Morning by Morning, November 20 - The Cultures of the Kingdom Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart in the middle of every moment of my day. ... “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:8-10). In “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” of our world, You’ve called out Your people and positioned them in their identity in Christ as “kings and priests to our God.” They are “kings” who rule and reign in the spheres of influence You’ve entrusted to them and “priests” who minister to You and minister Your heart to the people. And You’ve not left Yourself without a witness of Your heart and Your Presence in any land (Acts 14:17). In the mystery of faith and the moving of Your grace, the King of the Kingdom of God dwells in us--“Christ in (us), the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27); the Spirit of the Living God, living in us (Romans 8:9). That’s one of the ways, as well as many others, that the domain of Your Kingdom extends to the ends of the earth in every tribe and tongue and people and nation, for by Your grace we are “the body of Christ” in our world (1 Corinthians 12:27). We’re seeing such a vivid representation of the multifaceted cultures of Your Kingdom during our ministry in Europe these past two weeks. In Spain, You brought the nations to us, as we ministered in personal ministry sessions for people from Spain, Portugal, Columbia, Bolivia, Honduras, Paraguay, Argentina, Mexico, Gibraltar, and Brazil. On Saturday night we prayed in the home of an African pastor from Barundi leading a French-speaking church in Belgium. And Sunday morning, we were preaching and ministering in a French-speaking church lead by an Italian pastor here in Belgium. Despite where we were born or where we live, in the culture of Your Kingdom, there is One King in our hearts. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all” (Ephesians 4:5-6). Though we are many and multifaceted, we are one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, for “there is one body and one Spirit” (v. 4). Though we speak many languages of many tongues, we speak with voice, “that together (we) may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6). Thank You for the gift of this culture of the Kingdom. Thank You for giving us this opportunity to experience Your Kingdom and express Your Kingdom in the nations of our world. “And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come!” (Matthew 24:14) And may You give us Your grace to return and reacclimate to our own culture, as we go back home tomorrow carrying the people of this culture in our hearts as we go. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today. In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be filled up and overflowing with the culture of the Kingdom of God everywhere you are and everywhere the Lord sends you, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my friend! And you have a great day!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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