COMMON SENCE

Hi all,
Today I'd like to share from the Father's perspective once again, but this time more of the ways of mercy and grace, where mercy and grace might be headed in our lives, to what end, for what purpose.

We know Hebrews 4:16 implores us to come boldly to the throne of the Father to receive "mercy and grace to help in time of need". We take that as a blanket statement covering any situation, yet I think most of us would admit much of the time it's hard to tell whether that mercy and grace is given. I'd like to share one possibility why it feels that way.

For what purpose?
Everything in this universe has a purpose and is interconnected; every planet, every star, every plant and animal. So it stands to reason mercy and grace will be given with a higher purpose and benefit intended.

The question is then, what might the Father have in mind, and if we aren't seeing mercy and grace in the area we are looking for, is it possible we are looking in the wrong area of our lives?

Where the Father and Jesus are always heading
"That we would be henceforth no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried away by every wind of doctrine...but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him (Christ) in all things..." (Eph 3:14-15)

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

"....work out your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure." (Phil 2:12-13)

"Seek those things which are above...Put on therefore, as called of God, a heart of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another...and above all things put on love..." (Col 3:1-16)

This small sampling of passages clearly show the Father and Jesus are trying to move us towards being more Christ like. Therefore if we want mercy and grace to help in our time of need for any purpose other than to apply it to becoming more Christ like, we won't be able to receive nor even understand what God is doing. He is ALWAYS leading us towards more maturity in Christ.

The natural man looks for mercy and grace as a way of escape, but often God gives mercy and grace to help us confront our own issues and fears. For example, mercy and grace may be found in going to the business where you wrote a check that bounced and pay them plus the penalty without making excuse or blaming something or other.

Or, doing the difficult thing and just talking to the mortgage company or bill collector to tell them you don't have the money. Or, going to that one you've been at odds with and apologizing for being wrong without blaming it on the devil, stresses at home, or your boss.

Remember them?
Do you remember my examples from last week? Hagar ran away thinking God's mercy would be found anywhere else but back with Sarah, who treated her so bitterly. Yet in Genesis 16:9 the Lord told her to go back and submit to Sarah.

For purposes of illustration we can say Hagar went to the throne thinking mercy and grace would be found in not staying under hardship, and while the Lord blessed baby Ishmael, the directions were clear: Go back.

Leah's grace was found in staying in a difficult marriage, Jacob's grace was found in serving Laban for 20 years. (Gen 31:38) Grace was given inside of difficult circumstances.

The Father and Jesus are always moving us towards maturity, and often that means doing things, thinking things, that our minds and emotions don't want because they are difficult, humbling, painful.

Cut and run
A woman we knew regularly blew up at her husband in fits of very violent rage, even attacking him physically. For several years she blamed it on the devil, how she was raised, the time of the month, her husband's gentle mannerisms, anything and everything except taking the blame herself.

But one day we had a breakthrough and she admitted she and she alone was to blame. After that the blow ups became less intense, she began looking quicker at herself, and they are still together years later.

She initially thought mercy and grace would be found by leaving her husband, or by the Lord changing him. She would cry out to the Lord to speak to her husband but nothing changed.

We taught her that God's mercy and grace would always be found within our own heart and emotions first; growing in Christ, growing in character, growing in the fruit of the spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22 and II Peter 1:5-8. She needed to stop giving herself excuses for not growing up and doing right, and she did.

A man asked advice about his restaurant. We were talking at about 2:30 in the afternoon, the lunch hour was over long ago. He wanted advice on how to turn the corner on his cash flow, as he needed about $900 per week more to make a profit.

He had prayed, fasted, spoken only good things and declared himself profitable. Yet he was still losing money. I looked at the 10 people still on the clock hanging around, and told him that was his problem. As soon as the lunch crowd left he needed to release his waitresses, except one, his cooks, except one, or just shut down from 2-5pm.

Then he told me why he couldn't do that: One was a single mom, another was supporting her husband whose hours were cut back at his job, and on it went. I told him God's grace would take care of them, and that God's grace was to be found in him being a good steward of his labor costs and growing in this area.

