MORE MERCY

I was reminded a few days ago how difficult it is to be merciful at times. We can easily see the lack of mercy in other people, but how often do we neglect to see it in ourselves? I would dare say that this happens more often than we realize. I am thankful that the experiences I have been through in my life have made me a much more merciful person, but there is still room for more. The fact is that the more we become like Christ, the more merciful we become, and while I am not there yet (and won’t be till I am with Christ in heaven), mercy is becoming more evident in my life. The acid test of mercy exuded from our lives is whether or not we can truly love someone even after they have wronged or angered us in any way. When we consider the mercy of God, we must realize that he had mercy on us when we did not deserve it. Therefore, mercy is not dependent on whether or not one deserves it but rather on us giving it, deserving or not. We should examine ourselves and ask if we are truly merciful more can be done. I would submit that the second is true. Let us be merciful because our God is merciful.

PSALM 66:1-8: THREE REASONS TO PRAISE GOD FROM PSALM 66:1-8

PSALM 66:1-8: THREE REASONS TO PRAISE GOD FROM PSALM 66:1-8

            The Psalms are filled with praises of God. It has often been referred to as the hymnal of Israel. In it are many obvious reasons to praise God. No matter how obvious they may be though, we too often forget them, and for that, it is important that we are reminded by reading the Psalms. God is worthy to be praised for the simple fact that he is God, but Psalm 66:1-8 also gives us three simple reasons to praise God.

Psalm 66:1-8

 

English Standard Version (ESV)

 

How Awesome Are Your Deeds

 

To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.

 

66 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
²     sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise!
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
⁴ All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name.” Selah

⁵ Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
⁷     who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

⁸ Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,

 

The Joy of God (vv. 1-4)

            We praise God for the joy that he installs in our lives. The psalmist here acknowledges that God is awesome, that his deeds are awesome, and that he is worthy to be praised by the nations. He installs joy within us, joy that we are undeserving of, and for that, he is worthy to be praised.

The Works of God (vv. 5-6)

            We also praise God for his works. Verses 5-6 speak of the deeds and works of God and even mention specifically him turning the sea into dry and, speaking of when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Whether we realize it or not, God’s works make him worthy to be praised. He is mighty and has done great things. For us to acknowledge this fact, however, we must realize his works. How often has God done great things and not received due credit; yet when disaster strikes, he is the first one we blame? God is worthy of our praise for his works, both big and small. We must consider and remember his works in our lives, especially his good deeds, of which we are all underserving. We must praise him for his works.

The Rule of God (vv. 7-8)

            We lastly praise God, according to this passage of scripture, for his rule. The Bible, in verse 7, says that he rules by his might forever and keeps watch over the nations. God is in control. We should take comfort in hat fact and praise God for it.

            We must also ask ourselves of his rule in our personal lives. Does he truly rule? Can we truly praise him for his rule in our lives, or are we ruled by something else? To truly praise God for his rule, he must first rule in our hearts and very lives, but for his rule, he is worthy to be praised.

            There are three very simple reasons God is worthy to be praised. Let us not forget to take time to praise him with our lips and with our very lives.

2 KINGS 2:1-2: DEDICATION IN THE LORD

2 KINGS 2:1-2: DEDICATION IN THE LORD

            Dedication is difficult to find anymore. We live in a society that promotes the short-term. Dedication is, in fact, looked down on in many respects. When we consider the principles of scripture, however, we must realize that we are called as children of God to be dedicated in what we do. Without dedication, we are not honoring God since we are called to do all we do as service to the Lord. It is my desire is that believers are dedicated first to God but also to each other to help in our walk together because we need God first and foremost, but we also need others. For a biblical example of dedication, we may look to Elisha and his dedication to his mentor, Elijah.

2 Kings 2:1-2

 

English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Elijah Taken to Heaven

 

2 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ² And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

 

We Should Be Dedicated Because God Works through Dedicated People (v. 1)

            God works through dedicated people. It is no secret that God used Elijah in mighty ways, even calling down fire from heaven at one point. Because of Elijah’s dedication to God, he was used in mighty ways. He was also rewarded for his dedication. This particular passage occurs just before he is taken to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah did not die; he was simply taken away for his faithfulness. Let this be our example of one used by God for his dedication.

Our Dedication May Be Seen as an Example to Others

            One might also see verse 1 as a person’s example of dedication to others. Elijah was the mentor of Elisha. Elisha participated in the ministry of Elijah and, therefore, noticed his dedication. It was obvious. There was no way around it. How then is our own example of dedication to others? Do people see us as dedicated first and foremost to God and, through that service, dedicated to the things we commit to, or do they see us as wavering in our commitments? Dedication is contagious. This is evident when we are attempting to complete a task and are weary and close to giving up but suddenly spurred on toward completion through the dedication of someone else. People notice and respect dedication. Let us examine dedication in our own lives.

We Should Be Dedicated Because God Is Dedicated (v. 2)

            The most dedicated being in all of existence is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is no greater example of dedication. If for no other reason, we should be dedicated in all that we do because God is dedicated. Elisha emphatically states that as surely as the Lord lives, he would not leave Elijah. He was dedicated because of the Lord’s dedication. As God is dedicated, we must also be a dedicated people. We must realize, however, the reason for righteous dedication. In anything we do, our dedication must come first out of a dedication to God. Let us examine our hearts and lives and level of dedication first to God and then to anything else we commit to. Let us be righteously dedicated.

