It's All Yours!

“What would you think if I were to come into your house and suggest that some of the things there are yours, but others are not, and are free for my use or taking?  I think I know your response to that.

"Secular” is a word often used to distinguish material things or issues pertaining to the natural or physical world from “spiritual” things.  But the fact of the matter is that inasmuch as God is maker of all things and His involvement extends to every aspect of His creation, to distinguish some things as “secular” is in essence to suggest they don’t belong to God or His governance.

According to Scripture, all things are ours because we belong to God, our Father, and all things belong to Him.  So what’s the point for a child of God to consider anything as “secular”?  That is a term for someone who does not belong to God or recognize His Lordship and ownership of every thought, every physical thing, every moment, and everything that exists.  He is Lord of all!

“So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.”  1 Corinthians 3:21-23

The ramifications of this truth make good food for prayerful thought.

What is the ABUNDANT LIFE?

John 10:10 "...I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly."  

The abundant life Jesus promised His followers was not the American Dream nor what some TV preachers and popular speakers have proclaimed to American hearers.  As is obvious from many Scripture passages as well as our daily news life on this earth has many dark and difficult experiences for everyone.  The promised abundant richness of life in Jesus comes directly from His abiding presence in our lives now, and the confident expectation of eternal living with Him at His place.  His present graces and promises of future rewards are enough to sustain even the most afflicted soul.  Perhaps the peace, affluence and pleasurable comforts we have enjoyed for so long in the U.S. have contributed to a general confusion between what living in the Kingdom of God is about and what living in the U.S. at this time is about.

Note in the following passage of Jesus’ teaching the ease with which He promises danger and even death in consonance with the Father’s love and care for them.  It seems many Christians in this present time in America see suffering and persecution as antithetical to God’s love and protection.  Someone advised, “Never confuse a clear view with a short distance.”  Unless our thinking has eternity in view our outlook is at all times quite distorted.

Matthew 10:16-22, 28-31 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

²⁸ Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.³¹ So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.  (See the whole passage for even more examples.)  (Also, 1 John 3:1-3 speaks to how an eternal view affects our day-to-day living.)

PRAY WITH SOMEONE TODAY

Your neighbors, your family, your friends, and our country's leaders need God's will to be exercised.  Will you contact someone and together ask the Lord to intervene and carry out His good will?  Will you pray for His will to be done in your life and fully obey Him?
Matthew 6:9-13
2 Chronicles 7:14
Proverbs 14:34
God, help us!

PRAYER FOR OUR COUNTRY

Lord, as we think of our country there are many needs and many crises that come to mind.  But if we consider the roots of our problems they all stem back to ways in which our populace and our leaders have in large measure contradicted your teachings and violated your Laws.  We pray for correction to come to our nation.  Help us to see the errors of our ways and change our thoughts and actions.  We pray for Dr. Ben Carson and others who genuinely revere you and who have platforms from which to communicate to our nation.  Give wisdom and grace as well as protection to those who will speak accurately for you, and give a spirit of humility and discernment to our populace to recognize, value and support what is right.  Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in the USA we pray.  Thank you for Your abundant mercy and your available grace.  May we be of a mind and heart to accept them both.  Amen.