The Kingdom of Heaven

The kingdom is where the king is, right? The king is the ruler of the land in which he lives. The people of his kingdom are called his “subjects” because they are subject to his rule. Often, subjects in the kingdom refer to their king as “lord” or “my lord”. So, those who live in a land ruled by a king obey his decrees, adhere to his laws, pay his taxes, and display loyalty to his authority. If they don’t, they are considered outlaws (literally living outside of the law) and are pursued in order to pay the appropriate consequence.

If has been said that Jesus taught more about money than any other topic. This is actually a false claim. Jesus uses money to relate to people. He uses it to reach people in a close way, to challenge them in an area over which they are not ready or willing to relinquish control.

The topic on which Jesus teaches more than any other is the kingdom of heaven. Many of his parables begin with the words, “the kingdom of heaven is like…” He may use money to help us understand what the kingdom of heaven IS like, but that doesn’t make the parable about money. The parable simply employs money to teach about the kingdom of heaven.

In Matthew 5, in the beginning stanzas of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven. He is not using parables here, illustrating the kingdom, but he is identifying those belong to or reside in the kingdom of heaven.

If we think of the kingdom as the place in which the king resides, we must ask ourselves two questions:

1.       Who is the king?

       2.       Where does he live?

The Messiah was referred to as the king of the Jews and Lord of lords. God the Father is the creator and sustainer of all things. God the Father and Jesus Messiah are two aspects of the Trinity: the three-in-one God we serve. Simple math reveals that even these two revelation of our One God are not our whole God. He also reveals Himself as the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, he appeared to several of his disciples over a period of forty days before he ascended to heaven. Then, after ten more days, and telling his disciples to wait for him in the holy city, Jesus showed up at Pentecost and sent his spirit to reside in his followers, his subjects. With the Spirit of Christ in them, thousands were added daily to those who were being saved. Through the indwelling Spirit, Jesus accomplished what he had said would happen: the disciples accomplished more than he ever did in his earthly ministry.

Jesus’ mission did not end at the cross. It did not even end at the empty tomb. Jesus’ mission is still alive and growing today. We inherited that same Spirit from Pentecost and live with Jesus’ in our hearts today. We have a gift Pre-Pentecost believers never had: Jesus in us! He whispers to us, intercedes for others through us, guides us, calls us ever so patiently to himself, gives us grace, shows us how to live for him…all from within us!

The Triune God is King and He presents Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. The King resides in us, if we choose to follow His decrees, obey His laws, and be His loyal subjects. Where does the King live? In us! Therefore, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven is within us.

The first red words form Jesus’ earthly ministry recorded in Matthew are, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near,” (Matthew 4:17). Was Jesus saying that the people should change their ways (the meaning of repent) because they, in that region, were physically near to the kingdom or physical dwelling place of God? This would not have been a far cry from what they were used to. After all, at this time, there was a dwelling place of God, the Holy Place. Only certain people were allowed to enter the dwelling place of God. The holy of holies was the supreme dwelling place of the Lord. That was even more sacred.

Jesus was not at the temple in Jerusalem, though. He was not speaking to the existing practices of God’s people. He was foreshadowing. It is no mistake or coincidence that Jesus’ first ministerial words recorded in Scripture are a call to repentance and a prophecy of the coming kingdom. Jesus is telling people that the day is fast approaching when he will send his spirit to reside in his followers. If they do not repent and change their ways, as to prepare themselves to be ready to receive his spirit, they will not find residence in the kingdom of heaven.

What if we processed every reference to the kingdom of heaven though Pentecost? We see the kingdom as the dwelling place of the king, as he resides in us. When Jesus teaches “the kingdom of heaven is like…” he is describing our lives when we are given to complete devotion to our Lord. When he says, “blessed are those who… for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” he is describing lives lived in full submission to our king, living in his kingdom.

Everyone needed to repent, to change, because no one yet knew what was coming. They knew the Messiah would save God’s people, but they did not know yet how new he would make everything and everyone.

October 26

Hi all, Dave said the church is free on Friday, October 26. I am checking to make sure James, Chris & Aaron will all be available that night for the benefit/concert. I don't think many are checking the blog these days, but I don't have everyone's email addresses. Please let me know if this date will work for you all. Dave suggested 8:00 for the start time.

Still on?

Hi all, just checking to see if we are going to still try to do a "concert" and help raise funds for JDRF. If so, I wondered if we might be able to discuss plans, especially figuring out a date.

I Want a New Drug

Ok, I have to be a little honest with all of you. I sometimes think that it would be so fantastic to have everything that I could ever dream of. A nice car collection, a couple of vacation homes ( one on a beach, one in the mountains) ( oh, and with lots of land to go with that), more money in the bank than I would really ever need, and of course a beautiful women by my side, well I actually already have that...... Oh..... how sweet!!!!! I know, thats what your all thinking. The perfect family, the perfect life, and the perfect future all right there before me with nothing to worry about but wondering if I shut the garage door to my second three car garage at my beach house in the "Hamptons". I just said that with a British accent, I thought it would sound more fitting for the Hamptons.  Of course I could always have my butler check the garage door for me, Whew! I'm glad I thought of that. The problem is, would that dream ever really be enough to satisfy me? Or you?

The biggest problem with that is, not once did I hint on the desperation and desire to have Christ leading my life. Why? Unless we somehow "inherit" some part of that dream life, chasing that dream would not allow any  room for God in my life. Maybe it is just as bad for us to chase that dream as it is to have accomplished that dream. This isn't really even " The American Dream" anymore, its beyond that, really its just frivolous. Unknowingly, or maybe even knowing slightly, I was there. I chased hard after that dream. I may have even been attaining it to an extent, but wasn't satisfied. I had no expectations or goals that needed to be met, but none the less, still wasn't really satisfying that desire to be safe, secure, oh...... and have anything that my little heart desires. What an IDIOT!!!! I was. In the moment, it was really difficult to see that those desires were ours, not His. Again, it was never our intention, but guess what, it wasn't the right dream. Not a lot of Spirit guidance in our lives at that time.

He has a better dream for us! One that has the most saught after locations. All the homes are mansions and the streets are made of gold. Our most valuable commodity on this earth, and He laid the streets with it. All of a sudden, where I live or what I live in, what I drive or what I want to drive doesn't seem quite so spectacular anymore. This dream that so many of us strive for and work so diligently for is so BORING!!!when compared to our heavenly home that we someday get to return to. I know for a fact that my dream is a lot less inspiring than His reality.

So why do we forget that? Even now that I am much closer with His Spirit and I can actually see the path that He is lighting for me, I can still forget. My desires and wants tend to creep back in and block out a little bit of His light. So is it wrong for us to have some of these things? Maybe. Is it wrong for us to want some of these things? Maybe. Is it wrong for us to justify some of these things? Maybe. ( I'm really good at that one) I strongly believe that God absolutely wants us to live our earthly lives here to its fullest. I strongly believe that He wants to bless us financially, materially, and physically. However, I most strongly believe that He wants to bless our Spirits far more than anything that this earth can provide. Having that knowledge also shows me why He is not necessarily just going to give us the one thing that He knows will literally destroy us all. All of the junk that over time will seperate us from Him.

On a daily basis, we all experience a battle in a war that was already won for us. None the less we all still  wage on. Our Spirit that Christ owns and has redeemed, is seeking to empower us and fulfill all of our earthly desires by lifting our focus above those desires and on to Him and His Gory. Our mind and flesh, however, is still in the realm of this earth and as such can still be deceived by the devils temptations. The devils deceptions and strongholds are the reasons why we can lose focus from time to time. Simply put, with the best intentions, we can still go from wanting His desires for us to wanting our desires without even realizing it. So does the battle necessarily have to continue here in this life? Can we be completely sanctified while we wait for our homecoming? I'm not completely sure on that one but I do know that Christ left us [so] we could have authority over all demonic oppression and utilize the power of Christ' holy name and overcome those pitfalls in our lives.

So again I go back to the rhetorical question of is it ok to have all of the things that I mentioned earlier? Absolutely, providing that your heart is for His church, His sick, His homeless, and most importantly His Glory!!!! Is it ok to desire and reach toward some of those things that I mentioned earlier? Absolutely, providing that your core desire is to be completely Spirit lead and conviction leads to obediance.

For me, He has allowed me to learn a beautiful lesson. He does want to bless my family financially, and will, providing our hearts are prepared to pass those blessings on and He would be Glorified. He does want to bless my family materially, and will, providing that our family is prepared to use those gifts to bring joy to others and He would be Glorified. He does want to bless my family physically, and will, providing that our hearts break as His does for the lost and broken of this world, and He would be Glorified. He does want to bless my family SPIRITUALLY without limit, and will, providing that we continue to live a Spirit lead and obediant life so that when He asks us to follow wherever and into whatever, we go.

A "couple" of the guys and I talked about some blindspots in our lives. The question was raised to what some of those may be for each of us. For a long time in my life the idea of  that desire for stuff and security was absolutely a blindspot in mine. I knew that and learned that prior to this particular discussion but reflecting back on it since, I have realized that this revelation was in and of itself one of the greatest blessings that He has gifted me with. With that gift I learned that He is the fulfillment of all desires! He can make us content with nothing! He also is [THE] provider of all things and because of that wants nothing more than to bless us with the most He has to offer. That may include things of this world but it also may not, because He will not give us anything that we could desire more than Him! We as parents would never willingly allow our kids to have something they desire more than anything knowing all to well that it would harm them or even worse cost them their lives. Yet the devil tries to decieve us into thinking, "I know what I need, I know what I can handle". Guess what, I don't know but I AM does! The Great I AM will fulfill my families needs and desires!

There is saftey in His light. There is freedom in His light. Most of all, there is a future supreme BLESSING in His light!!!

If  all of our desires are not Him and for His Glory,  than they really are no different than a fix of heroin! We will never find that one fix that satisfies us. Christ can satisfy us beyond what we could ever dream of and will!

Footnotes from James 1

I have been reading from the book of James this week. As part of my studying, I read through the footnotes in my Life Application Study Bible. I want to share some with you all. I  hope these (all from chapter 1) can give you something to meditate on as you spend time with God.

***

Wisdom is the ability to make wise decisions in difficult circumstances. 

We can't really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure.

God does not tempt us. He tests us. He allows Satan to tempt us so that we can refine our faith and grow in dependence on Christ.

If your faith is weak or struggling, remember that you can trust God. Then be loyal to him. To stabilize your wavering or doubtful mind, commit yourself wholeheartedly to God.

To learn God's will, we need to read God's Word and obey it. Then we must do what what he tells us. 

It is important to listen to what God's Word says, but it is much more important to DO what it says.

We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect is has on our behavior and attitude. Do you put into action what you have studied?

Thank God for being with you in rough times. Ask him to help you solve your problems or to give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you along with your problems; he will stay close and help you grow. 

Prayer Requests and Praises

Here are our requests and praises from tonight. Please take these notes as reminders of what was shared and maybe a launching point for prayer. Pray as the spirit leads you, remembering all that was shared and the heart with which it was communicated. If I miss something, please add it in comments.

Let us not take a moment for granted. Thank God for the blessings that we have.

Pray for the Cretsingers as they continue to seek God's guidance for their next steps. Pray for discernment and clarity for their role in missions as they grapple with the decision to resign or continue on. Pray that God would give them peace in the struggle, ears to hear his voice, and eyes to see how he is working in their lives right now, as they seek him.

Pray for Malachi as he fights physical and emotional battles. Pray that God guide doctors in wisdom and that the Holy Spirit rests on Mali and brings him peace.

Aaron's mom is awaiting word from the doctors regarding upcoming surgery. Pray for God's hand in the situation so that she can get the treatment she needs. Pray that through this, she continues to bring glory to God, as she has throughout her battle.

James has a second interview for a specialist position with NHA at 10:00 Monday morning. This is a great opportunity, but comes with a lot of changes. Pray for an ability to be direct, to ask tough questions, and for clarity on what to do next.

Danee's mom got a temp job working for Allegiance doing exactly what she wants to do. She is hoping this will turn into a full time job by the end of September. Praise God for this opportunity. Pray for his blessing on her work.

Jessica passed her Boards. Praise! She gets to start her next phase of schooling in the Fall.

