Monday, August 10, 2020

What Dominates Your Thinking And Your Doing?

 "Jesus answered [Pilate], ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’”—John 18:36-37

 We live in the natural world with all of its problems and sin.  We long for the kingdom of God to dominate the affairs of this world, but the truth is – that won’t happen until Jesus returns. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone embraced the Truth of God and harmony and unity reigned in this world – in our country.  Instead we are faced with a pandemic – for some it is real and for others it is a conspiracy.  We are faced with political turmoil – Democrats have their agenda and plan to make life in this country better – Republicans have theirs – now Marxists and Socialist have stepped forward declaring their ideas of what is right and what is truth.  Those who are born again are choosing sides – with hope that whoever they have aligned themselves with will be right and will prevail. But the hope we seek will not be found in this president or the next – only in the Source of all hope. So what to do?

In my view, the answer is not found on CNN – FOX – Facebook – or some other place – but in the Bible – God’s revealed truth that surpasses all generations – cultures and races. It is the eternal truth that there is none Good but One – the Creator God.  He is the source of all that is good and right. People look for heaven on earth – on the natural earth, but it cannot be found.  The kingdom that Jesus brought to the earth is a supernatural one. One that cannot be experienced except by the Body of Christ – but can be seen. But only then, when those who have been saved by faith are living in obedience to the Truth of God by the power of the Spirit of God.

I would never presume to tell anyone how to vote – but, I am encouraging all the saints to be faithful to the God who saved them through faith in Jesus and Who set them apart by the Spirit of God to be a living testimony to the love of God.   

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10

Before we were born again, we were not united as a people, but now we are united – called out of a dark world into His marvelous light.  That unity has been stunted by sin. The influence of our old nature and the particular people group we were born in to. Why would we want to cling to the darkness? Why would we want to embrace what we know is sin, calling it good? Why would we seek natural solutions to spiritual problems? Why do we prefer to embrace our old nature and the sin that comes with it and think that at the same time we are holy and pleasing to God? Why do we fear?

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” – Psalm 121:1-8

Where are you focused in this difficult time in our nation’s history?  Who or what are you trusting in the midst of the social, medical and political pandemonium that is raging all around us?  Should we pull our heads back into our shells and hope the trouble passes by us? No. But rather, we should be, must be a light in the darkness. United by the Spirit of God in the face of the cultural division and great fear that has become so obvious.  What does secular division have to do with a spiritual people called by God and separated for His glory? Each of us must decide – we must choose.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

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