KINGDOM COME

 

 

Jesus… answered, “The kingdom of God doesn’t come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, ‘Look here!’ or, ‘There it is!’ And why? Because God’s kingdom is already among you.”  Luke 17:21 (MSG)

 

As a child I was bemused when preachers said, “If God’s purpose in saving you was taking you to heaven, you would have died at the altar.”  At the time, it seemed to me that most people I knew were content just to have a heavenly entrance pass.  That was enough.  Don’t ask for any further commitment, and don’t make us uncomfortable.  I was gratified as an adult to learn that there was so much more to being a Christian than just dying and going to heaven.  In fact, there was a unique life assignment offered to each one of Jesus’ disciples.

Jesus spoke often of the Kingdom of God and described it in terms of “righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17) and not “heaven some day.”  And then he said that the Kingdom of God is HERE.  It’s not “pie in the sky bye and bye.”  So, as citizens of the Kingdom who have been given a mandate to go out and make disciples and to bear fruit, can you imagine a more opportune time than this to reflect the character and love of our King?

Think of all the ways we can fulfill the Great Commandment (loving God and our neighbor, Matt. 22:36-40) in these uncertain times.  Remembering that since we are now part of the Kingdom, we no longer belong to ourselves but are the King’s servants who humbly impart joy and peace to neighbors who may be caught up in the stress of the times.  We are open to creative ways to disperse laughter and hope to the anxious.  We are available to offer practical assistance in whatever ways we see because the Kingdom is NOW, and we are citizens of the Kingdom.

We can move out of that tiny, restrictive world called Self and into the Kingdom which exalts the King and in which we are called to love.  The time is now.  The Kingdom is here.

 

Father, open our eyes.  Who can we love; who can we comfort; who can we walk with today?  Show us, in Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

ACTIVISM

 

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. Jeremiah 29:7

 

In my work with foreign missions of our diocese, I meet many distinguished church leaders and am often inspired by their insights. Such was the case with a bishop whose authority extended over a number of countries ruled by despots, dictators, and self-serving autocrats. This godly man told me that he had adopted Jeremiah 29:7 as his theme for the year and had shared the mandate among his wide-spread churches.
If this man and his thousands of parishioners could pray for peace and prosperity in lands where persecution and martyrdom were everyday occurrences, what might happen if we as faithful followers of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, prayed and practiced peace in our own nation? What might happen if, instead of criticism, fault-finding, and hatred for our leaders, we actively modeled peace and sought to reach out in Christ’s love to those with whom we disagree?
In just three short years Jesus showed us how to love our neighbors, how to speak truth to our enemies without animus, and how to give ourselves in loving service for our Lord and others. Rather than advancing his own agenda, Jesus selflessly gave all for our peace and our salvation and that of the whole world.
Do you see the outcome of the Jeremiah directive? Do you see what occurs when we set our hearts to seek and pray for peace and the prosperity of the place where we have been situated? Remember the old adage, “A rising tide floats all boats?” I think this is what God is saying through Jeremiah: When the country prospers, we, too, will prosper.
Seek and pray for the peace and prosperity of our country.

 

Father, may we be instruments of your peace and seek the good of all around us. You are our resource, and we ask you to use us as conduits of your bounty. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.

DELAYS

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.  Habakkuk 2:3  (ESV)

 

 

I’m the kind of gardener who plants bulbs and then checks daily for the first tiny shoots of green.  I want to see progress, and I want it soon.  Waiting is difficult for me.  When I plant my crop or do my work or pray my prayers, I want results.

And yet God is working all the time.  Underground that bulb is receiving the moisture and nutrients it needs and stores the surplus so that the shoots can reach up to the sun in the spring time.  That waiting time is not lost time.

Children lose teeth and anxiously wait for that new growth to appear just above the gum line.  (Of course, if they believe in the Tooth Fairy, they’re not at all distressed about the loss of teeth.)

There are all sorts of waiting times that come to us as we grow:  for word of the new job, for the doctor’s diagnosis, for the teacher’s grade, for corporate decisions, for answers to prayer.  But all the while, God is working.  Everything has an appointed time just as in nature:  springtime and harvest, life and death, sunrise and sunset.  God is working.

While we wait, delays offer opportunities to trust God and to rely on him rather than our own plans and ingenuity.  We can watch for his creative resolutions to our tangled problems.  We can allow God to build our character as we discover his ways far above our own.  We can be still and know that he is God.

Delays are not dead ends.  They are God’s ways of reassuring us that he is in control—we are not—and that what he is accomplishing will be beyond what we can think or imagine.  Let us be at peace with our delays.  God is working.

 

Father, impatience seems to dog our steps.  Help us to wait on you, trusting your love and wisdom in all things.  In Jesus our Lord.  AMEN.

