You are called to tell others that the mercy you have known in all of your struggles and failings can also be theirs!

This is the message of the Church of Jesus Christ. When we get to heaven, we are not going to present a list of accomplishments, (though some will try) for there is nothing we could have done that could get us to heaven.

It is all about the mercy of God. His mercy wakes us up, His mercy opens our minds to truth, His mercy sets us free from the snares and traps of the enemy. The mercy of God does not impute our sin when we make mistakes throughout the day—we are still covered in the blood of Jesus Christ... That is why the Scriptures tell us that we have the right to condemn every voice that rises against us in judgment - this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. When the devil comes against you and says, “Look at how you have failed! Look what you said; look what you did; look what you didn’t do!” you can point right back into his face and say, “Listen, I have something that you don’t have, I have mercy covering my life!

Devil, you stink of rebellion, but I smell of mercy!” What comfort there is in the thought that we do not have to be perfect; we just have to be sincere in our walk with God. That is all He requires of us. When the Lord called Abraham, He said, “Abraham, I am going to bless you and increase you. I am going to make you a blessing in the earth; a father of many nations” (see Genesis 17:4–7). We know that God was talking about the Church of Jesus Christ—the ultimate lineage of Abraham. Yet before He gave Abraham this incredible promise, the Lord told him, “...I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1).

In the original Hebrew, the word perfect means “to be sincere.” That is all God asked of this man. The Scriptures show us that Abraham made incredible mistakes throughout his life. At one point, he even let his wife be taken into another man’s harem. Nevertheless, the promise of God remained, and now when we think about Abraham, we think of mercy!

Pastor Carter Conlon Times Square Church