"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You, for the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations....The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." (Psalm 22:27, 28; 24:1)
"....the kingdom..., He rules....The earth is the Lord Jesus Christ's." This means, Jesus reigns in the earth. Kingdom is government, and no matter what is happening, "Jesus rules....The earth... and everything in it, the world and all who live in it." Man just thinks he's in control.
I had sort of a vision last Sunday during our church service. I saw a large river cluttered with debris, sort of like film we have all seen of floods or tsunamis. What impressed me, however, was the fact that the river was still flowing, and in the same direction it had been flowing. As the river flowed, it kept accumulating debris, but the course never changed. The river, not the debris, was in charge. This is human history. Man's sin has cluttered and destroyed so much, yet the direction of history has not changed. As Graham once put it, "History is headed toward a dramatic climax." History is a great river, yes, with currents, eddies and backwashes, but nothing you, nor I, nor any human, nor force in history can change the course of His-story.
For most, Christianity is a very "personal thing," nothing to be shared with others, just me, my, mine, bless me, prosper me, take care of me. Now The Blessed Trinity gave Himself for me in the Blood of His Cross, He blesses me, prospers me, takes care of me. But while this means to so many, "I'll take it from here," the reality is that Jesus, "rules over the nations," more literally, Jesus is, "the governor among the nations." Perhaps what frightened Pilate most is what frightens most today, "This is Jesus, King of [the nations]". Savior, Provider is one thing, "rules over," is quite another.
The moment I surrendered my life to Jesus I became a citizen of The Kingdom of God/Heaven. I cannot claim Jesus as my Savior if Jesus does not, "rule over," me. If you and I stop and think about it today, our problems, failures in life occurred when we have ruled our lives. Nothing good comes of self-will. When Jesus rules me, however, nothing but good comes of it. Your life, my life, the lives of all humanity, now and throughout history, have resembled the debris-filled river I saw. We have made a mess of so much, but the river keeps flowing, because Jesus Who, "rules over the nations," rules throughout history.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I know this, but I want You to rule "this." Amen.
"....the kingdom..., He rules....The earth is the Lord Jesus Christ's." This means, Jesus reigns in the earth. Kingdom is government, and no matter what is happening, "Jesus rules....The earth... and everything in it, the world and all who live in it." Man just thinks he's in control.
I had sort of a vision last Sunday during our church service. I saw a large river cluttered with debris, sort of like film we have all seen of floods or tsunamis. What impressed me, however, was the fact that the river was still flowing, and in the same direction it had been flowing. As the river flowed, it kept accumulating debris, but the course never changed. The river, not the debris, was in charge. This is human history. Man's sin has cluttered and destroyed so much, yet the direction of history has not changed. As Graham once put it, "History is headed toward a dramatic climax." History is a great river, yes, with currents, eddies and backwashes, but nothing you, nor I, nor any human, nor force in history can change the course of His-story.
For most, Christianity is a very "personal thing," nothing to be shared with others, just me, my, mine, bless me, prosper me, take care of me. Now The Blessed Trinity gave Himself for me in the Blood of His Cross, He blesses me, prospers me, takes care of me. But while this means to so many, "I'll take it from here," the reality is that Jesus, "rules over the nations," more literally, Jesus is, "the governor among the nations." Perhaps what frightened Pilate most is what frightens most today, "This is Jesus, King of [the nations]". Savior, Provider is one thing, "rules over," is quite another.
The moment I surrendered my life to Jesus I became a citizen of The Kingdom of God/Heaven. I cannot claim Jesus as my Savior if Jesus does not, "rule over," me. If you and I stop and think about it today, our problems, failures in life occurred when we have ruled our lives. Nothing good comes of self-will. When Jesus rules me, however, nothing but good comes of it. Your life, my life, the lives of all humanity, now and throughout history, have resembled the debris-filled river I saw. We have made a mess of so much, but the river keeps flowing, because Jesus Who, "rules over the nations," rules throughout history.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I know this, but I want You to rule "this." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
