Tag: sacrifice

Commandments

Go and Learn What This Means

Peter

 

 Mercy and Not Sacrifice

The Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice, and tells us as Pharisees, who focus on our outward works of righteousness, to go and learn what this means.

Mat 9:11  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

Mat 9:12  But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

Mat 9:13  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance

The righteous in God’s eyes are those who are doing righteousness, which means obeying the Father’s Commandments.  Seeing and obeying the Commandments is the desire of the Lord, as they work the work of salvation for which the Father sent Christ to perform.  Mercy opens our eyes to see the Commandments, the Gospel, which then shines a light upon our earth and our walk.  The Lord’s mercy is also called the goodness of God that leads us to take the first step and repent of our sins, which begins the process of being delivered from those sins.  By mercy, we come to see our need for Christ to save us from our sinful nature.  We praise the Lord for His wonderful works, which show us mercy and lead us away from sin into righteousness.

Tit 3:5  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 

Psa 107:7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness [Mercy], and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

The Commandments wake us up by shining a bright light into our earth, brightening all the dark places.  This is how we are raised from a state of spiritual death and, in time, bring forth the obedience that is salvation and the glory of the Lord.  Christ is come, the day star has arisen.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 

The Lord’s will for His people is our sanctification, which begins with open eyes to the true knowledge of God, the Commandments.  Our outward sacrifices mean nothing to the Lord and are vanity that occupy us until the Gospel is heard, and faith is given.  With open eyes and ears to the Commandments, we are drawn to the Lord by the Gospel in Spirit and in Truth.  Our sacrifices to the Lord now come from our heart and a desire to please our maker and love God by obeying Him.

Hos 6:6  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Knowledge of the Commandments [mercy] is far more important than our outward forms of righteousness, which are the sacrifices of carnal men to justify themselves before the Lord.  The first great Commandment teaches us that the Lord wants obedience from our whole heart.  The Lord despises us when we honor Him in the letter, meaning with our lips and in outward forms, but remain disobedient to the Commandments.

Through mercy, when we see and hear the Commandments, then judgment has come to our earth, that is, the Temple of the Living God.  The fire of the Commandments, the Word of God,  the Living Christ, is now kindled in our hearts and minds.

Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 

Christ commands us to go and learn what having mercy, and not sacrifice, means.  Only those chosen for salvation hear the Commandment and are being taught of the Lord and learning the new song.  The grace of God, the Living Commandments, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, guides us into all Truth and teaches us about mercy and the only sacrifice that pleases the Lord.

Joh 6:45  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 

Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 

Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

The Lord despises the sacrifices of carnal men who claim His name but are far from Him, meaning the Commandments.  Spiritual Jerusalem, which is Sodom and Egypt, also known as Spiritual Babylon, is where we hear the everlasting Gospel of the Lord and the call to come out and be the set-apart peculiar and holy people of God.  The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is not enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  To whom much is given, hearing the Gospel, a much higher attainment of righteousness is required.

Isa 1:10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 

Isa 1:11  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 

Isa 1:13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 

The only sacrifice the Lord desires and demands is a life submitted to His Commandments.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

When David sinned, he confessed his sin, acknowledging that the only sacrifice the Lord desires is a life laid down to Him in service.  It is a broken spirit, a contrite heart, where we lose the old life, submit ourselves to the Commandments, who is Christ,  and thereby arise to newness of life.

Psa 51:16  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 

Pharisees back then and today observe Christ and His disciples doing what is forbidden under their law for the carnally minded. This is a parable, speaking to always doing the Father’s work and ceasing from our carnal reasonings. Pharisees do not recognize Christ nor understand the Commandments, which place the showing of mercy, the [opening eyes to the Commandments], far above the outward sacrifices that are for the pride of man and the esteem of men.  We do not condemn those whom the Lord has blinded.  We show all men mercy by doing and speaking the Commandments in everything.  At the appointed time, the Lord opens eyes and ears who receive our witness.    The coming of Jesus Christ, the Living God of the universe, is the end of the law of Moses/Gentiles to all given to believe.

Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 

Mat 12:6  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 

Mat 12:7  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 

Mat 12:8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

The Lord looks to the heart to see who loves Him with all their heart, mind, and soul.  Most who claim the name Christ do many great works, but do not bring the offerings or sacrifice the Lord desires. They are cast out and the door shut in this age, being saved and coming to Christ in the age to come.

