Transcription
I will share very quickly on moving God to show great mercy. Some others say something good is about to happen. I want you to say it with confidence. I want you to say it with a smile on your face. It shall be so.
Wrong Daniel 2:16-19. I read from the Easy to Read Version. It says, when Daniel heard the story, he went to King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel asked the king to give him some time. Then he would tell the king what the dream meant. So Daniel went to his house. He explained the whole story to his friends: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel asked his friends to pray to the God of heaven that God will be kind to them and help them understand this secret.
Help is coming. [Applause] The kindness of God is about to be expressed to someone here. [Applause] Then Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon. During the night, God explained the secret to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.
This last quarter of 2020, we aimed for you and your family in praise in the name of Jesus. The same year of COVID, the same year that was so challenging for so many all over the world, it would be a record that it was in that same year that God decided to show you great kindness. [Applause] It will end in praise. Help is around the corner now in the name of Jesus.
And then Mark chapter 10, for the 6 to 52. Mark chapter 10:46-52. Then they came to the. I'm reading also from the Easy to Read Version. Then they came to the town of Jericho. When Jesus left there with his followers, a large crowd was with him. A blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting by the road. He was always begging for money. He heard that Jesus from Nazareth was walking by. So he began shouting, "Jesus, Son of David, please help me!" King James Version will tell you, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy upon me." Many people criticized the blind man and told him to be quiet. But he shouted more and more, "Son of David, please help me!"
Another word for mercy is help. To have mercy on a man will involve helping that man. Would translate to helping that woman. Jesus stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." September 1st marked the beginning of a divine intervention for someone here. [Applause] "Tell him to come here." So they called the blind man and said, "You can be happy now. Stand up. Jesus is calling you." "Jesus is calling you." He said, the blind man stood up quickly. Somebody said, "I will arise." Somebody said, "No more discouragement." Somebody said, "No way for depression." Someone said, "I refuse to give up." Someone said, "My time is now." The blind man stood up quickly. He left his coat there and went to Jesus. Jesus asked the man, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Something specific is about to be done for you." The answer, "Teacher, I want to see again." Very specific prayer request. "I want to see again." Because when that is addressed, his story will change. Can you imagine a man's story that even the scriptures, even the Spirit of God, when giving the narrative of his story, he said, "This man, he was always begging for money." Always begging for money. He was not necessarily a beggar. It was a circumstance beyond his control that forced him into something he never desired to do. He wasn't happy begging for money. And he could see that the day this major issue will be solved in my life. No more begging for money. So his day of encounter came because our God is a merciful God. Sometime in your life, Psalm 102:13 will be fulfilled. And that verse tells us that, "Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion." Is the name of someone here for the time to favor her, yea, the set time and appointed time. And I'm telling someone here authoritatively, September 1st marked the beginning of your season of divine intervention. [Music] Very soon, someone here will ask for special thanksgiving, and that request shall be granted because the testimony will be too much to be so outstanding.
So they called the blind man and said, "You can be happy now. Stand up. Jesus is calling you." He stood up quickly. He left his clothing and went to Jesus. Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He answered, "Teacher, I want to see again." Jesus said, "Go, you are healed because you believed." Immediately, the man was able to see again. Two things: he was able to see again. Number two, it happened immediately. Someone traveled out of the country not too long ago. I tell someone here, by the time that person returns back to Nigeria, your testimony would have been complete. The problem they met you with at the end of last year, they will not meet you with that problem by December. [Applause] Immediately, somebody said, "Immediately." The man was able to see again. May the Lord intervene with divine speed concerning your request in Jesus' name. [Applause]
Mercy, mercy, mercy releases you from deserved judgment. Mercy releases you from a deserved penalty. Mercy gives you benefits beyond your input, beyond your qualification, beyond your competence, beyond the best of your efforts. Mercy gives you undeserved victory. Under normal circumstances, looking at all the parameters, you we are not supposed to emerge victorious, but by the mercy of God, victory is yours this time. [Applause] Mercy gives you undeserved promotion, undeserved reward, undeserved honor, gifts, appointment, selection. Mercy can move God to stop a severe judgment. He did it for Nineveh, he did it for Ahab, and many other instances in scriptures. Mercy can move God to stop a deserved punishment on a guilty person. Because of mercy, even the lawful captive can be set free. Even though you me, you actually were guilty, you made a big mistake. The day mercy decides to speak for you in the presence of God, even the lawful captive will be set free. God will see to it that someone here is pardoned. It can cause a deserved penalty or judgment to be waived. Mercy is a major force that moves God to deliver those faced with unbearable situations, people faced with overwhelming trials. First Corinthians 10:13, for instance. People with prolonged problems. In John chapter 5, verses 1 to 7. John 5:1-7. At the pool where many who were afflicted, but the Bible says there was a man who had been afflicted for 38 years. And the next thing you read is that he said, and when Jesus saw him, out of a crowd of people with problems, Jesus singled out that one man, intervened in the situation, and there was an instant miracle. People with pathetic situations. Luke chapter 7, verses 12 to 14. Luke 7:12-14. The woman who lost her husband, and after recovering from the days of mourning, her only consolation was the presence of her only son. And then the wicked devil came to take out what was now the only source of joy and consolation to that woman, to that widow. And the devil, in whatever way he would have struck at that situation, the result was that that young boy died. To show you how serious this situation, how bad it was, the Bible says as they were going to bury this boy, the whole city went with her. These two cases were cases of unsolicited divine intervention. That is what mercy does. The man at the pool never asked Jesus for intervention. He just, Jesus saw him, and he knew he had been in that state for 38 years. He decided to show mercy unto him. This woman never asked Jesus for an intervention to raise back his son to life, but by compassion, by mercy, he was moved and intervened in her situation.
