Here and Now

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” Mathew 24:14

                                  

  It’s wonderful how discussions with fellow believers can challenge us to think about what we believe. It’s wonderful how discussions with non-believers can challenge us to think about what we believe.

  Or maybe that’s one of the core attributes of faith: we need to think about what we believe. And I have to smile. Our beliefs are a living thing. What I knew and believed as a baby Christian, born fourteen years ago today has changed.

  I am not talking about the foundation knowledge that Jesus is Lord, that God’s only Son died for us so we can be reconciled to our Father. That’s why I am a Christian. Although, there are a lot of negative attributes assigned to that identifier because of historic events so I often simply refer to myself as a follower of Jesus.

  Sometimes I am not very good at it.

  Which leads me to today’s triple T. (Thinking Things Through.)

  Kingdom life is more than what awaits me when I die. That’s what I thought fourteen years ago. This idea has been slowly worn away as I have experienced God’s hand directly involved in all aspects of my life. God’s Kingdom is for the living. Heaven is merely a different floor.

 

  But what does that mean? What does that look like?

  I have been freed. Sometimes I am not very good at living in this freedom.

  Life before Jesus was focused on the accumulation of wealth for wealth’s sake. Life before Jesus was one of servitude, not service. Life before Jesus was…That’s enough. I don’t want to get bogged down in the past.

  Life with Jesus is living each and every precious, now moment!

  What else?

  It is very hard to put the intangible into words.

  I have been able to let go of the pursuit of happiness. That’s it!  

  The pursuit being all those external things done to “make me happy” that end up falling flat once achieved.

  Well, almost. It’s a learning curve that has to do with the idea of me needing to feel in control. That is an ongoing learning process. (Smile.) 

  This is not the same as doing something because I enjoy doing it. Especially when it utilizes the gifts God gave me.

  And here's the finale. The Kingdom cheer. "To God be the Glory forever and ever, AMEN!"