Do You Belong to God?

Do You Belong to God?

Good Morning Friends,

If every Christian could take a look into heaven with all its joy we might find our world expanded beyond this earthly aging form into something new…a place of blessings chosen…a place to fulfill the purpose for which we were originally made… a relationship forged in the house of the Lord… a place of no us and them. Here we might just realize how great the love the Father has lavished on the entire world, that we should all be called children of God!  Because of God’s perpetual permeating love we could then rejoice in the common experience and realization that all we have, all we are, is not ours if we live our lives in righteousness and receive mercy and grace. Here the hope is that everyone on the planet could answer in the affirmative today’s question: Do You Belong to God?

Scripture: 3¹See what love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he^* is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. ³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

1 John 3:1-5 (NRSV)

²In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^*

John 14:2 (NRSV)Top of Form

Bottom of Form

A Psalm of David.¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. ²He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;^*
3he restores my soul.^* He leads me in right paths^* for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley,^*  I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely^* goodness and mercy^* shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.^*

Psalm 23

Message: When one gives it some thought, terrorism in the world is fueled by the false fear that we do not all belong to God. Here we might just discover that the real battle is a battle of ideas. The idea that we all as part of the human race are endowed with certain unalienable rights given by God is key. The world needs to know that these rights are inseparable from us regardless of race, nationality and ever religion… they are part of our humanity. But getting to the point of accepting this is another thing. And that is where Christ comes into the dynamic for the reason for righteousness is one of the most amazing truths to be discovered on the journey. The practical aspects aside, there is this desire…this childlike hope… to have the affection of the Father through the manifestation of the Son shared throughout the world. The goal is to understand that we all belong to God. Then we can extend this belonging to others. This very concept is expressed in today’s scripture. Here we work on removing the practice of sin. Here we become regenerated and made new by the Spirit. Today’s scripture presents this wonderful truth that through grace; we have the opportunity to realize we have always been God’s own children. The image brings up mixed emotions because some of the qualities of children are admirable and some are not. God intends for us to imitate the good qualities we see in children, but in understanding, we are to be mature. And if we are honest with ourselves we will admit that we see other’s needs to grow up much easier than we see our own. Still the desire here is to get away from a tribal mentality that fears for self-preservation. Friends, Jesus stands at the door of the heart and home of every person on the planet. Jesus is knocking. He has given us the power of choice and if we choose Him we also claim the precious promise of heaven. If…. we grasp our Savior’s teachings about heaven, much of our fear of death is destroyed… and our fear of others eliminated. Friends we are to face the future with courage for we do live for this life and the next. So answer the door and invite Him into your home…your heart…your house of worship. See His face when you enter. Know that everyone on the planet has the right to experience this kind of belonging…this kind of love. Know that for now the righteousness of God’s mercy keeps the door open.

Pray we give up selfishness but not abandon self-interest. Pray we not be ignorant but grow in knowledge. Pray we not are stubborn, rebelling against authority but pure as a newborn that has been born of the spirit in Him who purifies. Pray we develop a sense of value and humility. Pray we are teachable. Pray we are trusting. Pray we be childlike, but not childish. Pray we grow up in Christ belonging to God. Pray that we see our journey home in the comfort and joy of the blessings of belonging…the victory of being valued…the excitement of feeling esteem and the loving caress of being cared for. Pray for a world at peace.

Blessings,

John Lawson