KEEP WALKING…AND WAITING

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

 

 

 

I don’t know anyone who has flown like an eagle, but in times of euphoria, I almost think I could.  Note that this type of flight is for those who wait and depend on the Lord.  That almost sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it – wait in order to soar?  But God, the Creator, is the one who empowers, and he’s the one who renews for soaring, running, and walking.

I have a friend who dreamed for years and then trained for months and months to run in the Greek marathon, all 26.2 miles of it, much of it uphill. And another friend worked an incredibly long time with a trainer to run in the Boston marathon.  According to the reports of my friends, the excitement of just being part of those famous events was energizing, but the last parts of the races were absolutely grueling.  Sounds a lot like the races we are called to run.

I have observed, quite frankly, that most of our days are characterized by walking rather than flying and running.  Just putting one foot in front of the other.  Sometimes as we plod, the path becomes more restrictive and the way more treacherous while even the light seems to darken.  God brings us to those places, too, those dark nights of the soul.  He allows the plodding, but it’s only for a season, and he sustains us during those times.

That’s when waiting is essential.  Waiting for renewal.  Waiting for rest and peace.  Waiting for God to make himself known.  Waiting as he makes crooked places straight and rough places plain.  Strength comes in waiting, and when it’s time to move on, God gives the signal.  The light brightens the path, and sometimes, yes, sometimes, we even mount up with wings like eagles.

Just now, however, I’m waiting.

 

 

Father, knowing you and your Word brings rest during weary times.  You promise strength and every other thing we need on this journey.  We trust you, and we wait. Thank you.  AMEN.

ARMORED UP

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  Ephesians 6:11

 

 

This morning in chapel the Bishop gave a whole new twist to the analogy of God’s armor.  Remember, there’s the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, and the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word.

The helmet of salvation guards our thoughts and protects the mind so that it processes and applies God’s truth.  We typically wear belts around the middle parts of our bodies for aesthetic and practical reasons.  Truth is both beautiful and holds all our theology together.  A breastplate, righteousness, protects our hearts from all the things that can spoil and destroy the life of Christ within.  We walk in peace as God’s children, and God’s Word, the sword, is two-edged—both protecting and reprimanding us.

When we are children, we love to play dress-up.  My granddaughters have all enjoyed taking various pieces of clothing from my closet and dressers to play grown-up.  They imitate me and their mothers.  Play is a child’s work to help in developing character traits and personality.  When our children and grandchildren wear our clothing, they are processing through play what they will become.

So here we get to the armor.  The whole object of our Christian journey is to glorify God and to become like Jesus.  How better to do that than to dress like him?  Jesus IS our salvation, our truth, our righteousness, our peace and has taught us to use that sword in growing into his likeness.  The more we wear the armor, the more it becomes like a second skin, and the more we become like Jesus.

The armor of the Lord not only helps us to stand against the wicked intentions of the devil, but it assists us in being transformed more and more into the image of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.  If you’re not wearing it, stop everything, and go put it on right now.

 

 

Father, show us the joy that awaits us as we are changed into the likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.

 

A PRAYER

God is our shelter and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
    and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
    and the hills are shaken by the violence.

The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.

(from Psalm 46)

Merciful Father, who has taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men:  Look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom our prayers are offered.  Remember them, O Lord, in mercy, nourish their souls with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

 

Thank you, Father, that we have the promise you will never leave us or forsake us.  Be with all who are affected by Hurricane Harvey; strengthen first responders; provide all the resources needed; and minister your peace.  Cause us to come together in mutual support and care that we may demonstrate your love.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

DESPERATION

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.  Jeremiah 33:3  (NIV)

 

How blessed we are in the United States to have access to fine education, outstanding healthcare, comfortable housing (including indoor plumbing and electricity), adequate to excellent infrastructure, and blessings many other people only dream about.  Of course, these things are not free, but our fathers taught us that hard work and a good attitude would take us a long way.

And so that’s the mindset most of us grow up with in our country.  Try hard enough, work hard enough, and you’ll succeed at getting what you want.  Until we don’t.  When our circumstances become difficult beyond our abilities to solve (or beyond our ability to buy solutions), we become desperate.  And I’m talking about Christians.  In many instances, we behave just like pagans when we’re pushed to the wall.

I watch while desperation pushes us to every imaginable answer available and even beyond.  We try this and then that.  We read this author and that one.  We pray this prayer and then that one.  I used to (pridefully) be confident of God’s answers to my prayers (emphasis on my will).  It took years before I sincerely embraced “thy will be done” (the prayer that is always answered).  I believed that doing all the right things—tithing,  sacrificial giving, good deeds, right living, going to church and Bible studies, even the extremes of fasting and self denial—was like making deposits in a heavenly account. These were all enriching my standing in heaven so that when I prayed, my will was done.

