Category: orthodoxy

  • On Mission

    We are on a mission from God

    Jake "Joliet" Blues and his brother Elwood

    The 1980 action musical comedy “The Blues Brothers”  is a madcap romp with the key players Jake “Joliet” Blues and his brother Elwood out to save an orphanage from destruction.

    It’s an insane, completely unbelievable story and anything but reverent, but somehow it works. It has an R rating, and while in some ways it is mild compared to the movies out there, parental discretion is definitely recommended on this one, and it won’t be to everyone’s taste.

    There is a line in that movie that sticks out in my memory. One of the brothers declares they “are on a mission from God.” That’s a dubious claim at best, but still memorable.

    Like the fictional Blue Brothers, you  and I are on a “mission from God.”

    As Christians, we often talk about what we are saved from. We are saved from the consequences of our sin, an eternity of well-deserved suffering, and separated from God.

    That is worth celebrating. None of us deserves the incredible mercy shown to us by Christ. No one is even close to good enough to earn an eternity with the Lord on their own merit.

    That aspect of salvation is certainly news that needs to be shared and is worth proclaiming to everyone. They, too, can be saved from hell.

    Yet, we often forget that while we are saved from that fate, we are also saved for something. 

    We are His ambassadors.

    Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

    We are missionaries, evangelists, and teachers.

    And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

    We are peacemakers

    If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:18 ESV

    We are to love others.

    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 ESV

    I could list many others, and I am sure you could do so easily as well.

    The Christian life isn’t one of passive waiting for Jesus to return. You and I are on a mission from God. We are the church set apart to bring glory to God.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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  • Who is a saint?

    The canopy of trees over the trail reminded me of an archway of branches praising Jesus as He entered Jerusalem. The praise didnt last long

    The canopy of trees over the trail reminded me of an archway.  Each leaned in a bit to cover the trail.

    As I walked the trail, I thought of the arches of palms and willows waved over Jesus as He entered the city of Jerusalem in the days before His crucifixion. The crowds adored Him, worshipped Him, and boldly proclaimed His name.

    As we know, that adoration didn’t last very long. Many of those same people were likely in the crowd that a few days later cried out to Pontius Pilate, “Crucify Him!” He went from hero to zero in the space of a few days.

    People are fickle. If you don’t believe that, look at most sports fans. As long as the team is winning, it is the greatest. Start to lose, however, and watch the crowds get the scent of blood. 

    Watch politicians and actors move in and out of favor as the crowd sees fit. Today’s great is tomorrow’s has been. Yesterday’s loser is today’s winner.

    The line between hero and zero is thin. 

    There is a case where that doesn’t apply. You see, without Jesus, we’re all going to lose. We have sinned, and we’re kept apart from God. With Him, even the worst of sinners can become a saint for eternity. 

    Let’s clarify that last sentence: saint is a word often misunderstood in Christian circles. A saint is any believer in Jesus Christ. The tradition of elevating specific individuals to “sainthood” has no biblical foundation.

    If you know Jesus, you’re a saint. We’re made right with God and reconciled to Him because of His sacrifice. The Father sees us through the righteousness of the Son and declares us set apart, holy.

    For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood, not his own, or then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:24-28

    Fortunately, unlike us, He’s not fickle. He’s steadfast and will stick by us for all eternity. Once we’re under the blood, we’re there to stay. That’s a good thing.

    Until next time, rejoice. God is good!

    Be blessed

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