GOD’S WORD FOR  MAY 21

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS

Philippians 3:20

“Our citizenship is in heaven.”

D.L. MOODY

Someone asked a Scotchman if he was on the way to heaven, and he said:  “Why man, I live there;  I am not on the way.”  That is just it.  We want to LIVE in heaven;  while we are walking in this world, it is our privilege to have our hearts and affections there.

ERWIN LUTZER

While Paul was sitting in jail penning the book of Philippians, Nero, who’d had his own mother murdered, was ruling Rome.  He was also the one who, when Rome burned, blamed it on the Christians.  It is in this context in which Paul explained that we are citizens in two different kingdoms.

A few centuries later, Augustine would define it as two cities; the city of God and he city  of man.  The perfect city of God has always existed, but the city of man was born out of the fall of Adam and Eve.  The challenge before us is:  How shall we live for the city of God even as we now live in the city of man?  The members of the city of God must do all they can to help all who live in the city of man;  we must pick up the pieces in a broken culture.  We must proclaim the good news that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and that those who believe in Christ can become citizens of the city of God.

Your challenge today as a citizen of heaven:  How can you bless those who live in the city of man and help them see beyond this world to the next?

We live for the eternal city, but we must point beyond this world to the beauty, love, sacrifice and grace of the gospel.

Whatever challenges the city of man poses, our focus must always be on the city of God.

PRAYER

Father, please teach me to live with the values of heaven while living here on Earth.  Give me a desire to lead others to Christ who is the gateway to the Eternal City.

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2 Corinthians 5:18

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

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Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

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John 3:19

    “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

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Romans 1:21-22

    “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.”

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2 Corinthians 4:4

    “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

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Proverbs 29:16

    “When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes, but the godly will live to see their downfall.”

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1 Timothy 6:9

    “But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”

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