30 November 2013 - come after me
Come after me
In one way or another Jesus is calling us to come after him. He may not make us fishers of men in the same sense that he does Peter and Andrew. However, as John Paul the Great reminds us in Redemptoris Missio, we are all called to mission in one way or another. He writes, "Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission”. And by the nature of this call we must let this new priority displace any other priorities in our lives no matter how essential they seem.
At once they left their nets and followed him.
This is because on the one hand evangelization is something beautiful. It is the sharing of new and abundant life. It is the only true source of peace and of joy.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
On the other hand it is also essential. This blessing remains locked away or at best obscured if it is not proclaimed.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
The world desperately needs the refreshment that only God's law can supply. We need the joy and enlightenment that it brings.
These words are indeed "Spirit and life". We must ask with Peter, "To whom shall we go? You alone have the words of everlasting life." If we realize with the psalmist that these words really are sweeter "than honey from the comb" this will not be a chore for us. We must treasure of the Word of God as Jeremiah does.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart,
When we do we are ready to respond with all that we are.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
29 November 2013 - budding interest
29 November 2013 - budding interest
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
There is urgency here. There is imminence.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”
There is also timelessness. There is the unchanging.
What holds these two ideas together? What is the word which outlasts heaven and earth which is also present to this generation in the midst of trials and persecutions?
This is the nature of the incarnation. The timeless word enters our circumstances. We are like "the fig tree and all other trees." He frees us from our protective buds. He bursts them open and causes the winter of our trials to give way to summer.
The Kingdom of God is near because the king does not leave us to face dire circumstances on our own. He comes as a baby in the incarnation. He comes at the end of time as judge. But even in daily life he comes to strengthen us and deliver us. He calls for perseverance but he himself gives us the strength to press on.
The circumstances we face can be quite bad, like the four beasts which Daniel sees. Just when he thinks he has seen the worst of it in the Babylonians, the Medes, and the Persians, the fourth beast of Alexander's Greece rears its ugly head. We are tempted to regard such power as ultimate. Yet it can't compare to the true king.
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven at the end of time to finally subjugate all earthly authority to himself. But he comes into our daily lives to give us victory over the powers of darkness which oppress us. We need to realize how much greater this king is than the circumstances we face. We need to watch for and be attentive to his coming. We will not pass away until these things have taken place. We can count on the one whose words will not pass away.
With all creation, let us render "glory and eternal praise to him!"
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
There is urgency here. There is imminence.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”
There is also timelessness. There is the unchanging.
What holds these two ideas together? What is the word which outlasts heaven and earth which is also present to this generation in the midst of trials and persecutions?
This is the nature of the incarnation. The timeless word enters our circumstances. We are like "the fig tree and all other trees." He frees us from our protective buds. He bursts them open and causes the winter of our trials to give way to summer.
The Kingdom of God is near because the king does not leave us to face dire circumstances on our own. He comes as a baby in the incarnation. He comes at the end of time as judge. But even in daily life he comes to strengthen us and deliver us. He calls for perseverance but he himself gives us the strength to press on.
The circumstances we face can be quite bad, like the four beasts which Daniel sees. Just when he thinks he has seen the worst of it in the Babylonians, the Medes, and the Persians, the fourth beast of Alexander's Greece rears its ugly head. We are tempted to regard such power as ultimate. Yet it can't compare to the true king.
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven at the end of time to finally subjugate all earthly authority to himself. But he comes into our daily lives to give us victory over the powers of darkness which oppress us. We need to realize how much greater this king is than the circumstances we face. We need to watch for and be attentive to his coming. We will not pass away until these things have taken place. We can count on the one whose words will not pass away.
With all creation, let us render "glory and eternal praise to him!"
Thursday, November 28, 2013
28 November 2013 - lion down on the job
28 November 2013 - lion down on the job
“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”
We know that we can't survive thirty days without addressing petitions to God. But when threatened with the den of lions how steadfast are we? When the world conspires to make us obey itself rather than God do we give in? Will we, for instance, abandon our religious freedoms when the government insists? When told not to pray, are we silent? When told to provide contraceptives, abortifacients, and sterilization, do we do so? In our day both the demand and the punishment is more subtle but it is not fundamentally different.
We must say to the world with Peter and John, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge" (cf Act. 4:19). Let us learn from Daniel who knows what is right in these situations.
Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
We may be tempted to point fingers. But ultimately, we see a system at work, over and above the intentions of any one man.
They said, “Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.”
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.
And so he is cast into the lion's den. But these seemingly insurmountable circumstances are allowed to occur to make God's deliverance more manifest.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Because all this happens first people notice what they may otherwise miss or undervalue. Whether they are complicit in throwing the devout to the lions, whether they trample Jerusalem under foot, or whether they are those who flee to the mountains with the LORD's remnant, no one now misses the LORD's coming and his salvation.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
This is why we read yesterday that we secure our lives by our perseverance. And today we read just the attitude that should characterize us as we persevere. Stand erect! Raise your heads! We go forward as those who know that our redemption is at hand.
