Acknowledging That All Things Come From God

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

June 21, 2020

in Spritual Growth

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3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines
June 21, 2020

Readings: Isaiah 2: 10-17
Romans 6: 3-11
Matthew 11: 25-30

God’s concept of “extraordinary” is actually, ordinary. With God, what He has established will be completed at the end. He doesn’t have Plan B. he doesn’t have an alternative route. And God has empowered us with the authority to conquer. He is our shield, the One who protects us. When our hearts are established with the truth, we should have the confidence.

The earth is the Lord’s, the world and all it contains. God gave us the air to breathe. He gave us light to see. The beauty and perfection of all that He has done is awesome. Everything came from Him, for He is the Source. If we think we own the earth, we will be made low. God is the Boss and the One who gives us guidance. Our hope and trust should be in Him. In Romans, it says that we were all baptized into Christ, baptized into His death. God destroyed sin and gave us newness of life.

We need to really understand what Christ has done for us. It has to be deeply entrenched in our hearts. Many times, because of a lack of understanding, we think that sin still prevails. But God has already given us the gift of salvation, and we who have accepted this gift has been restored to the Father. God lives with us. We can talk to Him anytime. He sent His disciples to preach the Kingdom message; to heal the sick and to raise the dead.

What does it mean that He did not come to bring peace? Doesn’t this sound contradictory? That he came “bearing a sword”? This meant that He came to destroy the works of the enemy. He came to clean the earth. He was referring to the world. Nations today are endorsing laws that are evil. Laws which are contrary to God’s laws, such as abortion. This is why He brings a sword so that these things will be destroyed. We should be ambassadors of the good. We are His warriors and should be the ones to go out into the battlefield. Even in death, we need not fear because we will be with God. We should not be deceived by the world’s ways, but rather stand firm. It’s a dying to self, a dying to the things that may not really be necessary or what God wants in our lives. We have to choose the cross. There is a choice to be made. If we choose the right thing, we will be secured in Christ. So when God calls us to follow Him, we should obey.

God is challenging us today to walk with Him. The blessings we receive all came from Him and we should acknowledge it. They are not for us to flaunt. We cannot afford to compromise. We must choose to walk with Christ, and be willing to bear the cross, being ready at all times when He calls us. We’ve been taught to seek ambition, to seek comfort, pleasure, but these are not necessarily what God wants for us. Not that these things are wrong, but they are not priorities. Our attitude should be, all that I have comes from Him. In the world, there is frustration, anxiety, fear but with God there is peace, fulfillment and joy. The greatness of God in us should be known. The story should be told to the world.