Morning Mercies

 Our Father, Who Art in Heaven! "After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven..."   Matt. 6:9a When I read that Jesus told his disciples, "... call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven (Matthew 23:9), I was quite perplexed and could not grasp the meaning. In this chapter Jesus was teaching the multitude and his disciples about the scribes and the Pharisees. He warned them to follow what they say - but do not do what they do. I understood that these men were supposedly godly men that taught well but did not live out what they taught. He didn't want his followers to be like, talking the talk but now walking the walk. But, I couldn't tie what that had to do with calling men on earth father. We have earthly fathers that love, provide and protect us - sometimes! As I continued in my walk of faith, the Lord revealed that He is the only Father that I can count on. Our earthly fathers are flawed. They have

 Although We May Fail...God Will Not! I have come to the conclusion that we, as human beings are terribly flawed! Paul said, in these bodies dwell no good thing (Rom. 7:18). Jeremiah also confirms that our hearts are so desperately and deceitfully wicked, we don't even realize it (Jere. 17:9).  I tell you, these truths make me wonder, then what good am I? The answer is - I am not, but God is, and it is in Him that I live, move and have being (Acts 17:28a). I must totally trust in and depend upon Him! As I shared last week, our sufficiency is in Christ alone. He is the One Who defeated the sin that binds us because we cannot! We fool ourselves if we consider that we have any ability of our own to change and do good! The truth of the matter is this great salvation we are enjoying today is a gift from God! The faith we have was given as a gift from God! The Helper that indwells us, enabling us is a gift from God! There is a pattern of truth here that I pray we all are able to comprehe