it allows for perspective ..
it applies across a broad expanse of life
even affecting our religiosity and spirituality ..
i have to keep reminding my self ..
.. . .
so that when i see the junk that goes down around me
and i begin to shrink away
in disbelief
in disgust
because i'm seeing it so much
my mind doubling-up in pain from the assault ..
if i can bang my head a couple times
shake it off
just long enough to remind my self ..
.. . . .
take this recent assault on my senses by the massive ' corruption ' under the auspices of ' government ' ..
what do i do with that ?
my mind can't handle it ..
and it's acrosstheboard
not just in the ' third world ' anymore
( if it ever was 'just in the third world ' .. )
ordinary people suffer while elected officials use their office to serve themselves
thank you very much ..
in the british system of government
a gov't member is called a ' minister ' ..
' minister ' means ' servant '
or meant that
a gov't minister is a servant, acting under authority
presumably ' the people ' in a democracy
and includes the idea of ' lesser ' or subordinate
subordinate to the people of the country who elected them to office ..
get it ?
got it ?
amazing how we can tweek stuff
it now means authority
not under authority
and far too often
usurper
privilege
money
opportunity for growing a career at the expense of the people they serve ..
... . .
spent time there because i am inundated with the lust that pervades ..
lust for money and wealth and power
at the expense of the lessers
the people ..
someone recently referred to the gov't as ' feudal lords ' or similar
and i begin to sink
people hurting
struggling
can't pay the rent
living in cars and on the street
while .. .... .. . .
gotta back off !
my system can't handle it
it's too much to take on for too long
distance ..
... .
we are part of a grand scheme of reconciliation
a part ..
God is demonstrating something
and humanity is an important aspect of his working it out
the world as we know it
is not the world we think we know ..
there are 'powers' and 'authorities' and hierarchies of spiritual forces
that play a huge part in the workings of the cosmos as a whole
and to fail to recognize this
and to inculcate it into our spiritual worldview
is dangerous
quite dangerous ..
one reason is
God's mission of reconciliation is not limited to this Earth
it is a cosmos-wide
all-encompassing reconciliation
and it's when we grasp the scope of that
let it sink down deep into our spiritualmindedness
that we begin to understand the massive implications of serving God through following Jesus ..
massive
" don't you know that we will judge angels ? "
apostle Paul asks (1Cor 6.3) ..
humans judge angels .. ?
but i thought we were created a little ' lower ' than the angels ..
the scope of the implications is mind-boggling ..
read 1Corinthians 15, all the way through
then read Ephesians 6
at 1Corinthians 11
Paul also comments on the significance of the order of the church
and the implications of that order being observed
specifically ' because of the angels ' ..
they're looking-on
watching
being taught
crazy
angelic beings are being taught by our activity within the Body of Messiah Jesus
by our willingness to submit to authority under God
we're teaching angels about submission ..
pretty wild
God is doing something cosmic-wide
and we need to sit-up and pay attention
because we are a part of that ..
or can be
depending on how we respond to God's authority in our life
so that when Jesus washed the disciples' feet
it wasn't simply a matter of washing their feet ..
when he died on a rough cross on a hill one day
it wasn't only humanity he had in mind
although it was humanity he had in mind ..
and when he mastered death itself 3 days later
it had cosmic proportions to it ..
reconciliation of all things
everywhere in the universe
cosmos-wide
so that at the end of this day
as we move into newday
God will be all in all
read 1Corinthians 15 ..
let us allow that understanding to impetus us ..
move us along with greater energy towards bringing the kingdom of God
here and now
in this Earth
today ..
and recognize the significance of the truth that
the systems of this world function under the influence of those same powers of darkness
those dark spiritual forces that look to
undo
tear down
destroy
goodness and godness
it's not people we wrestle
it's those wicked spiritual forces ..
think on these things
it'll change us
motivatehelp us in our perspective on
reconciliation ..
as in
justice
now
mercy
now
peacemaking
now
humility
now
involvement
now
as in
I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat.
I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink.
I was a stranger, and you took me into your home.
I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear.
I was sick, and you took care of me.
I was in prison, and you visited me ..
" huh ? when did we do that ? "
I assure you, whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters,
no matter how unimportant they seemed,
you did to me. You did it for me.
those are Jesus' words
to us
now
here
today
let's do it
let's
shalom
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