The other morning I awoke to a scripture running thought my mind, a scripture no doubt familiar to all who may read this.
The scripture was from James ch pt 2 v13 "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."
As I meditated upon this scripture thoughts came thick and fast to me, hence this new post, however before I share some of my thoughts on this subject, I would like to commend listening to a series of radio interviews that I believe are very significant and timely for the body of Christ.
These interviews are by a significant prophetic voice in our generation and the subject matter is "the coming perfect storm" (although the interviews themselves are called God has given proven prophet). They consist of the revelation given to John Paul Jackson of five distinct and separate converging factors that are coming to create a "perfect storm" and what we can do to anticipate and to prepare for this.
The web site is streams ministries international(John Paul's website) and the interviews are conducted by Sid Roth in five parts under the media tab.
I think that you will find it fascinating and insight full.
The bible clearly states that we should believe in the Lords prophets so that we may prosper.
The Lord Jesus Christ as head of the church has never changed His mind or intent to call and gift men and women in the church to be prophets or prophetesses.
There may well be sections of the organised church that do not believe in the place, role, or validity of new testament prophets today, but that stance of unbelief cannot nullify the word of God, or alter the purpose of God in each generation. It simply means that those who disbelieve will fail to receive the good benefit that would have come from the bestowal of Gods Grace as it is imparted through the lives of those anointed as prophets.
In this day and age in which we are alive there is an urgent need to listen to and hear the word of God as if our lives depended upon it. For in reality they do.
Part of our listening to and being quick to obey the Lords word to us is to recognize and give a willing heart to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying through the prophetic ministries which he has set in the church.
Paul instructs us to not put out the Spirits fire and then immediately exhorts us not to despise prophesies. Evidently the openness which we have towards what the Holy Spirit wants to say in prophecy is very much linked with the Spirits freedom to move in our midst as he wishes. To forbid the one is to douse the other.
In Ephesians chapter 4, the ministry gifts or ascension ministry gifts as they are sometimes called are listed for us in order of their importance to the church.(this is not given in a hierarchical fashion but to reveal how these gifts were set or established in the church)
As it is not my intention to give the bulk of this blog to the discussion about this subject ,I would simply like to point out that none of these five gifts has "passed away" or been diminished in their importance, despite what different theological traditions might say.
The ministry gifts are people, people whom the risen Lord Jesus Christ has called and gifted and equipped to stand in one (or more)of these fivefold ministry offices.
They are called and supernaturally equipped with the spiritual gifting to carry out their calling so that really the anointing of God is the evidence of their gift.
When did Christ give them? From his position of Lordship as head of the church when he ascended on high.
For what purpose did he give them? For the equipping of Gods people for the instruction and edification of the church.
For how long were they to be given? Until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.
Until we all become a mature person attaining to the level of the fullness of the stature of the risen Christ.
Can you or I really claim that this has already happened because we now have the cannon of scripture given to us?
It is true that the bible is one of the greatest assets to bring us into the fulfillment of this spiritual inheritance. So also are the fivefold ministry gifts. And so also is the ministry of the Spirit of God in the earth today.
In many ways therefore we could say that our refusal to believe in some of the ministry gifts being operational today (which means that we will not believe in those who do represent those gifts to us) simply means that we are cutting ourselves off from a part of the provision that God has granted us to complete our equipping and spiritual maturity.How sad.
In regard to prophecy we are also instructed to "test all things to prove that which is good and reject that which is evil"
So manifesting the spirit of the berean church who "searched the scriptures to see if these things were so" is commendable before God.But we can only truly prove something if we believe that it exists, not if we out of hand reject it.
I said all of that to say this. These are hugely critical days in which we are living.
And one of the purposes of the true prophetic ministry is to navigate us through these times by giving insight and wisdom to us from the Word of God.
Likewise I believe that what I heard about the Mercy of God is unchanging truth but has an urgency in its application for us today because of what we are called to walk through.
If we believe that it is just business as usual in the church than we will not be able to stand and become the witnesses that the Lord intends for us to in the days that are just around the corner.
But if we prepare ourselves by listening to the prophets whom the Lord Jesus has raised up in this hour, then we shall prevail and overcome, and the power of Gods Mercy will be displayed in our lives.
