Tag: Kingdom of God

A Transformed Life

Matthew 5-7

Devotion by Shelly Millard (Nebraska)

It was a warm day by the Sea of Galilee as Jesus and his disciples rested, ate and talked.  They had been on a rigorous schedule following the launch of Jesus’s ministry.  Word about the healings and teachings had spread and people were intrigued by this new itinerant preacher who was sharing a new message about the Kingdom of God.  Folks from all around the region began to seek him out and as Jesus noticed the gathering of the crowds, he moved up the hill to a place where the crowds could see and hear him.  He began to speak, resulting in what we know as the Sermon on the Mount.  He spoke about the Kingdom of God in a way they had never heard before, turning everything they knew about religion, the law and the kingdom upside down. Donald Kraybill in his book, The Upside Down Kingdom, describes how Jesus presented an introduction to the Kingdom of God that was totally opposite of what the world’s definition might be.  In these teachings, Jesus provided a vision of what a life lived with the Kingdom of God in their minds and in their hearts might look like.  Instead of a focus on following the law, he called for the transformation of their hearts and lives.

The upside down kingdom, as described by Jesus, included flipping their perspectives in several ways:

  1.  In a world where power, money, status, aggression, revenge and self-centeredness were valued, he provided a new perspective in the Beatitudes where those who were poor, sad, without status, gentle, forgiving, merciful and looking for peace would be the very ones who were blessed, happy and would receive the ultimate rewards.
  2. The keys to the kingdom were found in sharing your light with the world.  That light was not just keeping the law but letting others see the change in your heart and life.
  3. Keeping the law was not just about following the rules but about creating relationships which reflected the love of Jesus and one another.  You choose not to covet  for example, not because it is a rule, but because it destroys relationships.  Loving God is fleshed out in loving your neighbor by respecting them, sacrificing for them and even loving those you consider your enemies. 
  4. He encouraged them to pray with a focus on building a more personal and intimate relationship with God by providing a template with The Lord’s Prayer.
  5. Instead of focusing on the temporary and insubstantial values of the world, our attention should be on those values of the Kingdom of God which are lasting and substantive.
  6. In a world that is filled with anxiety about the future, Jesus reminds them that this worry is just a waste of time and energy.  Instead, if you focus on seeking the Kingdom, these other things will fall into place. 

We are called to an upside down kingdom where transformed lives allow people to begin to experience the Kingdom of God.  Jesus provided a vision of what a transformed life looks like so that followers can begin the journey toward that destination.  Those steps in that journey come with every intentional decision and choice we, as followers, take.   If I want to reflect God’s kingdom, then I choose to spend time in prayer, focus my time and energy on kingdom values, treat the poor and marginalized with kindness and on and on.  Every choice moves us in the direction of more fully reflecting the Kingdom of God in our lives.  Every thought, belief and action is an opportunity to more fully reflect that transformed life.

Questions for reflection:

How does the term “upside down kingdom” impact how you read the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount?

Which of the teachings contained in this sermon resonate with you?

How do you respond to the idea that each day we are faced with opportunities to intentionally transform into the vision that Jesus has created?

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the need for transformation and just shut down.  How does it make you feel if you approach it as one decision or choice at a time?

What is one area of your life where you would like to work on transformation? 

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All Things New!

Isaiah 64-66


The final chapters of Isaiah turn from sin and exile to a glorious, eternal promise: God will make all things new! These chapters are echoed through the New Testament and Revelation, pointing to the coming Kingdom of God!

Isaiah 64:1 begins with the longing: “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down!” It’s the heart-cry of a people who’ve seen the brokenness of the world and long for God’s presence to change everything. Isaiah confesses sin, but he also appeals to God’s nature as Father and Redeemer. The coming Kingdom won’t just be a fix for the troubles of this world, but it will be a family reunion, where God will triumphantly restore His children!

In Isaiah 65, God answers the cry of his people with staggering promises. He speaks of new heavens and a new earth, a place of peace, joy, and justice. No more weeping. Long lives. Fruitful labor. Harmony between creation and Creator. This is not merely symbolic, it’s a literal vision of what God is preparing for those who love Him! Revelation 21 goes into further detail of the hope we have in the promise of His coming Kingdom.

