The extent to which human priorities match divine priorities is the extent to which we are living in communion with God, doing His Holy Will.

The ‘bucket list’ is typically a list of experiences we want to have before we die, but God’s plan for us may encompass a different set of priorities.

If we want to truly be a disciple of Jesus honouring God then we must understand what God desires. In the following Scripture we learn about what God hates.

“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,

a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.” Proverbs 6: 16-19

Let’s reflect on this message and ask God for forgiveness if we are guilty of any of these things.

HUMILITY VS. ARROGANCE

God hates arrogance. Arrogance flows from human pride; the type of human pride that relies on self and rejects God.

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.” Psalm 53:1

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

God’s deepest desire is to live in an INTIMATE COMMUNION with each soul on earth. He wants to be TRUSTED and HONOURED. Our great Lord Jesus wants us to HUMBLE OURSELVES, REPENT OF OUR SINS AND OPEN OUR HEARTS TO HIM WITH TRUST AND THANKSGIVING.

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.” Isaiah 57:15

TRUTH VS. LIES

Lies can become habit forming. Sometimes the biggest lies are the ones we tell ourselves–lies that conceal our true identity and limit our potential.  No one knows us the way God does. If we trust God, He will show us the way to perfection and help us to fulfill our potential.

This is how Jesus prayed for the first Apostles:

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17: 15-17

To live in God’s Truth requires that we understand His Holy Word as spoken in the Bible. ‘Worldly people’ are people driven to fulfill ‘worldly objectives’ like pursuing fame and fortune. ‘Spiritual people’ are full of zeal to fulfill the divine priorities of God.

The top priority of God is to SAVE SOULS and to help us to become people of love, mercy and justice, honouring and loving God and one another.

Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

To love one another as Jesus loved us requires that we be prepared to make sacrifices, be selfless, be charitable and pray for God’s grace to fulfill the plans He has for us.

LOVE VS. EVIL: PEACE VS. CONFLICT

God desires peace and reconciliation amongst His people and He despises “…hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil…and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.” Proverbs 6: 17-19

We are all sinners and that means all of us have at some times made choices that were contrary to God’s Holy Will.  All of us are capable of being God’s enemy when we sin and run towards evil instead of holiness.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

Let us pray for God’s forgiveness, for all those times that we have run towards evil and failed to do God’s Holy Will.  Let us repent and say to God, “I am so deeply sorry”.  You are the path to salvation Jesus, cover us with Your Holy Blood and redeem us of our sins for no sin is too great for You to forgive!

All who do evil are enemies of God and Jesus tells us how to destroy evil at its very roots.

Jesus says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven…”

PRAYER IS A DIVINE PRIORITY

LOVE AND PRAYER HAVE THE POWER TO DESTROY EVIL IN OUR WORLD

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

God can and will destroy evil.  We do not know how to stop this force of destruction but God does.

God will answer our prayers if we humble ourselves, repent of our sins and come to Him with requests that are in accordance to His divine will.

“The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29

God wills to change the world as He changes our lives and this plan starts with souls coming to God with hearts full of sorrow for sin.  Step one in restoring our peace with God is repentance.

God’s plan for global restoration involved the incarnation of His divine Son Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3: 16-18

FAITH AND HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST IS THE WILL OF GOD

Human life is fragile and our lives are very interdependent. The world is in need of healing which flows from God’s grace. God provides a prescription for what’s needed in our world.

God’s promise is this,

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

God is asking for us to be humble and to pray.  He is asking us ‘to seek His face’ and enter a personal, intimate relationship with Him as we turn away from sin and seek a communion with Him that is Holy and Reverent.  And if we do these things we will embark on the path towards Heaven, reconciled to God, living for His glory.

HEAVEN – THE DIVINE DESTINATION

Bringing souls to heaven is God’s top priority.

Jesus talks about Heaven in the Bible as the “Wedding Banquet”. Jesus is the Bridegroom and His people/His Church are His Bride.

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!

“So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.

“The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:1-14

This parable reflects what is happening on earth. Jesus invites all people to believe in Him and receive the gift of salvation.  Jesus invites us to become One with Him as we build His Kingdom on earth and prepare for eternal life, but for many this invitation is ignored. Jesus offers to feed us at His Table in Holy Communion but many people refuse this offer of Divine Food.  Many people are too busy pursuing their own list of priorities than to desire communion with God. Many people preaching God’s Truth have been persecuted; some have been killed.

Even baptized Christians cleansed by the Blood of Christ and blessed by the Holy Spirit of God are turning away from faith, ignoring God’s call to holiness and instead pursue a list of selfish pleasures losing their eternal birthright as children of God.

The ‘wedding clothes’ are given to us by Jesus. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27

Let us draw near to Our Lord Jesus who loves us, forgives us and teaches us to become people of mercy and justice.

Let us never forget how much Jesus suffered to give us access to the eternal ‘wedding feast’ (Heaven) by purifying our souls by His Holy Blood, paying the price of our sins.

The world needs people of prayer to call upon God’s Mercy for the salvation of all and the restoration of our world.

Please join Christians all over the world that are uniting daily in remembrance of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We call this unity amongst the Body of Christ, A Peaceful Revolution in the Name of Jesus Christ.  We unite daily at the time Jesus died for us 3pm, to pray for God’s mercy as we remember the greatest love the world has ever known and will ever know, the love of Jesus Christ.

Believe in the power of our united prayer! Let us never forget how much Jesus suffered to give us the gift of redemption.  Let us unite to pray for Jesus to send us His Holy Spirit to bring souls to repentance and help us all to pursue His divine priorities.  God will answer us!  God will heal and transform our suffering world.

*If 3pm – locally is not convenient for you to stop and pray and remember Jesus dying for you, pick a global time zone that works for you and know that there will be people united in prayer with you.