THE TRUE CONCEPT OF MERCY

Lesson: Matthew 18: 34- 35 “ And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Brethren today, I want to reveal the concept of mercy, in its highest perspective. We have heard it in different forms. We have considered giving alms to the paupers, the poor, the orphans and the destitute. What about those who are wealthy? Does mercy not have any work on them? If you have mercy for the poor and the sick, what about those who are healthy? Does it mean that you cannot be merciful unto them? 2.1 God’s mercy gives us life It is not our righteousness that keeps us alive. Nor do we live because we fear God. It is not because of our services to God that He has spared our lives. Ninety-nine percent of the population of the world do not know God. They do not read about Him or learn and hear of him, or seek to know Him at all. God still takes care of them because of His mercy. You will also notice that thieves and robbers still operate in the world but because of His merciful kindness, they have been spared their lives. Some people are indulging in the preparation of concoction and wear charms and amulets. They have never gone to church and yet God feeds them because of His merciful kindness. Murderers rove everywhere in the world committing their atrocities but God does not exterminate them from the surface of the earth because of His mercy. People abuse and blaspheme against God, they insult and disgrace the workers of God but because of His mercy he has always shown compassion on them. If God were not merciful, nothing would have existed in the world. If you are merciful to any person, that is far greater than giving money to people. If we should have mercy on one another, we would have no cause to condemn another person as unfit for a particular assignment. We would not argue with others that they are not owners of certain material things or wealth. 2.2 God’s Mercy covers all God is merciful to men of all walks of life and disposition. He is merciful unto the wicked, and to the righteous men. He is merciful to the poor and to the rich. He is merciful to the sick and the-healthy. He is merciful to both the children and the adult, to the poor and the millionaire. That is why a righteous man can be a millionaire and a wicked man can also be same. It is not because you are good or worthy of His kindness but it is because of His mercy. We must resemble Him. We must be merciful unto all men. If we were merciful to fishes we would no longer kill them. If we were merciful to animals we would not kill any animal; If we were merciful unto all mankind, we would not impute sins upon our fellow men. If we were merciful unto our fellow human beings, we would never look down or discriminate against others. Because of mercy, if a man sits at the veranda, you will invite him in. Because of your mercy you will stop your car and give lifts to pedestrians. Mercy does not wait till anybody complains or begs for help. All other things have their causes but mercy has none. God acts according to his merciful kindness. He has no other consideration. If we lack mercy, we will not be perfect. Even though the ants are small and infinitesimal yet God is merciful unto them. If you argue that it is because of your ability to pray that God is induced to feed you, what about the ants that do not pray. For what reasons are they fed by God? If you agree that it is because of the songs you render that you are saved and protected, for what reasons are the trees protected? Our thoughts, our actions, our words, and all we do are sinful. It is because of mercy that God continues to look kindly on us. Know now that mercy is sufficient unto all mankind. When you have mercy, you will be kind to the poor, the needy, the rich, the wicked, the sick, the orphan, the moody and the happy ones. If you have mercy even as the Father is merciful, when somebody abuses you, you will not be exasperated. You will show kindness unto him. No matter the offences committed against you, if you are merciful, you will not think of retaliating. You will show kindness. I think that the greatest request we should make to God is for Him to give us the ability to be merciful. Without mercy, where do you think we would have been? There is. none on earth who obeys the instructions, exhortations and injunctions of God. 2.3 Era of mercy Brethren, this era is that of mercy. Why has He forgiven the inhabitants of the whole world? It is because of His bowels of mercy. Why does He address us as His children? What semblance of God do we have? What is the fear of God in us? There is no semblance of God in us whatsoever as far as our ways life are concerned. Tell me then, the main reason why God should refer to us as His children. It is because He is merciful unto us. If he does not show mercy unto us, no other person will be merciful unto us. Tell me any other person who will be merciful unto us? A wife has no mercy for the husband. The husband is not merciful unto the wife. Children have no mercy for their parents. Brothers are not merciful unto one another. We are instead filled with foul and vain languages of “kill him, destroy him”. But because God is merciful unto us. He addresses us as His children and call us unto Himself. Whenever somebody has stolen anything, others will congregate and demand that God should kill him. Because of his mercy God will not kill the fellow. If a man's wife commits adultery, the husband will drive her away, and may even withdraw all her personal property, pronouncing woes and God's punishment on her. Because of His mercy towards mankind God will not punish her. We should all therefore put on mercy as an armour of God. If we should clothe ourselves with mercy, we will no longer beat up thieves, commit murder, and impute sins on