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

In Matthew 9, Christ speaks words previously spoken in a pivotal Old Testament story about the fall of King Saul and his rejection and being cut off by the Lord.  Saul was commanded by the Lord through the Prophet Samuel to utterly slay all the Amalekites and all their possessions, leaving nothing.  There was no room for ambiguity in the Commandments.  We obey all the Lord’s Commandments and do not add to them nor take away from them.  We just do them. The natural man in all of us is led by their carnal mind, the father of lies, and cannot help but corrupt the Lord’s Commandments.  Saul, the rejected king of Israel, is the example of that, and a shadow of the Lord rejecting those who have heard the Gospel, but do not obey the Gospel.

1Sa 15:1  Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. 

1Sa 15:2  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 

1Sa 15:3  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 

1Sa 15:5  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

Yet Saul did not obey and failed to slay the King of Amalek and kept back the best sheep and oxen so Israel could sacrifice them to the Lord. Saul placed sacrifice above showing mercy and obedience to the Lord, thus corrupting the Commandments by adding to and taking away from them.  In his corruption, which is called rebellion and witchcraft, Saul falsely believed he had obeyed the Commandment when Samuel came.

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 

Samuel rebuked King Saul and pronounced the judgment of God upon him for the witchcraft.  It is better to obey than sacrifice to the Lord, as obedience is the Commandments is the only sacrifice the Lord desires.

1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 

Spiritually, the Amalekites are descendants of Esau, the rejected son of Isaac, and are not the seed of Jesus Christ.  Israel is to remain separated from them and always destroy such a spirit in their midst.  Despite confessing his sin, King Saul was cut off from Israel and soon died.  David, a type of Christ, began to reign in his stead.

1Sa 15:26  And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 

The Lord wants our obedience in all ways and not feigned works of righteousness that we offer unto the Lord. Corrupting the Commandments, we are robbers and spiritual whores, and Israel within and any who hear us is defiled.  The true disciples of Christ seek to do good at every turn, meaning obeying all the Commandments, which is the sacrifice of praise in which the Lord is well pleased.

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 

Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 

The Lord is our helper who now lives in our hearts and minds, quickening us to do righteousness.  We freely sacrifice to Him, meaning we are dead and our life belongs to the Lord.  We desire mercy and are merciful to all, showing them the Gospel, knowing that those who show mercy are given mercy.

Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

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Articles

A New Commandment

Rohnel

Love One Another, as Christ Loves

Rohnel, and my beloved husband, Peter, angels and servants of God and Christ, unto the little children scattered in the world beloved of God, called to be saints, called to be faithful: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psa 68:26  Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. 

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Keep my Commandments and Live

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 

A New Commandment

In the letter below, we repeat the point of what godly love is several times. It is the essence of understanding the true Gospel of Christ. Bear with it until you know it in the marrow of your bones. Fearing the Lord means to love Him.

Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 

Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 

According to Christ, the Law and the Prophets hang on these two great Commandments:

Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

When Christ comes into our lives, He gives us a new Commandment which makes the two great Commandments perfect. This New Commandment is to love one another as Christ loved us, laying down our lives for one another and keeping His Commandments. Christ fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, making it perfect.

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

The Law of Liberty, which is the Law of Christ, is being fulfilled every day in our lives when we love ourselves and our brethren with the love of God, which is the great Commandment. The Law of Christ is His Commandments.

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Gal 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 

Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 

Loving your neighbour as yourself is seeking the spiritual wealth and health of our brethren above ourselves. A selfless sacrifice of our lives defines the works and acts of Jesus Christ and His Christ. Being redeemed by the Lord, we belong to Him, and this is our reasonable service.

1Co 10:24  Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

The new Commandment Christ gives us is to love one another as He loved us. Christ gave up His life for us so that the Comforter IS [every day] come to us in our appointed times. The Comforter is the Commandments, the Spirit of Promise is the Wisdom of Christ, and the Understanding of the Father. God is Spirit and Love manifested within us when He comes for salvation. When this Love is in us, we work no ill to our brethren and fulfill the perfect law of Christ.

Rom 13:9  …  Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.   

