Imagine living like a prince or princess, here are 5 things that would change

princess

My daughter has restarted watching this show called Sofia the First. It tells of the adventures of a village girl after her mother marries the king. I love the line from the theme song, “I am finding out what being royal is all about.” It captures the feeling that every Christian experiences now that they are a child of the King.

It reminds me of my time from 2nd to 5th grade when my family moved from the United States to Sri Lanka. It was a strange experience to be from one place but to be living in another place. They call these people, third culture kids or TCKs. One of the best explanations of this kind of life came as a missionary described it in their newsletter (names left off for security purposes):

“A TCK is a child who grows up in a third and unique culture. They are heavily influenced by the culture of their parents (passport countries), and they spend a large portion of their lives being influenced by a second culture (host countries).  They do not wholly fit into either.  Instead, they mix these cultural norms together into a unique and personal blend to create their own third, distinctly unique culture.  So, they live in these two worlds and form ideas of who they are and what is normal and it becomes part of their perspective, their culture. Their culture is a blended one. They are Third Culture Kids.”

This is the challenge that all of us face as we live as with passports for another world, or as Paul says, “Our citizenship is in heaven.” (Phil 3:20). But how do we live in this in between time? Here are five things that I think we do differently living as prince and princesses in this world.

I take advantage of access to the King

Although we don’t live in heaven now we still can do what the author of Hebrews describes, “Come boldly to the throne of grace to find grace and mercy to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) From my time of living overseas, sometimes you just pick up the phone and call home. We experienced then the challenge of bad phone connections, but our Father the King is just a prayer away.

[tweetthis]Our Father the King is just a prayer away.[/tweetthis]

I live as a representative of the King wherever I go and with what I say

I remember as a kid the father of a neighbor boy trying to talk to me about United States politics. I don’t remember what I said, but I was in that moment a representative of the United States to him. We must remember that every word, text, social media post is as a representative of the King of the Universe. As Proverbs says the power of life and death are in the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21)

Capitalize on my unique position to bring people to the palace

There is an episode in Sofia the First where she brings some of her friends from the village to the castle for a sleepover. It is filled with drama because the village girls are not used to the palace and Sofia’s new sister wants them to behave like princesses. We all as people originally from the village are in a unique position to help introduce people around us to a life they too can enjoy. We just need to remember where we came from and live out grace everywhere we go.

Understand that I will live with tension and homesickness

One of the things that I experience as a TCK is that it is often hard to feel at home. When I was living in Sri Lanka there are things that I would miss deeply back in the United States. And just last week I was talking about craving a fruit from Sri Lanka that I can’t get here in the USA. The same is true for us as Christians. There are moments when we will feel out of place. As the founding pastor of my home church said shortly before his death, “I am homesick for a place I have never been.”

We party like a princess

I had to throw this one in as a place to end. A few weeks ago I took my daughter to her first concert: Jamie Grace. The new song was: Party Like a Princess. The point of the song was that if our identity is as a child of the King we can celebrate even if we don’t have certain external things (the songs example is a boyfriend). Don’t forget to rejoice that “he paid it all” so that you could be a prince or princess.

6 times people miss the presence of God

Are you aware of the presence of God around you? Maybe you are thinking about that amazing time at church or that prayer time at church camp. It was just so amazing. We use language like, “God was near” or “God seemed so real.” Those words help us capture our awareness of the presence of God around us.

God’s word teaches us that God is everywhere all of the time. David even asks the question, “…where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7) He can’t come up with an answer to that. But we just don’t always realize it. Maybe you are going through one of those seasons where you wonder where God is at. Here are 6 times when it is helpful to remember that whether you feel Him or not God is still with you.

When life turns upside down

Jacob was running for his life. If anyone’s life had been turned upside down it was his. He was running from his brother who had threatened to kill him. He was leaving all that he knew to start over. In the midst of that running he has an encounter with God. He then says one of my favorite things in the Bible, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Genesis 28:16) If you are going through a moment that feels like the world is upside down, God is with you.

When we are under attack

I love the story of when Elisha has an army to come and get him because he has ticked off a king (Read the whole story in 2 Kings 6). When Elisha’s servant freaks out because they are surrounded Elisha prays that God would open his eyes. The servant then sees horses and chariots of fire all around. They were there before but the servant didn’t see them. If you are feeling under attack today, I pray that God opens your eyes to see His presence with you.