The theme of the Mercy of God that I have laid upon my heart to write about is that which particularly affects our attitudes towards those who have fallen and towards the prodigals within the body of Christ.
There is a judgemental and hateful spirit which has been manifested for far to long in the church, and we must judge and discern this spirit rightly so that we can walk more maturely in the Lords love and truth.
First it is important to understand that the secular spirit or a worldly spirit has seeped into the church and been acceptable for far to long now.
What do I mean by a worldly spirit or the spirit of this world?
I mean by that a spirit that is swifter to judge that to attempt to save. A spirit that finds more energy to condemn than to reconcile and to heal. What is worse in the church is that when this attitude of accusation is allied with a so called religious principle, it becomes an impregnable wall of hardness of heart and of unbelief.
Part of the sharpening discernment which the Lord desires to give us begins I believe in our recognizing the spirit behind much of our secular media and in being able in our own lives to take a personal stand against it.
Let me explain my thoughts upon this more clearly.
There is within much of our news media reporting today an attitude which delights to expose (in a shocked self righteous guise) and will attack a persons reputation without either substantiated evidence to support the charges or a thought or concern as to the consequences to the lives of the individuals who are being scrutinized.
This negative cynical and judgemental spirit has not always been as clearly evident, indeed even the late veteran broadcaster Alister Cook once made a comment upon the changing nature of journalism which he experienced within his lifetime.
In an article which I read he stated that journalism had become far more self opinionated in a way that once would have been a liberty only reserved for a newspapers columnists. What is the significance of that?
Simply put that a lack of commitment to standards of objectivity opens the door to a lack of truthfulness in news reporting which in turn allows for the personal prejudices of the person who is reporting to be expressed without the same standards of filtering and censoring.
This move away from standards of greater objective truth has I believed opened a door for the enemy to take hold of and to express through the media much of his agenda.
Think in the UK for instance of the glaring anti Semitic news reporting that colours so much of our news bulletins from the middle east.
Anyone who takes the careful time to research the news concerning events in the middle east will easily see that our news is often reported in such a way that it is calculated to frustrate and incense the sentiments of the viewers against the Israelites( who are seen as unreasonable and lawless) in the favour of the Muslims who are seen as victims and put upon.
In many instances the exact opposite is actually the truth, and furthermore this perspective portrayed by our media skews the Lords perspective and agenda for his people the Jews, to restore to them all of the land that He swore on oath to give to them as an everlasting inheritance.The most glaringly dishonest practice however is that frequently events or actions that are being committed against Israel are simply not highlighted but hidden within a veil of silence. Why is this? Because then it would change viewers perspectives of events in the middle east, and the enemy hates both Israel and Gods purposes for that nation which are yet to be fulfilled.
That is just one example but it is important I believe for us to see that the god of this age has an agenda to speak through and to work through the media (in all its forms) because it is such a widespread and powerful tool to blind the minds of unbelievers, and to sow his tares into the minds of a whole generation who often receive the news and absorb unconsciously the standards of right and wrong portrayed in the media as if both were absolute reality.
A very good illustration of how journalistic standards of integrity have diminished(to reflect that of wider society) is an incident that was relayed to Alister Cook by one of only three people present at a private meeting between general Marshall(of the Marshall plan) a publisher and this third man.
This particular meeting took place in the early 50,s, and at a time when war memoirs from those who were strategically placed during the war, were a lucrative business. An American magazine publisher was requesting that the General publish his account of the war, firstly as a serialization in a magazine and a national newspaper and later as a book. The financial settlement for this manuscript was to be exceeding generous.To General Marshall however there was to be no question with regards to his going to print which he graciously but adamantly refused. His grounds for doing so were that his interpretation of certain key events and strategic decisions would differ from the late president, and to advertise the difference now would leave Roosevelts defence unspoken and cause unnecessary hurt to his widow. In addition he stated ,being as close as he had been to the president his account, where it differed in matters of strategic decisions could be interpreted in certain instances as grounds for unnecessary loss of life.
