Saturday, April 01, 2017

Got A Revolution, Got to Revolution

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                               

My church, in the lead-up to Easter, has cancelled our Sunday School class studying Mark, so we can all watch a Max Lucado film-series about Easter.

My personal preference is to study scripture, rather than someone's pious interpretations of Easter.  But Donna and I went to the film, and the after-discussion of it, last Sunday.

We won't go again.

Donna charitably described Lucado's remarks as "poetic."  And I'm sure God can speak to us through any of our human perceptions or emotions, even (what I perceive as) sentimental piety.  But the thought He most spoke to me during the film and our discussion of it, was how little the gospel is about piety.

The gospel is revolution.  Our thoughts and our ways are completely at variance with God's thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8,9).  We've re-fashioned the life and the world God created, according to our own thoughts and ways: "the kingdoms of men," as selfish, violent, cruel, futile and false as we are.  The good news is that God radically changes our hearts, to radically remake this world His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:7).

He transfers us from the realm of darkness into the sovereign Presence of His Son, the Light (Colossians 1:13, John 8:12), even while we remain on earth.  He turns upside-down everything about how "the world" works.  In His Kingdom, the last are first, servants rule, captives are freed, the poor are the richest, the humble the most exalted.

Most revolutionary of all: He institutes a new heaven and a new earth without the aid of man's self-indulgent religious piety, or political violence.

Praise Him !!