No King BUT Christ no. 19

“When a human act does not conform to the standard of love, then it is not right, nor good, nor perfect.”

Thomas Aquinas

“‘Do not hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won’t carry sin because of him. Don’t take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am Adonai” (Vayikra (Lev) 19:17-18).

Contemporary Christians like to act like they are the first to be persecuted for their faith. Paul wrote many of his letters in jail awaiting his death for his beliefs. We live in Babylon or Rome or whatever word you want to use for human government. And despite that we are to follow their rules as long as they do not contradict His commandments. So, love your enemy even if it is the government that is your enemy . . . .

Before I renewed my commitment as a Christian a few years ago, I was extremely anti-government. I was involved in libertarian philosophy and put that wisdom on a throne. Today, I don't use any of those worldly political adjectives to describe my beliefs because ultimately I am a Christian. That means I pledge allegiance to King Jesus and that also means I do as He commands . . .

So, either I am faithful to that allegiance or not. We all get a choice. And Romans 13 lines up with loving God and loving neighbor even when I don't like the politics and society and government and laws . . . . I still have to be faithful to The Christ.

“I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith — enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing. I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its delight in the truth. Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. Love never ends; but prophecies will pass, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass. For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial; but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, argued like a child; now that I have become a man, I have finished with childish ways. For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me. But for now, three things last — trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love”(1 Corinthians (1 Co) 13:1-13).

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. 11

“So we left Horev and went through all that vast and fearsome desert which you saw on the way to the hill-country of the Emori, as Adonai our God ordered us; and we arrived at Kadesh-Barnea. There I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill-country of the Emori, which Adonai our God is giving to us. Look! Adonai your God has placed the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Adonai , the God of your ancestors, has told you. Don’t be afraid, don’t be dismayed’” (D'varim (Deu) 1:19-21). God has a lot He wants to give us as long as we set aside fear and dismay. He will march us through journeys in preparation for victories He has already won through the death and resurrection of His Son and we can still lack trust. He can walk us through the fearsome desert and we can follow His orders through the hill country to victory. I simply need to obey Him. And obeying Him is the first commandment because I need to love God. Too often I pledge allegiance to my fear and dismay rather to King Jesus.

The Bible is full of great stories and great wisdom and quoting it is a great ability. BUT until I began internalizing its lessons and wisdom, The Bible did me no good. Satan knows the scripture. The demons know the name of Jesus. BUT it doesn’t do them any good because they don’t walk in His Spirit. Until we really meet God through meeting Jesus as He is revealed by the Spirit, we are not transformed. Like the woman at the well, meeting Jesus is unsettling and jarring. “So the woman left her water-jar, went back to the town and said to the people there, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I’ve ever done. Could it be that this is the Messiah?’ They left the town and began coming toward him” (Yochanan (Jhn) 4:28-30). Just like her meeting with Jesus while getting water transformed her life, Jesus has the ability to meet me wherever I am and transform my life as well. And many of our stories are filled with mundane encounters that led to real transformation. Some of our stories are powerfully startling encounters BUT without transformation, the encounter matters little.

Too often we worry that we are going to mess up in spreading His Good News. And often we do. I know that I have messed that up on many occasions. BUT the great thing about the Good News is that no matter how much I imperfectly present the Good News, God is still enthroned and is still in control. And believe it or not, He has a plan that includes me being a mess up. “Moreover, Yesha‘yahu boldly says, ‘I was found by those who were not looking for me, I became known to those who did not ask for me’; but to Isra’el he says, ‘All day long I held out my hands to a people who kept disobeying and contradicting’”(Romans (Rom) 10:20-21). He can be found whenever He wants to be found and folks that can think they are in the right can keep disobeying and contradicting. The Bible is full of God’s chosen people making mistakes. To think that we are not messing up His Good News is arrogant. And in spite of all that, He still chooses to lead us on journeys where He has already provided the victory.

Even though I can get dismayed or fear that He isn’t in control or put myself in charge, God doesn’t stop winning. “Y’hoshua said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid or confused, but be strong and bold, because this is what Adonai will do to all your enemies that you fight against’” (Y'hoshua (Jos) 10:25). He just wants to give me victory. He already won and I still won’t let Him give me the victory because I am too concerned about Him being in charge. If things are not exactly the way I want them to be, I miss the mark of seeing that they are the way He wants them to be. I too often get sidetracked by my idea of how things are going to be rather than get out of His Way and just follow. And I do it all the time. I get sidetracked by things that bug me about the way churches are set up. I get sidetracked by worrying about the theology of other folks. I get sidetracked by so many things that are features of a religion brought about by well-meaning people that are flawed. BUT what I need to do is walk with Him and obey Him. Because too often the problem is with me and my heart. “Yeshua answered them, ‘The reason you go astray is that you are ignorant both of the Tanakh and of the power of God” (Mattityahu (Mat) 22:29).

Way too often I am ignorant. I pray that God will help me be less ignorant. I pray that He helps me trust in Him. I pledge allegiance to Him and trust that He has provided the path. I just need to follow His path in obedience.

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