Tag Archives: Faith

What happens in Rome…

We all know the story, or at least many of us do. You know, the one about what everyone thought Jesus had come to do, when in fact He hadn’t come to do that at all. Conquer Rome. Free the Jewish people from an oppressive government and restore to them a kingdom that was rightfully theirs.

We can all see it now. Jesus had something else in mind. Something no one imagined.

Jesus barely even mentioned Rome. Don’t you find that odd? That the biggest issue in the lives of His people at that time isn’t even addressed? That they were being taxed to death simply brought “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”. He showed zero indignation toward Rome. There was not a word mentioned of Jewish rights as the people of God, no talk about protesting what was happening, no call to resistance.

I assume you know where I’m going with this. We are the people of God. Just for giggles, let’s call our government Rome.

I know some people can rattle off perfectly good reasons (in their mind) that the Church needs to be involved in politics, needs to have their finger on the pulse of culture, needs to push back for our “freedoms”. There’s a lot of talk about taking back the seven mountains, taking back the government, standing up for righteousness, but the problem I keep running into is this: I can’t find it in scripture. I can’t find that part where Jesus told us we have rights and freedoms and that we are to dictate the culture of the world. I see this…

A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Matthew 8:19-20

Jesus isn’t saying “if you choose to follow me, it could get uncomfortable”. He’s saying that when we choose to follow Him, we relinquish our right to have a place to call home here on earth. No right to a roof over our head.

In Matthew, chapter 10, the first time He sent out His disciples on mission, He sent them with no provision. He told them they would be beaten and imprisoned for His sake, that they would be brought before people in authority, but they were to be His witness in that situation.

In other words – unfair and unjust treatment is not something to fight against, it is to be used as an opportunity to be His witness.

When I read the gospels, I do not see rights. I do not see a call to resist or a call to take something back. I see a laying it all down, a giving it all away.

I see “sell everything you have and give it to the poor and follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21)

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me”. (Matthew 5:10-11)

It is clear from the scriptures that the people of God do not have a “right” to comfort, to fair treatment, to be respected, or to be treated kindly or justly (except by the other members of the family of God. There are big expectations in that category).

Beloved, we have not been tasked with conquering Rome. Frankly, that is a far too narrow a vision. Our assignment is simple, but has profound eternal consequences – love God with everything we’ve got, and love people as ourselves. Carry the gospel to all the nations. Make disciples (not just converts). Trust God in all things. Fix our eyes, minds, and hearts on heaven, not on earth.

We are a people called to lay down and give away, not demand and take back.

I know it seems radical and uncomfortable and goes against so many things ingrained in us as earthly citizens of this nation (or any other free nation). But we have something so much bigger on us than constitutional rights and allegiance to political parties. We have a call to allow the Holy Spirit of God to pursue the hearts and salvation of people, through us. A call to co-labor with Jesus to build His Kingdom, not a political kingdom with political power and authority. That is way too small and narrow. We are increasing the territory of the spiritual authority and power of heaven, on the earth. But that power and authority is not against men (flesh and blood), it is against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6)

Our battle is not with Rome, it is with hell.

It is a battle fought through prayer, and through our obedience to the Word of God. It is fought best by those who are fully aware of who they are in Christ, and what they are actually fighting for – the souls of men. Not their political views or their opinions on current cultural issues. We are fighting for their eternal destinies.

The days are getting darker, and nothing in scripture tells us that evil will be vanquished or that the darkness will recede, until Jesus returns, no matter how bad we want it. That is not our fight.

Our fight is to pillage the darkness with the gospel that can save the souls of men and women held captive there, and to love one another while we do it.

#followJesus #betheChurch

Declaration & Praise: Day 15

Jesus, You are…

Immanuel

God with us. In the garden. In the cloud and in the fire. On the mountain. In the storm. At the cross. In us. Your Name is Immanuel, and You are with me.

Good Shepherd

You lead, protect, and provide for those who are Yours. You go in search of the wanderers and bring them home. In green pastures, still waters, and the valley of the shadow of death I trust Your goodness.

Savior

Messiah. Lamb of God. Taking my guilt and my shame, enduring the wrath that should have been mine. You have saved me to the uttermost, through and through, now and forever, and You will raise me up on the last day to live forever with You. You are Savior and I am saved and it shall not be undone.

Faithful & True

No guile. No deceit. No shadows. No changing, no going back on Your word. Utterly and completely faithful. My covenant keeper. Above suspicion. You are faithful and You are true and I will not fear You to be otherwise.

Rock

Solid ground. Firm foundation. Unmoving. Unshakable and unbreakable. No shifting ways, no sinking sand. You are my Rock, my higher ground, and the safe place on which I stand.