1Co 16:14  Let all your things be done with charity. 

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

When we hear the Gospel, this is the beginning of our walk with Christ. This love is what we are hearing from the beginning, which is the true love of God. Christ is the Word [His Commandments], and He was in the beginning. The true Gospel of Christ is to know and keep His Commandments, which were given to Him by God, the Father.

1Jn 3:11  For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

From the beginning, we hear the true Gospel being preached to us, after we have been given eyes to see and ears to hear, after we have been raised from spiritual death to see, believe, and confess the Commandments of Christ. This is the beginning of our new life in Christ, the beginning of a new creation [you and me]. Think spiritually.

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 

Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

We write again. What is the true Gospel of Christ? The true Gospel is the mind of Christ, and it is the Commandments of the Father, that live in Christ, which speak from our heaven and cause us to love our neighbours as Christ.

Joh 8:28  Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

The Living Commandments is the Spirit of Truth and the Word of His Grace, and this is the Gospel which we hear from the beginning.

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 

Act 14:3  Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 

We know, after being enlightened, that is to say after the Promise IS come to us, what the love of God is versus the false love the world calls love.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Loving God, the Father, and Christ, His Son, by keeping the Commandments, is how we love our brothers and sisters and all of humanity. The OT is a shadow of what is being said in the NT.

Eze 44:24  And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

We have many Commandments commanding us to love one another. It is the essence of Christ’s doctrine. Loving one another is to have mercy, opening blind eyes and deaf ears to teach the true Gospel of Christ and to walk out this Gospel in vessels of clay.

Joh 15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

We show our enemies this same love. The biblical definition of love is keeping Christ’s Commandments. Thus, loving our enemies, we display and teach them the Commandments of Christ. Loving our enemies, teaching, showing, and walking out the true Gospel of Christ, is the true love of God. It is the same love we have toward every human being.

Rom 12:20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 

Rom 12:21  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 

The sons of God judge themselves to see if they are in the faith of Christ. His Commandments purge our consciences in preparing the temple in which Christ comes to dwell. The faith of Christ is His mind. We have to have this mind first before the Comforter comes to us.

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

If we love and judge ourselves to see if we are in the faith of Christ, we have confidence to love our brothers and sisters without hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is to say and not to do, and it is the leaven of the Pharisees [Luk 12:1].

1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 

1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 

To love each other according to Christ’s new Commandment requires us to lay down our lives for one another, according to the measure of faith we have been given. Think spiritually.

Joh 15:12  This is my Commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 

We have comfort and hope that is in Christ’s Commandments alone, and thus we speak of things as if they already were accomplished, Lord willing. Our flesh, that is to say, our carnal arguments, withers away in the Day of the Lord. So now we ask: How does Christ, who is not a respecter of persons, see us through His Commandments? How do we see ourselves, and how do we see others?

Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God. 

1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 

Christ sees His true sons as a work in progress, His workmanship, spiritual Jews and Gentiles alike. We, therefore, see our brethren in the faith through the same lens. We are not talking about those outside the faith [the world].  Christ works with the world in their appointed times. As the children of God, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, being in the process of being made over to bring forth good works that are obedience to the Commandments.

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Psa 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 

Psa 139:15  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 

Now, after we receive the true Gospel, we lay our lives down for each other, seeing each other and ourselves as God sees us and as Christ sees us, who laid down His life for us. To lay down our lives is to not accuse and excuse within ourselves but to do the Commandments in place of our carnal arguments, lies and idols of the heart.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Christ and His Christ, the sons of God, speak of things that are not yet as if they already are accomplished. Therefore, we travail with brethren until Christ is formed in them.

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 

We obey Christ rather than winning the approval of the world of carnal reasoning. Peter and James declare that friendship with the world within and without is enmity with God. Sons of God are staying focused on our calling to love ourselves, our brothers, our enemies, and all the world with the true love of Christ, according to the new Commandment Christ gave us.

Jas 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

We strive to flee from evil, cling to that which is good, and set an example. We are unworthy servants, and this is our duty.

Luk 17:10  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. 

Joh 13:15  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 

Joh 13:16  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 

Joh 13:17  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. 

