Sojos church, I wanted to reconnect via the blog site. I posted the lyrics to the song about Egypt. It really had an impact on a number of us. The weariness in this world, the wilderness wandering, inevitably entices us to look back to a time more familiar. We left 'there' with all of its problems with the hope of a promise. Jesus describes our destination is a life where rivers of living water flow through us. Fresh, alive, even sparkling. But in the story of the escape from slavery to the land of promise, there is such a prolonged trail of sorrow and doubt. The living water life, with all of its abundance, is ahead, not behind, but do people ever wonder? Of course we do. But let's not wander, lets reconnect with our hope.
Philippians 3 has built up to Paul's own testimony of the life in Christ. He has conveyed his confidence in the troubled church and has deflected concerns about his well being. He refers to Christ as the ultimate example and then uses Epaphroditus and Timothy as living examples of Christ's example. Now he is ready to explain the driving motivation in his life. His purpose is to invite us into the same promises; promises of faith, of suffering, and ultimate victory.
As we gather at the Cole house, we should come focused on the essence of our faith. We will not focus on what it takes to get into the family (adoption is by grace through trust), nor in the safety of being in the family (how casual of a Christian can we be and still be Christian?). Rather, we will be revisiting the faith that is willing to get to the bottom line. What are you willing to die for? Are you even willing to live for the same? If so, have courage and press on with a determination that the life of promise is more ahead than behind. There is a belonging, a citizenship with its own peculiar ethos waiting. Do we want it?
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