is the attitude that reflects the undeserved second chance that God has given to anyone who comes to Him. Mercy is the action that says there is always hope for someone else’s life. Especially for we who call ourselves Christians, mercy should always be our first response rather than our last resort. Jesus teaches us that mercy unlocks God’s blessing. There is still hope for God’s blessing on our community because of mercy. No one is too far away for God to reach. God’s mercy can reach every hard angry and rebellious heart … even our own!

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New Sunrise – New Mercy

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Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning Lamentations 3:22

Did you ever stop to think that while the sun sets on this side of the earth it is rising on the other? At the same time that the sun is setting on one day it is is about to dawn on another. In the midst of this current world wide pandemic or in the middle of a personal crisis we may find ourselves at a dead end, but God does not. He never runs out of new ideas a new sunrise or new mercy.  One of the greatest promises in the Bible is God’s mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s mercies are always new and have not altered over time. They have no expiration date! God isn’t worn out from trying to get His mission accomplished and He never changes.  So even if it feels as if the sun is setting on all your hopes and dreams; God’s mercies are ever new and His new mercy is promised on your horizon. 

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