Kingdom Attitudes -Part 2 the 3 Ps
The final three characters are the Pure, the Peacemakers, and the Persecuted. Each of these characteristics describes the ministry of Christ, and God promises a special blessing to those who demonstrate Christ-likeness. To the Hebrew mind, the heart represented the core being. Solomon warned in Proverbs 4:29, “above all else guard your heart.” Jesus said in Matthew 15:18-19 “It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles but what comes out of your heart.”
And bear in mind the Turkish Delights and Sacred Delights
1. Purity was used in reference to approaching the presence of God.
Animals, utensils, and the priests had to be pure in order to be accepted or welcomed into God’s presence. Look at the Book of Exodus & Leviticus – elaborate cleansing or purification ritual. Use of Hyssops in Psalms 51: For the Chinese, Pomelo leaves, lemons leaves with fragrance is often used for ceremonial cleansing. Christ-followers are blessed because their hearts have been purified by the blood of Christ. Jesus promised the pure would see God. Perhaps you have been in a doctor’s office and heard the nurse say, “The doctor will see you now.” It may or may not be a pleasant encounter depending on your circumstances. Does seeing God sounds like a very good thing to you? It all depends…...
Only through purity we gain access to God. Purity allows you to see the unseen and hear the inaudible. God invites you to experience an intimacy with the heavenly father. He allows pure souls into His holy presence. King David knew the beauty of God’s presence and the tragedy of sin robbing his joy, so he prayed for God to create a “clean heart, renew his spirit” that he would not be cast away from God’s presence (Ps. 51:10-11).
Illustration: In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it.
Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don’t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn’t enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life.
We must note that “Purity” is not restricted to the sexuality – it also encompasses motives and attitudes. 1Peter 1:15 &23 says we are to be holy because we are born of Holy seed.
2. Peacemakers- Our call is to be peace maker.
Jesus came to die for us and paid the ultimate price. We are reconciled to God through Jesus. As result, we have a new ministry of reconciliation. In 1 Cor 5:17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! 5:18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 5:19 In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us 35 the message of reconciliation – (Notice how many time the word reconciliation was used here?)
What is your ministry? To the peacemakers, Jesus promised glorious recognition as “sons of God.” Throughout Scripture, we see individuals described as someone’s son. In our culture, your last name or Tax file Number provides identification, but in as eastern culture people were identified as being someone’s son. To be recognized as God’s Son is one of the highest honors ever experienced. You may recall the Pharisees attempted to kill Jesus when he claimed to be God’s son (John 8: 48-59). Jesus usually referred to himself as the son of man, a title used by the prophet Daniel, instead of Son of God because of the elevated status implied by the term “Son of God.”
Peacemakers receive this special honor because they participate in the same mission as Christ by sharing the gospel with those who are lost. Peacemaking requires the pre-existing condition of conflict. Souls without Christ are at war with God. The Bible describes the unsaved as “enemies of God” (Rom. 5:10) and “children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). Jesus is not prescribing political diplomacy; He is proclaiming the responsibility to point the way to the Prince of Peace. The apostle Paul declared that the saints of God are ambassadors who possess the ministry of reconciliation. I love the description of the peacemakers as one “who builds bridges with wood from an old rugged cross.”
Illustration: The Last of the Gladiators Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. He felt God saying to him, “Go to Rome.” He was in a cloistered monastery. He put his possessions in a sack and set out for Rome. When he arrived in the city, people were thronging in the streets. He asked why all the excitement and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the coliseum, the day of the games, the circus. He thought to himself, “Four centuries after Christ and they are still killing each other, for enjoyment?” He ran to the coliseum and heard the gladiators saying, “Hail to Caesar, we die for Caesar” and he thought, “this isn’t right.” He jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field, got between two gladiators, held up his hands and said “In the name of Christ, forbear.”
The crowd protested and began to shout, “Run him through, Run him through.” A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back of his sword. It sent him sprawling in the sand. He got up and ran back and again said, “In the name of Christ, forbear.” The crowd continued to chant, “Run him through.” One gladiator came over and plunged his sword through the little monk’s stomach and he fell into the sand, which began to turn crimson with his blood. One last time he gasped out, “In the name of Christ forbear.”
A hush came over the 80,000 people in the coliseum. Soon a man stood and left, then another and more, and within minutes all 80,000 had emptied out of the arena. It was the last-known gladiatorial contest in the history of Rome.