Isaiah 66 is both sobering and glorious. God will come in fire and judgment against all pride, hypocrisy, and idolatry. He will also gather nations, comfort His people like a mother comforts her child, and establish global worship that never ends. All flesh will bow before Him, and His Kingdom will endure forever.

Isaiah 64-66 reminds us that this world is not the end of the story. The brokenness we see now will be consumed by the glory to come. God’s future Kingdom is not just about future perfection – it’s a living hope that shapes how we live today. Every word and act of faith and love is a preview of the Kingdom that will be revealed. Like Isaiah, we cry out for God to “rend the heavens”- establishing his eternal Kingdom on earth.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the promise of a new heaven and a new earth! Thank You that Your Kingdom will come and Your will be done – perfectly, eternally, and joyfully. Help me to live today with eternity in view, to be faithful, and to carry Your light as I wait for Your glory to be revealed. Come quickly, Lord Jesus – Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you recognize God as the potter, and yourself as the clay? How do you demonstrate this and acknowledge your dependence on Him?

• What part of God’s future Kingdom gives you the most hope right now?

• How does knowing the end of the story change how you face today’s challenges?

-Beth Osborn

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Hope

Isaiah 1-4

Regardless of your political ideas and loyalties, I believe we can all agree that the world is a mess right now. War and the threat of new wars are a daily reality. Mud-slinging goes back and forth between our politicians while important issues that they should be finding solutions to go unresolved and forgotten until the next election cycle. The soaring cost of buying a home or even purchasing groceries shows no sign of significant improvement. Anxiety and stress levels are high, causing many both inside and outside of the church to feel hopeless.

And yet, we have hope! Although there is quite a bit of reading material from the Bible today, I’m going to focus on just one verse that can bring all of us hope. In the NASB 1995, Isaiah 2:4 says:

“And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nations, And never again will they learn war.”

Imagine living in a time and place where God is our judge. Of course, he is already in our hearts, but the nations of our world don’t worship and obey him. Even the USA, with “In God We Trust” printed on our money, documents, and buildings, does not truly and wholly worship God.

Imagine no more need to create bigger and faster weapons. In verse four, by turning weapons into plowshares and pruning hooks, they are creating tools used for growth instead of destruction. Without war or the threat of war, more creativity and time could be devoted to feeding the hungry and easing each other’s burdens. No one would fear their loved ones becoming a casualty of war or going off to fight only to return as a different person because of their experiences.

I encourage you today, as we await God’s Kingdom, to seek out ways to bring good to the damaged world we live in. Regardless of the hate and dismay, help to cultivate life and renewal for your family, church, and community. Seek peace whenever possible and spread hope far and wide.

-Lacey Dunn

Reflection:

• What are ways that you can spread the hope of God’s peace to others in your family, church, school, work, community, etc…

• Take time to imagine what life will be like in God’s Kingdom. What does it look like, smell like, and feel like?

• Are you feeling hopeless? Who is someone you can talk to who can help restore your hope? 

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The Son of Man and the Ancient of Days

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 7

POETRY: Psalm 136

NEW TESTAMENT: John 10:1-21

If you have never read Daniel before, or you don’t remember it if you have, then we are now getting away from the stuff that we usually remember. Chapters 1-6 are mainly narrative, stories of Daniel and the boys and the people they encounter and the God who is with them every step of the way. Chapters 7-12 leave the comfort of narrative behind, and we move into the murky and deep waters of visions and interpretations. Let’s start with a caveat: we don’t know everything that will happen in the future. If and when Daniel speaks about the end of days and the beginning of a new world, then we should and must take his prophecies seriously. But there are a lot of different opinions on the interpretation of the book of Daniel. I am hoping to give you mine. First, we’ll do a rundown, and then we will see what it means to us now. 

