Ironworks

Why should I be merciful? This is a question that you may not have asked yourself before. Maybe mercy is something that you are given often. For others, maybe we have forgotten the goodness of the mercy God has shown to us. Jesus said after all, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matt.5:7) To answer the question, we must first define mercy. What is Mercy           M ercy which comes from the word eleeo ( ἐ λεέω) and describes the act of showing compassion and pity on someone. God perfectly exemplifies mercy. Paul recognized the mercy that God showed him while he sinned in ignorance. I thank him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to his service; though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy , because I did it ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Faith...

      Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the  Lord  imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the   Lord ; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.  Psalm 32:1-5                   A few weeks ago , I preached on forgiveness and how it is qualified. I wanted to add this in and share a few thoughts from Psalm 32: Please recall Davids great sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). You will surely be reminded that he made many attempts to cover it up. He very well may have believed that he had gotten away ...

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. 3 John 1:11         Who will you follow? Will you follow the crowds, or will you follow the Lord? Will you follow the trends of those who ridicule the name of the Lord and His people? Will you try to fit in with a world that will chew you up and spit you out? Let’s say no with our actions. Can we love like God loved? Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good (cf. Rom. 12:9).         This is not something that is impossible in 2020. I know we have been told that it’s too late, that our society is too far gone. It’s not. The church was born in a deplorable time with the same immorality, disregard for human life, and pagan worship. In fact, the church was comprised of many people who came out of that (see 1 Cor 6:9-10); th...