Strangers in a strange land

Hebrews 11:8–10 (LEB)

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to a place that he was going to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived in the land of promise as a stranger, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise. For he was expecting the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:13–16 LEB

These all died in faith without receiving the promises, but seeing them from a distance and welcoming them, and admitting that they were strangers and temporary residents on the earth. For those who say such things make clear that they are seeking a homeland. And if they remember that land from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

So, here we are November 10, 2004, the euphoria or the crushing blow has come and gone, depending on whom you wanted to win. What happens now? How should we as believers in Jesus act? How should we have acted before? How should we act during and how should we act afterward? In all of this it is vitally important to understand where our true hope lies. In these last few weeks, I have seen more people post about the election than they ever do Jesus Christ. If you want to post about certain things, that’s your choice.

Jesus is king Daniel 4:28–32 “All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. And the king answered and said, “Is this not the great Babylon which I have built as a royal palace by the strength of my own power, and for the glory of my own majesty?” While the words were still in the mouth of the king, a voice from heaven came, saying, ‘To you, King Nebuchadnezzar, it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you, and you will be driven away from human society and your dwelling will be with the animals of the field and they will cause you to graze the grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind and that he gives it to whom he wills.’” God gives it to whom he wills. Sometimes I think we forget that Jesus is sovereign, he is king. Yes, I know we have been living in times where leaders are voted upon by the people. At times though, I think we need to remember that just because we live under a form of “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, we have a king that is not up for election every 4 years.

Not by might - Zechariah 4:6 “And he answered and said to me, “This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by strength and not by power, but only by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of hosts.” -

The restrainer - 2 Thessalonians 2:1–10 “Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to him, that you not be easily shaken from your composure, nor be troubled either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter alleged to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has arrived. Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and who exalts himself over every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. Do you not remember that while we were still with you, we were saying these things to you? And you know that which restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is at work already; only the one who now restrains will do so until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with th…”

Be careful that you are not deluded

The gospel must be preached - Jeremiah 29:5 “‘Build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.”