Episode 830
The Transformational Journey: Living as Citizens of Heaven | Ep 830
This podcast episode delves into the profound theme of living as citizens of Heaven, drawing particularly from Philippians 3:17-21. We explore the essential call to foster transformative communities characterized by justice, inclusion, and love, as articulated by the Apostle Paul. The discourse critiques the allure of material comfort and consumer culture, urging us to redefine success in light of God's economy, which prioritizes advocacy for the marginalized and environmental stewardship. Furthermore, we emphasize the significance of embodied spirituality, asserting that our earthly existence is vital to God’s mission of transformation. As we reflect on these themes, we are invited to take actionable steps toward creating a more just and loving world.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
A companion resource to the Voice of God Daily Podcast is the “ABC Bible Study Guide” available by clicking HERE.
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Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
Citizenship in Heaven is not merely a theological concept but a profound identity that shapes our everyday lives and interactions. In the discourse derived from Philippians 3:17-21, we are called to recognize ourselves as citizens of a higher realm, fundamentally altering our perceptions of success, community, and purpose. The speaker elucidates the dangers posed by those who pursue a superficial existence, marked by comfort and self-indulgence, contrasting this with the transformative journey of faith that beckons us toward justice, inclusion, and love. This episode serves as a poignant reminder that our earthly existence is imbued with divine significance, urging us to engage actively in creating a world that reflects the radical love and acceptance exemplified by Christ.
Furthermore, the speaker emphasizes the importance of collective action in our faith journey. The text encourages listeners to identify and align themselves with fellow seekers of truth and justice, fostering communities that challenge societal norms and advocate for the marginalized. This collective pursuit of a transformative faith is depicted as essential for realizing our potential as citizens of Heaven, where our earthly actions resonate with divine purpose. The episode culminates in a call to action, inviting us to reflect on our complicity in systems of inequality and to take tangible steps toward justice and inclusion, thus embodying our heavenly citizenship in the here and now.
Takeaways:
- In this episode, we reflect on Philippians 3:17-21, emphasizing our identity as citizens of Heaven.
- We are called to create transformative communities that foster justice, inclusion, and love among all people.
- The passage critiques the allure of easy street, urging us to redefine success beyond material comfort and consumerism.
- We learn that our earthly concerns matter to God, prompting us to work for justice and liberation in the present.
- As citizens of Heaven, we are invited to embody Christ's radical love and acceptance in tangible ways.
- The episode concludes with an actionable step to challenge our complicity in systems of inequality, encouraging personal change.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- voiceofgoddaily.com
Transcript
Living as citizens of Heaven.
Speaker A:A Reflection on Philippians 3:17 21 on the Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller hello good people.
Speaker A:Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:My name is Dr.
Speaker A: million years by the year: Speaker A:Help me do that by joining me today here at the Daily Bible Refresh, where we read the Bible in a fresh manner by offering it to you.
Speaker A:Whether it's understandable, we read from the Message version of the Bible.
Speaker A:Relatable, we give you some points to ponder.
Speaker A:Applicable I'll give you an action step.
Speaker A:We have a prayer.
Speaker A:We do all that in under 10 minutes or so because we use the selected passage of Scripture for this very day from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C.
Speaker A:The Lenten season is where we're at right now.
Speaker A:It's all brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:Here's our reading for the day.
Speaker A:Philippians 3:17 21 Reading from the Message Stick with me friends.
Speaker A:Keep track of those who you see running the same course, heading for the same goal.
Speaker A:There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals and trying to get you to go along with them.
Speaker A:I've warned you of them many times.
Speaker A:Sadly, I'm having to do it again.
Speaker A:All they want is easy street.
Speaker A:They hate Christ cross.
Speaker A:But Easy street is a dead end street.
Speaker A:Those who live there make their bellies their gods.
Speaker A:Belches are their praise.
Speaker A:All they can think of is their appetite.
Speaker A:But there's far more to life for us.
Speaker A:We're citizens of high Heaven.
Speaker A:We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthly bodies into glorious bodies like his own.
Speaker A:He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around Him.
Speaker A:Incredible stuff there.
Speaker A:Today we're exploring the passion in this passage from Philippians that speaks to our identity as people of faith and our role in creating a positive change in the world.
Speaker A:So here are some points to ponder, to think about.
Speaker A:One of them is about transformative community.
Speaker A:Paul is speaking here about running the same course together in a progressive faith.
Speaker A:This isn't about exclusion or judgment, but it's about building communities that actively work together for justice, inclusion and love.
Speaker A:We're called to journey with those who seek to embody Christ's radical love and acceptance of all people.
Speaker A:Second thing is redefining success.
Speaker A:The passage critiques Those focused solely on easy street and material comfort.
Speaker A:In our modern context, this challenges us to examine our relationship with consumer culture and capitalism.
Speaker A:What does it mean to live differently in a world obsessed with profit and personal gain?
Speaker A:Success in God's economy might look like advocacy for the marginalized, environmental stewardship and building a beloved community.
Speaker A:One more point.
Speaker A:It's about embodied spirituality.
Speaker A:Paul speaks of a heavenly citizenship.
Speaker A:He's not suggesting that we abandon earthly concerns.
Speaker A:He's talking about rather this citizenship which calls us to transform our present reality.
Speaker A:Our bodies in this world matter deeply to God.
Speaker A:We're called to work for liberation and justice here and now, not just wait for a future heaven.
Speaker A:Here's your action step.
Speaker A:Choose an area where you've been complicit in systems of inequality or injustice.
Speaker A:So this week I just invite you to take one concrete step to change your participation.
Speaker A:This might mean changing your spending habits or supporting a ethical business that is speaking up against discrimination.
Speaker A:Or do something in your workplace or join a local organization which is working for social justice.
Speaker A:There's many things you can do.
Speaker A:One of the things we are going to do here in just a moment is pray together about all of this.
Speaker A:But before we do, I want to invite you to take action by going over to voiceofgoddaily.com and picking up our resource that we have for you.
Speaker A:It's called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide and is there to help you to read the Bible on a daily basis of your own accord.
Speaker A:We really want you to listen to the Daily Bible Refresh to get the Word spoken to you and then for you to get into the word of your own accord and the Daily Bible ref the ABC123 Bible Study Guide is there for you.
Speaker A:Head on over to voiceofgoddaily.com and pick that up.
Speaker A:Let's let's pray.
Speaker A:God, you are Divine Love and we acknowledge that we often find ourselves caught between the easy path and the transformational way of Jesus.
Speaker A:Help us to be honest about our participation in systems that harm others.
Speaker A:Give us courage to live differently, to challenge the status quo and to embody your radical love in tangible ways.
Speaker A:Strengthen our commitment to justice.
Speaker A:Kindle our hope for transformation and help us see the divine spread.
Speaker A:Park and every person that we meet.
Speaker A:Guide us as we work to make our corner of the world more loving, just and inclusive.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:It's always a joy to have you with me here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I hope that you love it too and make it a part of your daily routine.
Speaker A:I'll be here again tomorrow.
Speaker A:We usually drop our episodes before 6am Eastern Time.
Speaker A:Join me in my mission of putting the audible word of God into 2 million ears.
Speaker A: That's a million people by: Speaker A:Can you do that by inviting a friend to join you here on the Daily Bible Refresh at Voice of God daily.
Speaker A:Until that time, please just remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love doesn't dry up.
Speaker A:It's created new every morning.