He never could bring himself to do that. He closed a couple months later, making everyone lose their job. In reality, he chose to close down and throw everyone out of work rather than do the uncomfortable thing and cut back on their hours.

Mercy and grace were to be found in doing the uncomfortable thing, but he never saw it though he cried out for mercy, grace and wisdom, closing his restaurant in confusion and wondering where God was.

Where is mercy and grace to be found?
Suddenly Jesus was in my living room saying he wanted to teach me about how prayer works from the Father's and His perspective. (I am only giving the briefest sketch here about this visitation due to space, there is more detail in my book Pursuing the Seasons of God available at our web site below)

We were in the air looking down on a church in some town, and a young lady, single mother of two, was sitting in the back pew on the right side. Her children were crawling around and she wasn't listening to the sermon, but was lost in her own pity party.

Jesus explained to me that her husband had left her and she was living with her parents. I heard her prayers: "Lord, what are you doing with me? How long can I live with my parents and sponge off them? I can't even get a job because my car is broken (Jesus interjected that it was her alternator), but I can't fix my car because I don't have a job."

I felt so sorry for her and turned to the Lord to see if something could be done, and as I turned I saw tears running down his cheeks. He said: "She is only going to this church because of her parents, but she knows she is supposed to be over here in this church. This is where provision has been made."

As he pointed across town at another church I saw through it's roof to the people. The sermon was a series about managing finances, and Jesus pointed out a man towards the back: "See him? He's a mechanic, and I've commanded that he fix her car." Then he pointed to 3 ladies near the front, and the middle one in particular: "Do you see her? She watches children in her home and I've commanded she watch her children."

Then he pointed to a well dressed businessman in the church: "Do you see him? He owns a business and has an opening for a receptionist, and I've commanded she have that job." Then he waved his hand in another direction and two angels removed what seemed to be cloth from a long table with buildings on it, bathed in light, stretching away into the distance.

The Lord continued: "What you are looking at is my will for her for the next two years. The first building you see is an apartment I've provided for her. Behind that you see a school, for I am sending her back to school for 2 years to complete her education." And on it went - her job, day care, etc.

By "command" he meant that from heaven he had commanded provision to be made in these areas, thus angels and heaven moved to make those provisions. It immediately reminded me of I Kings 17: 4 and 9 where in the midst of drought and famine the Lord told Elijah that "I have commanded the ravens to feed you by the brook" and "I have commanded a widow to feed you".

Elijah had to get to the brook the Lord mentioned and later to that particular widow in order to receive the provision that had been commanded from heaven. If he had not been obedient he would not have received, and may have wondered why God wasn't being merciful and gracious to him.

In this young woman's case it remained to be seen if she would do the difficult thing and grow in Christ, and do what he wanted of her. It was far easier to have a pity party, sponging off mom and dad, stuck in a rut.

Think about what mercy and grace meant to her: Changing churches, meeting new people, applying for a job, moving to her own apartment - all very busy and difficult to do by yourself, yet that is where mercy and grace were found.

Consider the woman caught in adultery in John 8: "Go and sin no more" was where mercy and grace fell from the lips of Jesus, but what did it mean to her? It meant cutting off an affair with a man who she was emotionally involved with, most likely provided for her in some way (in that day and age), and cutting off all imaginations and dreams of what their new life may have been.

Yet that's where mercy and grace were leading her. Again, mercy and grace are given with purpose in mind, and that purpose will always involve growth as a person and in Christ. Escape and disobedience is so much easier.

Yet to those of us who have made the right choices, always choosing the more difficult path if it would lead to becoming more Christ-like and closer to him, it yields such peace, such closeness with the Lord! May we all come into the fullness found in Christ Jesus, that he would be formed in us, in love!

A new subject next week.
If you didn't receive the invitation for Tuesday, December 15th's Webinar at 8pm CST, US (part 2 of What I saw in heaven), click the link below.
Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org
Skype: jfenntulsa

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