The world within and without beholds how we are walking. Does the Spirit stay on us? Are we the lambs of God? Are we projecting the light of Christ to the world as we walk? We are commanded to examine ourselves.

Joh 1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

Our brethren see the fruit of the Tree of Life manifesting in the sons of God, His little children. We strive to continue in Christ’s love. As shepherds of the sheep, those whom the Lord sets in the church are to be the examples of Christ.

Mat 7:17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 

Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 

1Co 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 

We learn the lessons of the past and reach forth to what is set before us. We focus on today. We forgive ourselves and others, laying down our lives for our friends, which means not to lean on our own understanding but to trust the Lord and do what He commands.

Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 

Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

The Commandments, the plumbline, and also the reed of God are the only measures to inspect how we are doing. We see multiple witnesses of angels, symbolizing those with the resurrected Christ in them, measuring the temple and city of God. These are parables telling us to examine ourselves.

Zec 2:1  I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 

Zec 2:2  Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 

Rev 21:15  And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 

Laying our lives down and taking them up again is a parable, meaning we become all things to all men to bring the Gospel to all. Paul had become Christ in this world and was an angel of the Lord in preaching the Gospel to those in his path.

1Co 9:20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 

1Co 9:21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 

1Co 9:22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 

We move away from the things that make us sin and move toward the thoughts and actions of Christ that fill us with His Power, His Commandments, which is the joy of the Lord. We strive to maintain good works and thus, by example, stimulate and provoke our brethren to do likewise.

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

The true children of God embrace the mistakes we are making. We know that it is through much endurance and chastening that we are being saved. There are tribulations yet to come that are not written, which we are unable to bear right now [Rev 10:4]. We live by every Word of God, even our failures, the occasion the Lord seeks, to burn out the wood, hay, and stubble within us, making us anew. Within us are vessels [thoughts] both of honour and dishonour. Always apply the spiritual application of the Word.

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

We are grateful for all things. The Lord wastes nothing, and all things are ours, that is to say, we live the good and the evil and the perfect. We do not know what the future brings except that the Lord’s Promises never fail. Christ does what He pleases.

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

The multitudes are separated from the love of God and have not age-abiding life, as many are called, few are chosen, and even fewer are being made faithful in every age. The blessed few being made faithful are happy to be counted worthy to suffer for His Name’s sake. So, we use pain, frustration, and inconveniences to motivate us rather than to discourage us because we know we are being made perfect in love, a beautiful, sharp threshing instrument in His awesome Hands. This is a process of patience and long suffering.

Isa 41:15  Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 

Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

We feed the Lord’s sheep and His lambs when we love them as Christ has and continues to love us. We speak Truth and walk in love. The Lord prepares us well for our calling.

Joh 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

When we fear, we do not live to our fullest capacity. When we act in unbelief, we act in fear. When we love, we do not fear.

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1Joh 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We do not lie to ourselves but speak Truth within and without. We lack confidence when we are not abiding in the Truth the Lord taught us. One cannot speak with integrity about a lifestyle we are not living. Others behold how Christ walked, and thus our hearts tell us instantly if we walk not in love.

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 

1Jn 3:19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 

1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 

1Jn 3:21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 

Peace comes from knowing and doing the righteousness of Christ’s Commandments. We love our brethren through obeying Christ.

Isa 54:13  And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 

Isa 54:14  In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. 

The sons of God pay close attention to their lives. We redeem the time because the days are evil. Distractions are more and more every day; therefore, we stay in the Word, studying, quietly doing our own business so we may feed the flock of God within and without.

1Th 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Through the Gospel, we are filled with joy unspeakable. and given the zeal to do all for the Kingdom’s sake. Paul speaks to us this day because, as the son of God, Paul’s words are Christ’s words and never pass away.

Act 20:22  And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

Act 20:23  Save that the Holy Spirit witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 

Act 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Php 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

Php 2:18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

We give to those less honourable, and that is how we love. We express the Power of God, which is Christ, through walking out His Commandments. We give more honour to the less honourable, which, spiritually speaking, are the Commandments of Christ. The Commandments of Christ are not esteemed in the religious world. In the Assembly, it is those who are less honourable that we are commanded to esteem more.

1Co 12:23  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

1Co 12:24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 

1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

The Living Christ is teaching us to love our brethren, and the Lord Himself gives us the increase.

