Utopia?

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 14:17 ESV

“ Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”- Luke 17:20-21 ESV

City in my head, Utopia

Heaven in my body, Utopia

It's time for me, for me to go
City in my head, Utopia
Heaven in my body, Utopia
Into the sky, it rises now” - Todd Rungdren, Utopia, 1974

The lyrics above are from Todd Rundgren's song “Utopia.” I often listened to this song as a teenager. It seems like the artist was looking for some state of perfect bliss. As humans, we all have needs that no one or anything except God can meet.

Definition: Utopia

“utopia, an ideal commonwealth whose inhabitants exist under seemingly perfect conditions. Hence utopian and utopianism are words used to denote visionary reform that tends to be impossibly idealistic.” - Britannica

As a young man, I sought bliss and harmony through destructive habits. I knew God but thought I knew better how to obtain the happiness I sought. 

The Utopia that so many have sought since the Garden of Eden doesn't exist apart from Jesus. Human nature apart from God’s intervention is corrupt. 

Some scholars say that we are born guilty of Adam's sin. Others say that is not so. Still others say we are born broken with the inclination to sin. One thing I know for sure: you don't have to teach a child to lie, it comes naturally. Sin comes naturally to us all.

 Until Jesus’ return and the destruction of this present evil age, the kingdom of God will only be in the hearts of his followers. The perfect world or Utopia is an illusion apart from Jesus and “the new heavens and the new earth” that is coming.

Jesus came to the earth and brought his kingdom with him. He is the Word made flesh. He is the wisdom of God, the Son of God. As the second Person of the Trinity, he is God and became man. 

All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him. Everything was made for him and by him. His message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17).

His followers are called to “ … make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19-20). We share the good news that Jesus died on a cruel cross to pay our sin debt. And he was resurrected from the dead and victorious over the devil. 

No political party or movement nor any ideology is capable of bringing Utopia to the earth. Marxism and Totalitarianism are failed experiments. 

The New Age movement and various religions desire what can only happen through the life of Jesus imparted to the human heart.

Politicians pontificate about solutions to the increase in crime in our society. Good legislation is helpful. But rarely do we hear them discuss the problem of the sinful human heart.

Until Jesus returns we can live in what theologians call “the already but not yet of the kingdom.” We live in a broken world and Jesus said,  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - (John 16:33 NIV) 

And again he said, “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27 ESV)

An important part of our assignment as followers of Jesus is to do good works. Feed the poor, educate, and bring relief to those in need. We can help alleviate poverty but we will never end it. 

When Jesus returns to the earth he will make every wrong thing right. We live with a sense of sadness yet we can experience peace and joy knowing that Jesus will one day make sense of it all. 

When we experience supernatural peace despite our circumstances - see the sick healed - people delivered from addictions, we experience a foretaste of the kingdom.

 Through God’s sovereign grace and the prayers of his people, we get to experience a temporary touch of his kingdom now.

Prayer: Father, may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Revelation 21: 1-4 ESV 

Hunger For God

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. - Matthew 4:6 NASB 1995 

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The two little ones above were hatched in my family's yard a few years ago. This is a vivid picture of hungering and thirsting to be filled by a source other than ourselves. 

When we experience regeneration ( born again) - we immediately look to God for spiritual nourishment. The kingdom of heaven is made up of those with childlike dependent hearts. 

A sign of true hunger for God is our desire to read Scripture. It becomes a glorious obsession. 

The condition of our hearts determines what we get out of daily Bible reading. The Spirit is present to guide a humble obedient heart.

When we receive this gift of righteousness we develop a hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit's transforming presence. God makes us righteous. Righteousness is received not earned (we don't deserve it). It begins as a legal transaction, but the Holy Spirit leads us in a lifelong process to become more like Jesus. The transactional becomes experiential. Although we never achieve sinless perfection in this life. We must not lose heart! God promises to conform us to the image of Christ - if we don’t give up. 

