Mercy of God

 

1 Chronicles 16:34

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Mercy: Lovingkindness, Loving Devotion

What is the Mercy which God which God extends to people?

1. Redemption from enemies and troubles. We should Trust in it; Rejoice in it; Hope in it..

2. Preservation of life from death.

3. Quickening of spiritual life.

4. Redemption from sin.

5. Covenant-keeping

These things, this Mercy of God, is for ever. For us it is while we have breath, this life we have been given. The decision to believe God and follow Christ must be made on this side of eternity. You can't change your mind after you die. It'll be too late then. 

  

James 4:13-14

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”  You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Color of Worship-Purple

MUREX

Exodus 25:4 "And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair."

This verse is part of the offerings that The LORD told Moses the people needed to give willingly, from the heart (V. 2). 

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God Is one LORD. And thou shalt love The LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."
Deuteronomy 10:12 "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,"
Matthew 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."

     All worship must be from our heart to God's heart. It must be real. It must be sincere. It must be willing. And you cannot hide your heart from God, because that is where He looks when He is looking for worshipers. 
     When our hearts are filled to the brim with love and adoration for Him, we simply must praise and worship The LORD our God. We bring an offering of praise. We bring it willingly, lovingly, obediently; according to His Word.
       The seashell pictured here is a murex. The yellow liquid that is excreted from the seashell turns purple when exposed to sunlight and this purple is what is used to dye fabric purple, just as in early Bible times.  Because small amounts only were able to be obtained in this manner, this purple dye, also known as Tyrian Purple, was extremely costly and only the very wealthy could afford to wear it. 

Majesty

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RAW AMETHYST

On the breastplate of the priest the tribe of Issachar was represented by amethyst. Issachar was the fifth son Leah gave Jacob. 

The worship we give to God will also be costly. Because the born-again believer's life is a life of worship, a life that is sanctified, set apart unto God, the life we live will be more than different. To the world around us, which includes our family and friends, we will be seen as crazy or extreme or fanatical. It is not that we exclude them from our lives, merely the opposite: they exclude themselves.

We who are living a different lifestyle after we get saved and Spirit-baptized know from our studies that we no longer 'blend in'. Now we have a target on our backs. This target keeps us near the throne of grace and close to God. What happens the closer we get to God? The more our hearts pour out in worship. We love Him and only desire to tell Him so. 

Every time we come to God we bring an offering of praise. An offering is going to cost us something, whether we purchase it from another to give to God, or whether we draw out of our own wealth to give it to God. But we know that Jesus paid the debt we owed to God, therefore to be in God's presence is to know and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

And in order to stay there, for ever in God's presence, we need to know and acknowledge this fact now, while we still draw breath in this life. For after death it will be too late. Yes, you will still be able in death to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, but it will be too late. Now, today, is your day of salvation. 

What do you need to do to be saved? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 16:31 And because we who have heard the Word spoken to us, we bring those within our households, both family and friends, strangers and foreigners, to Jesus, with the hopes that they, too, will believe after hearing this Word spoken. 

Worship God with our lives, lift Jesus up wherever we go and whatever we set our hands to do and every time we open our mouths. This worship sets apart from all other religions, as well. Because the Spirit of God is working on us, sanctifying us, making us holy, we will be outcasts in the religious atmosphere of our towns and cities and nations. 

This worship is rare and beautiful and glorifies God. 

Color of Worship-Sardine/Sardinius/Sardius

In Revelation 4:3 John writes:  "And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald."

The sardine/sardinius/sardius stone is often translated 'carnelian', but this first photo is sardius. 
While this one is orange in color, the stone can also be red. 
But carnelian

is  a lighter color, more flesh-toned, not as orange, not as red. 

Exodus 28:17 tells us that this is the first stone in the breastplate of the high priest. First stone, first son, first tribe: Reuben. (V21)
And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. 

We cannot see God and live because He is holy (Exodus 33:17-23, v20). Therefore, when men of old, prophets and disciples, would see God on His throne or passing by, He is many times described according to the gemstones with which they were familiar. 

So, the bold brightness of God is seen in these red/orange/beige colors, like jasper: 

What will we see, when we see God? Only God knows. Only God reveals Himself when He wants to. 