First, Daniel’s four beasts who come up out of the sea are connected with the four kingdoms in the vision of Daniel from chapter 2. If you were curious then, here is what we begin to see. It is clear that the head of gold is Babylon, and the fact that the beast was a lion with wings and had the mind (found in the head) of a man connects these two. If we skip down to the fourth kingdom, notice the ten toes vs. the 10 horns; also, the legs are of iron and the feet of iron and clay, and the fourth terrible beast has ten horns where one uproots three. If it is clear that the first beast and the fourth beast are the same as the head and the legs of Daniel 2 respectively, then we can allow Daniel 2 to help shape our understanding of this passage. Still, we are not yet given the identity of the other kingdoms, so all we are working with, so far, is Babylon. We will fill in the blanks as we go forward. 

Second, we are treated to a picture of the throne rooms of God. God in the passage is called the “Ancient of Days,” basically saying God is the one who has existed from the beginning. He is not a tame, fatherly, or grandfatherly God, with a jolly face and an upturned nose handing out candy canes to good boys and girls. God isn’t Santa. He sits upon fire, and the wheels of the throne are fire, and he is served by legions of angels, and there is judgment held before this one who brings terror. And the fourth beast and the horn are destroyed, and their authority is taken away. 

Third, one “like a son of man” comes into the presence of the ancient of Days, and is given dominion and glory and a kingdom and all will serve him. To be clear, this is explained in Daniel by an angel in the vision. The beasts are kings, but “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.” Again, later in verse 27 we read “the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.”

What does it mean for us now? 

  1. Simply, no matter how bad the world gets, God is going to win. If you are feeling like giving into gloom and despair as the world gets darker, literally in the Northern Hemisphere and metaphorically *everywhere*, remember, God is not worried about the end of the age, and we shouldn’t be either.
  2. The reason to not fear is that there is a kingdom coming. Back in chapter 2, this kingdom was described as a stone that crushed the feet mixed of iron and clay. Today it is the judgement of God upon the fourth kingdom of this world. We are going to have an interesting discussion about the fourth beast soon, and what kingdom it represents. But more importantly, the victory of God over the kingdoms of this world is not in doubt. The reason this is different from point one is that something better is coming. It’s not just that God is powerful over the fourth beast; its that something better is going to be put in its place, a kingdom for and of his priests, with life as the center (see Daniel 12). Look for and be ready for the kingdom. 
  3. We do that by being found in Jesus. Jesus calls himself “the son of Man” extremely often, seemingly in reference to Daniel. Daniel, however,  interprets the son of Man as the saints of God. What gives? Jesus is the personification and leader of the saints of God. Every promise for God’s people is given to and fulfilled in Jesus. As Christians, when we trust in Jesus, the Bible says we are “clothed in Jesus”. Jesus moves into our hearts and we dwell in his power. The reason we receive the Kingdom of God is only because Jesus shares it with us as the perfect saint of the Most High. The reason we have life is because he has life. If you want to be able to face the darkness of this world knowing it will be destroyed, and that you will be given’s God’s blessings rather than undergoing his wrath, you must trust in Jesus for this salvation, rely on him for his spiritual power, and live the way he commanded in response to the salvation he offers. 

And that is “the end of the matter “ (Dan. 7:28)

-Jake Ballard

Questions:

  1. Does it matter to you personally to know the identity of the Kingdoms in Daniel? Why or why not? Even if we might acknowledge that our knowledge is faulty, are you comfortable saying “I don’t know” to any question? Most questions? Every question? If we say “I don’t know” more often than giving an answer, are we truly loving God with all our mind?
  2. I don’t want to harp on yesterday’s theme, but notice the mispicturing of God: like a grandfather giving sweets, or Santa bringing presents to good kids. What is the picture of God in Daniel? How does this compare to the beginning of Ezekiel or Isaiah?
  3. Check in with your heart: are you worried about the world being too dark? Are you giving up hope in a brighter future of the kingdom of God? Don’t give in to despair. God desires for you to hope; it is a cardinal virtue. “These three remain, faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.”
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YHWH Sammah

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 46-48

POETRY: Psalm 135

NEW TESTAMENT: John 6:25-71

Today’s reading finishes up our time in the prophetic book of Ezekiel. A book that I’ve enjoyed studying a bit more- even if some days I’ve found myself with more questions than answers. Ultimately, it is nice to close in hope, and Ezekiel’s last chapters end with hope and a climax with God’s glory being restored to the temple. His words of prophecy were full of hope to those in exile even before the promised Messiah had surfaced. For us who have received the gift of the Messiah, and a personal relationship with God, the hope for a future restoration in the kingdom of God is something we still cling to in our days of exile.