others. It is because of mercy that he has accepted to be our Father. Because of His mercy He clothes us, feeds us, does not impute sins on us, forgives all our sins and turns His back against our sins. Why do we have problems? Our problems emanate from us, because man is not merciful. No one is even merciful unto himself not to talk of being merciful unto his brother or any other person. Since God is merciful, He does not allow us to fall and become helpless. You are true witnesses to the fact that man, under a little discomfort, would demand that the whole world should be destroyed by fire with himself inclusive. Nowadays, as things are getting worse and the austerity biting harder, many people are poisoning themselves that they may not live to see what is going on in the world. But God uses His mercy to nurture His children. If it were not for His mercy, suicide would have occurred at alarming rate, because of the conditions of things. That is why I have told you to be merciful because mercy is supreme. It is the most efficacious of all virtues. It is the captain of the ship. Mercy alone governs the world. 2.4 Mercy saves all people A great many church denominations argue that those who do not believe in our Lord Jesus Christ will perish. Should this imply that the whole Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists and Pagan world will perish? Because of His merciful kindness, whether they believe in Him or not, He shows compassion upon all the children of men in the world. If you take stock of those who know and believe in our Lord Jesus Christ in your village, they may not be up to twenty. This means that if all the unbelievers were to be destroyed, only about twenty would have been left in your village. Even the twenty people we are talking about may only be worshipping Him with their lips and forsaking His commandments. If God were not to be merciful, none would have been left including even the trees. It is for this reason too, that people take upon themselves to commit atrocities, and murder, consoling themselves that since God is merciful and would not kill, they can kill. God uses His merciful kindness to keep you where you are and governs everything by His mercy. The whole world should by now understand this concept of mercy. They should begin to imitate Him, practise it, wear it as an armour, demonstrate it and make it part and parcel of their lives. If you have mercy, you realise that when somebody is involved in an accident, it should not be attributed to the fault of the other party but it occured because of predestination. If we should have mercy, we will realise that there is nobody who would want to be poor. But how people become poor is a thing of pity. If we should know what mercy is and should, have mercy, we will realise that there is none who would want to fall sick. We will be saying he could die if he wants to. Is he the cause of the sickness? Does he know the source? 2.5 Mercy is from God Mercy is not from man. It does not emanate from the earth. It comes from heaven. Why we fight, struggle and wage wars, is because we lack mercy. If God were not merciful, if He were not the real Lord of mercy, the Father of mercy. God of mercy, the whole world would have been in a frustrating situation. The moment you are merciful, you are at peace and free. When you have mercy, you will not complain that you are sick or that your property has been stolen or that you have been abused or that you are annoyed or that you have no relation. You will not even report against another person. Some people claim that Lucifer is very powerful. Lucifer has no power at all. There is nobody who has power. It is that pity, that mercy, that God is showing. Who is there in the world that should compete with the absolute power of God. Brethren, we should celebrate and rejoice over mercy, preach mercy to the whole world. We should boast because of mercy, broadcast mercy and thank the Father for bestowing His mercy on us because if any other person were to be the captain of the ship, the entire world would have perished. 2.6 Mercy is not weakness The attitude in the world is that whoever is merciful is regarded by the world a weakling, a fool, a blind man, demon, stupid, senseless and ignorant person who does not know what to do. That is why some people argue that God is not in existence because if He were, certain things would not have occurred. Some say that God is stupid, powerless, inactive, and ignorant of His duties and responsibilities. It is only because of His merciful kindness that things appear the way they are in the world. What happened in the days of Noah? Was Noah himself righteous? Why did God not destroy all of human race? It was because of His mercy. Why is it that Lot was spared during the destruction of the two cities of Sodom and Gommorrah? Was Lot righteous? Was it not because of the mercy? Why is it that in every disaster there must be survivors. It is because of the merciful kindness of God. Why was it that Job lost his children and property but his life was spared?" It was because of the mercy of God. 2.7 Omnimercy saves us We have heard about the omnipresent, omnipotent and the omniscient God but we have not heard about "Omnimerciful" God. This God alone is our Saviour. It is what has protected us. It is the working force. The Omnipotence, Omnipresence and the Omniscience have to do with creation but Omnimercy is the ruling factor and the operator throughout the world. You will realise that if mercy were to be a human being or an angel, man would have possessed that art of mercy but there is no one in possession of mercy. It comes from God and is His embodiment. 