The publisher pleaded for two hours citing the personal testimonies that were already in print of Eisenhower, Bradley Churchill and Byrnes, not to mention the impending publication of Montgomery's memoirs."There is a yawning gap " the publisher pleaded. Finally as the meeting was coming to an end the publisher made his last offer " I am prepared to offer you," he said" one million dollars for your account after taxes, whether for two hundred thousand words or for ten thousand."
The general apparently looked faintly embarrassed, but was unmoved."But, Sir," he said to the publisher "you don't seem to understand. I am not interested in one million dollars"
For general Marshall personal commitment to values of integrity and sensitivity to the living relatives outweighed in his mind any desire for personal gain.How different is this commitment to integrity from that which we see today.
In contrast so much of the motivation behind our secular media is to sensationalize in order to sell the story and if peoples lives or reputations are destroyed in the process that's just to bad.
Remember the awful case of the abduction of Madeline McCann and the suspicion that was cast upon Robert Murat, the ex patriot who lived in Portugal and spoke fluent Portuguese. For some weeks the media swooped upon his mothers house where he had sought refuge and beamed back images of his face as the culpable suspect, however under the Portuguese law he was not allowed to represent himself or speak one word of defence.He was charged but not proven guilty. Eventually he was officially cleared and it emerged that there had not been one shred of any real evidence against him.However by then the perception in the eyes of the general public was that he was guilty by default, and to many a lingering doubt over his innocence would forever remain. He was a man whose reputation was forever destroyed. And why? Because one female journalist took a dislike to his appearance and suspected him .After all he seemed to good to be true, a man offering his services for free to interpret for the press core and to act as a liaison with the police. He must be trying to ingratiate himself into the favour of the press, and stay close to the scene of the crime to cast suspicion away from himself, it was surmised. Such was the twisted reasoning of a suspicious mind based upon nothing greater than one journalist taking an immediate dislike to the face of an innocent man.That playing into the hands of a Portuguese police force desperately grasping at straws was all it took to judge condemn and execute the innocence and reputation of one man.
We need to recognize this bias in the media for what it really is: unsanctified flesh being manipulated in the hands of the enemy to accuse and condemn. How different our stance should be in the body of Christ.
When I woke up the other morning with this verse of scripture on my mind from James I began to sense the heart of God for the prodigals and for those who stumble in the church.
Gods heart for the prodigals is far greater then you or I can ever grasp or fully conceive .In addition the Lord has a strategic purpose for restoring those who have fallen and those who have strayed as it manifestly demonstrates his great love(mercy) In addition the Lord desires to vindicate His name over the evil one, and to manifest his justice in reclaiming and restoring those whom the devourer has wounded or injured and those who have stumbled and fallen.
In the book of revelation there are two constant ministries being conducted before the Throne of God in heaven.One is the ministry of intercession as the saints on earth present bowls of incense before the face of God, crying out for those in need.
In addition there is the presence of continual accusation represented in the person of the devil who endeavours to accuse the people of God before the throne of God both day and night.
You and I have to determine in our heart attitudes which side of the line we will be found on.We cannot have a foot in both camps.
Do you realise that Peter was the first new testament prodigal who was restored? Some may wish to argue that Judas could have been if he had made the right choice, however it is my belief that his heart was never truly Christs. A prodigal is by definition someone who belongs to the Father but has turned their heart away for a season( this may sometimes be imperceptible to any but the Lord and the very discerning)Likewise there are many who have fallen in the church and lost all hope that they can ever be used in the same manner that they once were by the Lord.
The thought that they can be used to a greater measure is not a message that is commonly preached in the church.
When Peter faced the risen Lord after his denial of Christ, Jesus asked of him this searching question "Simon do you love me more than these"?
A closer inspection of the passage reveals that Jesus was not encouraging him to measure his love in greater terms than his companions.Christ was not fostering a spirit of rivalry or insecurity in his disciples.Rather he was posing the question "Do you love me more than these "?,pointing to the fish nets and the fish lying upon the beach. Jesus was saying to Peter "there is no retreat to your former way of life now. Your love for me must be greater than anything else now"
The witness of Peters life from that point on bears out the power of Christs restorative Grace. Peter did evidently love the Lord Jesus Christ more than any other earthly thing. Is that true of your life and of mine? It is easy for many in the church to pass judgement upon the prodigals whilst they are afar off in a distant land, however when they are restored, they too, like Peter will manifestly show that they love Jesus more than these. He who has been forgiven much loves much.