The trials for some people could be what we call big problems. Big their problems. You know, sometimes when you are complaining, when someone will tell you about his own experience with that same type of problem, you will laugh. For the first time, you will laugh because you have just had a greater magnitude of what you thought was a very big problem for you. And there are people like that. There was this woman in 2 Kings chapter 4, verses 1 to 7, that was left with a big burden of debt by her departed husband. And it was so bad that the creditors came and threatened to seize her two sons because this debt was not paid. It was in the midst of that she cried out for help. So mercy is a major force that makes a way for people in helpless circumstances. And God is about to help the helpless. God is about to help the abandoned. [Applause] Someone in this meeting, they have forgotten you, but God is about to remember you. [Applause] Those who could have helped have virtually forgotten you, but God is about to remember that person.
So mercy also helps people to receive certain blessings they have long been denied of. It is often extended to people who have been unfairly treated. That's one of the challenges, one of the dynamics of life. Even when someone has done something wrong, at a point God will restrain you from further speaking against that person, from further punishing that person, from further, you know, walking against that person. At a point, now when it gets to that point, if you go further, instead of that person continuing in that realm of challenge that has been going through, the mercy of God will prevail. The mercy of God will prevail, and things will begin to turn around. In Genesis chapter 29:31, Genesis 29:31, the Bible says, "When God saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb." So sometimes people can overdo things. Somebody has made a mistake, and sometimes an unintentional mistake. Now, if you flog that issue too much, if you punish that person too much, it can come to a point where God will just decide to show that person mercy. Say, "When God saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb." A closed door for someone here, but the mercies of God are about to be opened. [Applause]
Mercy moves God to help people achieve certain things they had repeatedly failed to achieve. And then there is what is called great mercy. There are different degrees of mercy. Psalm 126:1-3. "When God turned around the captivity of Zion, we were as them that dreamed." And the people who are obviously observing shall testify, "God has done great things for them." For who? The same people that we are in captivity. Great mercy talks about an act of mercy that is of a very remarkable degree. That is what is about to happen for certain people. 2020 will end very well for such persons in the name of Jesus. If you are one of them, connect heaven with a louder amen.
And we close by making reference to the experience of Joseph in Genesis 41, talking about great mercy. That is mercy added, sometimes with favor. It took mercy for Joseph to come out of prison, but he didn't stop there. It turned out to be great mercy when Pharaoh now promoted him to become the Prime Minister of Egypt. So why the pardon and release from prison was an act of mercy, Joseph's appointment and promotion as Prime Minister was an act of God's favor. God will add favor to His mercy that is about to be extended in the name of Jesus.