1Th 4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 

1Th 4:10  And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; 

The new Commandment of Christ makes us perfect. Laying our lives down means to obey all the Commandments of Christ. We are doing it only by the Lord’s mercy and indwelling grace, which is the Gospel and the Power of God unto salvation.

1Ki 8:61  Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. 

Pro 11:5  The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. 

Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 

The new Commandment of Christ to love one another as He has loved is actually an old Commandment. We heard the Commandment when we first heard the Gospel by the mercy of God. We often remind ourselves of these Commandments because they are the essence of eternal life and of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. If we obey the new Commandment that encapsulates all of them, we abide in the light and love of God, and there is no occasion for us to stumble.

1Jn 2:7  Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 

1Jn 2:8  Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 

1Jn 2:9  He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 

1Jn 2:10  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 

Be often reminded of the Commandments. To be a helper in your joy, the Lord had us write summaries and many articles on the Commandments that are posted at www.truthinscripture.com. There is a subsection in the top menu titled “Commandments.”  Blessed are they who know and obey the Commandments.

Mat 10:27  What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Act 4:20  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 

Receive ye the Gospel, receive ye the Holy Spirit.

Commandments

Be Ye Merciful as Your Father is Merciful

Peter

The Mercy of the Lord that Saves

We give thanks to the Lord and our Father for the abundant spiritual blessings being given for the ministry of the saints.  We pray for the Lord’s mercy to come along with His grace and peace.

Mercy, like peace, grace, and faith, is something asked from the Lord and prayed for brethren to receive.  Most Epistles begin with a prayer for mercy among God’s other provisions, such as this one.

2Jn 1:3  Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Being merciful is a simple yet powerful commandment that holds more wisdom and truth than we first believe.  We are commanded to be merciful, which is the nature of our Heavenly Father.

Luk 6:36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 

Mercy is seeing the Lord, and we are merciful when we show the Lord to others in the same way the Lord was shared with us.  Those first given mercy from the Lord are, in turn, used to bring His mercy to others.  This is how the Gospel, the indwelling Promise of God, also known as the good news, is spread as Christ builds His church in every generation.  The first to believe and receive His mercy [see the Lord] have received the Promise of the Holy Spirit.  With the resurrected Christ in us, we are Christ in this world and are sent to perform the greater works by preaching the one true Gospel.

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

Those obedient to the faith and the calling to preach the Gospel, being merciful in their deeds, receive even more of God’s blessing of mercy.   We reap even more of what we are sowing.

Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

Those faithful in the Lord’s mercy are given even more to further the work of the kingdom.  The merciful have already obtained abundant mercy and spiritual understanding, which expands as their eyes are fully enlightened.

Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 

Those first given mercy, such as the Apostle Paul, are those the Lord uses to pass it on to others by appointing them to preach the Gospel.

2Co 4:1  Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not

Lord willing, this letter deepens our understanding of mercy.  Wisdom comes from recognizing mercy as the centerpiece of all the Lord’s wonderful works to the children of Israel.

Psa 107:43  Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness [mercy] of the LORD. 

Mercy and grace are intrinsically linked, as they are both what save us from our sins.  We know grace saves us [Eph 2:8], but so does mercy.

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

Receiving the Promise of the Holy Spirit, the Baptism of Christ, is the mercy of the Lord that begets us into a living hope as Jesus Christ is raised from the dead within us.  This is the mystery of the Gospel now being revealed.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

All men are clay in the Potter’s hands who chooses the vessels that receive His mercy to whom He is making known the power of the Gospel.

Rom 9:22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 

Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 

The riches of His glory is the Living Word, the Holy Commandments of the Father.  Mercy reveals these to us, giving one eyes to see and ears to hear them.  When this Promise comes, these living Words are established in our hearts.  By God’s mercy, we now have access to the throne of grace in our time of need. Mercy precedes grace, as without mercy, the grace that comes from the living commandments is not established.

Psa 89:14  Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. 

Isa 16:5  And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness. 

The first step in turning our hearts to the Lord is seeing the commandments and having faith in them.  This is why mercy precedes grace.  Mercy opens our eyes to see, so grace can come and be established.  Thus, the two main drivers of overcoming our sin, mercy, and grace are put into us when we have eyes to see and ears to hear the Gospel.  Only the chosen disciples receive this first in every age and we shall see why soon.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

The Lord is always merciful to those who ask.  Mercy is sending the Word of the Living Commandments to heal those who ask for help.

