What does it mean to declare Christ King?
Greetings to one and all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Holy Spirit in the abding will of the Father Eternal. This is my first post in some time. I got away from blogging for a bit, but now I feel the definite need to return. There is no better occasion than today November 20th, 2011 the Sunday in which the eccumenical (universal) church celebrates Christ the King. I have spent some time in great contemplation of this question the last few months with a great deal of prayer and meditation time and now I feel prepared and inspired to share my personal reflections, in a series of posts, on what it means to declare Christ King in life. Much of what is written may be intensely personal, reflecting my own personal struggles, and may or may not speak to what the reader is experiencing in his or her own journey. Please feel free to disregard that which does not speak to your heart, adopt that which does and ask me questions or provide comment on that which seems confusing or troubling. I will be much more diligent in my updates and responses that I have in the past. If I am in compliance with what i believe the Holy Spirit desires and expects here, this series of writings will be intense, challenging and, in many instances, life-changing.
Only those who are willing to ask serious questions of themselves and their faith and wish to enter into a fully-committed relationship with Jesus Christ are encouraged to enter this journey. No holds will be barred or punches pulled, although, as previously stipulated, many will be self-inflicted. The intent here is to grow spiritually beyond mere admiration of Jesus and an overly-sentimental, romanitcized "love" that accepts a responsibility-free grace into a citizen of the Kingdom; a fully-obedient and responsible servant of the True King who takes the demands the King has made as the absolute "law of the land." Of course, in order to obey the decrees of the King, we have to know what they are and we will, therefore, be engaged in deep study of the biblical mandates of discipleship.
It will be easy to agree with much of what is written and even easier to at least find the biblical teachings admirable if somewhat impractical. What will prove very difficult indeed will be to take the King at his word, determine that the commands of the King were not for another time or another place, decide we belong more to the Kingdom of Eternity than to our political affiliations, and actually, and soberly make every effort to implement the demands of discipleship; the requirements for citizenship in the "Kingdom of God." I warn you now, preconceptions and "pet" philosophies (particularly those related to finance and property) may need to be crucified along this journey. These posts will not be another "Sunday School" affirmation of the "American"ism, consumerism, Capitialism, evangelicalism, or many other "ism"s. Many will find the demands of the Gospel radical, anarchistic, and downright unappetizing. Many always have. What we must absolutely resist, however, is the urge to "spiritualize" that which calls into question our values and practices; rendering the Gospel of Jesus Christ a book of pretty platitudes and impossible ideals. I invite my reader to dare to take the demands of Scripture seriously especially where we are outside the boundaries of Kingdom ethic. These writings will not be an evangelical treatise telling unbelievers how to be saved, they will be a heart-felt plea from one disciple to another, telling those who think they are "good enough," who depend upon a grace unrealized in personal experience, sitting quite unwrapped and unused on a forgotten shelf in the heart, how to be saved.
So, if you dare to delve deeper into the demands of the King Jesus Christ than you ever have, if the prospect a realized righteousness and a zero-tolerance sin policy does not absolutely terrify you, if deliberately making time to spend in the presence of the King and being faithful to worship through all that you are and all that you have, and all that you will ever be, dying to your own ambitions, schemes, plots and plans in order to live to eternity is not a matter of disgust and unreasonableness, then I invite you to join me on this trek. There will be missteps and false starts I assure you, but taking Jesus at his word and daring to live by those words, emulating and not just admiring his earthly life, will enable each of us to claim tht elusive and coveted title "disciple." The posts will begin within the next few days. Remember always to get a steaming cup of your favorite coffee, get comfortable in your favorite chair, and join me on this potentially life and faith changing road.
