September Newsletter

Here is my September newsletter:

The Intercessor Informer - September 2008

The Steadfastness of God

“For I am the LORD, I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) God does not change. This has been such a comfort to me recently. God declared who He is in Exodus 34:6-7, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.” God never has a moment where He gets so fed up with me that He just wants to smite me and wipe me out. He is the definition of patience and longsuffering. When He was on the earth, Jesus was the picture of the Father. Jesus is “the brightness of His [The Father’s] glory and the express image of His person.” (Hebrews 1:3) Every time He was wronged, His first response was to forgive. That is why He said told us in Matthew 5 to turn the other cheek. It’s the essence of who He is. God is humble. He loves to give freely of Himself. Every time I truly repent, our heavenly Father is just waiting, yea longing, to extend mercy to me. “For I desire [or delight in] mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) He is abounding in goodness. He is always thinking of ways to bless us and blow our minds with His perfect gifts. As the perfect Father, He is fully committed to bring us forth in righteousness. “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” (Hebrews 12:6) Even His judgment and discipline is an extension of His goodness because the purpose is always for us to be reconciled with God. It is so encouraging that we can count on the goodness and mercy of God for He never changes.