The book of Ezekiel starts with a little less good news, and some warnings of destruction which certainly came to Jerusalem, but it ends with this detailed, beautiful prophetic description of a new temple yet to come.  Historically, there has not yet been a temple meeting this description to fulfill this prophecy.  And while some argue that this prophecy was solely fulfilled figuratively (in Jesus, in the church, etc.), others assert it is a future literal temple yet to come in the Millennium where believers reign with Christ. While I am certainly motivated to study it more after stumbling across the various ideas out there, because I am confident from scripture that there will be a literal return of Christ to earth, it appears to me these prophecies work well alongside that in describing a literal temple.

 I appreciate the taste of restoration and return of God’s glory that Ezekiel gives us.  In the United States, we have just finished another tiresome election cycle, and it seems like in these times we hear it all….. over and over again…..the self-proclaimed prophets, empty promises, whining and blaming, “pride, patriotism, and prejudice”…..the whole shebang.  My hope and faith is not in America being great. Nor is it in world peace we know scripturally will not truly happen in this age- no matter who is president.  My true identification or affiliation is not found in my national citizenship or any other political, demographic, or who-knows-what-now-label. My only sustaining hope is based in the promises given to Abraham and shared with me thousands of years later. I look forward to the world being great again, and pray Jesus will return soon, so that the meek will inherit it.

Ezekiel closes his prophecy telling us the name of the city he had described in such detail. It is called “The LORD is there”. In Hebrew, “YHWH sammah”.  Two words that brought the most resonating image to my mind in all of the chapters in this book that I read. There will be a day when God and His son Jesus will dwell with us. Literally.

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on how the prophecies from these chapters are/will be fulfilled?
  2.  What gives you hope in today’s reading?
  3. How does the LORD “being there” impact a place? We know we’re invited!
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He is the LORD

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 38 & 39

POETRY: Psalm 132

NEW TESTAMENT: John 5:16-30

Have you ever taken a sneak peak to the end of a book? I don’t do it often, but when I do, it may be just a quick glance to see if a character is still alive at the end. In today’s reading, we have some exciting, confusing stuff! Ezekiel 38 and 39 have it all…..new characters, epic battles, armed horsemen, plundering, hailstones and burning sulfur, crumbling cliffs, overturned mountains, and all people and creatures (even fish!) trembling.  If you were to illustrate this section….you’d need quite the mural.

As one can imagine for such exciting material, there are many studies, teachings, commentaries, and beliefs associated with which modern day peoples/nations might be associated with Gog and Magog, how this prophecy ties in with end time prophecies, etc.  I learned a lot studying it, and thought it was interesting that just a few weeks ago, in an adult Bible class I attend, the teacher asked us our thoughts on these chapters and Gog and Magog and what was going on in the world today. A question I had certainly never been asked before. I’m pretty sure I’ve been asked “what are your thoughts on God”….but “what are your thoughts on Gog?!”…that one was a new one for me!  But, I’m confident that as things continue to unfold with devolving world relations, new alliances, political turmoil in so many places, these chapters will continue to prove interesting. And no matter our age or place in life, current events and awareness of Biblical prophecies and a worldview based in scripture matters.

 I remember as a kid visiting my great-grandma in her nursing home (Pinecrest Manor in good old Mt. Morris, Illinois!) and being struck by how worked up she was when she (at the age of 100, legally blind and hard of hearing by then) was listening to my mother chat about the news at the time. The Berlin Wall had recently come down and the Soviet Union had just collapsed -which I realize makes me sound ancient to many of you reading this. But, I distinctly remember looking up from my book to watch her face as she said so emphatically to my Mom, “Why don’t they TELL us these things here?!”  She was fascinated because she knew her Bible, she was interested in Biblical prophecy and how they relate to current events, and I’d imagine at the age of 100….she liked to consider the coming kingdom of God!

