The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God transcends and invades every kingdom, continent, country, state, village and town of this planet yet is not held by boundaries or contained within buildings.
It is not advanced by man’s deeds or manipulations but by humility.
It is not held by the “wheelers and dealers” of any earthly kingdom but by those that are the lowest or least important in the eyes of earthly powers.
It cannot be overthrown in a coup or held hostage by any man.
Its power is beyond anything we have ever experienced in earthly kingdoms and yet its power is not motivated and fueled by greed or self preservation.
There are no political parties vying for power in this Kingdom- just One rule, One power, One authority.
Truth, not deception, is its foundation.
Entrance into this Kingdom is not by way of a broad boulevard; a valid passport purchased by the individual; or obtained by any governments nod of approval.
Entrance has been obtained by the Owners Sons life…it is by his life we have life...his life we have citizenship.  It is this same Son who will be the light of this Kingdom.
The authority and power of the Owner is automatically transferred to all its citizens.
All are welcome but not everyone will choose to enter.
It is displayed through simplistic yet explosive power.
As citizens of this Kingdom, it is displayed through you and me…AMAZING!!

Wonderings

Recently I heard a sermon where the preacher suggested a reason for the Israelites 40 year desert wonderings was in order to get the Egyptian culture out of them. The Israelites had been in Egypt for such a long time and had absorbed so much of its culture they could no longer be recognized as the chosen children of the Most High God. So much did the culture overtake what God had instilled in them that it took 40 years for the “culture cleansing” process to be accomplished.  Influence, good or bad, has a way of lingering from one generation to another.
I sometime think God uses the wonderings of our lives, those situations we question that come into our life journey, to cleanse our pre-conceived ideas of how and when He SHOULD work in and through us. In doing this, God once again seems to remind us that He alone, not the “action”, is to be our heart's desire. He will lead us into the land of His promise that He prepared for us way before we were even born.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Eph 1:11
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10
It is in this land of His promise we will reveal to those around us who God is and the blessed hope he has for them. But this can only happen as we take on His character---His culture.

And as with the Israelites we too may think the process, the journey is taking way too long. But God's timing is perfect in ALL things...even in our wonderings.

Lord, I want to see your face

My hearts cry has been, “Lord I want to see your face.” Not that I don’t want to see His hands working through signs and miracles, but there is something about looking into someone’s eyes when they speak and observing their facial expressions when they look to you.

But could it be that I am looking for the wrong “face”?
Could it be that all along I have been looking into the face of God when I see a child crying…the beggar on the street searching for food….the alcoholic lost and stumbling...the teenager pregnant scared and not sure what to do….the mother so overwhelmed by tragedy she is willing to sell her children to survive….
And could it be they are looking to me to see the hands, arms and compassion of God?

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me.’
“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me into your homes. I needed clothes, and you didn’t give me anything to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me.’ “They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or in need of clothes or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’ “He will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do for me.’
“These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God’s approval will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

Gratitude

“When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.” Hosea 13:5

Lord, keep me hungry enough to remember you are the source and supplier of everything I need… never too full or satisfied I forget it is from your gracious hands I have received.
Teach me humility so I will not become too dependent on myself that I forget You.  Surround me with opportunities to open my eyes, ears, heart and hands to those who are hungry and thirsty around me so they may see You.

BEWARE OF THE SLIPPERY SLOPE

This morning I was reading in 2 Kings 6 of when the enemy surrounded the city Elisha was in. Alarmed, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, asked, “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” I love Elisha’s response, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Elisha then prayed for the Lord to open Gehazi's eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all surrounding the city.

I don’t know about you, but when the enemy appears to be unrestrained and bringing havoc in my life or those I love, it becomes a task to keep my eyes focused on the unseen army of God. The fear and frustration the physical brings can overwhelm the faith and contentment only the spiritual can give.

This can become a very slippy road if our eyes are only focused on the natural. Asaph said it best when he wrote in Psalm 73, “…my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
He continues to describe the carefree lifestyle the wicked live, the increase of their wealth, and jeering at God with no apparent consequences. He tried to understand how the wicked could prosper, but couldn’t. It is at this point many people would give up on God because they don’t see any retaliation from God to the wicked. “What’s the use” becomes the battle cry of the frustrated.

Not so with Asaph. He knew the key to this conflict: “When I tried to understand all this it was oppressive to me TILL I ENTERED THE SANCTUARY OF GOD; then I understood their final destiny.”
Asaph didn’t look to the natural but placed his trust in the One and True God and in His timing.
It was here, in the sanctuary of God, Asaph realized his heart was bitter that he was being foolish and ignorant to God. It was here, in the sanctuary of God, he realized God was holding and leading him; that no matter what happened to him God would forever be the strength of his heart.

As with Asaph, it is only when we enter the presence of the Living God and allow Him to invade our minds and hearts, to be the standard by which we measure all that is around us, we will ultimately see what evil has to offer—emptiness and destruction. In the presence of God we receive renewed hope and strength.
“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.’” (vs 28)

The Key

Once there was an old man who would walk through the neighborhood with a mysterious small drawstring bag attached to his belt. These were hard times and a lot of people were out of work. Like clockwork, he would come in to town early in the morning knocking on doors looking for odd jobs and in return be paid with food.
Rumor had it that he lived by the railroad tracks underneath a bridge with the other homeless people whom he would share some of his days ‘wages’ with.
Everyday he would walk the streets of our small town scavenging through the garbage occasionally finding treasures, even if they were only that in his own eyes.
He was an odd man. Humped over, his clothing and shoes always larger than his frame could hold. He had a scuffle when he walked that was slow, never in a hurry, never seemingly going anywhere in particular. He bore the signs of age, his face and hands hardened through years of hard labor and weather. Yet there was a kindness that showed through in his almost toothless smile and the gentleness with which he would pat a child’s head as he walked by. The only name we ever knew him by was George.

