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November 6, 2024
Fr. John Riccardo
Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him
(Hebrews 9:24-28).
“The Lord’s is the Earth!”
“Jesus is First Born of the Dead and the Ruler of Kings on Earth!”
“The Lord Reigns!”
“Our Help is in the Name of the Lord, Who Made Heaven and Earth!”
Regardless of the secular headlines, these are the headlines I’m mulling over as I open my Bible this morning. Full disclosure: I don’t know the outcome of the Presidential election, as I am writing this on Tuesday. Who knows, given how things have gone in the past, maybe no one knows the outcome yet. But while politics is of great importance, since it determines how a people are governed, the truth is still the same: Jesus is Lord. Period.
A few weeks ago in prayer, as I was praying for the United States, her leaders and this election, the thought occurred to me that I don’t really know what to ask for here. I can’t see the future. I was praying with the Book of Esther, especially with the passage when that young Jewish woman was appointed queen, and realized that nobody could have seen, or in their wildest dreams predicted, how the Lord was going to work in all of that. So, too, we don’t know how the Lord is at work in the events of our time. We just know that He is at work. He is always at work. This doesn’t mean we’re puppets, merely play acting, and that our choices don’t matter – they do! But God is sovereign, and “the plan of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation” (Psalm 33:11).
Hebrews is repeatedly reminding us not only that Jesus is Lord and sovereign over all, but He is also our High Priest. One real day He will return to make all things new (cf. Rev 21:5), but in the meantime, as a man in radical solidarity with each of us, He has entered into the sanctuary to appear before God on our behalf. Elsewhere, Hebrews reminded us that Jesus is, at this moment, interceding for us before the Father (cf. Hebrews 7:25).
God is always faithful. He knows what He’s doing. And He is the Author and prime Actor in all of history. These are the things that we need to keep our eyes fixed on. He has proven His love for us by going to the cross, defeating the enemies of the entire human race – Satan, Sin and Death.
The Holy Spirit, through St. Paul, exhorted the Christians in Rome to not “let the world squeeze you into its way of thinking” (Rom 12:2). The Holy Spirit does the same with us today. So, let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. But let us also ask and allow the Lord to use us in this world as both examples of His recreative power and agents of that recreation in others, in politics, in sports, in education, in schools, in medicine, in law, and beyond.
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
November 2024
In thanksgiving to God for the mission with the women of Walking with Purpose in Dallas, TX. May seeds sown bear great fruit in their lives.
For the clergy and lay leaders from across the country who will be joining us on campus for a Leadership Immersive.
For our mission with the lovely women with the Seven Sisters Apostolate.
For the pastors working with the Seminary Formation Council who will be joining us on campus for retreat.
For our mission with clergy, lay leaders and seminarians in the Diocese of Spokane.
For a grace-filled Thanksgiving holiday for our Episcopal Advisory Committee, Board members, benefactors, prayer partners and all those running The Rescue Project in their parishes, homes and college campuses.
For God’s protection upon Fr. John Riccardo and the ACTS XXIX family.