A little Fun:

Our God, who is the Creator, has given us imagination and creative ability to make beauty and release joy in the earth. This past week, while watching grands with my mom, she helped them make masks.

What I am reading:

• 1 Chapter – almost daily of the Bible – I am currently in 1 Samuel
• Meditation on Lent by Thomas Aquinas
• What is the kingdom – Dr. Stephen Jones
• The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
• Communicate – Terry Brown and Michael Ross

I read a little bit each day in each one of these.

A little info:

Thomas Aquinas lived between (1225–1274) he was an Italian Dominican friar and priest, theologian, and philosopher. He is considered one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Catholic theology and Western philosophy.

People back then just thought so deeply, thoroughly, and differently than we do today. In each meditation he gives his reasoning through scripture as to why he thinks what he thinks.

For instance, in today’s reading he is looking at Luke 1:75  with says:

Luke 1:75 that we may serve Him in holiness and righteousness (justice) before him all our days.

Then he says this (my shortened version)

The word holiness seems to imply two things:

1. cleanness, free of earth.

2. firmness, protected by law

Cleanness is essential if the human mind is to be applied to God. Because what stains the mind is to be joined to a lower thing. Things that cheapen with mixture like silver mixed with lead. A mind lacking purity cannot be applied to God. Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Firmness is required in whoever would set his mind to God. He is the beginning and the end. Unmovable. Romans 8:37-38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Holiness then is the quality whereby men apply themselves and their actions to God. It is through our religion that we give God the service due Him. In sacrifice and offering and other virtues, by these good works a man makes himself fit for the service of God in worship.

My thoughts: It is through faith by grace that we are saved on this side of the cross but that act of love on the cross is just one part of our salvation story. Jesus did the work required for us to be able to come to God. In turn, now we worship and serve the God of Heaven and Earth. How we make ourselves fit for service is through the work and acts to “be holy as He is holy.” “Be holy, for I am holy” is a divine command found in the Bible (Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, 20:26; 1 Peter 1:16), calling believers to set themselves apart from the world and reflect God’s character in all conduct.

And I can hear the rebutting now “God accepts me the way that I am.”

Yes, he does. At first. He took you from where you were and transferred you into a kingdom of light.

And now in that kingdom — just as in any kingdom — there are ways to live and give service to the king.

All throughout scripture, we find those who did not heed the laws and ways of God and did whatever was right in their own eyes like Saul. He thought “since I am the anointed king here, I can do whatever I want.” In 1 Samuel 13, King Saul disobeyed God by offering a burnt sacrifice at Gilgal rather than waiting for the prophet Samuel, as instructed. Saul acted out of fear and impatience. He thought that God would be with Him. But nope, God instructed Samuel to give the kingdom to another.

I just sense God calling His people deeper, higher, and into the fullness of His kingdom.

Do you hear Him calling as well? What is He asking of you?

Thanks for Listening,

Starla