Today, God is reigning and looking down from heaven. He sees all that's going on in our world, even every single match that has been going. He sees the citizens of the bustling cities, and also the nomads in the desert. He sees us going about our lives in busy Singapore, and He also sees the unreached and unknown people group tucked away in the jungles of the Amazon. None of our deeds escape Him! Praise God for His might and power and pray that more will come to know Him for who He is. 

On this Lord's Day, Christians all over the world regardless of where they are, what language they speak, what kinds of socio-economic backgrounds they come from, gather to sing praises to the one who is worthy of all praise! Isn't it wonderful that we have brothers and sisters in Christ who come from all over the world?

As the nations gather for the World Cup, we should notice that the spotlight doesn’t just fall on our favourite players. We might see men in neon, brightly-coloured tees appearing at the peripheries of the broadcasting camera. They occasionally come on screen to blow a whistle. They are tasked with making difficult decisions in the spirit of enforcing the rules of the game.

Jesus was sent by the Father and He willingly obeyed the Father to complete the task for which He was sent. Praise God for His grace and steadfast love that extends to all the nations. As we consider these countries today, let's also remember that within these countries are also those that will hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

God will be known and exalted among the nations! This is the promise that we have at the end of Ps 46. Thank God for the security that we have in Him that can withstand even the worst destruction of nature (Ps 46:2-3). But as we participate in the excitement of this sporting season, let's also remember the far greater spiritual reality that is at stake. 

A quick note before we begin - prayer can often be intimidating (what do I say? where should I pray?), and tends to feel like a Spiritual Activity that we launch ourselves into as we block out the world around us. We initiate it, we sustain it, and we often force it. But a short piece that I read by Glen Scrivener reminds me that I'm not the author and perfecter of prayer. God is. 

Our God is "King of Kings" and "Lord of Lords". He is sovereign over all the nations, even the most imposing and fearsome of human rulers. Empires and civilisations come and go, but God remains the same yesterday, today and forever. Praise God for His unchanging power and might! Thank God that He is a God who loves the nations and desires for all to worship Him! 

As I sat down to watch my first World Cup match of the season, it suddenly struck me how this is a glimpse of what heaven is to look like! Football is often described to be the global game.

“If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, He would have sent an economist. If He had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, He would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, He would have sent us a politician. If He had perceived that our greatest need was health, He would have sent us a doctor. But He perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from Him, our profound rebellion, our death; and He sent us a Savior.”

This quote by D.A. Carson is always a good reminder that the best economic policies and strategies cannot solve our greatest need. Let's keep this in mind As we pray for our world this week and even as we go about our lives, striving at work and doing the best we can. 

Ties between the US and North Korea and US and China are still tenuous and serves as a constant reminder that peace in our world is often difficult to attain. As Christians, we know that this part of living in a fallen world and even as we pray and work hard for peace on earth, we know that truth peace is more than just nations agreeing with each other. It is about peace with God where we who were once enemies can now be reconciled with Him. 

What does it mean that Christians are those whose citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20)? How does that change the way we think about politics, political power and interact with friends of different faiths? One thing we can do is to pray! Pray with a realistic hope, knowing that this place in this state is not our hope, and depending on political power is no certainty. Pray with a gospel-shaped optimism, trusting that God, and only God, can bring about the change of heart that we all need. 

We often celebrate Christmas by speaking of "peace" and "joy", and the reality of God with us. But sometime around May, when Christmas seems far away, how real is God? Is He with us? When we read of unrest more than peace, it does seem like a fight to believe that God is at work in our world and in our lives. The Psalms are full of such groanings, and Christians are both optimistic (because we know of a future hope) and realistic (because we understand the reality of sin). And we know that we can take all these things to God in prayer.