Posted on by intentional4christ

Advent Calendar day 12: Heavenly Citizenship

Have you ever heard a song and felt so drawn to it? It is an almost unexplainable phenomenon. There is something ethereal that strikes a cord deep within you and draws you in… you feel the weight of each note even though they possess a delicate quality to them… Well… like I said very unexplainable phenomenon and for many years I have tried to understand this. In today’s reading, a scripture caught my eye which gave me a tiny glimpse into understanding that phenomenon.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet  no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

That call I experience when I listen to hymns and other spiritual songs is the sound of home. We are all citizens of heaven. Everyone from every nation, tribe or tongue on earth shares one citizenship: a heavenly one and many times that very nature calls to us. Some experience it in music, some in nature, some through human connectedness etc.

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

Philippians 3: 20-21

And while we are here on earth, we all at one point feel this call of eternity which God has set in each of our hearts. It is like a beacon that reminds us that we have another home and God makes it easy for us to find our way back home. This is through Jesus His Only son who himself is the WAY back to God and back home.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Romans 1:19-20 NLT, NIV

So next time you walk through nature, or listen to a song or feel this connectedness to something bigger than yourself- something that calls to your very soul, remember God has placed eternity in your heart to encourage you that a home beyond this one.

Yours Truly

Posted on by intentional4christ · 1 Comment

The faces of Jesus

We are almost halfway through the year and a lot of the non-profit agencies and charities have started sending out emails to remind people on their mailing/donor lists to consider making a donation. One scripture that is a bedrock for a lot of Christian organizations is from Matthew 25.

When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

Matthew 25:38-40 BSB

All over the world, the faces of the poor, hungry, economically and sometimes socially disadvantaged have been used on fliers and infomercials to communicate this scripture very vividly. These faces represent Jesus’ mission of social justice on earth, His heartbeat for the world. This scripture gives us a glimpse into what Jesus looks like and who He is. This week I read a scripture that made me rethink how Jesus is represented here on earth:

…and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Colossians 3: 10-11 NIV

Christ is all and in all. Wow. Sometimes it is easy to forget this, particularly in this “covid year” where the person next to you is perceived as a potential threat to your health or that of your loved ones. However, the pandemic has simply heightened and emphasized for me my deep-seated lack of connectedness to others. Although I have continued with my philanthropic work during the pandemic, God through this scripture is reminding me that His face is seen in more than hunger, poverty and homelessness which are the causes that are near and dear to my heart.

He is all and is in all. This includes that weed- smoking neighbour whom I have gone out of my way to avoid; that employee who has made it a point to be a thorn in my flesh; that Facebook friend whose social media posts I find slightly irritating; and even my kiddos who sometimes test the limit of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in me- Jesus is represented in all and is in all. So how is God calling me to respond to this? Well the answer is found in the rest of that scripture:

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3: 12-17 NIV

‘Nuff said.

Yours Truly