Psa 107:19  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. 

Psa 107:20  He sent his word [the commandments], and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. 

Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his mercy [goodness], and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

It is truly the mercy or goodness of God that leads every man to repentance in their appointed time.  The Lord healed many of blindness, deafness, and other ailments, and they all asked for mercy.  There are numerous proofs of mercy, being the opening of spiritual eyes to see the commandments of the Lord that heal.  All of these stories and examples are done in parables.  New Testament witnesses include the events in Mrk 10:47, Mat 17:15, Mat 15:22, Mat 9:27, Luk 17:13, and Luk 18:38.  Here is one example where two blind men ask for mercy.   With their eyes now open, those healed immediately follow the commandments, and thus mercy begins the process of salvation.

Mat 20:30  And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 

Mat 20:31  And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 

Mat 20:32  And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 

Mat 20:33  They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 

oMat 20:34  So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. 

The Temple of God is Established by Mercy

We are drawn to the Lord through God’s enduring mercy, and the temple’s foundation is laid in our hearts and minds.   The foundation is the Living Commandments.  We see this truth in all the shadows of the Old Testament, in all the stories of building a temple.

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with mercy [lovingkindness] have I drawn thee.

Ezr 3:11  And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 

The throne of grace is where the Lord and His Father sit in the Temple that is established in our hearts by mercy.  When our time to receive the Promise comes, the fire of the Living Word comes into the house, and the mercy endures forever.  At the dedication of the first temple, the shadow of the true one we are shown this wonderful work of God to His children.  The Living Word, the Promise, fills the house, the glory of the Lord, and all the children of Israel praise the Lord for His goodness and enduring mercy.

2Ch 7:1  Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 

2Ch 7:2  And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD [The Promise] had filled the LORD’S house. 

2Ch 7:3  And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 

God’s mercy is what establishes the kingdom within us and the grace that follows.  Both mercy and grace save us.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 

Mercy is always about building the temple of God, which starts with laying the foundation of the Living commandments.  There is no other foundation on which the Temple of Christ is built.  This is the same as receiving the Gospel.  The Holy Spirit brings righteousness, judgment, and mercy, and is the Lord’s favour upon His chosen people.

Hos 2:19  And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 

Isa 54:10  For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness [mercy] shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. 

Once Given, Mercy Endures Forever

Mercy endures forever as the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.  The Lord loses none of those given to Him by the Father.  Christ finishes what He starts, which is the salvation from sins and remaking us into the image of God.  The work of God in our lives is finished right on the Father’s schedule.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

All the many greater and wonderful works of the Lord come by way of His enduring mercy.  We have many Psalms singing the praises and giving thanks to the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.

Psa 136:1  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever….

Psa 136:3  O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever……

Psa 136:24  And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 

Mercy is God’s goodness and lovingkindness; the same Hebrew word represents all three English words.  His goodness or mercy is also known as the wonderful works of god to the children of men.

Psa 107:1  O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy

Receiving mercy is receiving the Promise that is the second coming of Christ. This is how our minds are renewed, and the construction of the Holy Temple begins in earnest.  King David and his son Solomon reflect this truth in the shadow of the Old Testament.  The Lord’s mercy shall not be taken from the new man born from the first.  Here is the Promise made to King David.

1Ch 17:13  I [the Lord speaking] will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: 

1Ch 17:14  But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. 

We pray daily for the Lord’s bread, the rain, and the Spirit, all of which are the Living Commandments to come and take root in our hearts.  Those prayers of faith are answered, and the Lord has mercy upon us.

Psa 86:3  Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. 

Psa 86:4  Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 

Psa 86:5  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 

Who Receives Mercy: 

All mankind is given the mercy that saves in their appointed time.  The appointed time, known only to the Father, is when the Promise of the Spirit comes upon us.  This is the time of reformation that is come.

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 

In this age, only the elect, those predestined from the beginning of time, receive the mercy of the Lord.  The Lord chooses to whom He gives mercy [reveals Himself] and to whom He does not.  There is no free will or choosing of man involved, as the Lord chooses.

