Heart-of-Mercy-Season-of-Trouble

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Newsltr122009-Heart of Mercy Amidst a Season of Trouble
“Amidst a season of trouble, there awaits a heart of Mercy”

by the Watchman Dana G Smith
Keywords: heart, Lord, God, Jesus, Christ, despair, discontent, winter, depression, love
words:
As I sit here in the early morning hours, the weather has been warming up. The cold snap has moved away. Thus another portion begins. One begins, another follows, till the season of winter is over. That is one thing we have here is winter. Last September, I wrote an article titled, “America’s Winter of Discontent”. Winter can be a tough time for many. Especially around Christmas time. Many today celebrate this holiday, but the season of celebrating for many goes from Thanksgiving to New Years. During that time, people can go through depression and turmoil. It is a fact that Christmas depression and related troubles hit many during this time. Factor in the ‘winter’, ‘cold’, and some being ‘alone’, it can bring on such troubles.

For years winter was a bothersome time to me, including holidays. Today, however, by the presence of the Lord and his power, it is no longer that way. Those times were times of struggling with the Lord over certain things I had gone through and his people. Yes, the people of God, the deacons, the Pastors, and I had a quarrel. It was a long running feud between me and the Lord. In the end, my ways, and the root of bitterness that had built up, were uprooted and torn to shreds by the power of God and my repentance. Although I was indeed harmed, through no fault of my own, or so I thought, by the so called people of God, I kept the wound festering and root growing. But the Lord helped to realize that this root was hurting me more than the people who had actually been part of it. One of my sins in that church was being to zealous. As many of you know, for I have said it on air, two deacons caught me alone on the stairwell on a Sunday am service and castigated my zeal for the Lord saying “we don’t want your kind here, your to zealous.” “Take your bags and go back to school and leave.” Soon I would go from believing I was in the perfect will of God to being with my family alone, in a different state, unemployed, and at Christmas. We were taught in school to always preach with your bags packed, but somehow, at this time, the teaching did not seem to help any!

I learned that my winter depressions, doldrums, and many of my problems were from the root of the trouble God had been working to get me to release. That was many years ago, but I remember it quite well. I could of saved myself years of anguish, if I had of listened. Isn’t that with all of us? Our regrets sometimes plague us? Our what if’s come to our side and beacon to us! It would of been better if we had only done this or that! All such voices come to mind from your collective memory, the flesh, and also the devil who see’s to it you don’t forget anything that he could use against your walk in the Lord. That is why our Lord came, to deliver from sins and to bring down the dark principalities and powers of the devil. He no longer reigns, unless we allow him too! We can be free! Today, right now you can access that freedom, but it will take faith and determination. I also found repentance to be key as well as letting go of all the hurt!

Colossians 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

I sit now writing this trying to let you know how much power the Lord has truly given us! Of course, it is his power, in us, through the Cross and the provision of the Holy Spirit in us. I also regress a minute here, as this month is the anniversary of my mothers death. For years she suffered. My wife and I battled in prayer and laying on of hands for her. We did see her come back and actually get to come home after one such fasting and prayer for her. In the end, she did not do as we prayerfully advised her to do. That was to seek the Lord, both her and my dad and get in with the Lord. Soon the enemy returned and her state worsened.

My dad simply could not bring himself to believe in any divine healing power. I don’t blame him, though, for my grandmother, a godly woman, died of breast cancer. All after deacons had come, anointed her with oil. When she died, my dad simply lost all hope in the Lords willingness or ability to heal today. With that, we battled his unbelief. He believed in the Lord alright, he simply did not accept that this included healing for him or his family. His mothers death devastated him. It was during the War, he was a young man, and had to take the threads of manhood quickly in both arena’s caring for his younger sister and brother.

When Christmas comes, I and many others see not only ‘vain exercises’ in this winter holiday but also with it a clamour for things. With it comes the knowledge of the suffering and death of my own mother at this time. I do have a heart for those who have lost loved ones. But the echo is here that we must realize that if they die in the Lord, they are in his hands. It is those who do not believe that will face wrath that are in a pitiful state. My mother was a methodist and did believe. One time when she was sick, she spoke to us of the “Lord telling her that it was not time yet for her to come home to be with him.” She did live on for quite a time after that. The long struggle for her and her death, was very painful to watch. But the Lord, in his mercy, guided our hearts into his bosom for comfort. Let me tell you that this is where you need to go! Only in his bosom, accessed by prayer, persistence, and a heart of love for him can you find it. There is that spot where the Lord meets us, in our troubles, depression, hurts, and anything else burdening you!

