Embracing God's Mercy and the Power of the Spirit

Devotional

Day 1: God's Mercy as Covenant Loyalty

God's mercy is not merely a passive attribute but an active force that demonstrates His covenant loyalty and loving kindness. This mercy is a readiness to respond, providing support and advantage in every situation, even when circumstances seem bleak. It is a reminder that God is our benefactor, always ready to empower us and sponsor our journey through life. His mercy is a steadfast commitment to His people, ensuring that we are never alone or without His aid. [03:17]

Psalm 25:10 (ESV): "All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust in God's active mercy today, and how can you invite Him to be your benefactor in that situation?

Day 2: Grace as the New Testament Mercy

In the New Testament, mercy is synonymous with grace, a gift from the Father of mercies who comforts us in all our tribulations. This grace equips us to thrive amidst challenges, offering us the strength and resilience needed to overcome adversity. The Father of mercies desires to reach into our hearts, bringing us out of oppression and bondage, and into a place of comfort and peace. His grace is a transformative power that enables us to live victoriously, even in the face of trials. [05:19]

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Reflection: How can you allow God's grace to transform a specific challenge you are facing today, and how might you extend that grace to someone else in need?

Day 3: The Priority of the Holy Spirit

Jesus emphasized the importance of waiting for the Holy Spirit before embarking on any mission, highlighting the necessity of being filled with the Spirit to fully operate in the power and authority that God has given us. The Holy Spirit is our helper, guide, and source of strength, enabling us to walk in the fullness of God's will. By prioritizing our relationship with the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live out our faith with boldness and clarity, assured of His presence and guidance in every step we take. [17:21]

Acts 1:8 (ESV): "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to prioritize your relationship with the Holy Spirit, and how might this change the way you approach your daily tasks and interactions?

Day 4: Pursuing God Things

We are encouraged to seek God's good and perfect gifts, understanding that He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. Our pursuit should be for God things, aligning ourselves with His will to see His promises fulfilled. This involves discerning between what is truly from God and what is counterfeit or superficial, ensuring that our desires and actions are in harmony with His divine purpose for our lives. By focusing on God things, we open ourselves to the abundance and blessings that He has in store for us. [12:50]

James 1:17 (ESV): "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Reflection: What is one desire or pursuit in your life that you need to evaluate today to ensure it aligns with God's will, and how can you refocus your efforts to seek His good and perfect gifts?

Day 5: Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a living presence within us, enabling us to live like Jesus. By yielding to the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our natural weaknesses and walk in the nature and power of Christ. This transformative power is not just a feeling or an experience but a profound change that occurs within us, shaping our character and actions to reflect the love and righteousness of Christ. As we surrender to the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live out our faith authentically and impactfully. [46:25]

Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Reflection: In what specific area of your life do you need to yield to the Holy Spirit today, and how can this surrender lead to a transformation that reflects the nature and power of Christ?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound concept of God's mercy and its implications for our lives. Mercy, as described in the Old Testament, is a covenant loyalty, a readiness to respond, and a demonstration of God's loving kindness. This mercy is not just a passive attribute but an active force that God uses to support, sponsor, and empower us. We are reminded that God is our benefactor, providing us with the advantage in every situation, even when circumstances seem bleak.

We delved into the understanding that God's mercy is synonymous with grace in the New Testament. This grace is a gift from the Father of mercies, who comforts us in all our tribulations. It is through this mercy that we are equipped to thrive, even amidst challenges. The Father of mercies desires to reach into our hearts, bringing us out of oppression and bondage, and into a place of comfort and peace.

The message also emphasized the importance of prioritizing our relationship with God, particularly through the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructed His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, before embarking on their mission. This highlights the necessity of being filled with the Spirit to fully operate in the power and authority that God has given us. The Holy Spirit is our helper, guide, and source of strength, enabling us to walk in the fullness of God's will.

Furthermore, we are encouraged to seek God's good and perfect gifts, understanding that He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. Our pursuit should be for God things, not counterfeit or superficial desires. As we align ourselves with God's will, we can expect to see His promises fulfilled in our lives.

Finally, we are reminded of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. He is not just a feeling or an experience but a living presence within us, enabling us to live like Jesus. By yielding to the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our natural weaknesses and walk in the nature and power of Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. God's Mercy as Covenant Loyalty: God's mercy is a covenant loyalty, a readiness to respond, and a demonstration of His loving kindness. It is an active force that empowers us, providing support and advantage in every situation, even when circumstances seem bleak. [03:17]
2. Grace as the New Testament Mercy: In the New Testament, mercy is synonymous with grace. This grace is a gift from the Father of mercies, who comforts us in all our tribulations, equipping us to thrive amidst challenges. [05:19]
3. The Priority of the Holy Spirit: Jesus emphasized the importance of waiting for the Holy Spirit before embarking on any mission. The Holy Spirit is our helper, guide, and source of strength, enabling us to walk in the fullness of God's will. [17:21]
4. Pursuing God Things: We are encouraged to seek God's good and perfect gifts, understanding that He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. Our pursuit should be for God things, aligning ourselves with His will to see His promises fulfilled. [12:50]
5. Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is a living presence within us, enabling us to live like Jesus. By yielding to the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our natural weaknesses and walk in the nature and power of Christ. [46:25]
** [46:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:37] - Understanding God's Mercy
[03:17] - The Role of a Benefactor
[05:19] - Mercy and Grace Connection
[08:42] - The Father of Mercies
[10:28] - No Good Thing Withheld
[12:50] - Pursuing God Things
[15:03] - First Things First
[17:21] - The Promise of the Holy Spirit
[21:01] - The Helper and Comforter
[23:28] - Not Left as Orphans
[25:19] - Covenant Language of Asking
[27:46] - Good Gifts from the Father
[31:34] - Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
[35:39] - Endued with Power
[38:05] - Who is the Holy Spirit?
[46:25] - Transformative Power of the Spirit
[53:06] - Closing Remarks

