Castles, Cathedrals, and the Kingdom of God

We enjoy visiting different castles and cathedrals here in Spain and other parts of Europe. Our favorite cathedral is Notre Dame in Paris, but the cathedrals in Sevilla, and Barcelona, Spain are also really interesting. We have seen castles in Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, and Spain, varying from different times in history. Some of the castles in Spain date back to Moorish times.Our favorite castles usually consist of only the ruins from the past and we can picture in our imaginations how they might have been at one time. Lately visiting castles and cathedrals has caused me to think about the kingdom of God. We don’t need to live in a castle to recognize God’s enormous blessings for each of us. (Besides – most castles seem to be a bit drafty.J) We don’t need to worship in a beautiful cathedral to really be able to worship God in spirit and in truth.We do need to set our minds on things above and put His kingdom first in our lives.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Luke 12:31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

The “things” that will be given is a reference to food and clothing and basic needs that God will provide for us. These verses follow others that are encouraging us not to worry, but to focus on His kingdom.

Daniel 4:3b “His kingdom is an eternal kingdom…”

We are told to pray as in Matthew 6:10 “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

We humankind often focus on the “castles and cathedrals” of this world, but these verses are reminding us that the kingdom of God is worth far more than we could ever have. Are we willing to “sell everything we have” in order to be focused on what is most important?

The Lord is My Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd

We have been thinking about sheep a lot lately, because of our sheep ministry, and in our churches, we have been hearing about how the Shepherd cares for his sheep.

Last Sunday in our Spanish church we sang this Chorus of a Spanish hymn. Here is my rough translation:

The Lord is my Shepherd

I lack nothing here

I walk with Him in His way

In His arms I trust

Nothing will separate me from the love of God.

This morning I am listening online to a sermon by Jason Martin, my families’ pastor at FBC, Breckenridge, Texas. His text is Psalm 23:5-6. He is talking about how shepherds care for their sheep; how they “prepare the tableland” by pulling up the beautiful flowers, “the white camma,” that the sheep love to eat, but that would kill them. “The shepherd goes before his sheep.” Our God takes care of us in the same way; He is preparing the way for us.

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My mother sent me the following devotional from the book Day by Day: A Daily Praise Offering by Gwen R. Shaw.

“THE NATIONS FOR YOUR INHERITANCE

Scripture Reading Psalm 2:1-8

‘Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.’ Psalm 2:8

That is My truth to you. All you need to do in order to be mighty in the nations, is to ‘ask Me.’

But first you need a vision and a desire for the nations. Many of My children are very self-centered. They have no burden nor concern, nor love, nor interest in the nations. They live their lives around themselves and their immediate families.

But if you will be My true follower, you will see your neighbour through My eyes, and you will take pleasure in learning to know your generation, even though it is of another colour or creed.”…

“Lift up your eyes upon the nations. The treasures of Heaven are the beautiful peoples of the nations….So go to them now. Pray for them now. Ask Me to give you the treasures of the nations.”