Moses got to be in God's presence for so long that when He came back down off the mountain, the reflection of God's presence was upon him. The people of Israel could not even look at him and he had to hide his face. That is one powerful light! 

Exodus 24:17 "And the sight of the glory of The LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel."

Exodus 34:29-35, (V29)"And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of Testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him."

You may want to read Ezekiel 10, but I will only quote Ezekiel 10:1 "Then I looked, and behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne."

It is the glory of God, the glory of The LORD, that shines brighter than any sun or star ever seen by men. And we worship Him in "the beauty of holiness", His holiness, His glory, His light. 

2 Chronicles 20:20-21 "And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in The LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto The LORD, and that should praise the beauty of  His holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise The LORD; for His mercy endureth for ever." 

1 Chronicles 16:29 "Give unto The LORD the glory due His Name: Bring an offering, and come before Him: Worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness."

Psalm 29:2 "Give unto The LORD the glory due unto His Name; Worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness."

Psalm 96:9 "O worship The LORD in the beauty of holiness: Fear before Him, all the earth." 

Come, Now Is The Time To Worship

Only A Holy God

King of Kings

1. King of Glory: Psalm 24:7-10
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; 
And be lifted up, ye everlasting doors; And The King of glory shall come in. 
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. 
Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; And The King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is The King of glory. Selah."

A song/psalm of victory as The King of glory enters His city, the city of Jerusalem/Zion. It is His sanctuary, His rest. We raise our voices to welcome our King of Glory with praise and adoration; not just for His overcoming victories but for Who He Is.

2. King of Nations: Psalm 47:8-9 (Psalm 96:10 & Jeremiah 10:7)
"God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness. 
The princes of the people are gathered together, Even the people of the God of Abraham: For the shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted."

There have been many kings through the ages, set up to rule little kingdoms upon this Earth, but there is only King who rules over all and that King is God. 

3. King of Salvation: Psalm 74:12
"For God is my King of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth."

There is but one hope of salvation and that is God's hope: His Word wrapped in flesh and given the name JESUS. 

4. King of the Jews: Matthew 2:2 and John 19:19
"Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."
"And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."

Recognized as being the King of the Jews before He arrived and upon His birth, sought as such. But the little note placed on the cross upon which He was crucified stated the reason for His being crucified. Such notes were often placed on crucifixes when a criminal was being tortured and killed on them. His crime? My crime. My sin. Your crime. Your sin. 
For the sins of the world from the beginning of time until the last sin. But what was His crime really? Love. Forgiveness. Healing. 
He was accused of being THE KING OF THE JEWS, when there could be no king but Caesar. From a worshipful title of adoration to a mock title of accusation. 

5. King of Israel: John 1:49 & Mark 15:32
"Nathanael answered and said unto Him, 'Rabbi, Thou art The Son of God; Thou art The King of Israel."
"Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe..."

Nathanael recognized Jesus for Who He Is from the beginning of Christ's ministry; not in and of himself, but through the whisper of The Holy Spirit, for it is The Holy Spirit who reveals the Truth of Jesus Christ to the hungry soul. 
Used with reverence by Nathanael, but irreverently by the thieves who hung on the cross with Him (though one of them later repented and was immediately forgiven). 

6. and 7.  King of Peace & King of Righteousness: Hebrews 7:2
"To  whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;"

Jesus Christ being our Melchizedek, we recognize Him as our King of Righteousness, for He Is Righteousness, indeed. And as our King of Peace, for His peace is not like the world gives, but peace that passes understanding (John 14:27; John 16:33; Ephesians 2:14; Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7).

Abraham gave a tenth of all he had to Melchizedek. Are we giving our King of Peace, our King of Righteousness, even a tenth of all we have?

8. King of Kings: Revelation 19:16 (Daniel 2:47; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14)
"And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

As my study Bible notes, these verses recognize the Supreme Sovereignty of The Lamb of God. And, as Supreme Ruler, His commands and will must be obeyed. Not as a tyrant would demand obedience, but The Word of God as a loving Bridegroom; The Almighty God as a loving Father. We obey and do God's will with loving hearts and a desire to please Him. Our heart is secure in His heart. 

At least mine is. My heart is secure in His heart. Is yours?

Color of Worship-Orange-Yellow

JACINTH

1 Chronicles 12:8, 14

And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains...These were the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.

Deuteronomy 33:20

And of Gad he (Moses) said,

Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: He dwelleth as a lion,

And teareth the arm with the crown of the head.

Depending on which author you read, the precious stone used to symbolize the tribe of Gad is either Sardonyx/Sardine or Jasper. But if the stones were set in the ephod in order of birth, that would make Gad's stone a Ligure. Ligure has been translated as being Amber, Opal, Jacinth and Onyx. 

AMBER

ONYX

Still, while type of stone may seem to be obscure, color variations stay the same. Ligure, Gad's stone, is a bold orange-yellow, which is what we were seeking. 

His name means "A troop overcomes", troop here means 'good fortune' (Genesis 30:11). But the way it is phrased "a troop overcomes" also means 'an overcoming army, a victorious army'. 

In 1 Chronicles 12:14 we read that the least one of the sons of Gad had the ability to overcome one hundred enemy soldiers, while the greatest, or strongest, had the ability to take down 1,000 enemy fighters. A troop overcomes, indeed.

1 Chronicles 12:8 says that these men of Gad separated themselves unto David. What does that mean? They defected, switched sides, to enjoin themselves to David, who was on the run from King Saul. These were "men of might and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler (lance or spear), whose faces were like the faces of lions (fierce), and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains." 

Matthew Henry's Commentary shows us that these men of Gad who joined themselves to David believed that God was with him and came to support him in battle, not like the others who had previously joined him: men who wanted or needed to hide out with David. These men of Gad were strong, efficient warriors and they left their lands to help David fight his battles. I would imagine that just their decision alone encouraged David and strengthened him emotionally, as well. 

And so we come full circle to this Color of Worship: Orange (-Yellow). A bold color that SHOUTS! to the enemy that their Conqueror has arrived. A troop overcomes, indeed. We raise our Banner high, our Banner being JEHOVAH-NISSI THE LORD MY BANNER. We are overcomers when our faith and trust is fully resting on what God can do and not on ourselves. For we know that our only part in any battle is to have faith, and not very much faith either. 

 

Mustard Seed

 

Matthew 17:20 "Faith as small as a mustard seed". The smallest seed in the garden is the one that produces an abundance. The littlest amount of faith in God can move mountains, put enemies to flight, uproot trees, tear down walls and overcome temptations. 

Ephesians 6:10-12 "Finally, my brethren (brothers and sisters in Christ), be strong in The LORD, and in the power of His might. 

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

A little bit of faith is being 'strong in The LORD and in the power of His might.

•  JEHOVAH-CHATSAHI THE LORD MY STRENGTH. (Psalm 27:1)
• JEHOVAH-GANAN THE LORD OUR DEFENSE and
• JEHOVAH-MAGEN THE LORD MY SHIELD (Psalm 89:18 for both)
• JEHOVAH-NAHEH THE LORD WHO SMITES (Ezekiel 7:9)
• JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH THE LORD IS PRESENT                   (Hebrews 13:5)
•  THE LORD IS MY HELPER  (Hebrews 13:6)
• JEHOVAH-'IZOA HAKABOTH THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY IN BATTLE (Psalm 24:8)

We are overcomers in every battle because The LORD fights our battles for us, when we let Him. The men of Gad knew that The LORD GOD was with David, so they left Saul's side of the battle and joined forces with David. We have got to stop fighting against God and join forces with Him! We must overcome the temptations that rise against us by THE WORD OF GOD spoken forth from our faith. Speaking Bible verses without backing them up with faith, is useless. Even the devil knows Scripture but it does him no good because he refuses to accept that GOD IS GOD. 

We overcome with THE WORD OF GOD and with The Power of The Holy Spirit of GOD. Both must be evident in our lives that we might truly be the people of God. Our might is pitiful; His might is powerful. Our strength is weak; His strength is magnified. 

