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Lovingkindness, Mercy and Grace
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These three words are similar in meaning and characterise the caring nature
of our Wonderful Creator.
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This relates to every person conceived in the world - who ever was, whoever
is and whoever shall be.
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Firstly, for this to be understood we have to believe that there is a Living
God; that He is the Creator and that He created each of us for His purpose.
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Furthermore, Father God is holy and righteous - this means that He is perfect;
He cannot be anything else otherwise He cannot be God.
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It stands to reason - if He (They) were not perfect He would have disappeared
into obscurity and so would we. Can you see the implications? (Matthew
12:22-30)
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We must also believe the possibility that Jesus of Nazareth died on the
cross for us and that God raised Him from the dead as Jesus our Saviour.
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So, we are each created in His image for His purpose for our good, because
our perfect Lord cares for us as a world population and loves us, each
one, no matter what our temporary circumstances are, for the purpose of
us choosing Him as our God, or not. We have been given the privilege of
deciding our own permanent future
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Lovingkindness
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This Old Covenant term is expressive of our Creator's attitude to us as
He awaits developments in our lives. It is an outpouring of His Love for
us in various ways, allowing us each to perceive His presence and realise
who He is. Perhaps the closest word in the New Covenant that explains the
nature of God in this respect is charity1.
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An example is His providence:- we have all recognised that certain occurrences
have happened at various times which we may consider as coincidence. After
a few of these seeming coincidences we recognise that there is a mysterious
Power at work. Some are pleasant, others stressful. When looking back on
them do we, you and I, acknowledge that they are supernatural and thank
the caring Supernatural Power for knowing about us?
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God has His eye on you, my friend, He is asking you to choose your own
everlasting destiny.
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Mercy
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The word appears some two hundred and fifty times in the Owner's Manual.
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After believing, then choosing your Creator as your God and start earnestly
seeking Him in His Word, He shall be found (Matthew 7:7). You will meet
the Author of the Book at some stage of your journey through its pages
and realise your utter depravity in comparison to His perfectness, pleading
with Him to forgive you of your past sins. This is called repentance.
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Repentance is as a result of faith (Romans 4:3)
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Repentance: to regret or wish to have been otherwise, what one has
done or left undone, to change from past evil or misconduct; to feel contrition.
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If you are sincere and wish to follow the wishes of your Covenant Representative,
the Man who died for you, to the extent of giving control of your life
to Him, God the Holy Spirit of truth shall enter your physical body and
be ready to guide, comfort and protect you: the all-knowing Team Leader.
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My dear unknown friend, if you have not yet been touched by the hand of
the Living God, here is something that is reality. Please take some time
to mull over the implications.
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You may think that you can make your own way in this world, but fortunately
this is not so.
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You were made by God, in His image.
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You were made by God, for His purpose.
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You are in fact a slave - to your conscience, your mind. Think about
it.
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For example, if you young lady, practice casual sex with someone you
love, you may fall pregnant, become a single mother and spend the rest
of your life as a slave to your circumstances.
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Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body
of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed
from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also
live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no
more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died
unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon
ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in
the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those
that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye
are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because
we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that
to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom
ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed
from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then
made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
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(Romans 6:6-18)
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I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another
law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me
into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind
I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
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(Romans 7:21-25)
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There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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(Romans 8:1)
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If the reality of the above has become apparent to you and you are now
a servant of the Most High God, each time you sin and repent thereof you
will be forgiven and God will continue working through you to the
advantage of His coming righteous Kingdom in this present kingdom of the
enemy. A Kingdom of which you shall be a citizen, if you endure to the
end.
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This is called grace, ongoing grace. Hallelujah!
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Grace
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Grace: The undeserved mercy of God; divine influence; eternal life
or salvation.
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This word appears some two hundred times in God's word.
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All through the Bible, two relevant truths are revealed and repeated in
different ways by God through His servants.
