Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

This week, I read a sobering statistic about Christianity’s influence on the political views of American evangelicals. Only 12% of evangelicals (congregations like Faith Center) said their faith is the most important influence on their opinions about a specific political policy.  That means 88% of evangelicals like us are more influenced by personal experiences, the radio, television, and schooling than by Christianity.  The Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the Christian Church have little-to-no influence on political opinions.

Now, I understand the importance of avoiding political pageantry and punditry in the Christian pulpit.  Americans have a long history of abusing the authority of the church in order to accomplish certain legislative ends that have little to do with the gospel.  But, that doesn’t mean that we throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Christians should consult the Holy Spirit in prayer and the words of the scriptures over and above the voices of America’s culture wars.

           

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches His people how to pray.  This is the example Jesus gives: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Jesus tells His disciples to invite God’s reign and God’s agenda to define all the things of this world.  There is no fudging on God’s will because it is politically expedient.  Christians are encouraged to submit every opinion to God’s will in prayer.

           

As you go through the coming week, let me encourage you to assess the foundations of your opinions.  Are your opinions rooted in your faith and relationship with Christ?  Or, are they rooted in the viewpoints of television, talk radio, and the internet? As you take stock, filter each view through the words of Jesus’ prayer: “Your kingdom come.  Your will be done.” 

Slow, Steady, Scripture

An old shepherd was tending his flock and noticed a tiny stream of water trickling down the side of a hill. He followed the stream to a ledge where the water dripped onto a big stone. Though the rock was barely wet, the center was nearly hallowed out. The steady drip of water, year after year, had carved a hole in the center of the rock.

The shepherd realized that the rock was changed by the small, steady exposure to water. If the same amount of water had washed over the rock all at once, the boulder would have remained unchanged. The steady drip of water over a long period of time is what brought change.

I wonder if our study of the Bible works in a similar way. We are changed by a constant, steady exposure to the scriptures over a long period of time. We are washed in the Bible in worship services. We are flooded with the scriptures at the holidays. But, we are transformed when God’s word is a steady, consistent part of our everyday lives.

In Psalm 119, the Psalm writer says, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” The Psalmist lives a lifestyle of meditating and considering and delighting in God’s word. The scriptures are a steady, daily drip of life saving and life changing water.

As you go through the coming week, let the waters of Christian scripture become a steady part of your life. Let the Lord transform you from the inside out, through the scriptures.  Years down the road, we will look back at the effects of its living water and see miracles.

Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe, and God's Love

In his autobiography, the great playwright Arthur Miller describes a particularly dark time in his marriage to Marilyn Monroe.  During the filming of Miller’s screenplay The Misfits, Monroe descended into a deep depression.  Monroe became increasingly paranoid and dependent on barbiturates.  This left the couple estranged.

           

When things seemed to be at their worst, Miller snuck into his wife’s bedroom and watched her sleep under the aid of drugs.  Miller was a well-known atheist, but found himself wishing for miracles.  Miller writes, “I found myself straining to imagine miracles.  What if she were to wake and I were able to say, 'God loves you, darling,' and she were able to believe it! How I wished I still had my religion and she hers."

In the darkest of moments, the self described Atheist thought belief in God’s love would help.  What if she were to wake and I were able to say, 'God loves you, darling,' and she were able to believe it!  I can relate to the hope and wonder of Miller’s question.  If someone were to truly believe in God’s love for them, surely it would change things for the better.

It is hard to hate yourself when you truly believe God loves you.  It is hard to be self-destructive when you truly believe God loves you.  The reason being this: stuff that God loves has God given value and worth.   And, we are much less likely to hurt that which God Almighty has given value and worth to.

As you go through the coming week, believe that God loves you.  Ask the Lord to encourage that belief in you.  Read the scriptures as an expression of love to you.  Recite the famous verse, “For God so loved the world” over and over again.  Truly believe that God loves you and let that love influence every aspect of your life.

Attacking Allies and the Peace of Christ

The Chicago Tribune reports that a young man lost his life in a fight last week.  It all started when a car drove by a small party in a Chicago neighborhood, early Sunday morning.  A partygoer threw a brick at the car, mistaking the vehicle for a car owned by a rival gang member.  The car stopped and a fight broke out, leaving two people in the hospital and one dead.  When the police arrived and interviewed those involved, the gang members realized they were not rivals. In fact, everyone involved was a member of the same gang. In the confusion of the conflict, the gang ended up killing one of their own.

