Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory

Can you guess what series the pastor concluded yesterday? Although some ancient manuscripts lack this closing in Matthew 6, a benediction typically ended the Jewish prayers of Jesus' day. To hear a series that investigates, phrase by phrase, the prayer model Jesus gave his disciples reminds us to pray with brains engaged. In days of uncertainty, upheaval, and fear, my heart soars when I think about God's kingdom, power and glory.
The kingdom is His alone; He rules as the sole sovereign; nothing and no one else have sovereignty. Actually, sovereignty poses a real stumbling block for us as Americans. Even as believers in Christ, we have that "pull yourself up by your own boot straps" mentality somewhere in our minds. Yet Colossians 1:13-15 says, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves, in whom we have redemption,^£ the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
While I can read these verses, I can have severe memory loss about kingdom living some days. So I ask God to remind me that nothing threatens his kingdom because of God's power.
The Greek word for power used here gives us our English word for dynamite. Before we start thinking about Fiona's explosions as seen in "Burn Notice," think about the place to find God's power. Visible in the church that depends on the Scripture, this power changes the very hearts of people. In the 1800s, Charles Spurgeon issued a statement timely for today. He said that the church is here to proclaim the gospel, not to entertain. The apostle Paul wrote "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."
That brings us to the third word of this benediction, glory. Unless your grandmother said, "Glory be," this word does not find its way into your vocabulary or thinking. Yet when Dave and I took a ride through our area on the ATV, words other than glory would not suffice. In Psalm 19:1, the psalmist says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." And in this season of sapphire skies and bronzing leaves, we can glimpse God's glory. But beyond the sterling qualities of the physical world, we see that another glory goes to God for the work he does in us. Paul, writing in 2 Cor says, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect^£ the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." What more can be said than "Amen"?

Monday Musings

The changes occurring here on Winding Ridge remind me that weather proves unforgiving. The ferns' brilliant green gives way to yellow before turning brown and dying. As I meditate on yesterday's sermon, drawn from Matthew 6, I find myself comparing the effects of my ferns with the demise of relationships when I withhold forgiveness.

At the end of what we commonly refer to as he Lord's Prayer, God adds a sort of P.S., again bringing up the topic of forgiveness. Within the prayer, at verse 12, we pray, "and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Yet, in verses 14 and 15, the addendum comes as the Lord resurrects the forgiveness topic again. "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

When people knowingly withhold forgiveness, such grievous pain results. As I harbor my hurt soul, anger develops, often morphing into slander and condescension. Yet I daily seek the Lord for His forgiveness of my sins, grateful for his mercy and grace that he lavishes on me. Why withhold from another the cleansing power that revitalizes? Pride, stubbornness and fear come to mind, and I dare not dismiss such character flaws. God's about the business of sanctification, conforming me into the likeness of Christ. This week must involve a fresh look at my life.

But what about cases where I need to forgive but am ignorant of the offense? Let me return to the fern illustration. When Dave and I returned from a trip this summer, we discovered a clump of fern fringed with some green but dead brown at its center. A mystery to us as to the cause, the damage testified to devastation at the center despite some green feigning life. In our human relationships the subtle distancing, the awkwardness of now infrequent conversations, the busyness that separates us may indicate the need to ask if something between us needs reconciliation. I must let go of my self-justifying because God has forgiven me everything and He calls me to live as His disciple. I have some soul searching to do this week, but Jesus has promised to walk with me through it.