Embassy

When you travel to a foreign county, I good piece of travel advice is know the loacation of the embassy. The embassy is sovereign ground in a foreign land that represents the laws and beliefs of your home country - which may be differ from the country you are actually standing in. It is a place of safety and refuge in a foreign land. The mission of the United States Embassy is "to advance the interests of the United States, to serve and protect U.S. citizens." Regardless of what may be happening around you, you will always be accepted as a citizen even if you have walked away from your country and are in a foreign land.

Have you ever thought of the Church as an embassy here in this foreign land? The church is sovereign ground, a place of safety and refuge, a place you will always be accepted. Think about it, we don't belong here, this earth is not our rightful home. Our home is in Heaven and we are here as foreigners. The church is the embassy for the citizens of heaven while in this foreign land.

The church is a group of people believing in the same thing with the same goal. Now, let's talk about other groups in this world, this foreign land. Ever become part of a group that appears to believe the same things and have the same goals and then you find it doesn't align with your beliefs anymore and walk away? In "groups" of this world, when you walk away you are ostracized and banished from the group, no longer accepted. If you question the leader or the motives you may even be kicked out of the group. If you refuse to be a part of something the group is doing and you believe is wrong you may depart from the group. Then is you concede in your beliefs or change your mind... what happens when you try and return? Usually you are not accepted back in. Not true for the church! Walk away, make mistakes, question beliefs... the church will ALWAYS welcome you back. Jesus will always accept you back with open arms.

Romans tells us “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This world is forming all these "groups" and "identifiers" trying to get you away from identifying with Christ. Satan has tricked us into questioning who we are under the guise of self-exploration and a need for acceptance, he has created self -idolatry. Social media supports and blasts it, television, movies, everyday paperwork even pushes for all these ways to "identify yourself." The simple has become complicated. Don't get distracted, we have already been accepted by Christ, he died on the cross for us. He has already identified who we are in Him, we do not need to explore and we do not need accepted by a group in the culture of this world.

Look what happened to Peter when he cozied up with the crowd, he tried to identify with the larger "group" standing around the fire. Peter was trying to "blend in" with the crowd.

“Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26:69-75‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Peter cursed and denied Jesus. He took on the traits of the crowd and tried to be part of the "group." He denied his own identity as a Galilean and as a follow of Jesus. When he realized what he had done, he wept. And what happened when he returned to Jesus? He was accepted, forgiven, and loved. No condemnation, no banishment, he was not ostracized. He was accepted and loved.

Be strong and remember you are a foreigner here, but you have an identity and you have an embassy. Sovereign ground for refuge and safety. A place you are always accepted and loved.