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Firstly, because God is perfect He abhors (detests) sin. Sin is opposite
to God's Loving Kindness. Sin is self-ishness and causes strife wherever
it occurs. God will not allow sinful servants, those who commit willing
conscious sin, into His presence, therefore He devised a way for people
to atone for sin, their sin. As we know, the Old Covenant showed that blood
is life (without blood there cannot be life), so He showed that sacrifice
of some living creature's blood would atone (to make amends), for the sin
of a repentant sinner. That many cultures used to practise this
(sometimes human) sacrifice of blood for religious reasons is documented
throughout history.
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However the purpose of blood sacrifice is not to atone for sin but to reveal
a repentant heart. It has to be repeated for each sin.
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Secondly, to enter into heaven requires more than a repentant heart, it
requires the giving up of one's independent (sinful) ways, to willingly
give oneself to God "lock stock and barrel", knowing that
He will protect us better than we can do ourselves, allowing Him to direct
our ways on this physical world for His Spiritual purpose, so that His
Kingdom can come and we can live in His peace. What a privilege!
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So, He offered up Himself as the Blood Sacrifice (a Covenant2
ceremony which was recognised throughout the world), that whosoever believed
in Him and His holiness and righteousness would become a new creature (newly
created) inside - a God-centred instead of a self-centred creature. This
is what grace means; the undeserved mercy of Almighty God.
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Many professing Christians do not understand the significance of this offering
of Himself for His creation.
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This is because we are inclined to look at all things from a physical standpoint,
not being aware of God's real (Spiritual) purpose.
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Please come to the understanding that God's spiritual world is timeless,
and that all preconceived worldly values and laws - such as gravity - will
be done away with. Even the stars will fall from their orbits. Life will
be without heartbeats- without blood and time*.
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Please consider and ponder over this truth that is going to happen.
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Where do you want to be?
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And the final "acceptance trials" will be adjudged on that day;
when we are in our timeless bodies. (What did I for my Creator, and for
what purpose?)
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For example:
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And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith
the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet
are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service,
and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more
than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because
thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess,
to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things
sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication;
and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that
commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of
their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches
shall know that I am he which
searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according
to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira,
as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths
of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that
which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh,
and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall
they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will
give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches.
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(Revelation 2:18-29)
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Our destiny has been laid out before the foundation of the world was laid,
please take up the offer - now, tomorrow may be too late - Jesus may have
stopped knocking at your door (Revelation 3:20) :
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And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly
framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also
are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
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(Ephesians 2:20-22)
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For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn
in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were
finished from the foundation of the world.
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(Hebrews 4:3)
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A favourite Hymn:
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Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed
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His tender last farewell,
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A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed
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With us to dwell.
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He came in semblance of a dove,
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With sheltering wings outspread,
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The holy balm of peace and love
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On earth to shed.
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He came in tongues of living flame
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To teach, convince, subdue,
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All powerful as the wind He came
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As viewless too.
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He came sweet influence to impart,
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A gracious, willing Guest,
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While He can find one humble heart
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Wherein to rest.
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And His that gentle voice we hear,
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Soft as the breath of even,
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That checks each fault, that calms each fear,
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And speaks of Heav'n.
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And every virtue we possess,
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And every conquest won,
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And every thought of holiness,
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Are His alone.
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Spirit of purity and grace,
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Our weakness, pitying, see:
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O make our hearts Thy dwelling place
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And worthier Thee.
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Author: Harriet Auber
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* Have you ever considered how limiting heartbeats and breathing are? (Luke
9:28-36; Romans 7:24; Hebrews 1:1-14, verse 3). Ask God the indwelling
Holy Spirit to reveal this hidden truth to you, beloved.
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Have you ever realised, professing Christian, that you will need to enter
a third Covenant with God, in another dimension, through the Man seated
in the position of honour, in heaven?
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The first two centred around blood2, needed for sinful man.
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The third centres around the Spirit and only those who are born again and
in loving obedience will enter the ultimate, purposed place for all
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1 www.hosanna.org.za
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2 The Blood Covenant.
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