So what happens when God decides to show mercy? One, forgiveness, pardon. As a little minivan, freedom for the captives. Any curse that has locked down the potential and fortunes of a family represented here today, by the mercy of God, we break that curse. Whatever has hindered your paternal family spiritually, by the mercy of God, that spiritual hindrance is divinely removed on behalf of your family. Say better amen. [Applause] Freedom for the oppressed, freedom for the catholics, because it is written that even the lawful captive shall be set free. Translation of deserved punishment. The second major thing that happens when God decides to show mercy is intervention. Sometimes they can intervene to prevent something from happening. He can intervene to stop something. He could have a vein to start something. He can intervene to complete. The third major thing he does when he decides to show mercy is help. Help is coming. And number four, removal of your reproach. Removal of your reproach. Whatever constitutes a reproach in your life, in your testimony, God has been so good, but there is one area of your life, and most times when people are offended with you and they want to spite you, that is what they mention. When people really want to spite you, that is what they will highlight in your life. The same God who removed the reproach of Elizabeth, even in old age, will remove that reproach from your family, remove that reproach from your life in the name of Jesus. Every reproach of delayed marriage, the Lord remove it now in the name of Jesus Christ. And number five is victory over delayed blessing, victory over prolonged trials, victory over prolonged pain and suffering. And I'm fully confident that Nigeria will experience the mercy of God. Victory at great odds is another benefit. Is another thing that happens when God decides to show mercy. Is this a man in this meeting, a woman at this meeting, you are faced with great odds concerning something that must be achieved. The Lord will come down and give you victory. Victory over stronger competitors comes by the mercy of God. Victory for the rejected is number seven. Victory for the rejected. The stone which the builders rejected has now become the head of the corner. And lastly, when God decides to show mercy, there will be restoration.
So how can you move God to have mercy over something? One is by crying out to God for mercy. And that is where we take two prayer points. By crying out to God for mercy. Daniel got his three close associates to join him in prayers. Just one night video. Just one night video. And when they were through, possibly around 4 AM, 5 AM, they were through. Before Daniel woke up, before he woke up in the morning, God had shown to him the answer to his prayer. Your answer, and the answer to your prayer, will come earlier than you ever expected. Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus for mercy. Same moment, the Lord answered his prayer, and he received his sight. Take note, it was a cry for mercy that compelled Jesus to attend to Bartimaeus, and not necessarily because he had a critical challenge. All the while that Bartimaeus had a serious challenge, there was no divine intervention. However, it was when he decisively cried out to God for mercy that a divine intervention finally came. I can tell you something from the little walk, I'm still very young in the Lord. From my little walk with God, when God, there are times I could come up and preach a message, but there are times when God will specifically lead you to preach on a particular thing, and he would insist that that thing must be done now. Anytime that happens, there will always be immediate results. So I can tell you confidently that by the time we start to pray this very afternoon, within a record time from today, we will hear someone's testimony of the act of God's mercy. In Daniel chapter 2:16-19, our test, you saw the same sequence play out. It was a cry for mercy by Daniel and his prayer partners that attracted an intervention from God. All the while that Daniel and his three Hebrew friends were faced with a threat of death from the king, there was no divine intervention, even though he was even praying three times a day. The turning point was when they cried out decisively for God to God for mercy. For your sake, sir, God will have mercy on your family. Stand on your feet as we go to the Lord. This blessed first Sunday of the month of September. Have you heard a word from God or not? Jesus, He is the word of God. Jesus is the word. We're going to pray, and God will answer. O Lord, have mercy upon me, upon upon my loved ones, and deliver us now out of every major setback, problems, or crises that we are currently exposed to, in the name of Jesus. It may not be you as a person, but there is a loved one that you know is currently faced with a crisis. As we pray this prayer, the mercy of God will bring a divine intervention. O Lord, say it one more time, have mercy upon me and upon my loved ones, and deliver us now out of every major setback, problems, or crisis, in the name of Jesus. Lift up your voice in prayer. Lift up your voice in prayer. Lift up your voice in prayer. In Jesus name, we have prayed.
One of the things that also happens when God decides to show mercy is restoration. So we are going to pray. The Lord have mercy upon me and upon my loved ones, and restore completely everything we have lost, in the name of Jesus. Even the wasted time, wasted years that was lost in a mysterious way, God will restore for you in the name of Jesus. Those who have been left behind by the mercies of God, you will catch up and overtake. Catch up and overtake. Catch up and overtake. Are you ready to pray? Heavenly Father, have mercy upon me and upon my loved ones, and restore completely everything we have lost, in the name of Jesus. Lift up your voice and pray. Lift up your voice and pray. Lift up your voice in prayer. In Jesus name, we pray.
Finally, you are going to pray that the Lord will send help from above to turn around your special prayer request into joyful testimony. Heavenly Father, one more time, send help from above to turn around my special request into joyful testimony. This new season, in the name of Jesus. Lift up your voice in prayer. Lift up your voice in prayer. Lord, send help. Help from above. Help from above. Help from above. Help from above. Send help from above. Send help from above. Lord, send help. Send help. Send help. Send help from above. In Jesus name, we have prayed. Honor Jesus. We declare perfect. [Music] So. [Music] You.