Over the years, he became a fixture within our little bedroom community.
I remember the time a fire started in a neighbor’s house and George was one of the first people there. He certainly couldn’t help put out the fire but his words of encouragement and hope were perfect to squelch the fear in our neighbors.

At the other end of town stood an old Victorian mansion. My mother told us of stories her mother told them about how it was the showcase of the town when she had been a young girl. Its beauty and elegance would have made the mansions of today pale by comparison. Inside the ornate trim, marble flooring imported from Italy and woven tapestries from around the world hung in the grand hall and were breathtaking. The sounds of laughter and music from the conservatory filled the air like an enchanting melody. Beautifully manicured gardens were the envy of the towns’ people. To receive an invitation for afternoon tea was the highlight of the year for anyone. The family who lived there had died a long time ago and the grandeur of the mansion had been lost due to neglect.

One cold wintry day we noticed George didn’t come into town. Although it seemed out of character we didn’t think anything more about it. Two more days passed and George was no where to be found. Finally the third day came and still no George. My dad and a couple of other men from our street thought maybe something had happened to George and decided to go down to the bridge to look for him.

No one and nothing was in sight except for a lonely box wrapped with old strips of plastic tarp to help shield against the cold wind and snow. It seemed the people who had lived there during the year had gone for shelter elsewhere now that winter was upon us. There were signs around the box that showed someone had recently been there.

When they removed the plastic tarp and opened the box their hearts were saddened to discover the lifeless body inside was George. The cause of his death was exposure to the elements—George froze to death. Attached to his belt was the small bag that had been his constant companion and inside the small bag was a key.
It took weeks of investigation to realize the key found on George’s body was for the old Victorian mansion. Much to everyone’s surprise, George was the adopted son of the mansions owners. Upon his father’s death, the mansion had been given to George as an inheritance but he never claimed his inheritance. He used to tell us that he had a grand inheritance waiting for him but we always thought he was just imagining it. When asked why he didn’t claim it he would say he didn’t want to lose the ‘lifestyle’ he had chosen…thought he would lose his freedom. Of course as much as we liked George we all thought he was making it up. Why would someone choose a life of poverty when they could have such wealth? All those years of living so close but never assuming rightful ownership, it just didn’t make sense.

Reading the above story, it is easy to think how foolish of George to choose poverty over wealth and protection had he only accepted and received his inheritance.
Some of our choices, like George’s don’t make sense either. We have been given citizenship in a Kingdom that is beyond any description we know. A Kingdom where safety, peace, restoration and rest are the norm and yet by accepting the “Key” to that Kingdom we think our ‘lifestyle and freedom’ will be infringed upon. We did nothing to earn or deserve this Kingdom. Yet it was purchased for us by the giving of the owner’s Sons life. Like George we too are an adopted heir to this Kingdom.  The Key to entering this Kingdom:
     For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going—I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Signed….Jesus
(John 3:16;14:1-7)

I've got you covered!

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered” is a common phrase heard not only in movies but between friends. It can be a comfort to know someone will be there to protect you when entering a dangerous or uncomfortable situation.

How much greater the impact of this phrase when it comes from the very mouth of God and is directed toward you and me.

David records these thoughts in Psalms 32:1-5, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit….then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Throughout the Psalms David opens his heart and mind like a book to us, the readers, and we are allowed to enter into the pages of his private and personal thoughts. At times this may even seem like an intrusion into very intimate moments between David and his God. At other times it would appear David is at the front door of his heart opening it wide to welcome us into the inexpressible joy that can be realized from a sin forgiven which overwhelming had taken away the light and hope of his heart.

David understood his sin had been forgiven, covered and forgotten. The covering David speaks about was twofold: a present and recurring covering through the blood of an animal but also of a promise yet to come of a “complete covering.” A promise not yet seen by David, but for us it is a reminder of an unselfish and sacrificing covering through the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross. Our sins were not only forgiven but also covered…buried…to be remembered no more by God!

There is yet another part to forgiveness we tend to struggle with even today. Equally important to the acceptance of forgiveness and the covering is to let go of the guilt surrounding the sin. We tend to resurrect guilt that was meant to be covered and buried with the sin.


I believe in Psalm 32 David knew the keys to burying guilt:
1. Don’t give time for guilt to be planted…he acknowledged and didn’t cover up his sin from God (verse 5)
2. Don’t give fertile soil for guilt to grow…he confessed (verse 5) and accepted God's grace and forgiveness 
3. Don’t give guilt a permanent address…he allowed God to be his hiding place (verse 7) rather than dwelling and inviting guilt to stay as an "unwanted guest" 
4. Don’t give guilt the key to our heart and mind…he was careful what he listened and dwelt upon (verse 7-8) …"rejoice in the Lord and be glad…” (verse 11) He didn't "revisit" the offense that would bring guilt


Although we may have to deal with consequences for our sin, letting go of guilt is a choice. 
Whose covering are you under today? Is it bringing freedom, hope and life or slavery and bondage to “past”?
“He who dwells (remains) in the shelter of the most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:1, 4)