King Darius sees this perseverance manifested in Daniel. He sees the deliverance with which it is met. And he is changed.
“All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:
“For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and savior,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power.”
So let us all render "glory and eternal praise" to God, our mighty God, who saves us from the lion's mouth.
“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”
We know that we can't survive thirty days without addressing petitions to God. But when threatened with the den of lions how steadfast are we? When the world conspires to make us obey itself rather than God do we give in? Will we, for instance, abandon our religious freedoms when the government insists? When told not to pray, are we silent? When told to provide contraceptives, abortifacients, and sterilization, do we do so? In our day both the demand and the punishment is more subtle but it is not fundamentally different.
We must say to the world with Peter and John, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge" (cf Act. 4:19). Let us learn from Daniel who knows what is right in these situations.
Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
We may be tempted to point fingers. But ultimately, we see a system at work, over and above the intentions of any one man.
They said, “Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.”
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.
And so he is cast into the lion's den. But these seemingly insurmountable circumstances are allowed to occur to make God's deliverance more manifest.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Because all this happens first people notice what they may otherwise miss or undervalue. Whether they are complicit in throwing the devout to the lions, whether they trample Jerusalem under foot, or whether they are those who flee to the mountains with the LORD's remnant, no one now misses the LORD's coming and his salvation.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
This is why we read yesterday that we secure our lives by our perseverance. And today we read just the attitude that should characterize us as we persevere. Stand erect! Raise your heads! We go forward as those who know that our redemption is at hand.
King Darius sees this perseverance manifested in Daniel. He sees the deliverance with which it is met. And he is changed.
“All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:
“For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and savior,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power.”
So let us all render "glory and eternal praise" to God, our mighty God, who saves us from the lion's mouth.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
27 November 2013 - source of wisdom
27 November 2013 - source of wisdom
There are times when following Jesus can lead to difficult circumstances:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
What are we willing to suffer because we put his name first in our lives? When we encounter suffering our first response is often to try to escape by any means we can think of. There is the real possibility that sufferings we encounter in following Jesus can cause us to fall back onto our own resources. But we must not. For at these times Jesus wants his wisdom and power to be visible in us.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
That is not to say that we aren't supposed to be prepared, exactly. The truth is what sets us free. We need to know it. We need to be near to Jesus in the power of his Spirit so that we can indeed hear him when he gives us a "wisdom in speaking". But we don't need to be prepared for every possible question. We don't need to have every possible answer. We just need to be close enough to the one who has all the answers.
Daniel is one whom God gives a "wisdom in speaking" which becomes so famous in Babylon that even King Belshazzar hears of it.
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
It is not by his own wisdom that Daniel surpasses all of the learned of Babylon. It is because the Spirit of God dwells in him. He dwells in us as well.
If we give in to preparing our defense beforehand there is the liability that we will end up defending ourselves and our lives in the flesh. If this happens we don't have the courage to speak up for Jesus in his kingdom when it his hard. Daniel, on the other hand, is bold is proclaiming what he knows to be true.
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
He knows that the truth God gives is ultimately the only source of freedom. Any freedom a human defence can purchase is short-lived. God wants to give us this same wisdom he gives Daniel. He wants us to have freedom which is based in his truth. We need to have the same degree of trust in him that Daniel does. We need to be willing to endure hatred for the name of Jesus and to nevertheless perservere.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Our God is the LORD of the sun and moon, the stars of heaven, every shower and dew, the winds, fire and heat, and cold and chill. We must therefore not fall back on worldly resources, "gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone" as though they can help us in the place of the God who makes and sustains them. We must use the resources God gives us in accordance with his purpose for them. We must not take vessels from the temple and use them to serve drinks at parties.
Our God is willing to give us "brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom." With the wisdom and the wealth that come from God let us give "glory and eternal praise to him."
There are times when following Jesus can lead to difficult circumstances:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
What are we willing to suffer because we put his name first in our lives? When we encounter suffering our first response is often to try to escape by any means we can think of. There is the real possibility that sufferings we encounter in following Jesus can cause us to fall back onto our own resources. But we must not. For at these times Jesus wants his wisdom and power to be visible in us.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
That is not to say that we aren't supposed to be prepared, exactly. The truth is what sets us free. We need to know it. We need to be near to Jesus in the power of his Spirit so that we can indeed hear him when he gives us a "wisdom in speaking". But we don't need to be prepared for every possible question. We don't need to have every possible answer. We just need to be close enough to the one who has all the answers.
Daniel is one whom God gives a "wisdom in speaking" which becomes so famous in Babylon that even King Belshazzar hears of it.