Desperation, our friend, eventually depletes that “account” and brings us right to the foot of the cross where we say, “Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to the cross I cling.”  The stark reality of our total dependence on God’s grace and mercy becomes true for us.  As we sink into the stormy waves, we are ready to abandon all pretense and cry out to Jesus, “Lord save me,” and we discover that he is waiting for us.  Jesus lifts us up to himself, and nothing else matters.

It’s in him that we find his security, his healing, his peace, his comfort, everything we will ever want or need.  When at the very central heart of our lives we begin abiding in him, everything else comes into perspective.  Everything is measured by eternity, and God is enough.

Are we willing to be stripped of everything but Jesus?  Desperation can do that.

 

Father, thank you for gently and patiently moving us along in our journey so that the excess baggage no longer matters—we can discard its unnecessary weight.  Thank you that you allow us to become desperate as we weigh temporal things against your Kingdom.  Please keep up the process.  The results are heavenly.  AMEN.

MAKING PEACE

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Matthew 5:9

 

 

My mother was full of homespun wisdom.  She was an avid student of Christian literature, and she put into practice what she learned.

Momo told me about a little tiff she was having with my father.  Apparently, neither of them wanted to concede a point, and neither wanted to surrender.   To this impasse, the Holy Spirit spoke, “Share with him some of the mints you’re eating,” was the simple directive, which implied reaching out across the firing line.  At first she resisted, but the sweet Voice continued to nudge.  Finally, Momo obeyed, and the battle was ended.  Just like that.

Momo said that pride and the insistence on always being right can bring and maintain grief to any relationship.  Humbling oneself can be as easy as extending an olive branch (or mint) to our opponent and then watching God bring down the barriers.  Yes, we often have to be First Responders.

How many battles do we win and lose by refusing to make peace?  How often do we miss golden opportunities for moving from the Self Life to Kingdom Living because winning is everything, and Self is very much in control?

I am learning that the more I listen and obey, the more consistently I experience God’s joy.  And God’s joy is one of those fruits of the Spirit that grows in a heart that lives and moves and has its being in him.

 

Lord, thank you for nurturing me through family members who loved you and willingly followed even when it meant losing—for the time being.  Help me to be a peacemaker.  I want to be called a child of God.  AMEN.

BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.  Psalm 89:1

 

 

I was always bemused when, in their Golden Years, my parents would often reflect on their blessings.  “God has been better to us than anybody else,” Momo would say.  And Papa would agree as they recounted God’s goodness.

The reason for my perplexity had to do with my firsthand knowledge of their circumstances for most of the decades of their lives:  I’d seen and lived through various severe illnesses, financial stresses, personality clashes, heated disagreements, griefs, and assorted crises.  And yet my parents thought their lives were better than anyone else’s.

As I get older I am beginning to understand.  My parents were faithful, committed believers but were not perfect.  They lived with the same challenges and struggles many of us encounter and sometimes, I think, they, too, may have been at a breaking point.  BUT THEY BELIEVED GOD.  Romans 4:3 says that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  God knew Abraham’s heart and walked with him through all the dark places of his life just as he walked with Momo and Papa.

As we walk with the Lord, learning from the suffering and failures, praising him for his faithfulness, our trust in him (our belief) is strengthened, and we begin to know him.  We experience his faithfulness; we experience his love, his closeness, his comfort; and, like Paul, we are persuaded that he is able to keep us (II Timothy 1:12).  Over time we begin to know experientially that God is everything he says and will do everything he says.  We know that he will provide desired outcomes or the grace to enrich the most terrible circumstance.  We learn to accept his peace before the storm is stilled, and we obediently rejoice in him always.

Nowadays, I think I may be among the most blessed people alive, and then I remember Momo and Papa.  Yes, I’m beginning to understand what they mean.

 

Father, thank you for the seed of eternity you’ve put within us, and thank you for that joy and hope that continually grows as we walk faithfully with you.  Help me to walk on and on with you, as Enoch did, and someday arrive at home.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

TODAY

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

 

We’ve awakened today with a gift from God—this very day.  There will be so many choices and opportunities.  What will we do with the gift?

We will enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts (Psa. 100:4) reflecting on the benefits we derive by being his child.  Thank you Lord for your abiding peace no matter what may come this day.  Thank you for grace to address every situation.  Thank you for wisdom to deal with complex issues today.  Thank you for strength to handle all my responsibilities.  Thank you for guidance with all the different options in this day.  Thank you that you never leave me even when my senses don’t perceive you.

We enter his courts with praise, confidently abiding in the presence of the Lord.  …in him  we live and move and have our being.  (Acts 17:28)  Today if something should try to shake my rest in him, I will redirect my attention and climb back into his arms.  After all, Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

What a great day.

 

Father, keep us steadfast in your love today, rejoicing in you and not allowing circumstances to determine our attitudes or behavior.  We are your children; we rejoice in you.  AMEN.