Regardless of precisely who all these characters are in these chapters, we see the purpose of the story clearly stated. Clearly stated numerous times. When I was reading through Ezekiel, I noticed that I had read the phrase “know that I am the LORD” a few times. Enough times that it caught my attention and I ran the phrase through Logos to see how many times it was used.  Umm…..more than a few! More like that specific Hebrew phrase is found 88 times in scripture and 76 of them are in the book of Ezekiel. 76 times this prophet reminds us of the importance of knowing that He is the LORD!

When battles rage and we are persecuted, when landscapes crumble and fires burn, when enemies pursue and God’s name is profaned, He is the LORD!

We live in a world of increasing disrespect toward the LORD, but that doesn’t change the fact that He is who He is.  If I ever need a reminder again of who He is, who will win and be alive in the end, and whose promises for a coming kingdom and eternal peace I need to rely on….I think these chapters will be great ones for me.

“So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 38:23)

“ I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

“And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel[1]  (Ezekiel 39: 6-7)

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. Make a mental list of ways God has shown you He is the LORD.
  2. Are there ways you have seen the LORD’s name being profaned recently? How can you honor Him today? How do you picture Him being honored in the coming kingdom?
  3. So, what are your thoughts on Gog?!
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The Goal of EVERYTHING

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 8 & 9

POETRY: Psalm 121

NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 21

I was blessed to bring you this part of Revelation because this chapter means so much to me.

Go back to Revelation 21:3-4 and read it again. And again. And again. 

I don’t want you to read another sentence of this devotion until you dwell on the glorious truth of Revelation 21:3-4. 

God will be with us. 

That’s the goal. I don’t mean the goal of Revelation. The goal of EVERYTHING, everything collectively and every thing individually, is to be connected to the God who created it, who sustains it, who loves it. Everything God did was so that he could be among those who accepted him, so he could be their God. He would have every right to sit in the middle of the city, demanding we come and bow to him and confess our sins and honor and adore him without his speaking to us.

But the old order of things has passed. He comes to us. Instead of an unreachable, untouchable King far away and distant, He walks up to us.

He walks up to you

He walks up to me

and He wipes away our tears. 

Think of all the tears you’ve cried. I’ve cried so many. Relationships I’ve hurt. Trust I’ve broken. Loved ones who have been lost. Pain seen in the eyes of my wife and daughter. 

God will not remain distant. He will walk up to me, and he will say “My Son, the old things are gone, the new have come. Cry no more.” God Himself, the creator of all things, will wipe away my tears.

God Himself will wipe away your tears.

God will be among us and be our God.

Everything else, the grand city, the streets of gold and the walls of precious stones, all these images of the glorified future, everything is icing on the cake. Without God it wouldn’t mean anything. Because God is there among us, it means everything.

My brothers and sisters, I can’t wait until your tears are wiped away. I can’t wait until the old is gone and the new has come.

May the Lord Jesus come quickly, prepare the way for his Father, and may God come and be our God. 

Jake Ballard

(originally posted November 23, 2019 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. What are your favorite verse(s) in Revelation 21? Why?
  2. What OLD things are you looking forward to being gone? What NEW things are you looking forward to coming?
  3. Because of this passage – what ought you to do today? Do you agree about the Goal of EVERYTHING? How often do you forget this goal? How can we do a better job of remembering it and living by it?
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A Kingdom Promise

OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 3 & 4

POETRY: Psalm 115

NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Peter 2

What are you tempted to do when things get bad? Especially in the USA right now, it seems like everyone is divided, the country is full of anger, and Christianity is on the decline. What’s going on? Is there any hope?

Looking through Scripture, we can find examples of difficult times for the people of God. Jeremiah chapter 3 is one such example. In the beginning of the chapter, God talks again and again about how corrupt and faithless the people of Israel and Judah have been. God uses the language of divorce, sexual immorality, and idolatry to describe the past mistakes of Israel and the current status for Judah. The problems were obvious. The solution also seemed obvious — return to the Lord. And not only did God declare that this was the right answer — He actively called for His people to return to Him.