Proverbs 8:17  I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
Jeremiah 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Over the years my wife and I have buried other loved ones. Her mother was another case in point, a very difficult struggle. In the end, she went home to be with the Lord, but the continuance of wanting to be with those who have gone on, to talk to them, be with them, touch them, embrace and love them from your heart, this stays with us. It has been many years since both our mothers died and now we face what many others our age do, the continual death of loved ones, parents, friends, and acquaintances. That is why Christ came, to deliver those of us who believe from the sting of death! Friend, the grave is not to frighten us, for in Christ we have been delivered. The Apostle Paul says that if we have only hope in this life alone, we are miserable. The emphasis here is the power of what Christ did. Not to keep you in luxury on earth, but to deliver you from the pain and sting of death, with the separation from God being a prime importance. This is our hope in Christ, beyond this life, to be with Him and the Father. With all the heavenly host, and the ‘saints in white’ in glory, this is our hope!

The Prophet Hosea speaks of ‘redeeming them from death’!

Hosea 13:14  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

The Apostle Paul also talks of death and the grave! “There is no sting, nor victory for the grave, because of the Lord Jesus Christ!”

1 Corinthians 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Today, through Christ, we are the general assembly, church of the firstborn [Jesus Christ], we are written in heaven through Christ, and unto God the Judge of all we are re-united as spotless through his blood. We through Christ, our spirits, that which lives on, that which is us, not our physical body, but our spirits are made perfect in Christ, being fully realized when we come to him in glory.

Hebrews 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect

As I move through this ‘winter of discontent’ for many in America and the world, to me, through Christ, it is no longer a time of ‘discontent’, for my contentment is in Christ. My strength, my provision, my hope, my calling, my all in all, is in Him, who bore me through the depths of my own troubles on his shoulders and brought me safely to his shore of deliverance. He has done the same for my wife, and my children. None of which, as I, are without troubles, for the Lord saith, “in the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” For me, that is my hope, he overcame, so can I. He will not leave me, so I can make it. I can bring my needs, my families needs, my loved ones, my friends, and all others to his throne for mercy and find help. This I do, so should you!

Philippians 1:15  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16  The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17  But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
18  What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

For me, Christmas nor Hannakuh are not one of my holiday’s. As for Christmas I do not walk upon nor judge those who keep their Christmas targeted on Jesus Christ. Some keep Christmas as carnal, some keep it before God, but I rejoice, whether carnal or spiritual, Christ Jesus is spoken and preached, talked about and sought! As for Hannakuh, it does celebrate a miracle the Lord God caused for those who had hoped in Him to do. For us, the feasts of the Lord are ones to which we aspire to do with love in Him who has saved us, through Christ Jesus, Yshua Ha Massiach. But today, I remind you and myself that the true keeping of anything is truly found in keeping Christ Jesus who is our feast, our true holiday, the author and finisher of our Faith, Jesus Christ, at the forefront of our hearts, minds, and spirits.

For me, Christ is the true celebration. He is my bread of life, I have tasted of the Lord that he is good, gracious, merciful, and also a Father who guides and corrects. In this I am fully satisfied to be, in him. He is my feast, my holiday, for I have drank of the wine, of the cup, and fully embraced the blood that flowed from calvary. Thank God For this Hope we have!

Hebrews 12:1  ¶Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As I have covered many issues today in this one letter, I write this of the ‘mercy of God’, that the times ahead will be filled with trouble and tribulation for the nations, including America. In this trouble, is found the mercy of God, who will make his presence known. The harvest continues, there will be those who love and obey, then there are those who will be disobedient to the end. In the struggle, though, is found the mercy of God that will rescue any and all who will earnestly and heartfelt repent and look to him. No matter how ugly the sin stains are God is there to heal and redeem. This is mercy, year around on Gods calendar. If we celebrate anything at all, let us celebrate the fact of Gods mercy to deliver all who will repent from his fierce wrath. For surely he stirs and the nations will face his wrath and the kingdoms his rage. But for those who love him, he says in mercy to us:

Isaiah 26:20  ¶Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
21  For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

May this find you in Him, blessings to you,
The Watchman Dana G Smith
Is 21:6

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