The world is made up of flawed men and women. Our flaws are encapsulated in one word: sin. Every Sunday we confess our sins before God to hear the words of forgiveness. The old confession from the Lutheran Hymnal I grew up with said, "I confess my sins and inequities and justly deserve thy temporal and eternal punishment." I said it as a child without knowing what I was saying, "temporal." It's another way of saying "earthly," a reminder to us that our time here on earth is "temporary."
I use this as a reminder that everything earthly is temporary, and it is from the corrupt body of men and women that we choose people to lead us. They, along with us, are equally corrupt and along with us deserve and merit that same "temporal and eternal punishment."
The Reverend Dr. Michael Ziegler of the Lutheran Hour noted in his sermon today that politics are temporary, yet we need to be reminded of that periodically. Politics can divide us, and we hold people in general and the people who lead us in contempt when they don't hold the same opinion and viewpoint we do. Ziegler points us to the book of Daniel to remind us of our duty to God as citizens of two kingdoms, one temporary and one eternal. Ziegler notes that in Daniel, our author (Daniel) records events of a takeover of Israel by Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and his two fellow Israelites are taken by the king, as was customary at that time, to be shaped in the ways of Babylon as young men, but Daniel remains true to his God, our God, while in service to the king. Daniel even speaks to the king about his dedication to God and requests to be able to continue in the ways of his faith.
In his sermon today (11/22), Ziegler notes Daniel's awareness of the temporal situation Israel found itself in and that his true calling in life was to God. Despite the desperate nature that Israel found itself in, we see God is in control throughout the book. For us today, as we wring our hands in frustration with life and the leaders we have in our midst, it is a good reminder that our true calling is to Christ and the kingdom of heaven. Our life here is temporary, so our service to God/Christ is that of passionately sharing the good news of the cross to the lost and praying for all, not just some, to hear and be receptive to that word. It is a focus on the eternal nature of the kingdom we ultimately serve. In Daniel 7:13 - 14 Daniel's vision includes seeing a "Son of Man" given dominion. That is a reference that Christ will use in reference to Himself as He speaks about the "Son of Man" having authority to forgiven sins (Matthew 9:6 and Mark 2:10-11).
Our prayer is that we remember our lives are temporary and that we have a commission from Christ about our lives while on this earth to go to all ends of the earth to all nations to bring Christ to them. Our prayer is to remember God is in control at all times and that our politics and governments, equally temporary to our own existence, need our prayer as citizens in this world as well. We lift a prayer of thanks to God for continuing to watch over us and guide us daily as his people.
Hope Men's Ministry
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