Happy it’s-dadgum-cold Saturday, friends!
Last Saturday, I was watching snow flurries but expecting a high temperature of 60 on Sunday.
Today, I’m seeing snow on the ground, more expected later, and temperatures that will not be above freezing until Tuesday!
Yes, we finally have winter and my full beard (not Mrs. Sweetie’s favorite thing) is vindicated!
I know that, for some of my friends, this would be just a normal Saturday anytime between December and March, but Texans lose their minds when this happens.
Some might say that Texans lose their minds over everything, but that’s a different story and just shows that they don’t know the right Texans.
In my reading this morning, I was struck with a theme running between my Bible reading (Psalm 24) and my hymn text (“No Other Name”).
The truth of Psalm 24:1 seems to have been lost by many who profess Christianity.
“The earth is the LORD’S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it …”
Seems pretty straightforward. Take a look around. Everything and everyone you see belongs to God.
God created, sustains, and loves (John 3:16) His creation.
But we go off the rails in a couple of ways:
One is when we view God’s world through the lens of conquest. That is when we decide that God has lost control and we must fight and conquer to take dominion for God.
We’re “taking back” our cities, countries, etc for God by putting Christians in charge—or, at least, electing leaders who promise to give us more influence and power.
If you can imagine God saying to us, “I’ve lost control of my world and I need you to take it back for me,” you’re imagining a god who is much less than the one true God.
Psalm 24 might call that idolatry.
“Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (24:3-4).
The other way we go off the rails is by focusing on “souls” getting into “heaven” after they die—minimizing God’s ownership, care, and love for the “earth … and everything in it, the world … “
The great hope we have as followers of Jesus is not in taking dominion over the earth to set up our kingdoms now and going to heaven when we die, but in walking in the ways of Jesus IN HIS WORLD NOW, giving glimpses of His eternal glory in anticipation of when He comes again to RENEW AND RESTORE ALL THINGS—a new heaven and new earth.
Maybe our problem is that we think we’re supposed to conquer FOR Jesus, instead of overcome BECAUSE Jesus has already conquered.
We cannot do things on His behalf or in His name that are inconsistent with His ways, and His love for the world He created and all the people in it.
“No other name but the name of Jesus is worthy of glory, and worthy of honor, and worthy of power and all praise.”
Let’s focus on Jesus and be amazing today, my friend.