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
It is not by his own wisdom that Daniel surpasses all of the learned of Babylon. It is because the Spirit of God dwells in him. He dwells in us as well.
If we give in to preparing our defense beforehand there is the liability that we will end up defending ourselves and our lives in the flesh. If this happens we don't have the courage to speak up for Jesus in his kingdom when it his hard. Daniel, on the other hand, is bold is proclaiming what he knows to be true.
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
He knows that the truth God gives is ultimately the only source of freedom. Any freedom a human defence can purchase is short-lived. God wants to give us this same wisdom he gives Daniel. He wants us to have freedom which is based in his truth. We need to have the same degree of trust in him that Daniel does. We need to be willing to endure hatred for the name of Jesus and to nevertheless perservere.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Our God is the LORD of the sun and moon, the stars of heaven, every shower and dew, the winds, fire and heat, and cold and chill. We must therefore not fall back on worldly resources, "gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone" as though they can help us in the place of the God who makes and sustains them. We must use the resources God gives us in accordance with his purpose for them. We must not take vessels from the temple and use them to serve drinks at parties.
Our God is willing to give us "brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom." With the wisdom and the wealth that come from God let us give "glory and eternal praise to him."
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
26 November 2013 - kingdom of peace
26 November 2013 - kingdom of peace
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
Is it any wonder that the people at the time of Jesus are expecting the Kingdom of God to be a military kingdom? It strikes the worldly kingdoms, breaks them to pieces, and they crumble. This sounds like a violent exercise of power.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
Yet, to what does this prophecy really refer? What is the kingdom "that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people"?
Isaiah sees these events in a more recognizable way:
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
And who exactly is it that establishes this kingdom? Isaiah tells us:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our hope grows. We hear of freedom from the yoke of the nations. We hear of a time of great peace, justice, and righteousness to which there is no end. When will it finally arrive?
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Yet we, with the apostles, sense something is incomplete. We understand why they ask, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (cf. Acts 1:6) They ask even though they see him risen. Perhaps they still have some expectation that the stone hewn from the mountain without hands will break the kingdoms of the earth with force.
But Jesus tells us:
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
When the supposed stability which the world pretends to supply falls short we tend think in apocalyptic terms. We imagine that the LORD is finally smashing the kingdoms with "the stone which the builders rejected". We are thereby liable to be deceived and to follow those whom we perceive to be successful in these terms.
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
But we can't assess things by our criteria of success. Even though Jesus indeed plans to definitively establish his kingdom, to destroy death, and to finally separate the sheep from the goats, we will still be deceived unless we remember that we are watching for "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." His is a Kingdom of peace not violence.
“You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
The angels know this king. That is why they proclaim:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
Is it any wonder that the people at the time of Jesus are expecting the Kingdom of God to be a military kingdom? It strikes the worldly kingdoms, breaks them to pieces, and they crumble. This sounds like a violent exercise of power.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
Yet, to what does this prophecy really refer? What is the kingdom "that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people"?
Isaiah sees these events in a more recognizable way:
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
And who exactly is it that establishes this kingdom? Isaiah tells us:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our hope grows. We hear of freedom from the yoke of the nations. We hear of a time of great peace, justice, and righteousness to which there is no end. When will it finally arrive?
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Yet we, with the apostles, sense something is incomplete. We understand why they ask, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (cf. Acts 1:6) They ask even though they see him risen. Perhaps they still have some expectation that the stone hewn from the mountain without hands will break the kingdoms of the earth with force.
But Jesus tells us:
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
When the supposed stability which the world pretends to supply falls short we tend think in apocalyptic terms. We imagine that the LORD is finally smashing the kingdoms with "the stone which the builders rejected". We are thereby liable to be deceived and to follow those whom we perceive to be successful in these terms.
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
But we can't assess things by our criteria of success. Even though Jesus indeed plans to definitively establish his kingdom, to destroy death, and to finally separate the sheep from the goats, we will still be deceived unless we remember that we are watching for "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." His is a Kingdom of peace not violence.
“You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
The angels know this king. That is why they proclaim:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Monday, November 25, 2013
25 November 2013 - kingdom wealth
25 November 2013 - kingdom wealth
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Kingdom wealth is very different from worldly wealth. From the perspective of the world we see a "poor widow". But from the perspective of the Kingdom she gives "more than all the rest". This may even mean that she gives more than all of the supposedly wealthy people combined.
The wealthy are at risk for being very poor in the Kingdom. We aren't necessarily poor because we are wealthy. But worldly things can ensnare us. They can captivate our wills. We squander our Kingdom wealth when we choose these things instead of the higher goods of God and neighbor. Our identities come to be associated with things instead of with who we are in God. This is the trap to which the scribes succumb:
"Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets."