Let us walk in victory every step of this journey we are walking with our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST! Let us walk by faith and not by sight. Let us walk in our integrity, in His light, in His WORD. 

Color of Worship-Silver

 REDEMPTION, SANCTIFICATION, DELIVERANCE

Exodus 30:11-15

"11) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (12) When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. (13) This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. (14) Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. (15)The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls."

This half-shekel was silver and this silver was to be paid as an atonement for their souls. (The Tabernacle) 

It was blood money. While some animals were designated to be used as sacrifices for various cleansings, the silver tax on each male person that was delivered out of Egypt was once and for all. They were each able to pay it, as they had left Egypt with as much wealth as the Egyptians could give them to carry out. They were more eager to see the Israelites leave Egypt than the Israelites were eager to go. Who would want to risk more dire plagues upon themselves than this last one which took the firstborn male of every family that had not blood-washed their doorposts?

The first time this silver tax was paid, the half-shekels were melted down and formed into silver sockets, or bars, and used as the foundation for the tabernacle which was a shadow of Jesus Christ and the church. I say "and the church" because each person who comes to Christ, must first come through the blood of Christ on an INDIVIDUAL, PERSONAL responsibility. 

Atonement for sin could only be given through a blood sacrifice and that sacrifice had to be paid for with Silver. And it was. Even in the New Testament. Who does not remember what Judas was paid? Thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15 'they covenanted with him'), in other words for 30 shekels. 

If the silver could not be paid, that person was put to death. If we do not accept God's payment of atoning power for our sins on an individual basis, we must pay the death penalty ourselves. Romans 3:10 "There is none righteous, no, not one."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 1 John 5:12 "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 

For it is in Jesus Christ that we are redeemed by the divine blood which was shed for our sins. It is in Jesus Christ that we are made complete, whole, one. It is in Jesus Christ that we are for ever delivered from the bondages of sin. 

Redeemed. Complete. Delivered. 

The Color of Worship ~ Blue

I love the color blue; all shades. Blue represents the color of grace. The curtains in the tabernacle of God in the Old Testament were blue, purple and scarlet (Exodus 26:1). There were 10 curtains. Each curtain was 28 cubits long ( 1 cubit = 18 inches) and four cubits thick. {42' L x 6' D). The curtains which met in the middle had fifty blue loops on each edge and were attached to each other with fifty gold taches, or knobs.

Isaiah 53:5 & 6 He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Matthew 27:28-31 And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit on Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head. And after that they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. Matthew 27:50 & 51 Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;.

Wounded. Bruised. Chastised. Stripes. Beaten. Smote. Blood didn't just drip from His wounds: it poured. Blood ran down His face, oozed from His chest, matted His clothes to His back. Surely some of that blood was on His persecutors and tormentors. Some dripped into the ground where He stood, where He fell. Some blood seeped into the cross He was forced to carry after being beaten nearly to death. Some blood fell on the man who helped Christ to carry the cross. Some blood got on the men who nailed His hands to the cross and on the men who nailed His feet to the cross. Some blood splurted onto the men around Him as the cross was raised up, with Christ on it, and placed firmly into the ground, for all the world to see. Some blood fell on those who came near to see the worst criminal of all time: the Man who was given the title King of the Jews, the Man who claimed sovereignty as the Son of God. And some of that blood fell on me.

The wounding of Christ, the bruising, the chastisement (punishment), the whipping, the mockery of Christ was for us. He was wounded for our transgressions, our sins, our rebellious thoughts and hearts. For our blatant disobedience and disregard for the Word of God. God punished His own Son instead of you and me. Only the Son of God could take our place in that regard. He was a Man without sin. He was the firstborn, without blemish, without stain. When He died the veil in the tabernacle was ripped in two. Six feet of fabric was ripped like a piece of paper at the exact same time as Christ's last breath left His body. Instant access to the holy of holies was made available to everyone now.

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth (say it out loud) that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Romans 10:13 For whosoever (anyone) shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. Every single person across the face of the earth has the opportunity through Christ to come into God's presence. He is the doorway. His bruises and His wounds, colors of blue and scarlet and purple created a permanent entryway into the throne room of God.

I believe.