Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, while ministering at the November 4 anointing service told the congregation who joined the service via Zoom that when God’s mercy locates one, every negative tag or label on such a person by the society, family or circumstances are removed.
The clergy, who spoke on the title, “The Mercy of God”, used the account of blind Bartimaeus recorded in Mark 10:46-52 to show that believers should not resign themselves to fate or allow their circumstances keep them from reaching to God, rather, they ought to continuously cry out to God for His mercy to prevail over their circumstances. He also noted that God will not turn a deaf ear to their cry for help, just as He listened to blind Bartimaeus and healed him when he cried out to Him.
In his words, “You probably are handicapped in many areas but there is an area that you aren’t. Recognize it and use it; just like Bartimaeus used his voice and cried for mercy concerning his sight.”
Explaining the mercy of God, Pastor Taiwo noted that the mercy of God is the goodness of God confronting human suffering and guilt. According to him, mercy always shows up when there is favour deficiency, human failure, and man’s inability. “The mercy of God will only appear when a man cannot do it and that was what Bartimaeus recognized”, he said.
Another way the man of God defined mercy is – the whole of God for the whole of man. He said, “If you really want God, understand His mercy and then activate it by crying out for His mercy.”
Pastor Taiwo further taught from Lamentations 3:22, reiterating that it is only through the mercy of God that we have not been consumed, and adding that God’s mercy brings deliverance, protection, and supplies to His chosen. “The mercy of God is the basis of all of God’s action on earth,” he stated.
He then urged them not to be tired of asking for God’s mercy because He will answer them. “When you cry out for mercy, the Holy Spirit will spring into action and His mercy will reach you, touch you, and work for you. Whatever it is you lack, don’t allow anyone to intimidate you like they tried to do with blind Bartimaeus; open your mouth and pray,” he urged.
Other scriptural references include: Psalm 86:15-16, Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3 and Matthew 20:30-34.
