Heaven

The New People

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

For the entire ten years we lived in a rural Pennsylvania community we were considered the “New People”. I felt better when I learned that there were other “New People” just up the road from us.  They were from New Jersey and had lived there since the 1950’s!

In a more serious light the hysteria and anger over “New People” (Mexicans, Arabs, Muslims, Asians) has culminated in the most recent massacre in New Zealand. How we as Christians to respond must be linked to how Jesus responded to hatred and prejudice.  Jesus loved the immigrant, the stranger and amazingly so even His enemies. Jesus was not angry with Samaritans who had come from another place and worshipped differently than Jews.  Jesus did not protest about the brutal Roman rule or even agitate for the removal of Herod, who had murdered his cousin John the Baptist. Maybe Jesus was accepting of the “New People” because he knew what being rejected felt like. 20171231_232022

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. John 1:10-11 NKJV

Change can be difficult and unsettling, especially if we feel we are threatened by those new and different circumstances. But no matter what situation we find ourselves in the only true place of peace and acceptance is not in being surrounded by “Our People”. Real peace comes as a result of being adopted into God’s family by the blood of Jesus Christ.

I was thinking how last Wednesday a friends of ours; who is one of those,  “New People” became a U.S. citizen. He and His family eat different food, speak a different language and has a different culture.  But today Raj and I both have exactly the same rights, responsibilities and privileges. In the same way, when Jesus laid down His life on the cross to pay for our sins, we gained the privilege of citizenzenship and includsion in the community of God. Yes as His children,  we may always be treated as the “New People”; but God calls us His own. How much more should we  be ready to embrace whoever He has allowed to live just down the street in our town?

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For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20 NKJV

 

Preparing a Home

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The only thing I knew about my surgeon was His name. I never had so much as sat with him for coffee or met his family. But on date I was given for surgery I obediently came and allowed an anesthesiologist to put me under. When I awoke the procedure was over.

Though I had my fears and questions I decided that getting my vision back was worth the risk. How much more can we trust in Jesus who gave His life for us. He risked His own life to give us the message of God’s gift of eternal life. He healed the sick became the friend of sinners and washed the feet of even His betrayer. Then knowing we would fear what lay beyond our earthly horizon He gave us His promise to prepare a place of safety and love. The eternal world He tells us about is not just a place of mansions and golden streets. It is the address of the house He lives in. He has promised and He has prepared and He is coming to bring us home!

Barefoot on Holy Ground

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Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5 ESV

I know that I have written twice on foot washing lately but the Lord gave me one more small truth to share.

Did you know that when God spoke to Moses, the first thing He asked him to do was to take off his sandals.? Holy ground is strange for us to think of but it is a place we should not walk in our own power. We could no more walk with muddy shoes into an operating room during surgery than to tromp into heaven with our shoes on.

But for us to walk barefoot before the Lord we must have our feet washed. And the soil from where we have walked can only be washed away by Jesus. Only He can prepare us to walk from this earth into His holy heaven. Simon Peter was horrified at the thought that Jesus wanted to wash his feet.

Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” John 13:8 ESV

Did you ever stop to think how amazingly humble our Savior is that He could choose to do such a thing? Has He washed your feet today? Would you humbly bow for a minute to pray and ask Him? Only He can make us ready to walk barefoot on His streets of gold!