When we do this, instead of offering God our "whole livelihood", we find that we "devour the houses of widows" and try to make ourselves feel OK about it when we "as a pretext, receite lengthy prayers." Is this all our offerings are? Pretexts to be recklessly selfish?
Ultimately, we need to trust in God more than in our wealth. Our self-image should be based on who he is rather than a false picture of our strength. Only then can we give our "whole livelihood" to God, holding nothing back. If he is first are able to use the things of this world as though not using them (1 Cor. 7:31). We aren't be enslaved by the fear that they will be taken away. God's grace is sufficient for us (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
When we know who he is in a personal way we can rely on him more than things or status.
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
This is the secret that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah know. They are able to turn down food from the royal table and thereby avoid defiling themselves because they know God will provide.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men
who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see.”
And indeed they end up looking "healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table." And not only that, God blesses them in abundance for the roll he has for them.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
This is how Kingdom wealth works. When we trust in God we always have all we need.
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Kingdom wealth is very different from worldly wealth. From the perspective of the world we see a "poor widow". But from the perspective of the Kingdom she gives "more than all the rest". This may even mean that she gives more than all of the supposedly wealthy people combined.
The wealthy are at risk for being very poor in the Kingdom. We aren't necessarily poor because we are wealthy. But worldly things can ensnare us. They can captivate our wills. We squander our Kingdom wealth when we choose these things instead of the higher goods of God and neighbor. Our identities come to be associated with things instead of with who we are in God. This is the trap to which the scribes succumb:
"Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets."
When we do this, instead of offering God our "whole livelihood", we find that we "devour the houses of widows" and try to make ourselves feel OK about it when we "as a pretext, receite lengthy prayers." Is this all our offerings are? Pretexts to be recklessly selfish?
Ultimately, we need to trust in God more than in our wealth. Our self-image should be based on who he is rather than a false picture of our strength. Only then can we give our "whole livelihood" to God, holding nothing back. If he is first are able to use the things of this world as though not using them (1 Cor. 7:31). We aren't be enslaved by the fear that they will be taken away. God's grace is sufficient for us (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
When we know who he is in a personal way we can rely on him more than things or status.
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
This is the secret that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah know. They are able to turn down food from the royal table and thereby avoid defiling themselves because they know God will provide.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men
who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see.”
And indeed they end up looking "healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table." And not only that, God blesses them in abundance for the roll he has for them.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
This is how Kingdom wealth works. When we trust in God we always have all we need.
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
Sunday, November 24, 2013
24 November 2013 - christ the king
24 November 2013 - christ the king
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Can we share this vision of the penitent thief? Are we able to look at Jesus, bloodied and suffering, and still behold the King of the Jews, the King, indeed, of the entire world? Can we hear the sneering of the rulers and the soldiers and still behold the King of kings?
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
And yet he himself reconciles all things "making peace by the blood of his cross". We expect a powerful king to be elevated above suffering, above concern. But this is not what a true king is. This is not how true power is exercised. The LORD therefore tells David:
'You shall shepherd my people Israel
He is not just the "commander of Israel" but he is it's shepherd even before that. He is not to be aloof. He is to have a heart for his people.
Jesus is the one through whom all things were created. But he does not withdraw thereafter. He is the one in whom "all things hold together." He offers to hold us together even when everything is falling apart in us and in the world. In order to reunite all that is falling apart he offers his reconciliation, bought "by the blood of his cross."
We need to realize, then, that his suffering on the cross is his love for us as he holds us together and redeems us. The power of this King is to not let go even through death. He holds us together with him even unto new life on the third day. Without his embrace we have no hope in the face of death. But it is never too late to turn to him and hear him say:
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
We will be with him in Paradise if we just turn to him and ask. Therefore, "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Can we share this vision of the penitent thief? Are we able to look at Jesus, bloodied and suffering, and still behold the King of the Jews, the King, indeed, of the entire world? Can we hear the sneering of the rulers and the soldiers and still behold the King of kings?
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
And yet he himself reconciles all things "making peace by the blood of his cross". We expect a powerful king to be elevated above suffering, above concern. But this is not what a true king is. This is not how true power is exercised. The LORD therefore tells David:
'You shall shepherd my people Israel
He is not just the "commander of Israel" but he is it's shepherd even before that. He is not to be aloof. He is to have a heart for his people.
Jesus is the one through whom all things were created. But he does not withdraw thereafter. He is the one in whom "all things hold together." He offers to hold us together even when everything is falling apart in us and in the world. In order to reunite all that is falling apart he offers his reconciliation, bought "by the blood of his cross."
We need to realize, then, that his suffering on the cross is his love for us as he holds us together and redeems us. The power of this King is to not let go even through death. He holds us together with him even unto new life on the third day. Without his embrace we have no hope in the face of death. But it is never too late to turn to him and hear him say:
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
We will be with him in Paradise if we just turn to him and ask. Therefore, "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."
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