God is a God of love, mercy and compassion. All through the scriptures you can find this. He isn’t the mask of an angry faced God. He’s love. He’s not standing with folded arms taking pleasure in the suffering of all who reject Him- He’s compassionate. He’s not doing all that He can to pour out judgment, justice, and wrath and all wrong doings- He’s Merciful.
(Oh- How He Loves Us- Oh)
No, He’s not a cute little gummy bear. Rather, He is still Holy Thrice. He hates all sin. And I am yet to think of just one sin that isn’t tied to a violation of love. (To me now the word sin means simply- violating love since God is Love and Light is Love.) Can’t think of one. There’s loving first Your Maker/God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind— that’s the first Commandment which we have all broken. Then there’s loving your neighbor, family, friends, and now- even our enemies. e.g. “Father forgive them they know not what they do.” Can you think of just one sin that doesn’t violate Love/Compassion/Mercy? Theft- hey, that’s taking from your neighbor. Living by the gun and dying by the gun– hey, that’s taking the life of someone’s son or daughter, brother or sister, relative or friend. Losing your temper over something stupid—that’s hurting someone not building them up. On and on and on—you see—when the Bible says, “God is Love”– as a Triune God that includes love for Himself and others. (Do You or I want to stay the same? When it’s all said and done….)
Matthew 12:7 The Lord Jesus
“If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.”
(I remember the movie “Schindler’s List” where the Nazi is told that true power was in showing Mercy… hmmmmm— picturesque.)
People, religious folk– some in Jesus time– had forgotten all about Mercy. They got so tied up in the “do” rather than the “You” (Compassionate Father- wanting Intimacy with Him like a deer panting for the waters) that they completely missed the mark. Religion got to the point where it beat people up rather than built up. This makes God sick to His stomach. In this verse the weak, helpless, and innocent are simply stomped on.
Also, how does a society get to a place where the innocent are Simply/Easily — without impedance– stomped on? How I ask? Just how does it get to be that? I hear of this person owing $30,000 in a drug deal and then a life is on the line for not paying. Parents cough up the dough and the life is saved–SIK. Which in Jesus’ eyes is worth more the coke or the life? Which I ask? ( I know– when I was a young guy I said and did stupid things– words like, “Yeah, I worship the devil.” flowed from the lips of my generation foolishly. But, hey– never thought of taking a life over any amount of anything.) I see on the news young people taking pleasure in kicking a street person to death. How did we get so far away from the shore of Mercy, Love, Compassion, and Kindness??? How can that be fun, pleasing , or entertainment? I’ve seen cars smashed, entered, and cleaned-out and heard of it– is that loving, kind, compassionate, or merciful? My Aunt– dying of cancer in her forties had this happen– think! What did you do in Red Deer to a person sick with cancer? (Hey, I’m not speaking down to anyone here. I have sucked at times too.) And His eyes see it all and do you think for a moment that All things haven’t been judged already? Yes– they have by a God of Love. Imagine putting such things at the back-drop of love and then calling out a judgment. You see– people– all people have been judged and Jesus took the severe penalty. The Psalmist says that if God held all our wrong-doing (mine included) against us who could stand? Nobody.
Now, we’re either on one side of the cross looking at Jesus’ judgment as our own– Him taking the blow for us that we deserve- or on the other side “manning up” as it were to mockingly stand before a Loving God to take the blows of His anger against violating love. My friend, God knows how to undo every thread of your manly or tough womanly exterior so that when you stand before Him it you’ll simply be powerless to hold that “toughness” together before Him. It won’t be possible. Jesus says that those on the wrong side of the cross will weep at The Judgment. Sound like something a gang member would do? God will undo such- every thread to weeping and begging and sorrow. Sound like something “The boss” will do (weep, beg, and have sorry)– God will loosen all threads of willful “tough exteriors” against the back-drop of what the loving thing was to do with their lives. (Hey, again– I’m not talking down to anyone here.)
James 2:13
“Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
You see folk– on the right side of the cross of Christ you enter into experiencing His mercy. It says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” One must experience this or that– love or mercy– before one can truly dispense it to others. Dispensing it to the point where when Jesus “judges/examines” even those who embraced the truth— He’ll see they dispensed Mercy because they caught the virus of the Cross-His Cross– it was infectious and spread to others– Love/Mercy.
2 Corinthians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
I wonder sometimes as I coffee with believers where the core, the central values fall. I wonder about me sometimes. When I first open a door, first sit on a chair, first open my mouth is the driving force inside of me Agape (Greek– Biblically– the highest most noble love) and Mercy and Compassion? Basically Psalm 36:9 says, “For with You Oh God is The Fountain of Life. In Your Light we see light.” (My Chains Are Gone!) He’s the beginning and end of any good that comes out of me. In His Spirit’s presence, working, grace–I’m standing in God’s Light and I then can see light.” You see folk– “What God is like our God?” (The Bible) Is it too late to come to Him even now– to Jesus– No one billion times over! (Mighty to Save- begins with the words– Everyone needs compassion…)
Matthew 9:36 About the Lord Jesus
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 14:14 About the Lord Jesus
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 20:34 About the Lord Jesus
Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Mark 1:41 About the Lord Jesus
Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
Mark 6:34 About the Lord Jesus
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
Luke 15:20 About the Lord Jesus
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (A story of a son who grabbed all his inheritance, ditched his dad’s farm and his brother, went off to Par-Tay (modern day terms/song)–ended up going pretty much against every loving principle of his father and ended up broke– went back and…..)