But what did the people do?

Reading the rest of the book of Jeremiah, we know that they did not return to the true worship of Yahweh, at least before the exile.

Nevertheless, the middle of Jeremiah 3 should catch our attention. The story does not end with the faithlessness, corruption, and sin.

Jeremiah 3:15-18 (ESV)

15 “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again.

17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.

18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.

The story ends with the goodness of God. No matter what, God will send good shepherds, most importantly the Good Shepherd, Jesus. All nations will come to worship God in the holy city of Jerusalem. The people of God will be reunited again. This is a kingdom promise, a kingdom promise located in the darkest period of the history of the people of God.

Friends, that is our lesson for today: no matter how dark the world gets, no matter how hopeless our future seems, the kingdom is coming. The King is returning.

Instead of focusing on the darkness around us and the turmoil (war, politics, etc.), let’s focus on God and on the hope we have for the future. And let’s share that with others, too.

-Will Barlow

Reflection Questions

Self assessment: how are you feeling with all that is going on in the world today?

    What can you do to be a brighter light in the midst of this darkness?

    How can you stay anchored in the hope of the return of Jesus while also paying appropriate attention to the things of the world?

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    Endurance

    OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 32-33

    POETRY: Song of Songs 6

    *NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 12

    If you’re feeling sluggish, tired of enduring the hardships that come with choosing to be faithful to the end of your race in this age, caught in sin that’s hard to get disentangled from, then think on all of those faithful chosen of God from chapter 11. They made it! They’re going to the Kingdom!

    We have to have the endurance to make it to the end to, for our own good. If that great cloud of witness doesn’t move you, consider Jesus’s faith, by which he endured the cross for you. God’s will for him involved the shedding of his blood to resist the sin of others against him and to free us from it. Has God asked you to shed blood to resist sin? That’s probably not God’s will for you, thank God, though many of his children have. I pray it never comes to that.

    What’s it going to take to finish your faith race? This writer says endurance, and it comes through discipline (he may even be referencing the letter he’s penning as part of that discipline). He is reproving the Hebrews, but discipline involves more than reproof. It involves scourging (I think the definition of scourging here is “suffering”), and it takes training.

    The Hebrews seem to have forgotten that they are heirs to the Most High; they are sons of God. If you’re a son, then you will be disciplined (if not, you’re illegitimate). God’s discipline is like that of a father to his child. It is like the training up of the child in the way he should go so that when he is old, he will not depart from it. The child who was disciplined experienced how to endure as an adult.

    The discipline was for the child’s good, though it was sorrowful in the moment. As adults, the discipline will be sorrowful in the moment, but remember, the discipline of the Lord happens because he loves his children, so welcome it. If you’re not disciplined, you’re going to hurt yourself or others with sin. You might forfeit your entrance into the kingdom.

    Discipline removes sin. It shapes us into holy people – sharing in the holiness with God (because we are transformed into people who want good for others and therefore do the will of God). It yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (it turns you into a person who is faithful to do God’s will).

    With the Lord’s leading, we can take steps to discipline ourselves to resist sin with endurance, for a whole lifetime. Here are some examples from this chapter:

    Serve those in need – strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble.

    Pursue peace with all men.

    Don’t let any root of bitterness spring up causing you trouble.

    Don’t refuse the one who is disciplining you.

    Don’t trade your birth right for food (like Esau did); God didn’t forgive that sin.

    Remember, you didn’t endure what God’s firstborn son (the children of Israel) did. They were not allowed to be where God was like you are through Jesus. Through their mediator Moses, they had to stay away from the mountain where God was. And they were terrified because if they touched the mountain, they’d die. They were terrified of hearing God’s voice, sounding like thunder and lightning.

    Instead, you’ve come to the church of the firstborn (Jesus). You have approached the throne room of God, with his angels, with your brothers and sisters who have all been made perfect by Jesus’s sacrifice, and you can do it without being terrified. You’re not going to die if you approach the throne room of God through Jesus.

