Contrasting Kingdoms: God vs Goods
Our church has just concluded hosting a three-day Revival Conference presented by SermonIndex (Sermonindex.net). Sermon Index is an online repository of anointed preaching preserved in audio and video formats. It is an “index” in that messages can be searched by topic, scripture or speaker. The database includes both contemporary and turn of the century expository and revivalist preachers.
Ten gifted men of God challenged attenders physical or electronic, local or international, in real time or future, to seek the Face of God — to come to a place of personal experience where they could testify with Isaiah, “I saw the Lord” (Isa. 6:1).
I, due to illness, was among those who attended online, watching daily at one of the sites listed below*. By the end of the three days I was uplifted, encouraged, and challenged. But in closing this browser page I was immediately assaulted by another. Instead of insights of Heaven the page was busy with the materialism of earth — the misdirected yearnings of souls who’d lost their way. The ‘Black Friday’ ads had begun.
The term ‘Black Friday’ is now quickly becoming a misnomer. Merchants bump the celebrated date forward creating preview sales days of ‘Black Thursday,’ ‘Black Wednesday’… further extending the madness to ‘cyber Monday.’ Every store has its week-long ‘Black Friday’ sales flyer. Some webpages display a constantly counting down timer showing the days, hours, minutes and seconds away till extended store hours begin and the doors are let burst open by the crushing onslaught of greed inflamed flesh.
Oh, earth! How far you’ve fled from the only One who can truly satisfy! Jesus not only fills; He removes all driving sense of wanting more. “The LORD is my Shepherd,” sang David. “I have want of no more” (Ps. 23:1).
Jesus both fills what lacked and removes all desire for anything more. C.S. Lewis wrote, “He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.” – C.S. Lewis, Weight of Glory. David again, “…earth has nothing I desire besides you.” (Ps. 73:25).
What a contrast in kingdoms!
So, what is the believer to do with this world’s goods? God does bless and prosper his faithful servants. Who are they? They are the meek, the weak, the ones who, knowing their true unworthiness, reach out to Christ nonetheless; they reach out to Him desiring only grace. They will find it, and if He also gives them ‘everything else,’ they will no longer desire it. But to them He gives, for He knows they know to give it again.
Today is “Remembrance Day” in Canada, typically a day of reflection upon lives lost in war, a reminder that we must avoid wars wherever possible. Christians are called among other things to be peacemakers. This too is a gift the believer receives… a gift to be given again…
His peace he gives to us
His peace he leaves with us
Not for us alone,
But that we might give it again,
To all men. – folk rendition (c.1970) by Walter Gibson, Woodstock ON, of Germaine Habjan’s ‘Gift of Peace.’**
More tomorrow…
* You too can be challenged by the messages we received from these anointed speakers. Look for Sermonindex Revival Conference 2019 uploads at these online locations:
https://www.facebook.com/sermonindex/
https://www.facebook.com/gregjgordon
https://www.youtube.com/sermonindex
https://www.youtube.com/BRMinistries
https://twitter.com/sermonindex
** http://www.godsongs.net/2012/04/gift-of-peace-his-peace-he-gives-to-us.html
thebrokenrunner 
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