Another way to say it: God wants us to live a righteous life and do righteous acts. This kind of life can only happen when we totally trust Jesus. We start our salvation journey with faith in Jesus which leads us into the faith of Jesus. Which is complete confidence in the Father’s ability to provide.

God is attracted to those with childlike faith. He promises to draw near to those who draw near to him (James 4:8).

If you have lost your hunger and thirst for him - why not ask God for more? Jesus’ invitation still stands. He's knocking on the door of our hearts. He wants to fellowship with us. Are you tired? He will give you rest. True satisfaction is found in a life fully surrendered to Jesus.

Justification By Faith - June 11th 1738 John Wesley

 

(The picture above is from St Mary’s Church in Oxford, England. My son and I visited there in 2023. Our tour guide sent me this excerpt of a message John Wesley preached there. C. S. Lewis preached his famous sermon, “The Weight Of Glory,” here. Dr. R.T. Kendall believes that preaching the doctrine of Justification by Faith is a key to the next move of God. This sermon may sound harsh by today’s standards but hell is real. And Jesus is our only savior. How can one be found if he doesn't realize he is lost?)

John Wesley

"Justification by faith"-June 11^th,1738.

He gave this sermon at the Church we all visited (St Mary the Virgin)..this was about 3 weeks after his dramatic encounter with The Holy Spirit (May 24th) at Aldersgate London.

After this encounter Wesley was dramatically changed-and this sermon was one of the first fruits of that change:

                                   JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH-June 11^th 1738

"......Thou ungodly one who hearest or readest these words, thou vile helpless miserable sinner!

I charge thee before God,the judge of all,go straight unto Him with all thy ungodliness.

Take heed thou destroy not thy own soul by pleading thy own rightousness..more or less go as altogether ungodly-guilty-lost-destroyed-deserving and dropping into hell......and thou shalt then find favour in His sight and know that He justifieth the ungodly...as such thou shalt be brought into the blood of sprinkling.....as an undone-helpless-damned sinner!

Thus look unto Jesus-there is The Lamb of God who taketh away thy sins!

Plead thou no works-no righteousness of thine own.......

No-humility-contrition-sincerity!-in no wise that were in very deed to deny The Lord that bought thee....no plead thou singly the blood of the covenant......

....the ransom paid for thy proud stubborn soul....who art thou that seest and feelest both thine inward and outward ungodliness?

Thou art the man!

I want thee for my Lord!...I challenge thee for a child of God by faith!...The Lord hath need of thee.

Thou who feelest thou art fit for hell, art just fit to advance His glory-the glory of His free grace, justifying the ungodly and him that worketh not.

O come quickly!. Believe in The Lord Jesus and thou, even thou art reconciled to God".

Hope that will help put the finishing touches to your Christian history trip to Oxford.

Shalom and Blessings,

Steve

Quiet Prayer: The Prayer Series

"For what purpose did Christ go up into the mountains? To teach us that loneliness and retirement is good when we are to pray to God...for the wilderness is the mother of quiet; it is a calm and a harbor, delivering us from all turmoils." - John Chrysostom, (c347-407) 

Technically, there is no such thing as wordless prayer. Prayer's very definition is talking to God. Prayers can be loud or silent, but communication is always involved. We may weep in God's presence or groan under immense emotional or physical pressure. God knows the intentions of the heart. The Holy Spirit prays for us  "with groaning too deep for words."

The Father knows what we need before we ask him. He created us for fellowship with himself. There are times when all we can do is groan or utter the word help - God is with us in our pain. 

Silence is a good habit to practice to cultivate the presence of the LORD in our lives. In the life of Jesus, silence seems more about the atmosphere, not the lack of words.

Jesus often slipped away to be alone with his Father. He told us that we would not be heard for "our empty phrases" or "vain repetitions."

Strategic pauses in prayer are important. 

