Jesus died for our salvation. He saves us from the Kingdom of darkness and transfers us to the kingdom of light. Jesus is the King. His domain that he transfers us into is the Kingdom. We carry the Kingdom within us – where ever there are Christ followers, there the Kingdom is.
The characteristic of a good kingdom is this - the will if the king is carried out by the subjects of the kingdom. We can readily access how well we- collectively as servants of the King - are carrying out his will. He hasn't hidden his will. To simplify things he encapsulates our responsibilities into two greats... the Great Commandment: Love God with our heart, soul and body and love our neighbor as ourselves. And, he Great Commandment - Go make skilled, determined and faithful followers of Christ, teaching them to observe all He has commanded.
These two "Greats" encompass what we need to do as our service to the King. As we do them we reveal, declare and extend the Kingdom.
This Great Commandment and Great Commission were given a long time ago. By now we should be master builders of the Kingdom. Yet... we are not being effective.
Is this because we are disobedient children? Perhaps! Scripture says to examine ourselves and correct what needs to be corrected. Scripture says that if we judge ourselves we will not be judged.
We need to judge BOTH ourselves and our works. If we look, we will see that there are problems in our foundations.
- Our institutions have cracks in their foundations. We have missed the principle that like produces like. We do not use I Tim and Titus to test the character of our leaders. We empower people to lead based on knowledge and skills. We build structures based on the hireling philosophy. We condone divisions in the body of Christ so that we can keep the ‘sheep’ in our own pens. And this by those who fancy themselves the shepherd, when there is one shepherd and one flock.
- Individually, our lives are out of order; we divorce. We do not know how to live out the Kingdom within the four walls of our own homes, with our own families. Our friends, neighbors and co-workers cannot count on us. We do not live the Kingdom, we are not a city set on a hill!
The foundations are weak and broken down. We try to build upon a foundation with has weak and missing foundation stones. We will not see success until the foundation is set right. We have to work on the foundations.
This we are committed to do. We do not desire to see simply a new 'wind of doctrine’ blow across the land. We have seen so many teachings that come and go. Nothing is seen to change.
This is what we desire: Satisfaction is to see a standard go forward that gets deep enough to
set right misplaced and missing foundation stones. If change is too narrowly implemented, we will see a network or worse a denomination or other type of fracture in the body of Christ. This age has seen enough of 'I am of Paul', 'I am of Appolos'! If the change is broad and shallow, -large numbers of people could accept a belief or philosophy - yet the foundation stones would not be reset... nothing will change.
These changes cannot be made without a joining and strengthing of the body of Christ. This is a call to examine our lives. How often do you spend time with other believers? How deep and connected are the relationships? Between yourselves do you practice one another's?
Exhort one another…
Instruct one another…
Encourage one another…
Love one another…
Serve one another….
There are 39 one another commandments. How many do I do? Do you do?
Are you - practicing the two 'Greats' not just on Sunday morning but on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday?
As my friend, Pastor Francisco said, “Methods never build a church. People moving under the power of the Holy Spirit build the church.”
This is a call to examine our foundations. And, correct them!
It is a call to examine our lives. Are we proclaiming and living the gospel of the KINGDOM? Are we carrying out the two ‘Greats’? If not, learn how!
It is a call to examine our connections to the other members of the body of Christ. Are we connected in a way that together we can live the Kingdom among us and carry out the two ‘Greats’ every day of the week? If not, what are you going to do about it?
This is how the Kingdom applies to you and to me.
Replies
For those who liked this discussion - I think you will like this powerpoint, too.
http://j.mp/ChurchCore
Hi,
I was thinking about my last two posts. The first shared what the Lord has done for me. My second didn't set easy with me and I wasn't sure why.
In giving our testimony, it is what the Lord has done for us and where He has brought us from, not what we are doing for Him, but how He is using us. And He uses us each different. He never calls the qualified, He qualifies the called. I am a very, very flawed creature. And sometimes I am only a semi-willing vessel.
