KINGDOM JUSTICE – Part 1 of 2

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV)

In January 2023, a dear friend turned me on to the book, “Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God,” by Jamie Winship. It’s not a book you simply read; rather, Jamie takes you through a process to learn your identity in Christ. I went through the process, hearing from the Lord that my identity is a “fighter for justice.”

This new understanding of my identity opened my eyes to why certain things make me come alive and other things, which on the surface seem exciting, don’t. It brought a revelation.

Writing this book flows naturally from that call to fight for justice -- justice in the most eternal sense.

With my newfound identity as a fighter for justice, I decided to attend the annual Kingdom Justice Summit held in Madison, Wisconsin in March 2023. The focus of this Summit was to bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth. The people attending were genuinely interested in making a difference, but were they pursuing the right difference?

I had no agenda going into the Summit -- just a sense that maybe this gathering would align with my newly discovered identity.

The gospel, however, was conspicuously absent. The event spoke of justice, but not Jesus. Compassion, but not the cross. Good works, but not the Good News. That omission was concerning.

The event’s focus was on making this world a better place by helping end human injustices. As followers of Jesus, that is something we should want. It’s part of God’s directive. We must have compassion for the least, the lost, and the lonely.

However, you can’t have a Kingdom unless you include the King. Our King is Jesus.

-- Douglas W. Fearing in “The Kingdom Dream: An Urgent Wake-up Call to Life Beyond the American Dream”

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LIVING IN HARMONY WHEN THINGS CHANGE

“Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.… Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  (Romans 12:10-18 CSB)  

We live in a world of constant shifts -- political tides turn, relationships evolve, endings arrive unexpectedly, and the ground beneath us can feel surprisingly uncertain. In seasons of transition, it is easy for our hearts to become fractured. Disagreements over policy, party, or personal perspectives can quietly creep into our communities, tempting us to draw lines and build walls.

Yet, the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 12 offer a timeless, counter-cultural anchor. He doesn't call us to uniformity; he calls us to harmony. Notice how practical and grounded this passage is:

Honor over ambition: We are told to take the lead in honoring one another, laying aside pride and self-importance.

Empathy over division: We are invited into the shared human experience of rejoicing with those who rejoice and genuinely weeping with those who weep -- regardless of whether their circumstances align with ours.

Peace as an active pursuit: Paul adds a profound qualifier, "If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Notice the personal responsibility. We cannot control how others respond, but we can guard our own hearts against bitterness, retaliation, and pride.

When relationships, eras, or cultural moments change around us, our calling remains remarkably steady. We are invited to love deeply, remain humble, and choose peace, proving that our unity is rooted in something far greater than any temporary circumstance. It is rooted in Jesus Christ, who “is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV) 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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WHAT IS WORSHIP?

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.”  (Revelation 4:11 NIV)

You will find throughout the Word, and then continued throughout history, that when a human heart truly encounters the love of God -- in essence when the created connects with the Creator -- the response is worship, or worth-ship, as we often say. Worship as a response to revelation is displayed through consecrated lives (Romans 12), through wholehearted songs of love and devotion (the Psalms), and by living lives of love and justice (Micah 6:8). Worship is required not in perfection by man’s standards, but in truth, by God’s standards. He has never been impressed by offerings that look good, but offerings that are good. As the worship of God continues to gather momentum across the earth, so too does the awareness of His power and presence, along with the understanding of the authority that comes with exalting the name of Jesus over all things.

The ultimate goal of all we pursue in worship is God’s honor and glory. So don’t get worship and music confused, for what we are involved with is Holy. Not to be confused with marketable tunes that make you feel good. As Pastor Jack Hayford says, “Where worship is released, God’s presence comes to dwell, and where God’s presence abides, there will be power.” Let’s be committed to seeing the fullness of this word “worship,” so that it may reach its potential on earth as it is in heaven. 

-- Darlene Zschech in “The Worshiper” Magazine, Summer 2008

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WORRY AMBUSHES

Jesus told His disciples, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  (Matthew 6:31-34 NIV)

It's a wonder how any of us ever get from birth to death at all, considering the number of "worry ambushes" lurking behind every tree on our journey through life.

Jesus spoke a great deal about anxiety to the disciples, mainly in respect of getting rid of it. Jesus' advice was less about struggling to put it out of our minds than about replacing it with something else until our minds are so full of the replacement that there is no more room for the worry.

That something else is God's kingdom and God's righteousness. 

-- Hilary McDowell in “On the Way to Bethlehem” 

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"I AM THE PATH"

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6a)

Bible teacher E. Stanley Jones told the story of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle. There was nothing around him but thick bush and a few cleared spaces. He came upon a local village and asked one of the men if he could lead him out of the jungle. When the native agreed, the missionary said, "Well, show me the way." The African man responded, "Walk." So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour. The missionary began to get worried. "Are you sure this is the right way?  Where is the path?" The man said, "Friend, in this place there is no path. I am the path."

It is a jungle out there -- from anything-goes culture to polar-opposite politics, the path of life is overgrown with too many opinions and too little time. It's hard to see the forest for the trees. We need clear direction. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12). Jesus walked in His Father's footsteps, illuminating a path for others who desire to find their way. 

-- Adapted from “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians” by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose

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