I want to welcome you to our Month of Mercy. My prayer is that mercy shall speak for you in an unusual way and smile on you. The God who for mercy's sake delivered Lot and his family from impending inferno in Sodom and Gomorrah will out of mercy, pull you out from current or impending danger. The God who had mercy on blind Bartimaeus and took away blindness, misery and frustration from his life will deal with the overwhelming challenges of your life this month in Jesus name. The mercy of God will take you to where your struggles and education cannot take you. Where you have been forgotten and forsaken, mercy will locate you and project you to your promised land. Mercy will deliver you from barrenness, fruitlessness, hardship, limitation and stagnation in this season of your mercy. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Rom 9;16. God will show mercy to you in that nation where you are located and bring a turnaround for you. Listen to me, the Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, "Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger. And filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin." Ex 34:6-7a. God who announces himself as the God of mercy and compassion, and out of mercy picked Moses cleansed him of sins, (murder charge) to lead his people, will locate you .Through what Jesus did for you on the cross choose to affect this generation for good in the name of Jesus.God who out of mercy anointed David as King over Israel and rejected his seven brothers will also single you out from among the people and elevate you in this month in the name of Jesus. When mercy shows up your divine helper will locate you.
What is mercy?
The word mercy is from the Greek word eleos, it has many meanings and synonyms (like the Yoruba language can use one word for many things, e.g 'lo'- means go, twist, grind) mercy, favour and grace and compassion. Mercy is being kind and forgiving. Mercy means compassion which makes you help the poor, the sick and the needy. Mercy fights for you when you are weak. Mercy is not a licence for committing sin but empowerment to overcome sin. Mercy is getting what you do not deserve. Mercy is Jesus taking your place on the cross, atoning for your sins and becoming a propriation for your sins. Mercy offers you pardon from your sins. Mercy is a gift given to the guilty. Mercy triumphs over judgement for you. That is why when someone has been convicted, he will plead for mercy and in some cases they are granted mercy. Mercy does not deny the penalty and punishment for misconduct but over rides judgment. You will have mercy this month. Mercy can be given and be received. Mercy is a double edge sword "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."Matt 5:7 Mercy is a seed you sow for a bountiful harvest. Mercy is not a right, mercy is a privilege that God dispenses in his sovereignty. God's throne is God's throne of mercy.
Mercy and her companions.
Mercy in scripture most times does not stand alone, it usually has companions. It is like the popular story of love, wealth and success. When you choose love, success and wealth follow you, but if you choose success or wealth alone out of the three you only get the one you choose one. When you experience mercy, goodness, truth, righteousness and others usually follow. For example "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." Psalm 23:6 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies Psalm 25:10. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy James 3:7 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you Hosea 10:12. This month mercy and her companion shall make your home, your marriage, your life and business their place of abode.
When do you need mercy?
I will say always but more specifically when you are experiencing challenges. For instance when your victory is not complete, always failure at the point of success. When mockers surround you. When unbelievers are asking "where is your God? When Satanic forces are against you and waiting for your downfall. When witches and wizards and their cohorts have made you their project and make your life miserable. I watched a video clip recently. The man of God was praying that there is a lady that has been in labour to deliver a baby for over 5 days that the mother was present in that service that the lady will deliver by 6am and it was about 5.45 am. When a lady came out she said she was the mother of the lady in labour. The man of God said you are the one who has not allowed your daughter to deliver. That he will pray on a bottle of water and sprinkle it on her and she will be mad for 21 years if she failed to confess before the count of one to three. To the consternation of all parishioners this woman unwrapped herself and brought out a red handkerchief with a locked padlock. The Man of God took it and opened the padlock! Only God's mercy revealed that evil plot against that lady from her mother!
You need mercy when others are following evil patterns and you don't want to follow them and you become their target for destruction. You need mercy when the enemy has sucked you dry and you are a shadow of yourself spiritually, physically and financially. When you have taken the same examination more than five times and you are the one teaching those that are passing and you are always failing. When you and your husband have sound reproductive organs and over ten years you are still trusting God for children and when like the woman with the issue of blood you are experiencing a stubborn sickness, that has defied all big ministers in town laying hands on you and nothing happening. Several years ago I went from Toronto to Calgary in Alberta Province and a couple was brought to me to pray for because they were trusting God for children. Then the lady said, "Pastor Dada, I just want you to know that all the big Pastors in Nigeria (she mentioned their names) have prayed for us but nothing happened" I said "all you need then is God's mercy." When you have unusual debt, unexplainable debt. When you have cause to weep every day. When ordinarily what you qualify for is always eluding you. When all you see is wretchedness, miserableness, stagnation and frustration and when you have offended who you should not offend like David offending God. Have you noticed how many times Mercy occurs in the Psalms? When you are wrongly put in jail you need mercy. When you are above the marriageable age and no one is showing up or when your spouse has deserted you for no reason and you are saddled with raising your children alone as a single parent, you need mercy. When you are stocked in the Western World as an asylum seeker, the list is endless, you know your case! You need mercy. My prayer for you is that mercy has come. You are coming out of that situation.
How do you secure Mercy?
1. Repent of your sins. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy." Prov 28:13 Repent of all known and unknown sins, that of commission and omission and come to Jesus afresh or re-establish your covenant with him.
2. Show mercy to people. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.Matt 5:7. As Christians most times we violate Gods ways. No wonder Psalm 103 says Moses knew the ways of God but his people knew his miracles. To receive mercy show mercy. To receive forgiveness, forgive people(Matt 6:14-15). Remember the story of the unforgiving debtor. His master forgave him for billions of dollars but he could not overlook a few bucks, his forgiveness was over turned. Matt 18:21-35. To receive a blessing be a blessing (Gen 12:2-3) Lk 6:36 says Give and it shall be given to you, in a higher measure. Sow kindness and you will receive kindness. Some people come to church only to receive and not to give, it doesn't work that way.
3. Ask God for mercy. God will not love you more because of what you do. God does not love by degrees. Your doing better with God can make you feel good or better but does not change God's nature and character. God is Love. God is merciful. The mercy of God is from everlasting to everlasting. Ask God for mercy, He is a merciful God, He is gracious in mercy. Psalm 136 catalogues the ways he can show mercy, you are candidate of mercy.
Conclusion
April 1st is usually April fool's day but this year April 1st is Resurrection day, something is happening in the spirit. God is replacing foolishness with mercy. Let me pray for you. Resurrection speaks of coming back from death to life. Whatever is dead in you, mercy shall cause you to experience resurrection. Mercy shall give you access to favour. This month mercy will deliver you from sorrow, bereavement, and bondages of many generations. Mercy shall bring you out of trouble. Because of mercy joy and peace shall follow you. The bible is a book of instruction, as you follow the instructions of God you shall experience the mercies of Duet 28 and escape the curses therein. Mercy will cause undeniable breakthrough. Because of mercy you will have provision in the midst of recession. Because of mercy God will change your level for better. Because of mercy the children you are due to have shall come. Because of mercy that business idea will work out. Because of mercy that desire of yours shall come to pass. Because of mercy you will press forward. Mercy will open doors for you in difficult places. Mercy will bring healing, healing is your portion this month. Mercy will cause you to be remembered for good. Mercy shall follow you. This month unlike before "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