Well brothers & sister, if you do not have the courage of Telemachus. Can you be the first man who is willing to walk away from a meaningless and futile conflict?
3. The final unlikely character who receives sacred delight is the persecuted follower of Christ.
They receive a “great reward” in the kingdom. Again, note that terminology is significant. Persecuted believers are rewarded in the Kingdom not delivered from difficulty in this life. Blessing and reward are often confused. This is not the venue for a complete discussion, but divine rewards are administered in eternity while blessings may be experienced on earth. In Revelation 2:8-12; 3:7-13, Jesus addressed the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia. These churches were the only two out of seven that He did not rebuke. He praised them for tremendous faith during severe persecution and revealed that more suffering was coming. Jesus’ consolation to these incredible saints was, “They would not be hurt by the second death. Hold on and endure patiently.” This promise to persecuted believers reminds us to live for eternity, to lay up treasure in heaven, and to look for joy in eternal truth not temporary things.
The person who fear not even death is very powerful weapon in God’s hand.
Listen carefully, I am not asking you to die, I am asking you not to fear death!
I like to get recharge by going to mission and visiting persecuted Christians. These are the brothers and sisters who will not be bordered with all the little things we find discouraging. Not body cares about tiredness, or having to get up early, or that the seat is uncomfortable.
CONCLUSION
The 3 Ps – the Pure, the peace makers and the Persecuted.
Final Story
Ben Hooper was born in the foothills of East Tennessee. Ben’s mom never married, but this was during a time and cultural setting when single mothers and their children were ostracized and criticized. Other parents did not let their children play with the “bastard child.” As he grew older the kids mocked Ben with questions like, “Did you ever find out who your daddy is?” During elementary school, Ben stayed at his desk to avoid the playground where the attacks could be brutal to child’s self-esteem. At lunch Ben ate by himself.
It was big new whenever anything changed in the foothills, and one summer when Ben was twelve years, a new preacher came to town. Ben heard great things about the young pastor, and how he made everybody feel loved by God. One Sunday, though he had never attended church I his life, Ben decided to go hear the preacher. He slipped in late, sat in the back, and left early.
Each week Ben was mysteriously drawn to hear more about the loving God who sent His only begotten Son to save the world. On about the sixth week the message was so engaging that Ben forgot to leave early. When the service ended, others had clogged the aisle preventing Ben’s quick escape. As he was making his way out, Ben felt a hand upon his shoulder. Turning around, he look up and saw the smiling face of the new preacher who asked the question Ben feared most, “Hey young man, whose child are you?”
All the noise stopped. Everyone turned to look at Ben. Ben’s heart sank. His mind was racing, “Not you too. I thought you were different. How can I get out of here?” Before Ben could say a word, the preacher smiled and said, “I know whose boy you are. I can see the family resemblance. You are a child of God!” Then the preacher patted Ben on the back and said, “That’s quite an inheritance you’ve got. Now go and live up to it!”
Ben said that day changed his life. At a small country church in Tennessee, he was elected into the family of God and later reelected as the governor of Tennessee. He was not just a kid without a father. He was a child of the heavenly Father. Like Ben Hooper when we learn who we are in Christ, it changes everything. When we attach more value to what God says than what others say, we begin climbing the mountain of divine blessing.
Why am I telling you this story?- We just read about the three Ps – purity, peacemaker and willing to be the persecuted. How do we persevere and triumph in these areas? One compelling reason is this - Whether you acknowledge it or not, we all have a desire to live ou the expectation of s significant other. It may be a parent or a dear one. The motivation to keep pure is not achieved by prohibition and warning alone. It has to be stirred and aroused by a deep seated desire to please the one who gave you life, meaning and purpose. Who is this person? God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Remember my constant refrain? The Turkish delights or the Sacred delights?
I will seek for the scared delights of my father in heaven, and with faith hope, I wait to fulfil the purpose of him who died for me and redeemed my soul for heaven.
Turkish delights abound but I will choose sacred delights.
How do we obtain the holiness that we need to walk in the power of God? Not by following rules; rather holiness comes from knowing and following Christ. When we pursue God's presence intensesly, we will not have time to be distracted by the turkish delights.
posted by Jeremy Wong @ 12:00 AM
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