the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
I recently visited the ancient port city of Akko (Acre) in northern Israel. Beneath the current street level are the ruins from the Crusader occupation (the twelfth and thirteenth centuries). I saw massive buildings constructed by the sweat and blood of thousands of hands. Dining halls, dormitories, dungeons, and a cathedral— all once filled with real people who had dreams and hopes and aspirations—are now tourist sights.
Historians call their conquests "the Crusader Kingdom." But what did it accomplish? Death and destruction were promulgated in the name of religion. Unfortunately, death and destruction are often the end result of seeking a kingdom other than God's, even when the seekers believe that their mission is a holy one. God's Kingdom is not spread by the warrior's sword or the builder's trowel, but by the power of the Ruach (Spirit).
...build for eternity so I don't just leave behind tourist attractions.
MM
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
