Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; & what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, & to walk humbly with your God? Prov 21:3 To do righteousness & justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love & not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Matt 9:13 Go & learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, & not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” — what does it mean to show mercy? It means to have a heart of kindness toward our God & each other! —Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Prov 11:25 A generous soul will prosper, & he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. — Showing mercy refreshes the soul & our God loves a refreshed soul! Love Mel
Back to the Future
Read carefully: Psalm 82:1-7 “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth “among the gods”. How long will ye judge unjustly, & accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor & fatherless: do justice to the afflicted & needy. Deliver the poor & needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; & all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, & fall like one of the princes.” At the Tower of Babel after the Lord confused the nations we see: Deut 32:8-9(ESV) “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He divided mankind, He fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob his allotted heritage.” –So we see here that God apportioned the nations (except Israel) to some of His created beings. These are the powers & principalities that rule over nations that Paul refers to. These are the ones wreaking havoc on the world today just as they did in the past. Do you see how history repeats itself in Afghanistan, Australia, & Russia to name a few. Too much to unpack in one message, but remember we fight not against flesh & blood but against demons & those they influence. Always PRAY. Love Mel
