“Seeing things from god’s “mission-victory” point of view!”
When it comes to the things that really matter in life and for life, God has accomplished all of it for us in Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? Well, from the Bible’s point of view, that is the issue. Solving the seminal problems of humanity, our brokenness and sin, is an issue in need of a “God-sized” solution. With the person and work of Jesus— His life, His death, and His resurrection—those issues are overcome for “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” This victory is offered to all those who put their faith in God. Only God himself can redeem us and restore us to Himself, as well as to one another, and he has done so through Jesus, the Lamb of God. Politics can’t save us, technology can’t save us, and economics can’t save us. Only God can do that and He has done so! Revelation helps us see clearly how things are and how things will be when Christ is the center of our lives.
That’s why it continues to amaze me that there are people who think that places like Washington, D.C., can make that “God-sized” solution happen. After five years in our nation’s Capital, I’m even more astonished by the posturing and bodacious promises of certain leaders here. They “guarantee” community and personal fulfillment, even while violating God’s clear commands via their public policies. I even heard one politician calling her party the “Matthew 25 Caucus,” as if government can accomplish what God’s people and God’s church are called to do. Politics becomes the “siren” call to put our trust in them. Unfortunately, we all tend to put our faith in people or things that can’t or won’t come through when it really counts. Today we tend to put our “faith” in government institutions, policies, business, wealth, personal status, and even our own best efforts. The Bible warns us that such things are always a recipe for disappointment and disaster.
As human beings, when all is said and done, people want to love and be loved. We want a life that matters, especially to those who are dear to us. We want to be “bonded” together by someone or something that really holds through thick and thin, for now and forever.
Our lesson for today shouts with a loud voice where that “salvation” is to be found. It is offered to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ and His message of forgiveness, life, and salvation accomplished through His cross and resurrection. This common truth is a reality that not only binds us to God, but also to each other. The offer in Revelation is more than a hopeful thought or wishful thinking. The Apostle John actually reports that He is “seeing” the way things will be in heaven because of the person and work of Jesus. People from every tribe and every nation are seen bonded together in community and love, because “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb,” Jesus. That’s a message of hope for all, and one that we will one day see for ourselves. Amidst all of the broken promises of today, God’s “mission- victory” offers a real community that lasts. Put your faith in Jesus. He won’t disappoint; that’s a promise.
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help us to see with “eyes of faith” the reality of community and love that only You can make available to a world that is eternally broken by its selfishness and sin. Help us to see that gift for our lives, and for the lives of those we love and cherish. AMEN.
