Category: Blog Posts (Page 81 of 91)

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There was a time when I understood the Kingdom of God to be the place where Christians go when they die. Therefor it was very exciting moment when as a young Christian I realized that it had much more to do with life on this earth than I had previously thought.

This is how it happened: I had been for some time resisting the call of God to a greater level of obedience and dedication unto Him. In fact my resistance led me to a very low place and a lower moral lifestyle than ever before. But family and friends had been praying for me and several from my former church reached out to me.

Before I thought I could be faithful to God without attending church. Now that I had made such a wreck of things, I was ready to give it a try again. One night after serious soul searching, I understood the great patience that God had for me. It broke my heart to realize that I had so taken for granted His great love and concern for me! At that point I poured out my heart in repentance and asked for His forgiveness. What a relief I felt in that moment of absolute truth about myself and God!

It wasn’t until the next morning that I experienced the full result of that time before Him. It seemed as if the world itself had changed! The sky was bluer and the grass was greener! The problems in my life did not go away, but that did not matter. Everything was fresh and new! It was like I had entered into entirely different dimension! I had experienced His salvation at 12 years of age, but this event was so much more dramatic. Now what I had heard about our future home in heaven was confirmed by this foretaste of heaven that was real to me now!

It was then that I developed a greater appetite for the Bible as God’s very Word. So I started reading the New Testament from the beginning, the Gospel according to Matthew. Then I came to chapter 3 where John the Baptist and then Jesus Himself in chapter 4:17 began preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Likely because of recently experiencing this heavenly dimension I stopped reading. I thought, “If the kingdom of heaven was near then, where is it today?” Could it be that the kingdom of heaven was more a state of being than a physical location? Could it be that the riches of His kingdom were not material, but were His very attributes? Could it be that Jesus wanted us to begin experiencing this kingdom even while in this life, and on this earth?

In my excitement, I began calling other older Christians and telling them of my “new revelation,” only to find that they were already there ahead of me. They also pointed out other passages that confirmed my suspicion. In Luke 17:21 Jesus said that “the kingdom of God is within you,” and in Romans 14:17 Paul said that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost!”

That was forty years ago, and I have never gotten over this experience. It has marked me permanently. But there was much more to come! During this time I was in great financial trouble, with no end in sight. If you have ever been there, you may have found what I found — that your mind can become so clouded that you tend to make decisions which only increase the problem.

So, reading along in Matthew, I found Jesus taking about me and directly to me. In chapter 6:25-34, He addressed worry over material needs and how to rid ourselves from it. After showing how foolish worry really is, He instructed us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (our physical needs) shall be added unto you.”

At this point I had nothing to lose. My methods were getting me nowhere. I thought, “this just might work. I am going to devote my energies to seeking the kingdom of God wholeheartedly,” as I then understood it. To me that meant absorbing myself in the Scriptures and prayer, continuing to attend my church, and trying to take in all that was presented there. It also meant being submissive to those older, more mature believers who had been on this road long before me.

That is not to say that I became careless or irresponsible with my finances. In fact, the Lord fulfilled His part wonderfully, by sending me financial counselors and extra part-time work. The change was that I laid this burden aside, and took His yoke upon me! Amazingly my bills were paid in a matter of months, but more importantly my faith was being more firmly planted. The Scriptures were being opened up to me by both my pastor at church and my uncle that hired me for part-time work! I would never go back to that state if ignorance and foolishness again!

This was just the beginning of a life-long pursuit of discovering what Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God, one that continues to this day!

The Increase of His Kingdom

The impression I had as a child was that Christianity was a losing movement. It was a win for those of us who would eventually go to heaven, but there was nothing to really look forward to in this life. The Good News of the Kingdom of God changed all that. Now I saw in the Scriptures that there were many benefits in this life for the believer, and there were many cases showing that the movement itself was gaining ground in the earth.

Sadly, I have since seen two directions that people in this perspective have taken which trouble me. The first was that the kingdom became spiritualized or intellectualized into irrelevance. That is, that it is all in my head, or in my personal level of tranquility. In some, I have seen the quest for tranquility evolve into a retreat from reality which Jesus would have never condoned.

Even worse, the “Kingdom Now” has in some circles become an obsession with possessions, material possessions now, in this life. Even though God does promise blessings in this life, I want to be clear that when I speak of the Kingdom of God, that is not at all what I am talking about.

There is personal peace for those who live in harmony with the reign of God over the earth. There is also room for success in earthly ventures. In fact God’s first command to humanity was to be fruitful and multiply in the earth! However, a self-centered existence is 180 degrees in the opposite direction of the one to which Christ would lead us (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23).

My earlier focus on personal peace with God was always connected with His intention to extend that peace throughout the entire planet. Christianity is not a losing enterprise, even though it may appear to be so at times. In order for His Kingdom to increase, we must first participate in that advancement through our prayers. This is no small matter. It is the foundation for all Kingdom activity! (Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2).

