The Kingdom of God!
Hebrews 12:22-29 New International Version (NIV)
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[a] 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”[b]
Friday, October 30
When I was in college I worked during the summer on the grounds crew at Pontiac high school. I spent most of my time mowing, trimming along fences, trimming bushes, picking up trash, and other various outdoor tasks. At the end of the day I would go into the bus garage to put away all the equipment and to clean up. I would take the hose of the air compressor and blow all the dirt off my clothes, so that I would not bring it all into my car or back home! Then I would shower and clean up any that was left over. AS the writer of Hebrews points out, God is going to “shake” off all that has been made so that what cannot be “shaken” is left over. What is “left over” is the kingdom of God revealed in Christ Jesus. Death tried to “shake” Jesus but Jesus merely “shook off” death. The “dirt” of sin, death and the devil will be shaken and blown off forever. All that will be left is the kingdom of God.