Pray for our church. For unity in leadership, security in finances, and support from members. Pray for the staff. Pray for believers. Pray for seekers. Pray for doubters. Pray for ministries. Pray that the board works in unity as its committees do a lot of work in between each board meeting. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work mightily in every component of what happens at and through our church building.

Pray for the Giroux family, Brian, Billie, and Brody. Praise God for the outpouring of love the Body of Christ has given. As we move on, pray for the Body to continue to work because adjusting to being a family of three will be very hard. Pray that God will draw people close to him through Birklee's death and the celebration of her life.

Devotions Week of 8-5-12

DAY 1
Read: Matthew 7:1-6

Consider: "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy," (NLT) or "Don't give what is sacred to dogs." Coming off of the spec and plank lesson, what does this mean? If we are meant to save the lost and be light to the darkness, why would Jesus give this instruction? Obviously these is meaning behind this richer than what we gather scratching at the surface.

What is it?

Pray: Ask God to speak to you about Matthew 7:6. Ask for his guidance into study tools and resources so you can learn more about what this means. Read the scripture around this verse and take it in its entire context. Ask God to speak to you about this verse this week.

DAY 2
Read: Matthew 7:7-11

Consider: Imagine it is your son's birthday. He is excited to open the presents he sees piled up in the corner. As he tears through the wrapping paper, giggling and looking at you with loving anticipation, he finds an moldy, stinky, old piece of bread. "But, Dad, I wanted _________." Whatever fits the blank for your son, it probably isn't moldy old bread.

God isn't going to delight in pranking you. He doesn't give us rotten gifts when we ask for things we genuinely need. When we come to him in earnest and ask for things in his name, we will deliver. It's not always in the way WE want and we don't always get exactly what we pray for. However, our Father in heaven knows what we need and will give us what he knows in his sovereignty to be what is best for us.

The next time you give your child a gift and watch him or her delight, or the next time you answer his or her petition for something a little different than your precious little one would prefer, think about the way your Heavenly Father cares for your needs.

Pray: Ask God to send his Spirit to you. Ask for increasing awareness of His presence with you every moment. Pray for the commitment to stay in step with the Spirit in the day to day, knowing that He will give you everything you need.

DAY 3
Read: Matthew 7:12

Consider: How many times have we all used the Golden Rule retroactively to say, "Would you like getting kicked in the shins? No? Well, then don't kick your brother." This is not how the lesson was originally delivered, though. This is a lesson about how to live, not how to react. Jesus already taught about forgiveness.

Jesus follows this simple, yet powerful statement by linking it with the new commandment, "this is the essence of the law and the prophets," which he already said he came to fulfill. Love God, love others.

Pray: Living out the new commandment through the way we treat others is "the essence" of God's will for our lives. Pray that God's love and grace will manifest itself in the way you treat others.

DAY 4
Read: Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23

Consider: "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car." I read this on my niece's Facebook page recently and thought that it could be interpreted two ways. 1) You don't have to go to church to be a Christian, and 2) it is not okay to say you are a Christian just because you go to church.

Both of those interpretations scare me because they capture prevalent thinking in our culture that are related the these verses from Matthew. So many people around us say they are Christians, but don't follow Christ. So many people think they are in the light, but are actually in darkness (and Matthew 6 says, "then, how great that darkness"). When I think of the millions of people to whom this applies, I feel sick. I am scared for them.

What makes the gate that leads to life narrow? Why is the road difficult to travel? If prophesying and casting out demons don't cut the mustard, what does? What does it look like to travel the road and enter through the narrow gate?

Pray: What does it mean to follow Jesus? How do we make disciples of the nations? Ask God to speak to you clearly about

DAY 5
Read: Matthew 7:24-27, then reread the entire Sermon on the Mount (chapter 5-7)

Consider: What perspective do Jesus final words from the Sermon on the Mount give to the entire message? Why would these be the final words recorded for this important collection of teachings?

Pray: There is so much to learn from Jesus words in these chapters in Matthew and Luke. Pray that God will bring you back to the words of our Savior in these and other places throughout scripture. Pray that he would give you renewed perspectives and insights as you continue to grow in depth of knowledge of our Lord.