Well, this Sunday was a blessing. Annie, my co-conspirator in “turning the world upside-down”, and I went and did some open air readings from the Word of God, and had good discussion time- that’s what I call Church! The night before, I did some studying and really going through my mind and heart, and couldn’t get the topic of “pilgrim” out of my mind (this may have had a lot to do with my reading the Pilgrim’s Progress by Paul Bunyan earlier in the week).
So, I did as I usually do and researched. Conspire magazine is now online (http://www.conspiremagazine.com/) and sure enough this month’s topic was Pilgrimage. Wow!
A Pilgrim is described as someone who is in search of home. This caused me to think a bit, first off we know that the Word describes our home as a heavenly one (Hebrews chapters 11-13), also we are told to live as pilgrims.
So with that said, I began to dig a bit deeper. What really are we in search of? “Seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew chapter 5)”. Psalms 84:5- says that blessed is him whose heart is set on pilgrimage. Well, since I am not on pilgrimage for Jerusalem or Mecca, what really should be captivating me?
Our heavenly city as described in the book of Revelation is the presence of God. The presence of God is the kingdom of God. In Hebrews we read that the saints endured all kinds of torture to obtain and invite others; to this new city, thus the presence of God.
Being me, and being critical of all things, I still wanted to dig a bit deeper. How can I express this is my life, how can I explain and be an ambassador of this kingdom, if I don’t know the characteristics and how to define it??
LOVE, DYING TO SELF, RESTORATION, RENEWAL, REVIVAL, PASSION (PURPOSE), IDENTITY. – Characteristics of the kingdom of God!
Reading through Shane Claiborne’s book- Jesus for President (an awesome depiction of what life is like in the kingdom of God); I was loving the chapter titled: A Peculiar Party. He said, “we need to be about discovering lost relatives and forgotten ancestors”.
I thought that made a great point. As Christians we need to realize that we must begin to explain and re-iterate the kingdom of God properly. In our society, what do most conversations consist of- family, friends, activities, views, …that’s pretty much it. So how do we explain or world?
THE SAME WAY! Tell about our family in Christ, our holy days, our activities, etc…
This just once again puts into thought my vision of Christians as master storytellers, just like our Savior.
Let our pilgrimage be expressions of His presence.
Showing posts with label ambassador. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ambassador. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Yesterdays Devotional Reading
Well, it has been a while. Most of you loyal blog readers already know that I have some issues with consistency. These past couple weeks have had their ups and downs, physically, mentally, and of course Spiritually!
Yesterdays devotional reading came as an expressing of the “Living Water” for my thirsty soul. So much so that I wanted to share it.
Well, let’s turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I want to speak about reconciliation, as our position and responsibility. Looking to the text we realize that the Apostle Paul is admonishing the Corinthian Church. Judgment is upon us and we know we will face judgment on what we did with this life the Lord gave us (verse 10). SINCE, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we know the TRUTH, our job is to tell others, actually better put -PERSUADE! (verse 11).
To me this thought alone, judgment, is enough to make us out of our minds (verse 13), as many of you have heard my expression of visions and dreams concerning the Day of Reckoning. This “out of our minds” is what should give us the passion we need to express the seriousness of this message.
Verses 14-15, express that by Christ’s love and death, we are compelled to spread the message that all should turn to Him as Lord and Savior, “Since He died for us we should live for Him”!
We are ambassadors of Christ imploring (which means to express with earnest supplication) that all should be reconciled to Christ! Are you on the job?
Not hired? Yes you have. That brings us to the next part of my devotional. Now, let’s turn to Jeremiah chapter 1. Believe it or not the person you are today, was created and foreseen before the foundations of the world, and you were hired before birth. Verse 5 says it all- “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”.
Let us all realize this truth. Let us listen and understand to the command of the Lord which enables us to be Ambassadors of reconciliation.
“You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).
Yesterdays devotional reading came as an expressing of the “Living Water” for my thirsty soul. So much so that I wanted to share it.
Well, let’s turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I want to speak about reconciliation, as our position and responsibility. Looking to the text we realize that the Apostle Paul is admonishing the Corinthian Church. Judgment is upon us and we know we will face judgment on what we did with this life the Lord gave us (verse 10). SINCE, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we know the TRUTH, our job is to tell others, actually better put -PERSUADE! (verse 11).
To me this thought alone, judgment, is enough to make us out of our minds (verse 13), as many of you have heard my expression of visions and dreams concerning the Day of Reckoning. This “out of our minds” is what should give us the passion we need to express the seriousness of this message.
Verses 14-15, express that by Christ’s love and death, we are compelled to spread the message that all should turn to Him as Lord and Savior, “Since He died for us we should live for Him”!
We are ambassadors of Christ imploring (which means to express with earnest supplication) that all should be reconciled to Christ! Are you on the job?
Not hired? Yes you have. That brings us to the next part of my devotional. Now, let’s turn to Jeremiah chapter 1. Believe it or not the person you are today, was created and foreseen before the foundations of the world, and you were hired before birth. Verse 5 says it all- “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”.
Let us all realize this truth. Let us listen and understand to the command of the Lord which enables us to be Ambassadors of reconciliation.
“You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).
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