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The Mercy of God
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Now, Christians believe a lot of junk in these areas. There are all kinds of people who believe
that if you really set out to completely obey God, then look out, because all hell is going to break
loose. What is that based on? All kinds of Christians believe, “Oh, now if you really obey
God…oh man, look out. I mean, your finances are going to get attacked, your body is going to
get attacked, your marriage is going to get attacked...” So, what they’re saying is the more you
obey God, the more cursed you’re going to be. Because financial problems are a curse, physical
problems are a curse, marriage problems, and problems with your kids are all a curse. What
they’re saying is this: “The more fully I obey God, the more cursed I’m going to be.” Millions of
serious Christians believe this, and without realizing it, with their mouth, they are just opening
the door to the devil in their life, saying, “Yeah, I know it’s going to happen, come on in. I know
it’s going to happen…” Some people try to ride the fence and not fully obey God in order to
avoid it.
It’s a lie! The more you obey God, the more your needs are met, the more you are kept, and the
more you are blessed, and the devil isn’t what he cracks himself up to be. He can’t just come in
and hurt you. Hurt you because you’re obeying God? No, he can’t. Oh, he’d like to, but it’s not
true. Proverbs 16:7 is the truth, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his
enemies to be at peace with him.”
God is the Father of mercies, plural. He has mercy for your finances. The Psalmist said, “Fools
because of their iniquities are afflicted” (Psalm 107:17), and there are times when individuals—
you, me, whoever—just need to fall on their face and say, “I’ve been a fool.” But so many
Christians don’t want to do that; they just want to blame it on the devil. It’s easier on their pride.
Everything is going down the tubes. “We’ve gone from 2,000 people to 20, and we’re 9 months
behind on all of our bills, and we’re all sick and we can’t do anything. We’re losing everything,
and it’s because we have decided to fully obey God. God is doing a purging because we have
gotten so much more committed than the average Christian. What we’re doing is so vital and
important to the kingdom of God that the devil has taken his demons off of other people and
assigned them to us.” Is that so? Or could it be something else?
People would much rather say that than admit, “I didn’t hear from God. I missed it. I said He told
me to do this, but you know, I guess He did not.” See, people don’t want to say that.
My wife Phyllis and I have found that it’s hard for us to talk to people when they’re so adamant
in saying, “God told me! Now, I know He told me!” Yes, but it’s been a disaster for the last two
years, are you sure? “I know He told me!” Well, it’s hard. What am I going to say? “No, He
didn’t?” I mean, they basically shut the door.
We are all learning about hearing from God, and being led by the Spirit is not something you
learn all about in a month or two, or a year.
As I’ve mentioned, I had the privilege of working with Brother Kenneth Hagin, who is in heaven
now. He had walked with God for 60 years and had multiple visitations from the Head of the
Church. He had seen and heard Jesus personally. Yet, after all of that, he would be ministering
and say, “I feel like the Lord said this, but I’m a man, and I could miss it. You judge this in your
own heart, and if it doesn’t bear witness with your spirit, then just throw it out.”