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 

Those Given Mercy, give it to others.

Those saved by the Lord’s mercy when the Holy Spirit of Promise comes, then become the instruments in how all the weightier matters of Christ’s law are given to others.  These are mercy, grace, peace, and faith.  These are the greater works, the elect, the Christ of Christ, the saviours on Mt. Zion perform in spreading the Gospel to those ordained to receive it.  This is the role of the Lord’s priests and ministers who preach and live by the Gospel.  Those who enter in by the door that is Christ become the shepherds of the sheep the Lord is saving in every generation.

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 

As the Father sent Christ, He now sends us, His Priests and Ministers of the Gospel.  We lay hands on them, opening up their understanding and the Spirit of God, the living commandments, the Promise, falls upon them.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 

Joh 20:22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Those chosen for this honour through none of their own works receive the mercy of the Lord first, so through us, the rest of mankind receives mercy in due time.

Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 

Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

This is why we are commanded to be merciful, as our Father has given us.  As He is, so are we, the ministers of the Gospel, to be merciful.

Those given the Promise first by the mercy of God, in turn, spread it to others. We do this NOW and in the lake of fire to come when all mankind receives the Promise of salvation.  When the Living Christ is revealed in a man, they are a Priest unto the Lord.

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The Mercy Seat

The Old Testament reveals the mystery of how the Gospel is spread by the Lord’s Christ in the details of the tabernacle and the mercy seat.   The mercy seat is a covering for the top of the ark, which is where the tablets of the commandments of the Lord were placed.  Guarding the mercy seat and access to the ark are two cherubim who are angels of the Lord.

Exo 25:17  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 

Exo 25:18  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 

Exo 25:19  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 

Exo 25:20  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 

Exo 25:21  And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony [commandments] that I shall give thee. 

The mercy seat covers the ark, which symbolizes the living commandments that is the Gospel.  The Cherubims represent the Elect of God, the Lord’s two witnesses, sent by twos [Mar 6:7] to preach the Gospel.  When Christ in us is resurrected, we are known as children of the resurrection and are now likened to the angels of God.

Luk 20:35  But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 

Luk 20:36  Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Those in whom Christ is resurrected by the Promise become the ministers and angels the Lord gives custody of the Gospel, the Living commandments.  As the cherubim of God, we guard the way to the Gospel [the ark], which is the same as the tree of life.

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

The Living Words of the Lord [Christ] are met at the mercy seat.  This is where mercy is given to those the Lord has drawn near to receive it.  The angels spread the Gospel, thereby spreading the fire of the Word which is how the greater works are being done.  We preach the Gospel to every nation and person the Lord has prepared and puts in our path.   This is the laying on of hands and how the Holy Commandments are revealed unto the children of Israel, whose time of reformation has come.

Exo 25:22  And there [mercyseat] I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. 

The deep parables hidden in the Old Testament patterns of the construction of the Temple represent what the Apostles and all since have done in laying on hands to spread the Gospel and bring the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Those who minister and lay on the hands are giving mercy, as this opens spiritual eyes and ears, so the Gospel is received into their hearts. This is how the Promise is spread and the church of Jesus Christ is built one saint at a time.

Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

Act 19:6  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 

Laying on hands, the giving of mercy, is done when one who has the Living Christ walks with and breaks bread with those seeking the Lord.  The breaking of bread is partaking of the Lord’s Body, eating the commandments that lay down our lives for the Lord.  This is how we show the Lord’s death until He comes.

1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 

1Co 11:25  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 

1Co 11:26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 

The parable of the walk to Emmaus, where Christ walked and ate with two disciples after He was resurrected, confirms the understanding of how the Promise is spread, and we show mercy to others.  These disciples received the mercy of the Lord as their eyes were opened, and they understood the Scriptures, and Christ vanished into their heaven.. They now knew Christ, no longer in the flesh [2co 5:7], but they knew Him in the Spirit.  This is the ultimate mercy of the Lord given to the few chosen in this age.

Luk 24:30  And it came to pass, as he [Christ] sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 

Luk 24:31  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 

Luk 24:32  And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 

Luk 24:33  And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 

Luk 24:34  Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 

Luk 24:35  And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 

Once we receive mercy, what does it do?