Men and women of God from many diverse times and backgrounds have helped my understanding of God’s Kingdom, challenging my thinking on many levels. Do I fully understand what God has in mind regarding His Kingdom? Not likely. But I have enough to motivate me to encourage others to get involved with the purpose of God for their lives, so we all can see an increasing demonstration of His reign on this earth!

It always comes through His power and authority, but He in fact intends to exercise that power through his people. To the extent they have yielded unto Him, they can truly demonstrate its reality. When we respond to the reign of God we are changed, and in turn become agents of change for the world around us.

What a privilege! What an opportunity for life and that more abundantly, in Christ!

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Last time I shared how I disagree with the methods and teachings of some prosperity and “word of faith” preachers today. That is not to say that everything they teach about faith and healing is wrong. In fact, I have been greatly encouraged by their emphasis on aspects of the New Testament that are often neglected or overlooked.

That is why I would like to offer encouragement to anyone reading this who is in distress — financially, physically, relationally, emotionally or otherwise. The whole Bible is a wonderful source of hope for every situation. The New Testament is a terrific place to start for many of us, mainly because Christ, who is foreshadowed in the Old Testament is more clearly revealed in the New.

Please do not forsake the Old Testament. There are aspects of the New that cannot be fully understood without it. Not only that, but the powerful testimonies it contains are immensely faith-building. This is the subject we are addressing, faith and how it can help you in your life. The faith we are discussing is faith in God. This faith comes by hearing, hearing by His Word. (Romans 10:17)

Everything you can learn about faith, including from yours truly, is second hand. You have a better source. The very Word of God. I am not talking about a quick fix, but something that can permanently change your life, your outlook and your future.

All I am suggesting is to begin reading the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the Book of Acts as well. Read them with the focus on the greatness and glory of God in Christ. Try and take in all the wonder, the mighty deeds, the depth of His love and compassion, and the possibilities He is presenting to you personally.

Make the conscious decision to believe the Words of Jesus, the testimony and teachings of His apostles, and to allow your life to be changed by them. Think seriously and deeply about the truth of the Gospel. This is not about abandoning reason or comment sense. It is about surrendering yourself to your all-wise, all-powerful and all-loving Father God. He will lead you and teach you and build your faith in Him more effectively than anyone else can!

So what do you think? Are these recommendations worth considering?

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As Jesus passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

Jesus answered, “{It was} neither {that} this man sinned, nor his parents; but {it was}so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:1-3 NAS)

Recently I was listening to a teaching concerning divine healing which caused me to be so grateful for the Biblical instruction that I have received over the years. Before I go any further, let me say that I believe that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and forever. He is our Savior, Lord, Healer and Baptizer in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are instructed to pray to the Father in His Name for help in every time of need. All things are possible to those who believe in Him! He has healed me and my loved ones numerous times and I rejoice every time and in every way He demonstrates His love to anyone in this way!

My concern today is only that we should be careful not to misrepresent the Lord in our efforts to inspire others to believe and pray to experience His healing power. Recently I have been exposed to evidence that certain errors are misrepresenting the Lord today.

Many people are being told that any disease or sickness they are suffering is directly related to some specific secret sin or negative heart condition they possess. When people are not healed by the healing ministry, the blame is often placed on the sick person. Since they believe it is always God’s will to heal everyone, they assume the fault must be in us.

Some are even taken into a psychotherapy session in which they try to uncover the root of the sickness in the individuals heart. The Scripture is used as a diagnostic tool in the following way: I was told that since Proverbs 14:30 states that “envy rots the bones,” a person with a Osteoporosis must be harboring envy.

My response was that all believers need to know the freedom that comes from full surrender to Him, whether they are sick in body or not. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation from every visible or hidden sin! Yes, there are known connections between our mental and emotional state, and our physical health. But Jesus Himself proved that it is wrong to assume that sickness is always the result of someone’s personal sin!

Consider James 5:14-16:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (NAS)

IF he has committed sins…

Jesus did not say that the blind man and his parents never, ever sinned. He simply stated that his blindness was not due to their sin. I think this would apply to James also. If a person was sick due to any unconfessed sin, that would be forgiven as the Lord restored his physical health.

In the New Testament, I cannot find many of the methods and techniques used today which frankly resemble the practices of the cults more than Biblical faith. Jesus and his disciples healed people under all kinds of circumstances. Some had great faith, others just desperation. One common denominator was their cries for help. The other, and most important, was the compassion in the Heart of Jesus!

All of us, whether young and healthy, or old and ailing, all of us need God’s grace and mercy. What a relief to know that we can place our full trust and confidence in Him for every need, whether physical, mental, emotional, relational, or financial! Our past, present and future are all in His generous, capable and loving hands!