From Double Glory to Great Mercies: The Altar and the Courage to Speak Truth to Power

Published By Jerry Adesewo On Jan 11, 2026

From Double Glory to Great Mercies: The Altar and the Courage to Speak Truth to Power

By Jerry Adesewo

the general languageEvery new year arrives not merely as a change of calendar, but as a spiritual crossing, hence, ‘crossing over’. It is an important moment—an invitation to reflect on where we have been, to discern where we are going, and to examine what God requires of us in the season ahead.

As we step out of the Year of Double Glory, anchored in Isaiah 61:7, and enter the Year of Great Mercies, drawn from Isaiah 54:7, we are not simply changing themes; we are transitioning in posture, responsibility, and expectation.

“For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion…”
— Isaiah 61:7

“For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.”
— Isaiah 54:7

Glory celebrates what God has done. Mercy confronts what we have become. And mercy, unlike glory, demands truth.

Understanding the Transition

The Year of Double Glory was a season of restoration, compensation, and divine vindication. It was about God returning honour where there had been shame, lifting burdens, and confirming promises. Glory is visible. It attracts attention. It often brings celebration.

But mercy is quieter and deeper.

Mercy acknowledges failure without destroying hope. It recognizes brokenness without discarding destiny. To enter a year of Great Mercies is to accept that we still need grace—not applause; correction—not flattery; truth—not comfort.

This transition is not accidental. It is timely.

Mercy Demands Truth

Mercy is not indulgence. Mercy is not silence. Mercy is not pretending all is well when it is not. Biblically, mercy often arrives alongside rebuke.

God shows mercy to Nineveh, but only after Jonah’s uncomfortable message. He extends mercy to Israel, but through the sharp voices of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos. Even Jesus, the embodiment of mercy, spoke hard truths to kings, priests, and systems.

The altar, therefore, cannot celebrate mercy while avoiding truth.

The Altar as the Conscience of the Nation

In every society, the altar has served as the moral compass—a place where heaven’s values interrogate earth’s systems. When the altar loses its voice, the nation loses direction.

Scripture warns us:

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression.”*
— Isaiah 58:1

The prophetic responsibility of the pulpit is not to echo the language of power, but to speak truth to power.

Truth spoken from the altar is not political opposition; it is spiritual accountability.

When the Altar Falls Silent

History teaches us that when religious leaders prioritize comfort over courage, societies tend to drift into moral confusion. Silence becomes endorsement. Neutrality becomes complicity. An altar that only blesses leaders but never challenges them becomes ceremonial, not prophetic.

The prophets of old were not popular. They were persecuted. But they were necessary.

Nathan confronted David.
Elijah challenged Ahab.
John the Baptist rebuked Herod.

None spoke from hatred. They spoke from obedience.

Mercy Without Truth Is Dangerous

A year of Great Mercies does not mean lowering standards or abandoning righteousness. Mercy without truth produces entitlement. Mercy without accountability breeds decay.

God’s mercy gathers, but it also corrects.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” — Revelation 3:19

If the Church celebrates mercy while avoiding correction, it fails both God and society.

A Word to the Pulpit

As ministers, priests, and stewards of the altar, this season demands courage. We must:

* preach righteousness without fear,
* address injustice without apology,
* confront corruption without compromise,
* defend the vulnerable without calculation,
* and remind those in authority that power is stewardship, not entitlement.

This is not rebellion.
This is responsibility.

A Word to Power

To those who lead—politically, economically, socially—this season of Great Mercies is also an invitation.

Mercy means God has not abandoned the nation. But mercy also means time remains to correct course. Justice, humility, transparency, and compassion are not optional virtues; they are prerequisites for national stability.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” — Micah 6:8

The Role of the People

Mercy also places responsibility on citizens. We must not outsource righteousness to leaders alone. A nation rises when its people demand truth, live with integrity, and refuse despair.

Hope must be active.
Faith must be responsible.
Prayer must be accompanied by conscience.

Mercy as a Call, Not a Cushion

As we open this first edition of From the Pulpit in a new year, we do so with clarity:

The Year of Great Mercies is not a year to whisper—it is a year to speak. Not to flatter—but to confront. Not to condemn—but to correct.

Glory celebrates what God has done. Mercy challenges what we must become. If the altar speaks truth, mercy will prevail. If truth prevails, the nation will heal. And if mercy gathers us, as God has promised, may it also reform us.

For in the end, mercy is not God lowering His standard; it is God giving us another chance to rise.

Happy New Year!