Lion and Lamb

Worthy to open the scroll. The perfect, unblemished sacrifice of atonement. Conqueror of death. Lion of Judah. Majestic and final King of all kings. Lamb slain for me and now King of my heart.

You are…

Both the mercy and the justice of God, poured out upon the sin-filled earth. You are the only way, the only truth and the only life. Manna from heaven, bread of life. You are the light that took away my darkness, the living water that took my thirst. The healer of my heart, lover of my soul and the very image of my Father.

My everything. All in all. The Name above every single other name.

Declaration & Praise: Day 13

“And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.” – Colossians 2:13-14

“Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14

I was dead and He made me live. I had a debt I could never pay and He nailed that debt to His cross and made me debt free. Today, I declare that I am forgiven. All of my sins are under the blood of Jesus and I am free from the debt I owed for them. The penalty for my sins has been paid by my Savior and I will never be required to pay it. I am free to live forever.

Today, I will not dwell on what was. I turn toward home, toward what is ahead of me, not what is behind me. I will not be passive, but will press on, pursuing what God has for me. I will not look back, but will set my gaze on Jesus. Today, I will not sit in guilt and regret, but I will get up and walk in the forgiveness of God.

Today, I will praise God for the life and freedom He has given me.

Declaration & Praise: Day 11

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” – Psalm 4:8

My heart is meant to be ruled by peace. Not sadness. Not anger. Not envy. Not discontent. Peace. What rules my heart is my choice. If peace is to rule, I must let it. So today I choose peace. Today I say no to anything else that desires to have rulership over my heart. I say no to discord and to strife. I say no to bitterness and unforgiveness. I say no to pride. And I say a thankful yes to the peace of Christ.

Peace in the day, and peace at night. They are both meant to be mine. I declare that my life and my protection are in the hands of my God. He is the one who keeps me safe. There is nothing else to hide behind that offers the security that I have in God. So I declare peace over my sleep tonight and every night, knowing that God is the One who keeps me safe.

Declaration & Praise: Day 10

“I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.” – Psalm 62:1-2

They say “no rest for the weary”, but I declare truth today. There is a place of true rest, where striving stops and fear has to wait outside. In God, my body, mind and soul come to a place of rest. In His presence I can stop running.

Today, my feet are on the rock of my salvation, and will not be moved. As the earth shakes, my rock holds steady and I remain unshaken. Jesus is the firm place for me to stand, the strong, steady place for heart to rest. I am surrounded by His love and His grace and in Him I am safe from all that desires to consume me.

Today I will stand with my feet on my Rock. Today I will take refuge in my Stronghold. Today I will not be shaken.

Whatever I will walk through today, I will rest in God.

Declaration & Praise: Day 9

“When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.” – Joshua 6:5
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.” – Exodus 14:21-22

Nothing will stop my God. No wall, no sea will hinder Him from getting me to the place He has for me.

I declare today that the full power of God cannot be imagined by man. His power breaks down barriers, pushes back anything in His way, lays out giants, opens prison doors, holds the sun still, raises dry bones into an army, open graves and calls the dead to life.

Power, real power, belongs to God alone, and nothing can stand against it. No giant of sickness or loss can rage greater than the power and love of my Healer, my Deliverer, My Savior.

His plans for me cannot be thwarted. No enemy can change my destiny in Him or take me from Him. Nothing will ever stop His goodness toward me, nothing will take His love from me or take me out of His hand.

There is no power that will ever be able to stand against the power of the God who is for me and not against me, the God who formed me, set eternity in my heart, and rescued me from the dominion of darkness by the power of His cross. The heavens and earth and my life all come to be by His power.

Here in the power of God I stand. My God is for me. Who can be against me?

Declaration & Praise: Day 8

“ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16
“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2Corinthians 12:9

Today, there is access to the throne of God for His people.

I have access to grace.

I have access to mercy.

I have access to the Spirit of God who dwells in me.

Today, I will not believe that I have nowhere to turn. I will not choose to seek what I need from any other source, for I have been given access to the throne of God by the blood of His Son. I will not tiptoe in, wondering if He will grant me what I need. I will run there with confidence and receive what He offers. Grace. Mercy. Help.

I am not strong. Any inner fortitude, any stubborn refusal to quit within me is utter weakness. I have no boot straps to pull myself up with and I have no wits about me with which to make it through this life. I will boast of, not attempt to hide, these truths, for my weakness invites the power of God. My weakness shows off the sufficiency of His grace.

So today I will not pretend to be strong, but will live and move and have my being in the grace of God.