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Mercy Strikes Again!
Victoria Boyson
www.victoriaboyson.com
This could possibly be one of the most important messages the Lord has ever given me for His church. I pray with all my heart it is received. God, bless your church with understanding. Open their eyes and help them to see.
Brilliant Sheep
Jesus promised that when He returns in His glory, He will gather all the nations to Him and He will then separate all people, "as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." He will
place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left (Matthew 25:31). For those He gathered on His right He promised eternal life with Him, to those on His left He promised eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
demons (Matthew 25:41).
What are the differences between sheep and goats? Why would God categorize us by those two animals? I can't tell you much about sheep personally, but I can tell you that goats can be very
mean. I grew up with goats for a while and as I went in to feed them one night, two of our nanny's cornered me and rammed me in the stomach until my dog intervened and got them off. I dropped their food bucket on the
ground and ran.
I thought how silly those old goats were, I was there to help and care for them, but they turned on me and demanded from me what I was going to freely give them. They couldn't wait for me to put the food in their trough; they attacked me to get it. Well, that's the temperament I believe Jesus was referring to.
I've heard many preachers talk about how "stupid" sheep are, but I disagree. Sheep are brilliant, because they do one thing quite well... they FOLLOW THE SHEPHERD! They view the world by way of the Shepherd; they look to Him when they have any need and completely trust in him.
As a believer for nearly my whole life, I've seen both characteristics in church. I've seen believers who would follow Jesus through fire and flood, and share His heart without even trying. However, I've also seen what seems to be a growing crowd of Christians who have the characteristics of goats. They are truly demanding, want their own way, trying to beat people up, they're easily (really easily) offended. even when someone is trying to help them. One thing they can't seem to grasp is the concept of mercy. They can't grasp it because they have not be able to see it or comprehend it. If they did understand it at one time, they've simply lost the ability to understand one of Christ's foundational teachings of our faith.
Our faith is based on mercy, grace, faith, hope, joy and love. If anyone fights against these tenements of our faith, they are truly fighting against Jesus. In Luke 11:23 Jesus says, "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me." Wow! If the foundation Christ laid for us is being undermined by His followers, then they are not His true followers.
One way the enemy works is to distort the teachings of Christ one way and then try and refute the distorted teaching with another distortion. He's playing both roles and we jump on whatever band wagon we decide is right, when they're both wrong. He's operating in the roles of both the villain and vindicator and causing incredible division in the church in the process. And he attempts to make us feel self-important and even noble in our efforts to fight on either side of his pretended scheme. Yet, victory is not found in one side or the other, but in following the Lamb.
As children of God, we should seek to teach the whole Gospel, which is the good news as He taught us. Do this loudly and boldly! You cannot teach about sin if you do not also teach grace, and you cannot teach about grace unless you teach what is sin - to try to isolate either one is like trying to play Monopoly without the monopoly money.
So, satan, busy with distorting the Gospel, is standing back watching Christians attack each other over the distortions he created. All the while, as we attack and rebuke, slander and condemn, we do not realize we are becoming more and more like the goats Christ taught us about and less and less like the sheep He wants us to be. God wants to warn His church about this so we can repent before it is too late.
Just like in the world, the church is filled with a political spirit. But it's not at all about politics - just the combatant motivation that drives us farther and farther away from being like Jesus.
Matthew 25:31 is not about feeding, clothing or visiting as much as it is about developing a heart that IS MERCIFUL. It's about developing a life style of mercy, like James talks about in 2:12-13, "Whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who do not show mercy."
Indeed, if we deny mercy for others then how can we trust in the mercy of Christ for ourselves? For, His mercy drives us to be like Him and display the same mercy He did. Otherwise, we are not actually following the Shepherd. It does not matter what we do for God if we are unwilling to embrace the mercy God!
Blaspheming The Holy Spirit
In Mark 3:20, Jesus was ministering in a home where He was healing the sick and casting out demons when the teachers of religious law showed up and started accusing Him of being
"possessed by satan" and casting out demons by the power of demons. Jesus, calmly answered back, "How can satan cast out satan? A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by
feuding will fall apart. And if satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive." (Mark 3: 23- 27).
After explaining this to them, He revealed their hearts' true motive
in what they were saying. He said, "I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences" (Mark
3:28-29) - they were not attacking Jesus, as much as they were attacking the Holy Spirit flowing from Him.
Jesus was patient when they insulted Him, but when they condemned the power of the Holy Spirit that flowed
from Him, He refused to be silent. For truly, He knew that as they were condemning the manifest power of the Holy Spirit, they were condemning themselves to eternal damnation. He saw clearly, the poison that was filling
their souls as they accused and blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
This truth is very much overlooked in today's church. Shockingly, many "goat" Christians stand as judge and juror to hundreds, maybe
thousands of men and women of God who are vessels used by the Holy Spirit to further the work of the Lord. Truly, these Christians are embracing the anti-Christ spirit that is prevalent in our world today. Surely, they feel
valiant and brave as they condemn a man or woman of God as being a heretic and put them in the category of the unredeemable - beyond the grasp of mercy and call down any number of harsh penalties on them, even death. And
what is the crime they've committed that has earned such violence, indeed, their "crime" is displaying the Holy Spirit's power!
Our adversary satan, cannot stand the Holy Spirit and will raise up
whatever ruckus he can to cause confusion and slander to fall on anyone who operates under the anointing of the Holy Ghost! His greatest adversary is the Holy Spirit, so he turns unguarded hearts into searing weapons to
hinder anyone who's operating through His power.