Yesterday I hung up on a ministry that fixes children's lip deformities and I tried to justify it to the Lord. He didn't buy it. So I had to repent and I have to correct it. I drug my feet. I think the thing I want to show is Kingdom People are just as flawed as the ones who don't know Jesus. The difference is we have Jesus to help us sort things out.
Have a great day!
Mark
Hi Dora,
Thanks so much. I have a prayer garden I pray over every morning and I ask the Lord to help me be a trusted steward in that place I have been planted. After I pray over it, I say the 23rd Psalm over it as a blessing. I always want the Lord to know that I know that any good that comes of it, is through Him and without Him, I will be sifted and of no value to another.
It can be storming outside and I tell my coworkers, "It's gonna be a great day!" because I didn't come to find a source of fulfillment, I brought Him with me. He is my very favorite Subject. He gives me purpose. When I am all alone, I am never lonely. I say with Thomas, "My Lord and My God."
Thanks Dora,
Mark
dora collier said:
Rev. Michael Duncan said:
Mark Edward Kroger said:
Hi,
Something happened today that highlighted Juanita's point about us being Kingdom people as salt and light. A plumber and I are working in our Student Union, putting new valves and controls on fancoils. A young woman out of the clear blue ask me if I had a life changing experience or something. I ask her what she meant. She answered, "I don't know, it's like you're all happy in your own little world or something." So I said, "Yes, in February of 1992, I got a 2nd DUI in five years and I said, 'Lord, I have had enough. Would you come in and take over?"
I never preach at work. I share if the opportunity arises, but I would whether one feel comfortable around me. But for me, it just kinda highlighted if Jesus is inside, it shows on the outside as wet goes with water.
When Jesus said, "If you suffer with me, you can reign with me." Sometimes we take that to mean we must be poor, broke and sick to be pious. I'm pretty sure it doen't mean that. It means "Let me shape you, let me mold you, when you go through trials, keep your eyes on me." Job lived 140 years after his trial as the richest man in the east.
I read a quote on twitter, "Adversity prepares us for prosperity. A prosperous person with character, developed it in the trenches." I read another quote, "If you find a man who is a romantic, he is some woman's investment. A cheerful spirit is the Lord's investment." He is no respecter of persons. What He does for one, He will do for another. When she said that, I sent up a "Thank you, Lord."
Have a great day!
Mark
Hi Juanita,
The spammer goes well with your Kingdom message. It shows we are being salt and light and pleasing in the sight of the Lord or Satan wouldn't be using his kids to attack us. But the spammer is now on my prayer list and Satan will lose that which he had. So he can send more if he wants and we will claim them for the Kingdom also.
I deleted the two entries I had as I knew it was an attack. I have no desire for pictures as I spend enough time in the Lord's woodshed as it is. :-)) But thanks so much Juanita for telling us...
Have a great day!
Mark
Hi guys,
For me, it is so much easier for me to forgive when I first take a walk down memory lane and revisit a few things the Lord has forgiven me for. Every morning before I leave home, I start my day on my knees in front of my prayer chair and ask the Lord to guide my steps and I know He can't hear me if I have blocked the channel with unforgiveness and bitterness. So I say, "Lord forgive them and forgive me, help them and help me, teach them and teach me and bless them that I might also be blessed.
We know sow/reap, but it also means what goes in on one side of the equation, also goes in on the other. What I plant in your garden will grow in mine.
It makes it so much easier to forgive someone when I know I am as flawed as they are and I need the same help they do. It makes me run to the Lord and say, "Lord, help us!"
Sometimes it is a process, but it starts with our words, "Lord, we need help..." For me, when I do that and continue to do that, I look back and whatever was there is gone.
Just a thought,
Have a great day!
Mark
Rev. Duncan,
Sorry, I don't have a link to it. It's a sermon (message) I shared while I was an interim Pastor at a country church.
Although I can't promise anything; if you would like, I can see if I can find my notes and post them on here for you. I know I still have them, it's just a matter of finding them as things tend to get moved around over time.
Howard
1 Thess. 5:18
Rev. Michael Duncan said:
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