A COLONY OF HEAVEN

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.”  (Philippians 1:27 NLT)

Paul exhorts the church at Philippi to live as a colony of heaven. The ancient city of Philippi, filled with retired Roman soldiers from the imperial capital, trying hard to be a little Rome far from Rome, knew what it was to be a colony of a great city.

So Paul appealed to the church there to do the same -- to live as a colony of heaven. That’s a timely word for the church today. We live under the reign of a different king -- Jesus the Lord. Our ultimate allegiance is to a different kingdom -- the kingdom of heaven. We are ultimately bound by the laws of our true homeland. In the meantime, we must represent that land well until the Lord comes again and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we bless others in the name of Christ, may we catch a glimpse of a better land and a more lasting kingdom. By the grace of God and the Spirit’s power, may they be wooed through our lives and our corporate witness into joining us on our journey. 

-- Donald W. Sweeting and George Sweeting in “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half” 

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THE ALPHA AND OMEGA

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 NIV)  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  (Revelation 22:13 NIV)

Jesus is the beginning and the end. He is the author of life. He is the hope. Without Him, there's nothing. With Him, there's everything.

-- General Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria from1999 to 2007 (from tributes regarding The Jesus Film)

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BEYOND THE CHURCH WALLS

Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

The church is never true to itself when it is living for itself, for if it is chiefly concerned with saving its own life, it will lose it. The nature of the church is such that it must always be engaged in finding new ways by which to transcend itself. Its main responsibility is always outside its own walls in the redemption of common life. That is why we call it a redemptive society.

The outgoing character of the Christian movement is of such crucial importance that when it is understood, many of our religious presuppositions are thereby altered or rejected. Christians may indeed come in [to the church] but they do so only that they may, in consequence, go out, and furthermore, that they may go out with greater effectiveness.

The presupposition used in describing Christ’s own strategy is highly significant. “He called to Him the Twelve, and began to send them out” (Mark 6:7). The point is almost equally clear in the dispatch of the Seventy, whom He sent “on ahead of Him” (Luke 10). Though it is discouraging to find how few of the millions of [church goers] have even a slight comprehension of this, it is heartening to find it understood in some places. 

-- Elton Trueblood in “The Company of the Committed” (1961)

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THE VALUE OF WORSHIP

“Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.”  (Psalm 28:6-7 NIV)

At the height of the Civil War the need for hospital facilities became so great that many schools and other public buildings in Washington, D.C., were made into temporary medical centers. Dr. Phineas Gurley, pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, determined that the sanctuary of his church should be turned over to such needs, by placing a "floor" over the pews upon which hospital beds could be placed.

When Dr. Gurley announced to his congregation that there would be no more church services in New York Avenue until further notice, President Lincoln was present. Though not a member, Lincoln worshiped at that church most Sundays. The announcement was hardly complete before Lincoln stood to his feet. "Dr. Gurley," he said, "this action was taken without my consent and I hereby countermand the order. The churches are needed as never before for divine services." Needless to say, the President's order was obeyed. 

Mr. Lincoln realized that when mankind's needs are greatest, no need is greater than one’s spiritual sustenance. The most pressing problems of a critical time do not take precedence over the primary ministry of the church; they only accentuate its importance. For what is our profit if we have gained the world -- or saved our lives, economy, and health -- and have lost our souls? 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas, in the newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Madison, Wisconsin, May 4, 1972

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THE MARRIAGE TRIANGLE

“As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”  (Isaiah 62:5)

How well I remember the challenge of compiling the guest list [for our wedding], which makes the scene in the second chapter of John very personal, as a wedding is taking place. “Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited” (John 2:1-2). Evidently their names were on a guest list, and they had accepted the invitation.

What about including Jesus in your wedding plans? In your marriage? My husband and I had our wedding bands inscribed with a triangle that signifies there are three of us in this relationship: God at the apex, my husband and me at the lower corners. As we grew closer to God individually, we also drew closer to each other. That principle got us through some bumpy territory. It will do the same for you.

If you need a miracle in your marriage, invite Jesus into the relationship. He’ll be there when you need Him most. Send the invitation -- do it today! 

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”    

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