I was thinking about citizenship today, specifically citizenship in America and citizenship in the kingdom of God, and a thought came to my mind.
Jesus Christ should not be like the president.
Let me explain. I am a citizen of the United States of America, and I do what a good citizen should do. I do my best to obey the laws. I try to stay educated on the issues facing our country. I vote in every election, and I pay my taxes. I know who my president is, I respect the office, and even if he does things that I don't like, I still respect the fact that he is my president and deserves my loyalty and support.
I am also a citizen of the kingdom of God, and I try to do what a good citizen does. I do my best to follow the Lord's commands. I try to stay educated about the Bible and the issues facing the Body of Christ. I participate in ministries that spread the Gospel, and I tithe at church. I know who my Lord is, I respect His authority, and even if he does things that I don't like, I still respect the fact that He is God and deserves my loyalty and devotion.
But that isn't good enough.
I don't talk to President Obama on a daily basis. I don't base my decisions on what he thinks is best. I don't seek his favor with my lifestyle and life choices. When I need guidance or wisdom, I don't go to him for these things. He is my president, but the relationship stops there.
That's not how it is with God. I should be talking to Him on a daily basis. I should base my decisions on what He thinks is best (or really knows to be best). I should seek His favor with my lifestyle and my life choices. When I need guidance or wisdom, He is the only one I should go to for these things. He is my God, and by His grace the relationship exists between Him and me.
I, for one, have been convicted of living my life as though I am a citizen of the kingdom, but not a child of God. I keep all the duties I should as a good Christian, but too often my relationship with Christ just isn't there. Being a follower of Christ is more than just performing duties. It's about knowing Him. I pray that we won't be like those Jesus spoke of who learned this lesson to late.
"On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!'" --Matthew 7:22-23
It's not about how many good things we do or how many commandments we keep. It's about how well we know Christ, and how close our relationship is with him.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year's Resolutions...
It's another New Year, which means everyone is making resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, or in some other way live better than they did the year before. Sad to say that I'm no different, mostly because a doctor told me I have high-blood pressure. So, for the sake of my well-being, I have to embrace the cliche weight loss resolution.
But a verse of scripture came to my mind that has a different idea on what resolutions should be. I thought pf the text in 2 Chronicles where Solomon has completed the temple and invites God to make that temple His dwelling place. God answers, agrees, and tells Solomon this: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14).
I think that if I really want to live better in 2010 than I did in 2009, losing weight won't do me much good. Regardless of how heavy I am, I am still chained to my flesh and to its sinful desires. No, if I really want to live better, I need to do something more than just lose a few pounds. I need to change my entire lifestyle. So, this year my resolution is to be humble, to pray, to seek God's face, and to turn from my wicked ways. I want to be a man whom God hears, and whose sins are forgiven, and who lives in land restored and sustained by God.
Rest assured, I am still going to lose weight, because my body is a temple for God and it should be treated as such (not to mention the health concerns involved). But something tells me that if I focus on my relationship with Christ and turn from my worldly passions, then this weight thing will work itself out.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
PS: Happy New Year!!!!
But a verse of scripture came to my mind that has a different idea on what resolutions should be. I thought pf the text in 2 Chronicles where Solomon has completed the temple and invites God to make that temple His dwelling place. God answers, agrees, and tells Solomon this: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14).
I think that if I really want to live better in 2010 than I did in 2009, losing weight won't do me much good. Regardless of how heavy I am, I am still chained to my flesh and to its sinful desires. No, if I really want to live better, I need to do something more than just lose a few pounds. I need to change my entire lifestyle. So, this year my resolution is to be humble, to pray, to seek God's face, and to turn from my wicked ways. I want to be a man whom God hears, and whose sins are forgiven, and who lives in land restored and sustained by God.
Rest assured, I am still going to lose weight, because my body is a temple for God and it should be treated as such (not to mention the health concerns involved). But something tells me that if I focus on my relationship with Christ and turn from my worldly passions, then this weight thing will work itself out.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
PS: Happy New Year!!!!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Family....
It amazes me how introspective music can make a man at 2:00 AM.
I was listening to "The Church" by Derek Webb. It is a very moving song about Christ's love for His bride, the church. In the song there is a line that sticks out in my mind. "If you love me, you will love the church."
Now, anyone who reads this blog will know I am the first to stand in line and say that the American church is sick. Most of the time, we're too busy bickering with each other to really make any headway in sharing the Gospel with anyone. And we're either too afraid to be labeled as judgmental, so we allow everything, wrong or not, and at the same time, we don't want to be labeled liberal, so we show everyone how angry we can get at the current government. For those outside looking in, we must look like a sad, pathetic, dysfunctional family.
But I've been convicted about something. As sad as the American church has become...it is still the church. And as angry as I get with some of the professors and students at Seminary who seem to have a "Baptist superiority complex," they are still brothers and sisters in Christ. I find that when I try to imitate Christ, I remember only Him turning over tables in the temple, and too easily forget him writing in the sand when he should be throwing stones. I remember only him yelling "Get thee behind me Satan!" and seem to forget a conversation about love and feeding sheep. In my zeal to reform and change the church, I have at some point lost my love for it. And that is not of God. Perfect or not, effective or not, it is still God's church.
So, for the believers who read this and are frustrated with the church, I understand how you feel. But remember, the church is made of people, and people are never perfect. Yes, we need to change the things that are broken, but its wrong to completely overlook what's not broken. The church is Christ's body. If it is sick, it's our job to heal it, not condemn it. So my challenge to you is to allow the Holy Spirit to transform your frustration to compassion, and your anger to grace. If we are of the Body, then we should love the Body, not judge it.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
I was listening to "The Church" by Derek Webb. It is a very moving song about Christ's love for His bride, the church. In the song there is a line that sticks out in my mind. "If you love me, you will love the church."
Now, anyone who reads this blog will know I am the first to stand in line and say that the American church is sick. Most of the time, we're too busy bickering with each other to really make any headway in sharing the Gospel with anyone. And we're either too afraid to be labeled as judgmental, so we allow everything, wrong or not, and at the same time, we don't want to be labeled liberal, so we show everyone how angry we can get at the current government. For those outside looking in, we must look like a sad, pathetic, dysfunctional family.
But I've been convicted about something. As sad as the American church has become...it is still the church. And as angry as I get with some of the professors and students at Seminary who seem to have a "Baptist superiority complex," they are still brothers and sisters in Christ. I find that when I try to imitate Christ, I remember only Him turning over tables in the temple, and too easily forget him writing in the sand when he should be throwing stones. I remember only him yelling "Get thee behind me Satan!" and seem to forget a conversation about love and feeding sheep. In my zeal to reform and change the church, I have at some point lost my love for it. And that is not of God. Perfect or not, effective or not, it is still God's church.
So, for the believers who read this and are frustrated with the church, I understand how you feel. But remember, the church is made of people, and people are never perfect. Yes, we need to change the things that are broken, but its wrong to completely overlook what's not broken. The church is Christ's body. If it is sick, it's our job to heal it, not condemn it. So my challenge to you is to allow the Holy Spirit to transform your frustration to compassion, and your anger to grace. If we are of the Body, then we should love the Body, not judge it.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
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