Mercy shows us the way.  Our ability to see the living commandments enables us to follow the Lord.  Otherwise, we remain blind to the truth.

Exo 15:13  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 

When we see the Living Word, we have received mercy and follow Him.  Chosen disciples of Jesus Christ immediately follow Him as the mercy of God, the Living Word, has come into their lives.

Mat 4:20  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Mat 4:22  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

The mercy of the Lord that opens our eyes quickly begins to show us our sins and hidden things that need to be burned in the fire.  The Lord makes a quick work upon the earth when He comes to us.  When we see the living commandments, then we see our sins.  Sins are purged by mercy and truth.

Pro 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. 

Mercy is our deliverance from the wicked one, the accuser that is our father the devil, within and without.

Psa 18:48  He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. 

God’s mercy reveals the commandments that is the brightness of His coming within us.  We are now being taught the right ways of God as we are led by the Spirit.  Without this mercy, our eyes fail us, and we do not do righteousness.  We need to see His ways and have them made known to us.

Psa 119:123  Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness. 

Psa 119:124  Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes. 

Psa 67:1  God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. 

Psa 67:2  That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. 

The Lord’s mercy brings remembrance of the commandments from heaven into our earth, so we obey them at the opportune time.

Psa 57:3  He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth [His Living Word is Truth].

Mercy Not Sacrifice

The Lord wants mercy and not sacrifice.  He wants us to be saved and sanctified, and that starts with receiving mercy from those previously given mercy by the Lord.  Our outward sacrifices mean nothing to the Lord and are vanity that occupy us until the Promise of the Holy Spirit, the mercy of God, comes in Spirit and Truth.

Hos 6:6  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 

Jesus Christ gave us the example.  He ate the Gospel with sinners and publicans and was criticized by the religious who knew not the truth and had not the Spirit.  Christ rebuked them, stating He wants mercy and not the sacrifices of the carnally minded.

Mat 9:13  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The Lord is well pleased when we who have been given the Spirit share and tarry with others, preaching the Gospel.  This is the example He left us as well as those of the original Apostles.  True worshippers in Spirit and in truth are created when they receive the Gospel, and the Promise comes to them.  This is the good seed we sow as the agents of mercy for the Lord.

The good Samaritan is merciful and takes care of their neighbor, dressing their wounds, pouring in oil, and giving them a place of spiritual rest.  This is the act of giving mercy, sharing the Gospel with those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness.   [See the parable Luk 10].

Luk 10:36  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 
Luk 10:37  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 

We are Christ, His ambassadors in this world.  We bring the good tidings of the Gospel and God’s goodness [mercy] to all who can hear.

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, [mercy] and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

Forgiveness is a component.

Mercy is the giving of the Living commandments, and forgiveness and compassion are key commandments and thus components of mercy.  After David’s egregious sin, he prayed for mercy and forgiveness.

Psa 51:1  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 

Psa 51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

The goodness of God is His merciful nature, which leads every man to repentance in their time.  Mercy is certainly forgiveness because we are commanded to forgive.  When we repent after hearing the Gospel, we turn back to the Lord, and He forgives all of our transgressions.  This is receiving mercy, which begins to establish the foundation for the Temple to be built.

Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

The point of this study was to show the deeper meaning of mercy, yet I hope this does not subtract at all from the forgiving and compassionate mindset we are to have with all men.  As our heavenly Father forgives us, we also forgive those who trespass against us.

Waiting in Hope for His Mercy:

We are saved by hope in the Mercy of the Lord that is promised to come.  While we wait for the Promise, we are making progress in preparing for His coming by praying daily, eating the Lord’s bread [reading the Scriptures, studying the commandments], and obeying the best we can. Faith comes by hearing, and we should always be seeking more.  Have faith and believe, the Lord’s mercy is coming.  Just tarry and pray for Him to come, which is mercy.

Psa 147:11  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. 

Praying for the Promise is praying for the mercy of God to fall.  We are to pray for one another in the little flock for this mercy without ceasing.

Psa 66:20  Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. 

The Lord’s prayer means so much more once we understand what we are asking for when we pray it and ask “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done”.  We are asking for mercy, and it shall be granted.  Blessed are the merciful.

Grace, Peace, and Mercy unto the brethren,