Unfortunately, his tactics against Christians have been pretty successful in shutting down many ministers and churches at the very least, he's disparaged them
to such a degree that they are hated without evidence of their supposed crimes.
When you charge anyone in the natural realm with a crime, you must have hard evidence and many witnesses. The same is true for the
realms of the spirit. God is NOT going to answer prayers condemning one of His own servants. No! He hired them and they work for Him alone, only He can fire them. For, "Who are you to condemn someone else's
servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord's help, they will stand and receive his approval." Romans 14:4. Is God so weak in your eyes that He cannot judge His own servants?
Is He so blind you think He cannot see what they are doing?
Gamaliel's Advice
In Acts 5, the apostles faced opposition from the Sadducees and were brought before the high council. When they refused to
stop spreading the good news about Jesus, the council wanted to kill them. Yet, a wise man named Gamaliel spoke up for them and said, "So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing
these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!" (Acts 5:38-39).
I have been shocked at what I see as the growing flippancy among Christians to condemn those whom God has clearly anointed and used to share His Gospel. Throwing out condemnations without evidence to back it up, seemingly unwilling to even try to investigate the accusation they jump on the band wagons like goats attacking those who are trying to care for them and feed the flock, they pray against them, curse them, slander and bully them.
However, they are not hurting those they're attacking as much as they are blaspheming the precious gift of the Holy Spirit God sent to be a comfort and guide to us. And as surely as I can ever be I tell you this, the Words the Lord spoke about those who attack the Holy Spirit will not fail or falter. If you continue in doing what you are doing, you will surely find yourself condemned for your actions. Are the Words of Christ invalid now in this new age we live in? Absolutely not. How can we as created beings saved from eternal damnation, condemn anyone one to what we've been saved from? We cannot condemn a soul or save a soul from hell, "God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy" James 4:12.
King Saul was searching for David, trying to kill him in 1 Samuel 24:6, when David refused to touch the Lord's anointed. He so honored the Lord's anointing that he could not bring himself to strike at Saul even as he was being chased by him. Lord help, us to be more like David and respect God's precious anointing as in Psalm 105:15, "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
Offense Is Weakness
In our world, it seems that offense has become a badge of honor. Whole movements are generated based on offense. Yet, offense is NOTHING to be proud of. Offense is not strength; it is, in fact,
a weakness. When we are offended, it means we have given in to this spirit that wants to control us. We've allowed the enemy to set the agenda for our lives. We have taken satan's bait and stopped following the
Shepherd and are stuck in the goat pen trying to cause injury to those we feel have wronged us.
The demon of offense has successfully blinded many to the condition of their own soul and led them to attack the
Lord's heart by opposing His work on earth and the poison of offense has infected many who are connected to them. If we abide by the wishes of these accusers, we will become like them. We too will find ourselves
opposing Jesus instead of furthering His work on earth.
If we tolerate this spirit, even accommodating it, we allow the enemy to take a leadership role in our lives and we will be affected by it. I want to cry when
I think of all my brothers and sisters in Christ who've been unwittingly pulled away from the will of God for their lives and have instead been tricked by the enemy into fighting against the Lord. For Jesus said,
"Anyone who isn't with Me opposes Me, and anyone who isn't' working with Me is actually working against Me" Luke 11:23.
The War Within
There are men and women of God who've been
charged by Him with the task of leading prayer movements to save our nation. They're working for nothing less than our whole nation, yet the enemy has fought against them. He's caused people to become offended by
them for whatever reason he can conjure. Those people have been deceived into thinking they've been called by God to destroy the intercessor and any movement they lead. They tell themselves this person is bad, false,
heretical, mean, etc. In destroying the intercessor, they feel a sense of purpose and importance. All of this occurs because of offense that was not dealt with. The intercessor is coming up against prayer for their death or
ministry failure and may not even realize they're being prayed against.
So, seemingly normal Christians are being coerced into trying to destroy prayer movements all over our nation that God has raised up in
this hour to SAVE OUR NATION! It's time for the church to wake up and see who the real enemy is. We are destroying ourselves and crippling the very ones who are working hard to save us.
Self-centeredness is our
enemy, not our friend. Pride, offense and fear should not be nurtured. Instead, rebuke them and cancel their assignment over your life before they destroy you. God loves you with an absolutely overwhelming love and
He is calling His messengers to sound the alarm for the sake of your soul and the church. When the church as a whole awakens to the designs of the enemy and truly starts to battle against him instead of each other, we will
be ABSOLUTELY UNSTOPPABLE!!
This is the HOUR TO REPENT!
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the
path of everlasting life" Psalm 139:23-24. Pray and ask the Lord to show you the truth and expose any wickedness that's rooted in your soul. Be diligent in repentance and seek His mercy while He offers it. And
may you accomplish all that God has for your to do while on earth, so that you will enjoy His pleasure for all eternity.
Please Pray with Me:
Dear Father, thank you for your redemption and mercy. Father, cleanse
my heart from all snares of the enemy and forgive my sin. Please give me your powerful forgiveness and love for those who've wounded my heart. Keep my soul clean from all bitterness and restore me with your joy! Help me
to overcome the plans of my enemy and rejoice in the forgiveness of my sins. Help me to love and honor your Holy Spirit and respect His voice wherever I hear it. Help me to see through your eyes and most of all Father, help
me to follow the Great Shepherd, the Lamb of God who takes away my sins.
In Jesus' name, amen.
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NEW Book by Victoria Boyson