No King BUT Christ no. 3

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and unique Son” (Yochanan (Jhn) 3:16-18). God did not send Jesus to judge the world but to save the world. How much less am I to judge the world?

The world is a mess BUT Jesus offers salvation. That is the Good News? Right? Remember the Good News? Jesus was walking around and spreading the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He wasn’t spreading bad news. He wasn’t telling folks they were already judged. He wasn’t professing condemnation. Jesus was offering a hand up by coming down to us. Am I coming down off my horse of religion to help offer a hand to the lost? Is my example a light upon a hill or a stumbling block?

I am not Jesus. You are not Jesus. He alone is Jesus. I may be trying to walk in His example, an example I will not attain because He is God. BUT a lot of folks like to compare their actions to His.

Jesus did this and Jesus did that. Are you walking on water? He did that too. Are you healing the sick? He did that too. Did you die and ascend to the right hand of the Father? He did that too. Looking to Jesus as an example is great until we start to put ourselves in His place. If you want to judge folks, go around and judge your fellow Christians and not the world. I constantly need reproving and redirection. I constantly miss the mark that He set. Or maybe turn that judgmental eye to the beam in your own eye as well? I definitely can use some reflection on where I fall short of His glory.

Remember that He is our King and we are not Him. He called us to spread the Good News of His Kingdom. “Yeshua went all over the Galil teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing people from every kind of disease and sickness” (Mattityahu (Mat) 4:23).

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

No King BUT Christ no. 2

“You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. This is the greatest and most important mitzvah . And a second is similar to it, You are to love your neighbor as yourself. All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot” (Mattityahu (Mat) 22:37-40). I love God by following His Commandments. He tells me to have no other gods. He tells me to honor His name and His worship. He wants me to set aside a day for Him BUT He also wants to be a part of my life daily. If He is my King then I should do what He commands.

I just finished reading a book by Jan David Hettinga entitled The Safe King that really breaks down the problem I have, you have, we have with His Kingdom. And there are a lot of little kingdoms of self that need to get shattered. Strongholds of self that look at what we can get rather than what He wants. It is a truly powerful book that lays it all out with graphic representations and scriptural support for my problems in Kingdom work. And that problem is always me. I get in His Way.

I get in the way by putting myself or something else above Him. And with all the distractions readily available, losing focus can be so easy. I can so easily find something else to occupy my time. Family, politics, entertainment, education, sports, sex, relationship, addiction, food, study, work . . . any of those things can easily be placed in the throne of my kingdom of self. And there are so many choices to take His place in my life. BUT I need to regain my focus on Him.

“But I, I will always hope

and keep adding to your praise.

All day long my mouth will tell

of your righteous deeds and acts of salvation,

though their number is past my knowing.

I will come in the power of Adonai Elohim

and recall your righteousness, yours alone.

God, you have taught me since I was young,

and I still proclaim your wonderful works.

So now that I’m old, and my hair is gray,

don’t abandon me, God, till I have proclaimed

your strength to the next generation,

your power to all who will come,

your righteousness too, God,

which reaches to the heights.

God, you have done great things;

who is there like you” (Tehillim (Psa) 71:14-19)?

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH