The Kingdom and The Power and The Glory

Greetings in the Name of Jesus,

The recent hurricanes have been a tragedy for many individuals and families. People have lost lives, memories, homes, and businesses. As I have followed the news reports, I have been amazed at how people pull together in times of crisis. Last night as Hurricane Milton approached the Gulf Coast of Florida, the reports of those who were soon to come to Florida in the wake of the storm were amazing. People giving time, talents, and funding to help those in need.

Some might want to blame God for the weather events of the past few weeks. I do not blame God. There is a balance to nature. When nature gets out of balance, we see the incredible power of nature moving in sometimes tragic and devastating ways. Where is God in this devastation? God is with those who are hurting. God is inspiring individuals to bring help and hope to those in need. God is about the business of bringing hope to those who are lost. Our pain is God’s pain, and God is working to help the hurting.

When I go to the scriptures, I am reminded that all of creation is God’s. What we have is only “on loan”. For most of us, this is a difficult concept to understand. Nothing is ours forever. We did not bring it with us, and we will not take it when we are gone. God reminds us in the most loving ways, that all of creation, all we have, all we own, comes from God. The sometimes out-of-control power of mother nature is part of this broken world, but our God is there to overcome even the worst that nature can bring.

That brings me to the sermon I will be preaching this Sunday as we finish our study of the Lord’s Prayer… even though our world may seem out of control, God has everything in God’s hands.

For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13)

The Kingdom… God reigns over everything. God was before everything that is. God will be after all is gone. Every part of creation is a part of God’s Kingdom.

The power… The Lord God created the heavens and the earth by simply speaking a word. All the power, all the energy, and all the matter that exist come from God. When we pray, “yours is the power”, we not only recognize that God is all powerful, and we are powerless on our own. Here is the best part, when we pray “yours is the power”, we join ourselves to the creator of the universe. God’s power is our power.

The glory… To ascribe glory is to give honor, splendor, majesty, and magnificence to God. There is no other with higher value than Almighty God.

Yours… When we admit that everything is God’s, we proclaim that EVERYTHING in our life depends on our willingness to surrender our wills to God. Everything that exists belongs to God. Everything that we are is because of God.

I am so excited about what is happening at Stonebridge UMC in the Name of Christ. Hurricanes Helene and Milton have done great damage to the eastern part of the United States. The storms of life come in many shapes and sizes. But nothing can overcome the “kingdom and the power and the glory” of our God who makes all things new.

See you Sunday.

Pastor John Allen