Forgive the alliteration of this title, but let it get caught in your mind if you could:  May we experience the MOMENTUM OF MERCY MULTIPLICATION in our region of California.  Imagine neighborhood and town-level multiplication of mercy from God shown through His children.

The one chapter book of Jude is a must read and ponder book in the Bible.  This morning I soaked in it thoughtful back to Daniel Porter’s sermon at Chapel in the Pines yesterday.  I’m also mindful of the work God is doing in the men of Tuolumne County represented by the Friday morning multi-church-family crew of guys gathering at Revive at 5:45am.  These guys are amped for the Savior and restless to see His grace and mercy being multiplied in our region.

Daniel mentioned a vision that has been rumbling around our county for several months now of God’s mercy being experience in a multiplying way in our county as the embers of passionate believers gather together and build in unity.  This embers-to-flames vision speaks to me of a volcano of passion for Jesus Christ.  That we would be so enamored with our Savior, so inundated with the Mercy, Peace, and Love Jude describes in his opening that we can’t help but to overflow in touching the lives of those in our community.  May our occupations be a way we touch lives for Christ.  May our neighborhoods be a context for raw and genuine relationship evangelism.  May our interactions in the community be genuine and sincere, a place where we show each other God’s favor as believers and where we are consistent in showing God’s grace to those yet unaware of God’s favor available to them though none of us deserve it (Grace).  May we be a people who are tenacious about showing the love of God to each other and to the lost.

What does MULTIPLY really mean but a much more dramatic increase than addition.  Multiplication of Gospel-centered ministry among us is possible as we WISH THE BEST for one another.  Jude’s wish, his hope implied in the word “may” mercy, peace, and love be multiplied “to” you, shows that this is a God thing.  It doesn’t say, “may it be multiplied among you”.  This is amazing.  God multiplies His mercy, peace, and love TO us according to His good intentions for His created children and for His yet to become children.  May we long for and look forward to the day we bear more spiritual children, friends.  Just like our own actual physical children, our spiritual children are ultimately not our own.  They belong to God.  But, as we experience God’s mercy being multiplied among us and through us to the lost, may we have a truly Godward and others-aimed joy and love, a true hope for the good of others instead of a taking from them.

God gives us still more grace as we humble ourselves and are caught up in awe and worship, beholding His favor on our lives and responding with outright humble and joyful worship.

May our region see pride melting away under the lava flow of God’s redeeming grace in the believer’s and unbeliever’s life.  May MANY turn and worship and celebrate the eternally pleasing LIVING GOD.

Surrendered to God’s good intentions,

– Torrey