Second Sunday in Lent
Heaven is our spiritual home, even in this lifetime
·
Politeuma pol-it'-yoo-mah (like our words “politic, political, or
polity”)
o
Translated “Conversation” in KJV
o
Often translated “Citizenship” in other
translations
o
Strong’s definition:
1.
the administration of civil affairs or
of a commonwealth
2.
the constitution of a commonwealth, form
of government and the laws by which it is administered
3.
a state, commonwealth
· the
commonwealth of citizens
·
This same verse in the RSV: Our
citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians
3:20 RSV)
·
Two or more citizens of heaven, gathered
in the name of Jesus and engaged in a divine conversation constitute a form of
body politic with the power to make decisions and carry them out to manifest
some facet of God’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.”
o
In another context, Jesus said,
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again
I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them. (Matthew 18:18-20 KJV)
Our heavenly Parent is always ready to receive us
·
Spoken to Jerusalem, and through Jerusalem
as a word to all humanity from our heavenly parent through our spiritual
brother, Jesus, offering
o
Shelter
o
Sanctuary
o
Home
·
Ecclesia: Gathered community
o
Church home / church family
o
Faith community / faith family
o
Spiritual home / spiritual family
§ Transcending
all earthly geo-political boundaries
§ Eclipsing
our physical environment
§ Gathering
our thoughts, feelings, relationships and powers and uniting us through the
divine nature in which we were created
God dispels our fears and strengthens us to face even the most
challenging circumstances
·
There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 KJV)
·
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others. (Marianne Williamson, A Return
to Love, 1992).
·
The Psalmist concludes this passage, Wait
on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I
say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14 KJV)
o
Can we trust God to bring us through the
chaotic and horrifying issues confronting us in the news, and challenging us in
our own lives?
§ Wait
· Isaiah
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 KJV)
§ Be
of Good courage, the Psalmist says
· Phrase
appears 17 times throughout the Old Testament in KJV
· The
idea appears many more times in various ways throughout the Bible
· For
example, Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua
1:9 KJV)
§ Let
God strengthen our heart
· Jesus
said as he was facing the cross, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in
God, believe also in me. (John 14:1 KJV)
“We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV)
·
Stated several ways throughout the New Testament
o
This concept is foundational to the idea
of salvation by grace through faith
o
We have been studying this concept in
our Wednesday Bible Study group:
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness (Romans
4:3 KJV)
·
Great Question at tomb of Lazarus:
o
Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Believest thou this?
·
Summary of the Christian Faith, John 3:16-17
o
For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17 KJV)
Today, the world stands in desperate need of what we have: spiritual gifts ministered in good faith and perfect love in the all-powerful authority of the name of Jesus
We have our gifts. We have our place in the work of transforming the world. It’s right where we are in the relationships we have around us and in the work that lays before us.
Throughout this
Lenten Season, may we work on addressing the challenges and issues in our own
lives and around the world from the perspective of our divine citizenship and
spiritual empowerment as the daughters and sons of God.
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