Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Any discussion of God's
mercy must be attended with scriptural declaration concerning that mercy
and the one who is pleased to show it according to his own
prerogative. The Lord prepares the hearts of those to whom He
will show mercy by causing them to confess that apart from His
mercy they will surely perish. The publican who went up to the
temple to pray went down to his house justified, not because
of something he said or thought, but because he was an object
of the Lord's mercy, which was manifested by the convicting
work of the Spirit of God, which moved him to cry out to the Lord,
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. That man who has shown his need
for mercy is already a recipient of that mercy. For no man will
seek the Lord on his own. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God. We praise him for his mercy. David manifested the work of
the Spirit of God in him when he was confronted with his sin
by the prophet Nathan. When Daniel was given a vision
of the Lord, he said, Thus it is the confession of
all who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, that his mercy
is everlasting. We cannot trace its beginning,
and his promise and faithfulness ensures that it will have no
end. Nothing about his mercy in any wise depends upon the
recipients of it. Faithful is he that calleth you,
who also will do it. But thou, Lord, art a God full
of compassion and gracious, longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and truth.
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have
loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee. The objects of his love are the
recipients of his everlasting mercy. John tells us, For the
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Jesus Christ
is the only manifestation of God by whom a man may have knowledge
of his truth. Apart from seeing the man Christ
Jesus, a man can neither see nor know the true and living
God, beside whom there is none else. He is that one who is the
beginning and the end, by whom all things were made, and without
him was nothing made. I have made the earth, the man
and the beast, that are upon the ground by my great power,
and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed
meet unto me. For by him were all things created
that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers.
All things were created by him and for him. And he is before
all things, and by him all things consist. Thus when he told his
disciples, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh
unto the Father but by me. He was not merely claiming to
be speaking truth, but that he is the very embodiment of truth.
No man can know the truth apart from knowing him who is that
truth, which endureth to all generations. He is that one who
is the Savior of his people, even before the world was created
and sin enveloped Adam and his offspring. No man has ever been
justified nor been received into the presence of God apart from
being found in Christ. He is that covering which was
given to Adam and Eve. He is that seed which would bruise
the head of the serpent. He is that ark in which no one
in his family rode upon the flood. He is that bow which was set
in the clouds. He is that ram caught in the thicket when Abraham
would sacrifice the promised seed upon Mount Moriah. He is
that rock which followed the children of Israel in the wilderness.
He is that city not made with hands which those confessed that
they saw as strangers and pilgrims in the earth. He is that one
who has come in the end of the age to pour out his soul as an
offering for sin in the behalf of all of that generation which
are his. He is that one who rose victorious
over sin, death, and hell and made a show openly of all of
his enemies, triumphing over them and giving gifts unto those
whom he loves. He is the truth which endures.
What a glorious Savior is he, full of mercy to all who call
upon his name. Great and marvelous are thy works,
Lord God Almighty. Just and true are thy ways, thou
King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,
and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy. For all
nations shall come and worship before thee. For thy judgments
are made manifest. Let us exalt his name together.
For a free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send
an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.