2.8 Mercy is the captain If mercy were not to be the Father himself man would have acquired this mercy. Should you find your beloved child stealing another person's property, you will seriously beat him and even disown him. Mercy at this juncture has eluded you. It 'does not reside with you anymore. No matter how much you love your husband, if you see him going hand-in-gloves with another woman, if you are in possession of a gun you will shoot him. If you ask God to give you love, or to give you power, or to give you wealth, how will you exercise these attributes, if there is no mercy. Love is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but mercy is the captain of the ship. You can not see mercy physically. It is no shoe, money or cloth. Neither is mercy a human being, nor a tree, nor house, nor metal. But it is greater than any other thing in the world. It has enveloped every other thing created and uncreated. Mercy has come down with His full uniform. Mercy is a silent Guest which nobody can imagine. If a judge has determined to jail you, immediately you appear before him, the silent Guest will get into him and he will start arguing that you were wrongly accused. He will discharge and acquit you. All the attributes of God, power, patience wisdom and others are under the governance of mercy. Somebody can take a decision about what to do to another person, and threaten that he will show the other man that he is a full fledged man; even if Our Lord Jesus Christ should come back that he will retaliate. But immediately the man in question would appear, mercy would flow into his heart rendering him incapable of any action. Mercy has no other job. It has no faults in His actions. He works for 24 hours a day. He serves all creations of God, the human beings, trees, animals, angels, other things created and uncreated in the self same way. And I ask, was Abraham called when he believed or at a time he did not even know God? If he should elect those of us who believe, it will imply that he is not the God of mercy and that He is not merciful. If God had waited for Abraham to know Him before electing him, it means he Abraham would not have been elected till doomsday. 2.9 Mercy overwhelms all As at now, merciful kindness of God has overwhelmed all the churches, governments, the waters, the fishes, and societies. The Russians have manufactured their weapons of war, the British have manufactured theirs, the French and the Americans have manufactured theirs, but it is because of the mercy of God that the use of these weapons have been suppressed and suspended. When mercy will assume the rulership of the world there will be no -more wars, rumours of wars, discrimination, theft and other atrocities. Many people have refused coming to Brotherhood of the Cross and Star for fear that they will be told not to be angry with people, not to take people to court and not to quarrel. Others who had been strong members of their families before receiving God's call have been reformed. They become like weaklings. Instead of starting trouble as in previous times, they become the peacemakers. When observers see this they will not want to come to Brotherhood of the Cross and Star so that they will not be under-rated. They will want to remain strong and fight back when challenged. What makes one to claim your land and later calls on you to reclaim your property? What makes your chronic debtor want to defray the debt? Mercy goes into his heart. He is at work but we do not know. Many are aware that mercy has changed a lot of Brotherhood members. 2.10 Mercy is the Judge Have you noticed why cases are not judged here in Brotherhood? Mercy is the judge. When two parties are at daggers drawn, tell them to kneel down, and confess their sins. Pray over them infusing that attribute of mercy into them. At the end you will see them embracing themselves. If you should waste time to go and ask for details, and explanations you will be calling for more trouble. 2.11 The Father of mercy is here You have seen the greatest Father of Mercy. A millionaire does not require your money but have mercy upon him. Your father has money, children, and does not require anything from you, but be merciful upon him. If we should forgive one another, we would not report anybody, we would not begrudge him, we would not speak evil against him, we would not keep mute with him, we would not look despitefully at others or do anything maliciously against others. You are witnesses in this kingdom, that if somebody should steal, he will request to be taken to the Father. But we are all aware that thieves are not wanted here. Surprisingly, he will demand to be taken to the Father so that he will go and enjoy tea. And of a truth if you should take the thief to the Father, he will embrace him and give him tea. Somebody may be indebted to you to the tune of two hundred naira and unable to defray the debt, he will tell you to report him to the Father. He knows that when he comes here, the Father will ask you to add more money to him. In the past, there were people who were not kind, and benevolent, who did not minister to the necessities of the poor and the needy and those who did not donate during functions. Now that mercy has come down in its full force, everybody will like to donate from five to twenty thousand. If there is anyone who still makes no donation at all, it means he has no money. You should therefore be merciful to him. Brethren, this is the era of mercy. This is the reign of mercy. Let the heavens and the earth rejoice because mercy has assumed its rulership over them. Do not be sad or sorrowful that you have no relation since you have mercy. You have what is greater than the world. Do not be sad about the state of things in the world since it is mercy that is ruling, He will swallow up every thing with time. Let those who have ears hear, may God bless His holy words. Amen THANK YOU FATHER