Mercy on our enemy.

Jeremiah Griffin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:20:30 +0000

The Lord has been dealing with me on the concept of vengeance and anger in reaction to my “enemies.”

Micah 2:3
Therefore, the LORD says:
“I am planning disaster against this people,
from which you cannot save yourselves.

It started with one thought. How can I wish evil on my enemy? God has prepared eternal judgment for the wicked and also made a way of salvation.

Romans 12:19
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

God has prepared vengeance and God requires that we allow Him to take care of repayment. So if God has prepared punishment but also forgiveness then we should not wish our enemies evil but grace. Grace that they would find favor in God’s eyes and avoid vengeance that is beyond anything we can imagine.

Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

As a Christian when dealing with unbelievers or saints we are instructed not to curse our adversary but to lift them up and bless them before God. (Romans 12:12, Psalm 109) to pray God has mercy on the evil

In Romans 12:21 we are instructed to “not repay evil for evil but to overcome evil with good.” My mother used these verses over and over as I was a child growing up. The wisdom of a mother and the wisdom of scripture combined to give me a powerful life lesson that I am STILL learning today. He years of time in the ministry has seen lots of hurt, this lesson was one of experience. Today it is frightfully evident.

The psalmist cries in Psalm 109:21
“But you, O GOD my Lord,
deal on my behalf for your name’s sake;
because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!”

In the middle of a great accusation against his enemy and a call for God’s vengeance, he stops. He calls for God not to curse his enemy (it is almost like he realizes the enemy will get what is coming to him it is an awesome and fitting passage) but more importantly that God would have mercy on Him for his own weakness

Exodus 33:19 (God speaking)
“I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Pray today for Mercy. Mercy from God for yourself. Mercy from God for your enemies.

True Worship

Jeremiah Griffin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:45:31 +0000

Have we missed the point of worship? Have we gone the way of the “Mc Church” rapidly serving millions with a trademark presentation of church? Have we gotten so far away from worship that we can no longer “see God” in the worship?

Eph 5:18-20
…Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Col 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God

True Worship is Spirit Filled.
True Worship is singing
- Singing Psalms (Scripture)
- Music in the Heart
True Worship is Expressive
- Gives Thanks
- Reading the Word
True Worship is God Centered
- Instructions
- Wisdom
- Thankfulness

How far off are we in our “worship” when we over-focus on one element and do not follow the instructions and examples of the church. Have we run so far from the rituals of “the church” that we have forgotten the true sense of worship? We sing songs, we pray we read scripture, we give, we do the things that are good… but do we worship?

As we prepare for tomorrow’s worship, let us not bog down in the trappings that man has put on it, let us return the focus of Worship to our Holy God.

Jeremiah Griffin » psalms

Mercy on our enemy.

True Worship