Sermon Clips

And we talked about mercy being God's, it's a covenanted loyalty. Loyalty, Old Testament mercy has everything to do with his covenant towards us. We saw when Moses said, show me your glory, when God showed up, he declared his name and he declared him, he's merciful, faithful, talked about loving kindness, which is mercy. And it's a covenant loyalty, but it's not just a covenant loyalty, but it's a readiness to respond. [00:00:17]

Upon you have I leaned and relied from birth. You are he who took me from my mother's womb, and you have been my benefactor from that day. From that day. From the time that I was born, all the way till now, you have been my benefactor from that day, and my praise is continually of you. [00:03:17]

you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ so grace to you now the Old Testament word mercy loving -kindness is in the New Testament grace that's how we we can define and we can connect if you see loving -kindness in the Old Testament we can look in the New Testament we can see grace so here he says grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ blessed be God and the word blessed there it means praise praised be God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ so we can praise God today amen we can we can praise God hallelujah we can praise Him praise God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of what mercies so when you're a father you're you're you're a creator when you're a father you're a distributor when you're a father you're one that that that has capacity so he is he is not just the one that came up with it but he's also the one that administers it Valen so praise be God praise be God and and it goes on and says he is the father of mercies well let's go on reading this he's the father of mercies and God of all who comforts us so this mercy is to bring comfort this mercy is to reach into your situation and all of a sudden bring you out of that situation why because he is a benefactor the God of mercies the father of mercies want to reach into your heart right now and minister to you right where you are and bring you out of any oppression any bondage why because that's what mercy does that's what his mercy does he's the father of mercy who comforts us in all our tribulation [00:05:24]

There's nothing God is holding back from you to help you and assist you to see progression in your life. There's nothing that God is holding back from you that's gonna get you to see promotion in your life. There's nothing that God is holding back. He's given grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from those that walk uprightly. [00:11:46]

First things first. First things first, we're going to go to Acts 1. First things first is about what comes before all others in time, in order. First things first is about the foremost in position, rank, or importance. First things first is about priority. [00:14:23]

And to the day in which he was taken up after he through the Holy Spirit had given... commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his sufferings by many infallible proofs. Being seen by them during 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom, verse 4, and being assembled together with them, he, Jesus, commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. Meaning, don't leave here because there's something you need to do first. Say first. [00:16:28]

He convicts, he comforts, he guides, he strengthens, he reveals, he sanctifies, he empowers, he fills. He teaches, he anoints. He bears witness in us that we're the children of God. He unifies, he sets us free. He quickens our mortal bodies. He speaks to, in, and through us. He brings liberty to the captive. He transforms. He gives us access to the Father. He enable, he is continuing to move. He moved before and he continues to move today. He brings things to our remembrance. He convicts. He justifies. [00:39:00]

But knowing that I have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of me, I can walk like Jesus. I can talk like Jesus. I can act like Jesus. I can respond like Jesus. You know, people would say, I just hate that I responded that way or I hate that I just get angry and all that. And those things are apparent. All of us have different weaknesses in our flesh, so to speak, in our soul, so to speak. But knowing that we have the Holy Spirit, that He can all of a sudden take those insufficiencies and He can take those things. And take the word and as we're using the word, reveal the word and all of a sudden, hey, yeah, you don't need to respond that way. You respond this way. And all of a sudden now I yield to His nature. I yield to the nature of heaven. I yield to the nature of love. [00:45:50]

not only that but but when when when i'm standing in front of difficult situations and i don't know what to do and i don't know the next step to take not only the holy spirit has given me the ability to have the the characteristics of jesus but all of a sudden now i can now receive the gifts of the spirit so now i have not only the nature and the quality of how jesus walked but now i have the power and the ability on how jesus walked that's [00:47:39]

He gives some illustrations on how to pray and how to pray for an hour and how to pray those different things. But he talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit corrected him and told him, he goes, you're not using me. me as the gift that I'm to be here for you. [00:48:51]

And he finally got to a point where every time he would come out to preach, he would say out loud. And even the first, when he told me he came to the States and he did it, and he's walking out of the green room and he goes, he's walking to the pastor, he goes, let's go, Holy Ghost. The pastor was like, [00:49:31]

come to a close of this service, Lord, first things first, in this first message, Lord, I was obedient [00:50:36]

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