Mercier's Musings

Thought for Today: A Great Light

Pastor Mercier — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:45:17 +0000

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

Matthew 4:16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”

Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Who is this light?

Luke 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” 33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

What revelation did the Light (Jesus) bring ?

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Who did the Lord Jesus say who he was ?

John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

So what shall we do ?

John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Ephesians 5:14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

Philippians 2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

What was the Message of Light to us ?

1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

What was Paul’s testimony ?

Acts 26:12 “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

What is the Future of the Great Light?

Isaiah 60:19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.20 Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended.

Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

Thought for Today: Take Up Your Cross

Pastor Mercier — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:56:37 +0000

Here are three responses to the the Thought for the Day:

“Walk with Him, lay all at the cross….the cross is for all our burdens and sin….with the cross we are forgiven!”

“It seems as most of my devotional time, teaching and discipleship have centered on the the principle of self denial. It is a much better way of life.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Mat 11:28-29”

“My “thoughts” are that once we know the love of our Lord Jesus, we are responsible to share it with others “His good news…..and not be ashamed of the gospel. It isn’t always easy or accepted, but we must share our faith either through our actions or though his words.”

How do these verses apply to us today? What are your thoughts?

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Luke 14;27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Christmas….He came for to die.

Pastor Mercier — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:31:03 +0000

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Luke 2:13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

2 Thessalonians 2:6 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

**We Wish You a Merry♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪ Christmas♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪We Wish You a Merry ♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪Christmas**

♥ ♥ ♥We Wish You A Merry ♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪Christmas ♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪…And A Happy New Year!♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•¨•♫♪…

Fretful and Resentful: Sermon Notes 10/31/10 @CalvarySeaside

Pastor Mercier — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:48:35 +0000

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Why are we fretful ?

Why are we resentful ?

Why do we have all these difficulties and problems in our life ?

Why is this person in my life ?

Why has this situation come up in my life ?

Why are these circumstances appearing in my life ?

Why ? Why ? Why ?

It is because God loves you ! Nothing happens to you that is not brought to the throne of God. Read Job.

1 Corinthians 10:26 for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

26 For the [whole] earth is the Lord’s and everything that is in it.

26 Certainly, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything it contains is his.”

26 “The earth,” after all, “is God’s, and everything in it.” That “everything” …

What God is, is love:

If God loves us why does He allow suffering to happen to us if He loves us?

Why do we have all these difficulties and problems in our life ? These circumstances that cause us to fret, complain, to become resentful and bitter even.

Why yes… why do we suffer ? Let us consider!

Sometimes we suffer because of we have missed God’s purpose and God’s plan for our life.We have missed the mark, we have sinned.

Sometimes it is someone else who caused the problem and we are caught up in the circumstances causing us to suffer. For instance when someone else runs a red light and hits us.

We suffer sometimes just because of the Fall. We get cancer.

No matter what the suffering, God is not punishing us. So, look to Him and ask the question:

Why?. Why did this happen ?

God is Love and He loves us.

Because God loves us He corrects us and He perfects us.

Correction

Perfection

Do we like correction ? No ! Do we like perfection?

Do you remember the story of Jonah, Jonah was an example of correction ? Jonah suffered for the consequences of his disobedience,

But those aboard the ship suffered for awhile because of Jonah’s sin.

Remember the disciples were on the ship in the storm. The Lord was training them to trust and obey.

So let’s consider God’s correction toward us. This is what we most fret and regret and resent and become discouraged over.

Hebrew 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you arerebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid themrespect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits andlive? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of Hisholiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to bejoyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have beentrained by it.

So what is the Lord training us to do ?

Whether it is correction or perfection,

The purpose is is just to love. To love God and to love one another.

To love just as He has loved us.

1 John 4:8 He who does not lovehas not known God, because God is love.

Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lordyour God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

If you love me you will obey me.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Now it gets serious.

1 John 4:8 He who does not lovehas not known God, because God is love.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Fatherin heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ’I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

How do we practice lawlessness?

By not obeying,
but most of by not loving.

We want to be known by God! So we Love God and we Love each other.

This is God’s will for us to love.

To love God.
To love onother.

1 Corinthians 13:5 Love is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 6:14 ¹For if you forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also; 15 But if you do not forgive men their offenses, neither will your Father forgive your offenses.

Matthew 18 :21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Himpurifies himself, just as He is pure.

We are going to have communion now !Let us purify ourselves, but before we get started and pray, let us go and reconcile with anyone here you have offended or that has offended you.

Then we will sing and have communion.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, 5 he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us.

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord the teaching that I passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took a piece of bread, 24 gave thanks to God, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me.” 25 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup and said, “This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood. Whenever you drink it,do so in memory of me.” 26 This means that every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. .

So eat the bread in memory of our Lord.

So drink now in memory of our Lord .

Thus proclaiming the Lord’s death,

Until He returns.

SERMON: Why Do We Suffer?

Pastor Mercier — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:49:26 +0000

This is the teaching by Mercier Willard from the Valencia Inn Friday, October 16, 2009.

Mercier taught a combined meeting with the kids and adults.

We mixed it up with kids songs, the memory verse, more kid songs, sermon, and more closing worship.

We apologize for crazy background noise (and low volume) and give our official disclaimer herein.

Enjoy!

What do we do Fridays anyway? Click on Friday to find out.

More teachings for download are here.

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Barnabas Broadcast: Episode #2 Malachi 3:16

Pastor Mercier — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:18:15 +0000

God takes notes when He hears us talk about Him. And He thinks about us so often, it’s overwhelming!

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Chew On This: Hebrews 13:5

Pastor Mercier — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:16:44 +0000

Hebrews 13:5 Amplified

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, lust, and craving for earthly possessions]

and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have];

for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor ]give you up nor leave you without support.

[I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!].

What do you think of this verse?

Looking forward to your comments.

I Am Gentle and Lowly in Heart via Ray Ortlund

Pastor Mercier — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:27:17 +0000

“I am gentle and lowly in heart.”

Matthew 11:29

“Now it is very remarkable that the only passage in the whole New Testament in which the heart of Jesus is distinctly mentioned is the one before us…

The words employed here include, first, a readiness on the part of Christ to pardon all past offenses. ‘Come to me,’ he says, ‘for however much you may have offended in the past, I am meek and easily to be entreated. I am ready to forgive, to forget and cast behind my back all your provocations. I do not say this to cajole you; my very heart says it, for my heart is full of tenderness and compassion for you.’

The words also include a willingness to endure yet further offenses. ‘Not only do I forget the past but I am ready to bear with you still, though you should still offend me. I will endure it all. Come to me, although you cannot hope that your future character will be perfect. I will help you to struggle into holiness and be patient with your failures. As frequently as you shall grieve me, so frequently will I forgive you. I am meek in heart, ready to forgive the past and willing to bear with you in the present and in the future.’

Beloved brethren, what a heart Jesus has to receive sinners in this divine manner!”

C. H. Spurgeon, Treasury of the New Testament, I:177-179.

Reposted from Ray Ortlund’s Blog

Barnabas Broadcast Episode 1: Colossians 3:17

Pastor Mercier — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:06:49 +0000

I’ve started video blogging. Check it out.

More is on my youtube channel.