Kingdom Citizens

  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 I was talking with a friend recently and she was sharing with me the burden of trying to love and parent her adult child, who typically resists and pushes away such love. One morning, while visiting New York,  the family was sitting outside ordering brunch. My friend ordered a salmon bagel, and if you've ever visited New York, you wouldn't be surprised that the menu revealed that this bagel would cost $17. Delighted in finding something to be aggravated about, my friend's child said, "You're going to pay $17 for a bagel, really? That's ridiculous. I'm not ordering anything, I'm not hungry." Once the food arrived, all but one enjoyed their delicious (albeit overpriced) NY brunch. My friend had eaten half of her salmon bagel and when she couldn't eat anymore, she slid the other half across the table. Being rejected once again, my...

  "Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed are those who trust in him!" Psalm 34:8   One way to interpret "taste" is to take notice. Take a moment and take notice of how good God is.  Go ahead, pause what you are doing and just sit for a moment. The work can wait. The reply can wait. The next scroll can wait. That thing, whatever it may be, can wait.  It can wait so that the goodness of God can be noticed. Noticed and then received. Received and then used to bless. Used to comfort you in the middle of whatever it is you are doing.  You are seen by God. You are loved by God. You are saved by God. You are welcomed by God. You are made whole by God. You are heard by God. You are blessed by God. You are healed by God. You are chosen by God. You are noticed by God.  Notice Him and His goodness for a moment. Sit and dwell in that goodness...for just a moment longer. Receive. Trust in Him. Take refuge in Him. Taste and see that He is good.

  Dear Church, I'm not going to flood your Facebook page with my opinions, because I don't consider them to be worth all that much (and you probably don't either ). I will, however, share the truth of God's Word and I will go ahead and share biblical interpretation from a commentators understanding (who happens to have a Ph.D. in NT studies -- that's certainly worth something) I was preparing for tomorrow night's Bible study and these words made me pause. Church, these are words spoken to us, as John was speaking to the Church in his day, reminding them of the words of Jesus. Here is Rick Williamson's interpretation of this passage and I think it's certainly worth considering: "Jesus called DIVERSE followers and expected them to walk IN HARMONY. Matthew was a tax collector, an agent of Rome. Simon the Zealot, whose RADICAL POLITICAL LEANINGS attached to his name, resented anyone associated with Rome. What fellowship challenges did those two have? Si...

  Dr. Willard H. Taylor said, "No matter how spiritually stable, worshipful, and prayerful God's people might be, they are never immune from attack by the wicked spiritual forces." Paul, stating this in Ephesians 6, urges his readers to be prepared for these attacks. We might not be able to keep them from coming, but Jesus can keep them from prevailing. You see, He's already won. Jesus not only knows the tactics the enemy uses, but He's defeated them all through His death and resurrection. And guess what else? He's prepared and equipped His people to fight this spiritual battle. He's ready to help the moment we call His name. Read Ephesians 6. Call upon His name. Resist the enemy and he will flee from you. Surround yourself with believers who fight alongside you. If you've never discussed what this spiritual battle looks like, or what the armor of God looks like for us today, reach out to another believer and do just that. We are stronger together,...

We were never meant to look like the world, but always to reflect the image of God. That fateful moment in the garden, we conformed. Man and woman conformed to the image they had in mind for themselves. They believed the lie that it would look better than the image God had in mind. You and I are to look nothing like the world around us, but be a stark contrast. When they see us, they should see a loving Jesus that has freed us from the grips of sin and His Holy Spirit that enables us to love the broken world around us like no other. That’s what the world should see. Not us. Not our bickering or harsh words. Not our running away because we don’t have all the answers. Not our desire for more. Not our tearing down of God’s precious creation. Not our pushing people to the margins because there’s no space for them. Not our settling so we can fit in. And it’s no coincidence to me that Paul uses strong language such as “urge.” He knows the challenge. He knows the...

Home renovations always amaze me. There's just nothing like a good "before" and "after" picture after a huge renovation. Doesn't it make you want to renovate your own home when you see such inspiring transformations? When I see an amazing "before" and "after" picture I immediately start thinking, "How can I do this in my home?" In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul talks about a new creation that has come when we are made new in Christ. He talks about how we no longer look at others or Christ from a worldly point of view, but now we see through new eyes. The scales have fallen and we see the world through the lens of love, the lens of goodness, the lens of Christ! Basically, it's the most amazing "Before" and "After" there ever was! When we are made new in Christ, we should no longer look like we once did. In the same way, we should no longer view the world in the way it was once viewed. Can you imagine th...

Joshua 4:14-24 You might read this passage and wonder, "Where I have I read this before?" or, "Didn't I read this already?" I love that what God did for Moses, He did again for Joshua. God can part the waters in our lives not once, but as many times as He needs to. We serve a God who moves mountains for us -- and He can do it again. We serve a God that can part the waters for us -- and He can do it again. My favorite verse in this passage is the second part of verse 18: "No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before." Isn't that just like God? This verse reminds me not to be too quick to call "coincidence." We don't serve a God of coincidence -- we serve a God of intentionality. There is intention behind all that He does. When those waters came crashing back down, at flood stage, that was a reminder to the people as if God was saying: ...