Good Morning Friends,
Acts of faith are often viewed as being less rational and sound than cold analytical actions. Even our language and the changing meaning of words tends to diminish or even denigrate actions taken born out of our religious heritage. Interacting respectfully with those of different beliefs in a polarized society while remaining faithful to Gospel truth seems impossible in a world where so many only see their own version of truth and deny the partiality of God to those who seek to glorify Jesus. Thankfully love has a way of presenting the unlikely in a light that is desirable. It may not be obvious at first blush but what I am telling you this day is that Jesus presents the most commonsense way of living that exists, and it is born not out of madness but reason. So, Is The Paraclete Prodding You To Practice A Practical Lifestyle Supporting The Cause Of The King?
Scripture: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:8-15 (NRSV)
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Mark 12:28-34 (NRSV)
But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20 (NRSV)
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 11:15 (NRSV)
In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
Isaiah 2:2 (NRSV)
Message: Being a Christian is more logical and practical and simple than some might think, for it has solutions and fruit that are of the highest order. The first step toward this practical transcendence is to realize that the Holy Scriptures are a revelation from God communicating to us the divine mind and defining God’s will for us through holy history. We need to seek God in these scriptures. This is not to say that we throw out science and its methods. But it is to say we must really know how to read and reform and seek the power of redemption in a life honoring God spiritually and incarnationally. So, we need to spend time recognizing that the Bible is God’s Word, and that its precepts are the precepts of the Creator of the universe. Eventually this will lead us to see what an awful thing it is to despise and ignore them and what a useful and rational thing it is to embrace them, understanding their context, what they say, what they mean and what they mean for us today. You see, God wants us to use the talents, gifts, finances, and influence, that we have been given not to only enrich us, but to the glory of God advance the Kingdom in a way that brings enjoyment that surpasses understanding. And this includes knowing not only the Bible but the author of it. In this way we can better join with God in what God is doing now. So, if we believe in God, and many still claim that they do, we should also have implicit confidence in God and rely upon the Word of God, understood in its fullness and experienced when we share it with the voice God has placed in us. You see, nothing is too hard for the Lord. It is only logical that we are to believe that the Word of promise never fails. We are not to entertain any suspicions of God’s lack of care for us in the future. We are to believe that even if Heaven and Earth pass away, God’s promises remain. Friends, God gave us gifts and abilities to use for an eternal purpose, not just admire. God gave us a practical Christianity and if we would follow it in love to glorify God, we might just discover how compelling it is to see the Kingdoms of the world becoming the Kingdom of God. The influence is beyond spiritual influence. The culture is to be transformed. But honestly our measure of success cannot be based on what is transformed around us so much as what the Holy Spirit makes possible in us. Eternity is in our hearts. The Kingdom is coming, and God’s will be done even in a world with opposing views. So, friends, understand this, we are being giving the Kingdom like the Hebrews were given the promised land, but it has to be conquered in our hearts. The characteristics of people groups carried to the next generation have influence but the greatest influence will be the conviction of the Holy Spirit. That is why our lifestyle is important to help others walk in the way of God. To learn and obey the way of God. We have been called out to be used as ambassadors of the Kingdom to come in more practical ways than we realize.
And So, God searches and knows us and nudges us to give ourselves fully to the cause. There does not seem to be a lot of incentive to reach out to others unless we have a strong desire to be like Jesus and to please God instead of the world. The thing is that every Christian has an obligation to speak with both conviction and empathy across deep differences, no matter how uncomfortable. And still it is in those moments when we do, filled with love, that we find peace and strength. When we are all in, we begin to put value into the right people, places, and things. We begin to feel renewed and find happiness and purpose. It is in submitting that we experience true love and are made fearless and are rescued from the pain of life. Friends, this is what we were made to become. The Bible is filled with stories to help us to learn how in very practical ways to engage others in connecting to an identity that is not of this world. God loves us in this way so that we might learn to love others. So, we walk on uncommon ground until we realize that our ultimate reality is as citizens of Heaven in the Kingdom of God walking with Jesus and not confined to a cultural past nor earthly incentives that miss the mark. That is why being a Christian is more practical and abundant than most give credit.
Pray we realize how practical and sensible living a Christian life is. Pray we realize the validity, for our own benefit, of God wanting us to love Him with everything inside us. Pray this passion drives and defines us to know God better and love God more and more as we answer the heart of the question of how we are related to the divine. Pray we live by God’s agenda instead of our own. Pray we live in God for surely God will not deny God. Pray we realize that it is more achievable to pray for laborers who would fearlessly and faithfully preach God’s truths, which are calculated to bring about a revival, instead of praying for a worldwide revival without such tactical actions. Pray we realize the great mistake of hoping to discover in ourselves that which is only found in relationship with God. Pray our God given gifts of faith, administration, leadership, evangelism, service, and hospitality be used to further the Kingdom and, in the process, to bring us life in abundance that satisfies our deepest hopes. Pray we live as practical Christians approved by God for the glory of God. Pray the world in which we live is transformed beginning with us and the fruit of the Spirit we are blessed to bear.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 