We shake our heads when we hear sad stories like this.  But, this story illustrates a common temptation in conflict: mistake allies as the problem and attack those allies instead of the problem.  It plays out in ordinary ways.  Challenging circumstances arise, we panic, and then we attack friends and family.  When the dust settles, we realize we’ve hurt those we love the most.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus promises to make His people into a people who avoid such mistakes.  Jesus promises to make us a peaceful people instead of fearful people.  By being a peaceful people, we far less like to be swept up in the confusion of challenges and hurt those we love.  Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give you what the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

This week, seek Christ so that your relationships might enjoy the peace He offers.  Spend time in prayer about your relationships.  Ask the Holy Spirit to direct difficult conversations you need to have.  Ask your spouse to pray with you about a challenging situation before you discuss it.  Seek Jesus and invite His peace into every area of your life.  As you do, enjoy the relationships he has given you.  Those relationships are ways that God can be glorified.

Tsunamis, Radiation, and the Sacrificial Love of God

A former manager at the famous Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant died last week.  He had managed the plant the day the 2011 Tsunami struck and became known for his heroic response.  His story is inspiring.

           

In 2011, a record setting earthquake and tsunami damaged several reactors at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.  The reactor overheated and threatened northern Japan with toxic levels of radiation.  The manager led 250 plant employees in repairing the damage and minimizing the threat.  They worked around the clock, exposed to high levels of radiation, risking their lives.  They did it because they cared about their community.  They did it because they loved Japan. 

These types of stories inspire Christians.  They inspire us because we recognize the incredible sacrifices people make for those they love.  They inspire us because it reminds us of the love God has for us.  God sacrificed his son out of love for us.  The Gospel John says there is no purer form of love than that sacrificial love.  John writes  “There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.”

We may not be asked to give our life this week, but we can sacrifice small things out of love.  We can give the time we intended to be “me time” to our loved ones.  We can save the money we wanted to spend eating out and give to a friend in need.  We can give a little less to our career and a little more to the people we love.  We can sacrifice out of love.  The testimonies of those at Fukushima show us that such sacrifice is truly great.  The Gospel of John tells us that, through Christ, sacrificial love will save the world. 

Breaking Into Captivity

A week ago, NBC news reported that a bear broke into a zoo in Tennessee.  A Knoxville resident reported seeing the bear in a city park and alerted local authorities.  The responding officer found the bear climbing over a fence surrounding the Knoxville Zoo.  After alerting the zoo’s staff and counting every bear in the park, authorities decided the bear had come from the wild.  The bear broke into captivity in order to escape its freedom.

That is a funny story, but it often resembles the temptation of spiritual freedom.  Jesus sets us free, we face challenges in our freedom, and we do everything we can to return to our captivity.  Freedom makes us uneasy.  In our weakness, we prefer the confines of captivity.

Humans have wrestled with this temptation for a long time.  God used Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  As Israel began living a life of freedom, they longed for their captivity.  The Israelites questioned Moses: “If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted.”  The Israelites preferred to die in captivity rather than live in freedom.

           

As you go through the coming week, embrace the freedom Jesus has given.  Make God honoring decisions because you are free.  As you do, you will find real liberty.  And, you’ll avoid all the challenges of life lived in a zoo.

Freedom From, Freedom For

Yesterday, people all over the U.S. celebrated Independence Day.  We set off fire works, spent time with family, and ate a lot of good food in order to commemorate America’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence.  In other words, we threw a big birthday party for America.

When we throw a birthday party for America, we often take time to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy as its citizens.  We appreciate freedom from tyranny.  We enjoy freedom from taxation without representation.  We value freedom from censorship.

Christians celebrate freedom too, but we recognize that freedom in Christ is a bit different.  Jesus not only saves people from sin, death, guilt, fear, isolation, and so on.  Jesus frees His people for a purpose.  Christians are freed so that we might live lives that glorify God.  The author of Hebrews describes it this way: “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever."  Being saved from death, frees us for a life lived for God's glory.

Having just celebrated all that you are freed from, take time to think about what Jesus freed you for as a citizen of the Kingdom of God.  What has God freed you up to do?  If you have a story of deliverance, share it with others.  If God has freed you from financial worries, give.  If God has healed you, use your newfound health to serve and care for others.  Recognize the opportunities Christ has given you through His saving work.  Use that independence and liberty to bring God glory.  This Sunday, let freedom in Christ ring!