I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"
I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Sunday's thought was all about "making God's dream come true for this world." Two days removed from that message, and we see the challenges we face:
- A shooter guns kills 33 people at an American university and then himself on Monday...
- The world's weather continues to revolt as a Nor'Easter claims two innocent lives of people in our state.
- War and insurgents continue to cause bloodshed and destruction.
- Spiritual leadership in crisis...
- Growing hostility everywhere we turn...
- Trying to protect our children from the evil that would destroy them.
Some might argue and say that making God's dream happen is WAY TOO BIG, and it won't happen until Jesus returns. Two responses:
- Yes, these are BIG problems. But BIG problems can need to be solved in the small ways before they are solved in the BIG ways. And every BIG problem begins as a little problem that no one resolved. And as we resolve problems locally, watch a small solution turn into a BIG solution, from affecting my neighborhood to impacting my city to carrying into our region and soon enough into our WORLD!
- Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek God's kingdom. The word seek carries more meaning than simply "look for it to come." The idea is to pursue aggresively being kingdom citizens and bringing the kingdom wherever you go. The kingdom affects employment, economics, politics, medicine, law, sexuality, racial equality - it reaches into every area and teaches us to live at a higher level. But it is something we can pursue NOW. Furthermore, Matthew 6:34 takes the immediacy of the kingdom seriously by telling us to not worry about tomorrow - the kingdom - God's dream - isn't a "tomorrow" topic - it's a today "topic," and potentially a "today" reality as we pursue it.
Any thoughts?
2 comments:
Ephesians 6:12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Jude 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
These two passages make it clear that our enemy is not of the human kind and that God has already given us "the faith" to bring about the reality of HIS dream for this earth.It's also clear that we must "contend" for it.
The amazing plan of our Father is to take back His planet in the same way with which it was given over to the evil one in the first place, by using human vessels.
2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We do not fight this spiritual battle with fleshly weapons.
Seeking the Lord with all that we are is one of our weapons.Not reacting negativly to our circumstances but in everything giving thanks to the Lord is another way. Allowing the Holy Spirit to define for us what TRUE worship in Spirit and truth is. Not giving in to our initial feelings of timidity when it comes to our whole hearted expression to our King. Not only giving a mental assent but really believing in and walking in the knowledge that "death and life are in the power of our tongues.(proverbs 18:21)(guard our mouth Holy Spirit)
Being open to correction. Understanding that we do not know anything yet as we ought to know it(1 Cor 8:2) These are all part of our weapons because they are a contradiction to the way our enemy operates and would have us operate. He is the accuser of the brethren and also of our God.Do we believe everything we feel is truth? Or do we believe what God says about a situation.
If we want to literally execute and see the will of God right where we live then we must walk in Romans 12.
Romans12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;
8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness
God wants us to be His eternal proof that He is the one true God. The victory will be won,God's dream will be manifested by a people, a body of those who have been TRANSFORMED!, by the renewing of their minds.
May the Journey be a body that is healthy.Every joint supplying.
Every gift of the Spirit functioning and with much fruit, 100 fold, to feed into this community and back into God's dream.
AMEN, ED! I received that! I add my faith to see the fulfillment of your blessing...
-Pastor
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