When we dealing with our own sin

This is a little more tricky one. When we sin we choose to separate ourselves from God. David talks about this feeling in his famous confession in Psalm 51. He says, “Cast me not away from your presence.” (verse 11) And if you are feeling distant from God because of your sin I can give you no better encouragement than to do what David did in that moment. In brokenness of heart get right with God.

When we are confused

A fun story shortly after the resurrection is when Jesus meets a couple disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24). I won’t get into the fact of what we learn about Jesus from the fact that He is messing with them in that moment. But in their confusion about what is happening Jesus is there to explain what they need to understand. If you are confused with life right now, Jesus is with you to help you find a way forward.

When we are dealing with relationship conflict

One of the common passages people use about the presence of God is found in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” But as my friend Chris MacKinnon pointed out to me the context of this verse is conflict and relationship issues in the church. It is a great reminder that even in our moments of conflict with people God is right in the middle with us.

When we are outside our comfort zone

God keeps calling us (at least me) outside of the comfort zone. And sometimes when He sends me somewhere it can feel very alone. Some people give their lives to go to some of the most difficult places in the world where any other Christian is far away. It is in those moments that where He tells us to go that He promises, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

So whether you are going through one of these 6 situations or something else, I pray that today you that you would be reminded that Jesus is Emmanuel-“God with us”

[tweetthis]I pray that today you that you would be reminded that Jesus is Emmanuel-“God with us”[/tweetthis]

Advice from a 98 year old pastor who happens to be my grandfather

I am grateful for the fact that my grandfather is still living and serving the Lord. He has been an amazing example to me. Even today he has a ministry of writing a prayer letter to the pastors of Sri Lanka, where he lives. I received a copy of his latest letter and wanted to pass it along to you. Even at the age of 98 he is challenging people to be a people of the Book and then live it out with faith and adventure. I hope that you are encouraged as I was.

My dear Brother/Sister in Christ,

Greetings in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who exhorts us to read and obey His Word.

Sometime back I wrote in one of my letters to you about God commanding us to meditate on Gods’ word day and night. (Joshua 1:8,9) He did not only command but with He also gave us promises. Joshua had only 5 books at that time, but now we have 66 books(in the Bible) to read and obey, and we have many more promises in them. God loves us so much, and I am sure you too would have experienced His love in many ways, just as much as I have, perhaps more.

We should read God’s word often, if possible daily- at least a small portion each day. It will make us grow in our Christian life. I used to know a Mr Leisser, the proprietor of an English firm in Sri Lanka. He told me that he had read through the Bible 40 times. He knew it thoroughly from beginning to end. We need not do so much, but if we read it as often as we could and use it for His glory and for the salvation of souls we will be much blessed. It will be helpful if we could learn verses of scripture by heart.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.

The Word of God has been used powerfully by many persons mentioned in the Bible. Let us have a look at some of them.

A centurion wanted his servant healed. He knew that if only Jesus would speak a word from just where He was, his servant would be healed, just as for when he speaks a word to his soldiers they obey. Please read about it in Matthew 8:5-13.

Jesus cast out demons with His Word. We read about it in many places in the Bible. Whatever Jesus said was with authority. Luke 4:32; Matthew 7:28,29; John 6:63.

After Jesus ascended, His disciples spoke with authority as He had done. One such occasion was when Peter and John healed a man who was lame from his birth. When this man was healed he went into the temple “walking and leaping and praising God”. (Acts 3:1-9)

In Acts 9:32-35, Peter only spoke a few words and Aeneas (who had been bedridden for 8 years) arose immediately.

In Acts 9:36-41 we read of Dorcas, who was dead, being raised up by Peter speaking only two words after praying.

When Elymas the sorcerer tried to prevent the deputy from accepting what Paul said, being filled with the Spirit Paul said, “You shall be blind not seeing the sun for a season”. Immediately he became blind. Acts 13:6-12.

In Acts 14:8-10 when Paul said “Stand up straight on your feet”, the man who had never walked, leaped and walked.

Please read the story of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5:1-10. Both had lied and when Peter spoke to each one they fell down and died.

When we see what happened when apostles of Jesus did after seeing Him do all these, do we not get a desire to act similarly? But we might excuse ourselves, saying that they saw Jesus Himself do it all. What about us? Let us ask Jesus to give us too a vision and power to do likewise and be firebrands for Him.

May the Lord bless you.

Your servant in the service of the Most High God,

Tiddy Senapatiratne

(Note: Highlights are mine)