Ephesians 4:32 About the Body and Bride of Jesus Christ
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (What a cool God hey?)
Get the point yet? (You Are The God Of This City! I Witness That Oh God Every Day!) Paul speaks of a people having a zeal without knowledge in one place as being bad since this was a zeal not for Jesus and was Merciless. If my foot isn’t prefaced with Love— I’ve missed Jesus’ whole life, ministry and work. I’ve missed it all. If my zeal for love, mercy and compassion makes me unmerciful, unloving and uncompassionate towards people who are religious (without such qualities) and people who are not (without such qualities)– I’ve missed the point.
How then can we be compassionate? First one must be born from above as the writer of John chapter 1 says– we must be born from above– and as many as received Him– Jesus Christ– to them God gave the power to become the sons and daughters of God. Then we soak, soak, and soak ourselves in Jesus— with this driving Motto behind us— “I want to be intimate with Jesus”– “I want to take His yoke/tying Himself to me to be the leader/teacher to learn of Him.” Stretching with every limb because He first loved us– “I want to know Him”–pants Paul with a deep thirst and hunger for more of Jesus. Yes, this soaking is in the Word of God, but, it’s for the sake of knowing the Living Word and by the Living Spirit of God– it’s not just left at Bible knowledge. Never. Never was it meant to be a PHD in Jesus-ology. Rather, it was meant to be and end with people taking note that we have truly spent time with Jesus. (And Enoch walked with God for 300 years.)
As I said before we are Jesus’ Lego Set (Modern term- or Potter and Clay)– He’ll take us apart and put us back together again and again and again until we are truly a loving, gentle, kind, gracious, forgiving, …………….. people. As:
“Faith works through Love” (Make Me a Prayer! Awesome Song.) (People getting healed- that was faith working through love! That’s what all “ministry/ministries” are supposed to be.) – note the healings of Jesus. Really- that was faith working through Love- His heart filled with Love which at the cross was broken by Love.(Song With China Clips– knowing this– His heart was broken for every tongue, tribe, and nation– Really)
Jesus loved first– always. There’s no healing in the Bible without love behind it in any of the verses I quote or any of the verses I didn’t quote. True healing inside and out begins with Love. Our hand must extend an invitation card of Love. It just simply must– to every sort. Every.Francis Schaeffer (Me thinx in the book The Tapestry) is recorded as having gone to his barn to “collapse” to some degree in on Christianity for the sake of either going the way of truth or the way of truth- antynomy. For, he had always told his students that if it’s not true– then it’s not worth your time. In the barn he was going over his many experiences with Christian leaders and was troubled—so troubled—at the lack of Love which he saw in the Christian “Name-Sakes”. To Him at this moment- how could this Christianity be true without authentic love among the “leaders.” Well, he got past that question as the Holy Spirit ministered to Him in that barn. And– became a more loving person himself. We too may end up in our “hypothetical” lonely place asking the questions about our leadership, our church, people who are supposed to “support us” or “those who are spiritual” not acting in a gracious manner towards us… we may find ourselves becoming more and more the initiators rather than the recipients of compassion, love, mercy, and kindness- because we discover others are not (Or as God blesses discover that some really are and so want to be like them.) Really.
Father God, when I first open a door, first open my mouth, first open my eyes, first open my ears, first sit on a chair or first stand up—let each “first” be prefaced with compassion. Father, as Jesus was crucified– as Love was crucified– they said, “Where now is His God?” Father, the world looks upon and asks the same question. Those who hate You and those who hate us and those who hate me (Or Not) ask, “Where then is His God?” Father, You let the whole world know You are the God who is Here and Is not Silent when You raised Your Son from the dead, gave Him a name above every name, and Highly exalted Him to the Highest. There You are Father God! They just couldn’t see. There You are– God of Love. Dispensing justice for sin upon Jesus’ and dispensing justice by raising Him from the dead. Father, grant me to be careful with my life. Grant me protection from Jackals– so that I may preach The Kingdom– Jesus’ Kingdom by how I live my life and what I say. Father, if this is being read by someone who doesn’t know You I pray Lord You would wrap around such a one with Your presence. I pray that You would penetrate that one’s heart and soften it. I pray that such a one would experience all Your Mercy, Forgiveness, and Compassion at the Cross where Jesus died for them. In His name I pray– AMEN. (Though Me thinx Jesus didn’t look like the clip with blue eyes–the clip makes my point– Merciful Savior)
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