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MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

Mental health is an issue that needs to be brought to the surface of all other issues in our society. The stigma that goes along with a mental illness can be life-changing and humiliating. Speaking as someone with bipolar disorder, I know this for a fact. There are, however, a few things we must keep in mind when dealing with and thinking about mental illnesses.

First of all, someone with a mental illness is not necessarily crazy, and even if they are, they cannot help it so stop judging them! They did not go out searching for a mental illness. It is caused by a chemical imbalance. The fact is that more people have mental illnesses than even realize it, and although many are able to cope with it, most need medication. With medication, they are fine; it is no big deal.

Secondly, people with mental illnesses should not be embarrassed by it just as someone with cancer should not be embarrassed by it. Acknowledging the issue is the first step in getting help. It is nothing to be embarrassed about, and people who judge because of it likely have worse issues than the people they are judging.

Thirdly, we must realize that help is available in many forms for people with mental illness. Some may require more extreme help such as institutionalization, but even that (as mentioned previously) is nothing to be embarrassed about. Help is available to seek it and use it.

Lastly, people with mental illness need support. Without support, they cannot effectively get better. I would dare say that we all know someone with a mental illness. We must let them know that we are on their side, not judge them, not isolate them, and strive to help and support them. Let us strive to do this, and the world will be a better place.

GOING TO COURT WITH A FELLOW BELIEVER

I was recently involved in an incident with another Christian, and it has caused me to pontificate upon 1 Corinthians 6, which clearly tells us not to go to court against fellows brothers and sisters. This is very difficult since we live in a fallen world and even Christians are not perfect. This is a biblical command though. With that in mind, what are we to do when a Christian has wronged us, and it deserves legal attention?

Because so much is heavily weighted on the other party's belief, we must first verify that they indeed are a Christian. There will be evidence, outward evidence if you will. If there is not, then we can and should rightly assume that they are not a Christian and treat the matter with such in mind.

If they indeed are a Christian, we must settle our disputes between one another, many times involving the church if necessary. This often means more mercy because we are to treat them as Christ would treat them. This does not mean they get away with the incident, but it does, however, mean that we are as merciful as possible toward them. How can we treat those who are not in Christ with mercy if we cannot even treat those inside the body with mercy?

With that said, if we are going to err, it is better to err on the side of mercy than judgment. Keep this in mind when handling legal issues, and by all means necessary, do not go to court with a fellow brother or sister because then you are the one in sin.

WITH EACH LAW PASSED, A FREEDOM IS LOST

There is a lot going on in our country right now that specifically threatens our freedom and liberty. Whether people want to admit it or not, it is fact, and it is thanks to the current and previous executive administrations. While there is no such thing as a perfect politician (a given with the state of politics today), we, the people, have the right and responsibility to change the direction of our country when things look dim. That moment was yesterday. I cannot overstate the importance of the state our nation is in. Freedoms are being lost on a daily basis. The most recent evidence of this may be found in government spying without cause on Americans, the IRS scandals, and the AP spying scandals. To me, it is not ironic that these three scandals came to light at the same time because the fact of the matter is that they have been going on for quite a while. It was simply a matter of time before they came out. What is astonishing, however, is how much the government, the media, and even many of the American people have downplayed and justified these scandals. Make no mistake, however, that they are referred to by many people as scandals for a reason, and they should not be downplayed. This country is ours, and we should consider it as just that. We do not belong to the government, but in fact, government belongs to us. It is time that we, the people, take a stand for our freedom because (believe me) with the direction we are going, it will not be long before we are a full-blown police state.

FREEDOMS CONTINUING TO BE LOST

It came to my attention this past week that the Supreme Court ruled that it is now legal for law-enforcement officials to collect DNA samples from people who are arrested. This disturbs me greatly. Many would argue that people who are arrested deserve this. Keep in mind, however, that people who are arrested have rights too. Many would disagree as a matter of personal morality, but the reality is that according to the Constitution, those people indeed have rights. This is definitely an infringement on the right to privacy. Many would argue that it is no different than collecting finger prints. I would, however. There must be a line that is drawn on what we can collect from anyone, not just those who are in legal trouble. If the government can take it this far, why can’t they eventually take it a step further and give rectal exams? It is time we stop seeing people in legal trouble as sub-human and start seeing them as people who have made a mistake but who still possess rights. I do not deny that there are times when someone’s rights must be diminished, but a simple arrest is not that time. Remember that with every law written, a freedom is lost. We are sitting here taking it too, and whether people admit I or not, big government is indeed affecting us.

MORE GOVERNMENT OR LESS: WE CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS

It always amazed me that people who believe government should be limited (of which I most definitely include myself) also want more government in certain aspects of their lives. For example, the very people who want limited government in their lives in areas such as taxes, religious freedom, etc. also want more FCC regulations for television and movies so that their children are protected from seeing the evil effects of our culture. While I understand this logic, keep in mind that we cannot have it both ways. It is first and foremost a parent’s responsibility to protect their children, but we cannot and should not do this through government. Government should be limited period. This means that not only should they keep out of our personal lives in areas such as taxes, religion, politics, family matters, etc., but they should also keep out of the private sector and exclude themselves from setting regulations for private sector areas such as television and movies. The government’s only responsibility according to the Constitution (as well as the Bible) should be protection from physical danger. This means that government should stay out of our business. In a feeble attempt to reveal one’s conservative values, many people want it both ways: limited government in certain areas and more government in other areas. Keep in mind, however, that the more reliance on government we have, the more our freedoms are limited, and with every law created, a freedom is lost so which is it: more government or less?