There are those in the church over whom the enemy of our souls has gained an advantage and it is the Lords intention to magnify and vindicate the power of His name by setting the captives free, and by restoring all that was forfeit and lost in the lives of those who have stumbled and have gone astray.God the Fathers heart burns with fiery Love for those prodigals to reconcile them back to himself and to open to them the treasures of his riches of Mercy grace and love.
Who was the one who became angry and would not be reconciled to the returning prodigal, in the parable of Jesus? It was the older brother who resented the Fathers lavish treatment upon the younger wayward son.
Similarly it is my conviction that preceeding this next move of the Spirit of God that has long been prophesied of , and as a firstfruits of the coming revival, the prodigals will stream back into the house of God with great repentance and with great joy.
Many of these will be cleansed and empowered again.
Many will quickly regain the ground that they lost and much more. Many will move in the gifts of the Spirit and in healing and signs and wonders.Many will have an intimacy with the Father that will be a wonder to behold.
We need to capture the heart beat of God for those who have fallen, remembering that we are in a spiritual battle and that those who fall do so because at some point they fell to deception temptation and to traps laid by the evil one to steal kill and destroy.
The Mercy of which I speak is not an unsanctified sentiment of tolerance that dismisses sin and consoles the rebellious. Rather the vision of Gods mercy towards the prodigals of which I speak is the determination to raise up and defend the highest standards of truth and of godliness. We need therefore to ask God to give to us His discernment to reconize who the prodigals really are.For our commitment cannot be to those whose hearts like Judas were never really the Lords to begin with.You remember that Judas was filled with remorse but their was no cry of repentance or of love for God like in Peter.
Jesus knew that satan had indeed sifted Peter and that his fall was the consequence of both that demonic assailment and of the fact that there were in Peter areas of fear that he had not discerned. However Jesus also knew that the heart of Peter loved Christ greatly and that once Christ held a mirror up to him and enabled him to reaffirm his love for Christ he would never look back.
There are those in the church who I am sorry to say are insincere. Likewise there are those whom we may know who seemed to follow Christ for a season whose hearts were never really his to begin with.Their service of God was all in their minds.
However there are those who have fallen or messed up or stumbled and they know that they have failed Christ. Like Peter they feel unworthy and disqualified for future service, and wonder if there is any way back. Many of them have left the church, but some are still in the church, however in their hearts they feel in that "far distant land"
I believe that in these days God is going to reignite the flames of their first love for Him ,and to use them to a greater measure of His Glory.
Why do I believe that the Lord will use them to a greater degree then before?
Because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Many of those who shall be restored will return with far less self reliance and with a greater measure of awareness of their potential weaknesses, thus leaning upon the Grace of God more ardently.
As we celebrate the Lords great and bountiful Mercy I thought of the characteristics that reveal this within our own lives.
Firstly if we celebrate this mercy we are swift to forgive. Secondly we are quick and ready to overlook faults (some misguided souls see it as their lifes mission to find and magnify the faults in others, but always deeply resent others doing the same to them)Thirdly we shall be quick to forget a wrong done, for love keeps no inventory of past wrongs.
With regard to this last point I have always found it helpful to meditate upon Isa 43 25 which says "I even I am He that blots out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sins" Sins that are forgiven are blotted out and erased from Gods mind (if we try to remind him He would not remember them) so sins that we have forgiven others of, or sins of our own for which we have been forgiven we too must train our thought processes to "remember no more"
Fourthly and lastly our celebration of the mercy of God is demonstrated in our willingness to pray for the restoration of those who have fallen,believing that the truth of God will break the current deception over their lives, and that the call of God and destiny of God shall be accomplished. To believe in short that mercy shall triumph over judgement.
As a footnote to close with I was struck a while ago by a simple phrase which I read in a book by E.W Kenyon in which he talks about this agape love of God that is now dwelling in us and gaining expression through us. "Love", he says,"never repeats scandal. It covers with silence the mistakes and the failings of others"
May this be our position as we pray for the prodigals to return.
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