If we talk all the time, how can we ever listen? Unlike non-Christian religions, our prayers are fueled by the knowledge of God and His Word. Our prayer lives as followers of Jesus should be informed by Scripture.

Sound doctrine (biblical teaching) protects us from listening to the wrong voices. Knowing your Bible protects you from allowing culture or various voices (human or demonic) to form your thought life.

Guard your hearts and minds. Pray silently and pray loudly. Pray all kinds of prayers. Let your focus always be on the triune God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

Scripture to meditate on:

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." - Romans 8:26-27 ESV

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words." - Matthew 6-7 ESV

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." - Luke 5:16 NIV

"In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety."  - Hebrews 5:7 NASB 95

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." - Ephesians 6:18 NIV

(1) Gerald L. Sittser, Water From A Deep Well, Page 131

God's Power Transforms Us

                                                     Addison's Walk 2023 

The Scripture:

 "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." -  2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ESV

A Reflection:

 Salvation is a gift from God; we do not earn or deserve it. The Father draws us to Jesus through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, opening our hearts to believe the gospel. We make a genuine choice (not salvation by works) when we repent and trust Jesus as the Lord of our lives.

Regeneration is the beginning of our spiritual journey. Through faith, God saves us and justifies us. 

I often hear that "God has a wonderful plan for our lives," and indeed, He does. His plan and purpose for us are to glorify Jesus. He gives us gifts and assignments to advance His kingdom and - to edify His Church,

While how-to books can be helpful, spiritual practices alone cannot equip us for ministry without God's power. We desperately need His presence. God created us for good works. Although we may resolve to do good, true spiritual transformation occurs when we live in union with Him.

He has given us spiritual practices to draw near to Him. Prayer, Bible study, fasting, fellowship, meditation, service, and contemplation are essential for spiritual growth. The key is to keep Jesus at the center of these practices.

We go astray when we focus on spiritual disciplines more than on God's abiding presence. With the abundance of how-to books available, it's easy to become overly focused on spiritual disciplines or the latest techniques we have read about. 

God’s power enables us to live life to the fullest when we understand that we can achieve nothing of eternal value without His presence. We are empowered by His presence.

**A Prayer:**

Father, make us worthy of Your calling. May our resolve to do good be accomplished by Your power, and may Jesus be glorified through our actions. 

In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Experiencing The Presence of God

 

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8 ESV)

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:4-5 ESV

Christianity is uniquely rational and mystical, historically accurate, and experiential. "Christ in you the hope of glory" is factual and can be perceived by our senses. All followers of Jesus have the spiritual capacity to "taste and see that the Lord is good."

The key to the Christian life is to stay connected to the Vine. The Apostle Paul writes: 

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." - Colossians 3:1-4 ESV

 

Our spiritual life flourishes when we realize we are in Christ and Christ is in us. The truth of being in Christ is both biblical and experiential. We can't earn God's manifest presence; we can only position ourselves spiritually to perceive Him.

A mind focused on Christ will attract the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

 

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." - Psalm 16:11 ESV

Joy can't be learned or earned; it can only be experienced. Joy is one of the benefits of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11 ESV)

God gives us the means to experience his presence.

Some warn against meditation and contemplation, and rightly so. It's possible to fall into error if we lack truth and sound doctrine. Meditating on the truth of Scripture and praying it back to God (not emptying your mind) is a safe passage into God's presence. The focus of our meditation is Scripture. Our contemplation is on God himself. Meditation should lead to contemplation. Taking Communion (also referred to as the Eucharist)  deepens our experience with Christ.

Contemplating the cross of Christ, with the sobering realization that our sins necessitated his sacrifice, is a profound truth. Jesus is our source of strength, and the cross serves as his means to transform us. When we embrace it daily, the power of the cross revolutionizes our lives. On a practical level, the transformation into Christ-likeness is a lifelong process.

My Prayer:

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God." - Psalm 42:1