Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Praise be to Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the
Universe
This is a wonderful day to celebrate our
God and King Jesus Christ.
The LORD God says, I am the Alpha and
Omega. He is the beginning and end of all things; the one who is, was, and will
be. Remember nothing that God puts in
your life is unimportant.
Reflecting back on this week and the
things he put in my life, God was there.
Thursday night sitting alone at the Hibachi Super Buffet in Jonesboro AR, and
I witnessed the friendliest people. The servers greeted each person with
sincere happiness. It was a loving warm friendliness between all the servers
and guests. It was genuine. It was the atmosphere. Greetings were full of
smiles, handshakes, and many even shared hugs.
The next morning, the same thing in
the hotel lobby. The employees interacting with the guests. The guests smiling
and happy, not only interacting with the employees but with the other guests as
well.
When I went to my room to pray with my
prayer journal, I wrote about the love and friendliness I witnessed.
Then at my appointment, I asked my
contact a native of Toronto, Canada, how Jonesboro compared to Toronto. His answer
it was friendliest placed he had ever lived. People are nice. They go
out of their way to greet you. He said the friendliness was contagious.
I thought about how we see Christ in
others and how they see Christ in us. How many will not realize God’s love
until we share with them God’s love in us.
The
Christ in us is contagious.
However, this is 2021. The world tells
us, we do not need Jesus. We do not need Jesus as our King. We do not need Jesus
as our leader and hero.
Sadly, in today’s world what is right and
just in society often comes from the lies and deceit of the evil one. Many
times the things put before us, can be cartoonish.
Some prefer the cartoon heroes (both real
and make believe) because the great deceiver uses them to champion his lies. Christians
sit, watch, and accept the actions of the enemy as the way it should be in the
world.
Big business require employees to ask a
person’s preferred pronouns so not to offend. Companies call it tolerance and
respect; but it often it does not go both ways. Sharing Christian faith can be upsetting
to non-Christians.
The devil changes much by deceit and
little by little. The world becomes more secularized, agnostic, and atheistic.
Even the opinion of Christ changes. Christ
has moved from King to buddy. Some do not ask Jesus to lead us but accompany
us. Lives are not redeemed but socially adjusted.
Instead of preaching the gospel of
Jesus Christ and giving glory to God, too much of popular culture worships at
the altar of I, me, or we and might have a little Jesus on the side.
Both this feast day and the Gospel we share
holds the essence and truth about being a follower of Christ. If we proclaim
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe”, we battle the enemy’s lies in
the world.
Jesus said, “Mine is not a kingdom that belongs to
this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be here
fighting for me.”
Jesus’ words of hope were “Everyone who belongs to the truth
listens to my voice.”
Those who listen come from all
peoples, nations, and languages. His voice is the seed of the kingdom planted
in us for it is the way, the truth, and the life.
Believers know the truth that His is a
kingdom of God’s presence where justice, love, peace, and goodness exists for
all people.
Christ is King and leader who loves so
much he does accompany us in our life’s walk. His redeeming kingship saves us
and that saving redemption adjusts our lives so we may know and live the truth
of his kingdom. By his kingly sacrifice, we have become more than friends. We
are his adopted brothers and sisters.
Jesus said that this Kingdom is not of
this world. But, His kingdom can exists in us and through us. It is a Kingdom
of respect, tolerance, and forgiveness that recognizes the dignity and beauty of
all creation. It is hope and tr uth.
It is the seed in every Christian believer to grow the Kingdom of Our Lord
Jesus Christ in this world.
For the world to know that kingdom, Christ
must be the King that is reigns over our lives.
He must reign in our minds. He must reign
in our wills. He must reign in our hearts. He must reign in our bodies. He must
reign in our talents, gifts, and abilities. He must reign in our love of God
and our love for one another.
Nothing
that God puts in your life is unimportant. Think about how
we see Christ in others and how they see Christ in us. The Christ in us is
contagious when we plant the seed of the kingdom in others. He is the beginning and end of all
things.
Friends be good, be holy, and preach
the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another; and, His
kingship will not be destroyed.
Praise be to Our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of the universe forever and ever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment