Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

I’d like to clarify some thoughts and motivation surrounding The Mercy Seat event on April 26th. Like most things there tends to be two extreme points of view concerning the future of America. One says that we’re the Promised Land and God will bless us. The other sees nothing but a nation overrun with wickedness and is eagerly expectant of God to pour out His wrath on us. I’d like to humbly put a little of this in perspective for the event.

First, can we all just be thankful that mercy triumphs over judgment? Embracing this eternal truth will do the most to reset your actions and expectations for the future. I have the utmost interest in working to better various aspects of government policy and society not just for me but for the sake of my children. I have two girls and two boys that are growing up quicker than I care to acknowledge. I refuse to have a retreat-ist mentality that says, “Well it’s all going to hell in a hand basket anyway.” I will not hunker down and just hope to hold on. Not for me, but mostly not for my children.

For those that believe that God is sitting on the edge of His throne just waiting for the opportunity to smite America I must disagree with you. If anything, I believe He’s on the edge waiting for the opportunity to visit the nation once again with great awakening. “Come Lord!”

However, I also reject the thought that we can just continue on a freight train of prosperity regardless of what we do. That’s ridiculous. But how do we live? Are we living lives that manifest this very attitude as we run after the American dream? Do we go on with life continuing in sin entertaining thoughts that God either doesn’t see or doesn’t care? Do we take no thought or care for the injustice in the land? Does the apparent lack of judgment on ourselves and our nation make us feel like God doesn’t really mean what He says? Tremble at that thought.

No, the reality is that this is a land of promise, but the fullness of God’s plans for us is contingent on how we align ourselves with Him–both on an individual and corporate level. That includes our lives, homes, churches, communities, states and nation. We are called to pray for His will to be done in the earth as it is in heaven. Law originated with God. He never abdicated earthly government…but the Church did. This is not an attack on democracy in the least, but I believe the Church is called to be the head and not the tail. We’re called to lead and not to follow.

I’m re-reading an old book right now by Frances Frangipane called America on the Threshold of Destiny (1999). I so appreciate his view that we are to take prophets of doom and wrath with a grain of salt. Warnings should always come with a promise of hope. And yet there are times when God’s people have to respond to the urgency of the moment. It’s the “who knows?” moments that the future pivots on. I believe April 26th could very well be one of those moments.

There is great urgency right now. Do you feel it? We probably don’t realize just how urgent it really is. God is sounding the alarm right now over the issue of abortion. This is a sound that the entire Body of Christ must respond to. This isn’t just a pet social issue that we can take up or set aside. God is broadcasting this call to His entire Church. The Mercy Seat on April 26th will play a vital role in mobilizing the Body of Christ to engage in unified prayer in response to that call. People have asked me, “What do you think will happen if we do this?” Honestly, my thoughts have been more focused on what might happen if we don’t. We must, “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God…” (Ro 11:22 NKJV). Does that qualify as being a prophet of doom? I don’t think so, but we must be willing to run into the gap and intercede on behalf of the nation. I believe the eyes of the Lord will meet us there (Ez 22:30).

Consider this: there’s a big difference between judgment and wrath. Corrective judgment is always guided by mercy. Wrath is the venting of His anger. Know that God loves this nation and the people in it a whole lot more than we do. We stand on the covenantal promises of all the godly men and women that have gone before us. If judgment does come, we can be assured that He will always use the least severe means necessary to reach the maximum number of people at the deepest level. Mike Bickle from the International House of Prayer recently made the statement that he does indeed have great hope for America…as long as we deal with the issue of blood. I agree with that contingency. How long can God delay justice for the oppressed?

Our corporate call right now must be for MERCY. When we cry out for mercy, we are scratching God right where He itches so to speak. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

“Intercession is the essence of the life of Christ. Jesus beheld the depravity of mankind’s sin. He did not excuse it. He examined it carefully, and then took the form of a man and died for it. He calls us to pattern our lives after His. Indeed, we are not minimizing sin when we maximize Christ’s mercy. We are not white-washing sin; we are blood-washing it.”
-Frances Frangipane, America on the Threshold of Destiny

Tags: Abortion, Frances Frangipane, Great Awakening, Judgment, Mercy, Mike Bickle, Shedding Innocent Blood, The Mercy Seat, Wrath