Seek First The Kingdom of God no. 9

“And let us keep paying attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good deeds, not neglecting our own congregational meetings, as some have made a practice of doing, but, rather, encouraging each other. And let us do this all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Messianic Jews (Heb) 10:24-25). Go to church. I say it all the time. I say it probably second most to “Did you pray about it” because community is an important part of loving our neighbor and prayer is an important part of loving God.

And I don’t say “go to church” as someone that has not encountered problems with church people. I am open about how church people led to me choosing not to attend church anymore. I saw the actions of folks I knew and respected and were examples in the Christian faith fall short of His standard and my standard. And I chose to let that move me out of His community. And I found a different community that appeared to be loving and honest to take its place. BUT, it wasn’t either because no matter what community I find, no matter what solution I seek, I always find folks that fall short. I will always find folks that miss the mark. I will always find hypocrites and liars. And I will always find that because that’s the nature of sin in people. I will find those same flaws and failures in me as well. And it isn’t easy to struggle with the problems of people because that forces me to look at the flaws and failures of my own.

And one of the big problems I had to face was going back to church. It isn’t like I had a problem with God. I attended Catholic mass and went to random churches after I stopped attending the church in which I was raised. I still had a relationship with God BUT I was struggling with church people. And over time and growth and maturity, God moved to get me back into community. And I started small with prayer group at a local church. And I didn’t like those fellas too much at first either. BUT I grew over time to stop worrying about our differences and focus on what brought us together. And then I started attending the closest church to my home. And I did not like those people a lot either at first and the jury is still out on some of them BUT I love them and look at the reason we come into community. And that reason is about Him and not about me.

I know it isn’t easy to get back into community when church people have failed you. BUT you do have to get used to the fact that people are going to fail you in the church or outside the church. And that the failure of others is not an excuse to keep you away from community. God called us to work together. He called us to love Him and our neighbor, not to like them. I do not have to like my brother or my sister. I have to love them. And that takes community with them and with Him as the reason. So, go to church. Which one? Any one where you feel comfortable. And if God is there, love is there, and we should always feel community.

Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.

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 #SeekFirstTheKingdom #NotMyWayYHWH

Seek First The Kingdom of God no. 8

“Do not let what you know to be good, be spoken of as bad; for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, shalom and joy in the Ruach HaKodesh . Anyone who serves the Messiah in this fashion both pleases God and wins the approval of other people. So then, let us pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding” (Romans (Rom) 14:16-19). I get to choose how the world sees Jesus. And I get to make that choice daily. I can choose whether to let my love for God and neighbor win out or whether I let my love of my self win out. And in America where personal accountability and personal achievement and personal freedom are all too often used as excuses for being selfish, I have to make the choice of being selfless. And that is really difficult in the midst of a selfish society.

I am a selfish person. I too often want to live my life on my own terms regardless of what damage that might have to my family, my community, and The Church. I don’t want to obey worldly authority. I don’t want to be a good servant to others. I don’t want to give of my self. Doing that is exhausting. Doing that gets me no recognition. Doing that gets me taken for granted. Being selfless is not going to make me rich or famous or popular. It is often going to make me poor and forgotten and ridiculed. And isn’t that the point?

I like to say that God has a plan. BUT too often that plan is too difficult for me in its simplicity. It isn’t that I can’t be selfless. It is that I don’t want to be selfless. It is much easier, much more acceptable, much more gratifying to be selfish. In a world full of selfish people, it is far too easy to make the same choice to be selfish. It is far too easy to do exactly what the Goyim are doing and align myself with their values. To act like a selfish person is not only easy BUT also valued in my culture.

And that is why I need to serve The Christ in both a way that serves God and serves my neighbor. I don’t get to serve me. And most of my life has been about me. Sure there have been moments of service BUT all too often it has always been about me. And that is what needs to change in my heart. I need a service heart rather than a sinful heart. I need a selfless heart rather than a selfish heart. I need a heart that wants what is best for others. I need a heart in service to my family, my community, and The Church. God called me to be part of a relationship with Him and with others. He wants to restore ALL the relationships in my life. He isn’t only bringing a restoration to Him. He brings restoration to ALL relationships. And that is only going to happen when I choose to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him obediently. And that means really taking the first part, denying self, seriously. How can I build up others today for His Kingdom? That is all part of His plan.

Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.

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 #SeekFirstTheKingdom #NotMyWayYHWH