    Oh, and by the way, Jesus’s sprinkled blood as our living sacrifice speaks better than Abel’s blood that cried out for vengeance. Jesus’s blood cries out for love/sacrifice for others. Our job is to follow the cries of the one who’s better, who’s blood lets us into the throne room of God now to be in his presence. God will oblige both, but he says vengeance belongs to him.

    God once shook the earth when he spoke from earth. In the end, he’ll speak from heaven, and shake both heaven and earth, so that the things that can be shaken will be removed, leaving only those things that are unshakable. What’s unshakeable is the Kingdom of God. Let’s praise God that we can be a part of that Kingdom now, showing him reverence and awe for what he’s doing. It’s a new thing, and it’s better. 

    -Juliet Taylor

    Reflection Questions

    1. Can you think of something you endured faithfully through discipline?

    2. Do you have a routine of discipline that helps you stay on track?

    3. Abel’s blood cries out for vengeance. Jesus’s blood cries out for love/sacrifice to save others. God will oblige both cries, but vengeance belongs to God, not to those under the New Covenant. Our responsibility is to love, as Jesus loved because it can change hearts and allows us in God’s presence now (in spirit as we draw near). Our job is to love even those who have hurt us. How can you love someone who has hurt you?

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    Excited about Church

    Old Testament: Micah 5

    Poetry: Psalm 84 (day 2)

    New Testament: Luke 18:9-14

    How excited are you about going to church?  You might think church is boring, the singing doesn’t inspire you, the sermon puts you to sleep, the building is nothing to write home about, etc.  If you think like this, you are probably also thinking, “Why even bother going to church when there are so many more exciting things I could be doing?”

    If you think church is bad now, just imagine how bad it was when they used a tent as a church (called the Tabernacle), and slaughtered animals to cover sins.  How well would you have liked going to church then?!  (Can you imagine the smell?)

    Our reading today is from Psalm 84, which starts out, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!”  The writer wasn’t talking about the throne room of God in heaven, he was talking about the Tabernacle (tent) where he went to worship God.

    Psalm 84 continues, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

    The writer wasn’t getting excited about visiting a tent, he was getting excited about being able to be in the presence of God.  He was yearning, fainting, crying out to be near God.

    Verse 4 goes on to say, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

    I’m guessing the writer is referring to the singers whose job was to stay at church and sing praises to God all day long. He was envious they didn’t even have to leave there to go to work (they were at work) – they were so lucky!  They got to be near God all the time.

    Verse 10 says, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

    You may dread going to church.  The writer of Psalm 84 dreaded having to leave church.  He’d rather spend one day at church than almost 3 years anywhere else.  He’d rather be a doorstop at church than party all the time with his wicked friends.

    Why did the author crave going to church so much?  The answer is: because he loved God, and he associated being at church with being in God’s presence – so he couldn’t get enough of it.  

    Today, as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have far greater access to God than the people in the Old Testament (including the writer of Psalm 84) had.  We’re told in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

    God didn’t just send Jesus to die for our sins, God also wants to adopt us as His children.  And there’s an inheritance involved – the Kingdom of God.

    1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “… No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

    I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty vivid imagination, and can imagine some amazing things.  But, according to this verse, I can’t imagine how great the Kingdom will be.  Start with no more death or mourning or crying or pain, add in a little euphoria in the presence of God forever, and you’re just scratching the surface for what God has prepared for those who love him.

    I want that!

    God wants to adopt us as His children, but there’s a catch.  He will only adopt us if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savor, are baptized, and live our lives for Him.  Only then will we get to live with Him forever.

    Maybe, our level of excitement in going to church is related to our level of excitement for God.  Once we recognize how much God has already done for us, and what He has planned for those who love him, we’ll get more excited about God.  And once we do, I suspect we’ll get more excited about going to church too. 

    -Steve Mattison

    Reflection Questions

    1. What are your thoughts and feelings right now about going to church? Where do you think they come from?
    2. How excited for God are you? What has He done for you already? What do you know about – and what can you imagine – about being in the Kingdom of God? Have you already been adopted into God’s family? Are there steps you need to do in this adoption process?
    3. Is there anything about your perception and understanding about going to church that you think God wants you to change?
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