Currently The Jewish People: Their History and Their Religion (Penguin Religion & Mythology) By David F. Goldberg, John D. Rayner see related

Waiting for Tomorrow.....

A friend emailed this to me. It is something he found on a Christian Professionals Group forum. What a great testimony and what a great encouragement:

I often find myself waiting for tomorrow thinking that when it comes my life will be so much better. As if there was some thing out there that I don’t already have that will make my life complete. The weird thing is that everything is already really great in my life - I just don’t have a job. In the last months I was allowing this to over-shadow the truth until I found myself full of sorrow and self-pity and anger. Not any more! 

A lot of people’s unhappiness is due to a sense of “entitlement” about life. It’s an unrealistic view of what they “deserve” in life. Most of us are in the top 1% riches people in the world and we live in great country where we can still worship God without fear. Yet we feel we deserve so much more and when we don’t get it we become unhappy.

I understand the pressure to make money or as we call it “make a living.” The problem is that I have set my standard of living so high (certainly compared to the world but even compared to families just down the road a few miles). We’ve also spent most all of what we’ve earned each year so now we expect God to be our banker and cover our expenses. I’ve made a ton of money over the years that I’ve been working but it’s all been spent on “stuff” and now that I don’t have a paycheck coming in each week there is a tendency to look at God like he’s not there for me. We forget all the money He already gave us for years and years and how we used it how we saw fit. So we end up feeling stressed, worried and bitter at the world around us and even our GOD.

What does God promise us in His word?

The Bible tells us that EVERYTHING in heaven and earth is the Lords.
He alone allows us to be successful even when we think we have made the wealth ourselves. It is HE who has given us the skills and situations that brought us success and money thus far.

Job said after losing all he had (except his very life) “ Naked I was born and Naked I shall Die. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job was real about his life as it was falling apart around him and although he lost it all he still kept his focus on who he was compared to GOD.
- Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers but later he saved the nation of Israel from starvation.
- Ruth was taken as a slave into a foreign country and then ended up as wife to the King of Babylon where she would later save the nation of Israel from massacre.
- Paul was arrested, beaten and homeless for years as he spoke boldly for Christ and he said “to live is Christ and to Die is gain”

Here’s a thought - maybe you already have the “good stuff” and you’re still looking for more?

I Timothy 6:6-8 “But Godliness with contentment is a great source of gain. For we have brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” Can you say this about your life today?

What do you feel you are DUE from God today that you don’t have?
A job? Your health? A spouse who you love? Good kids? A cool house or stuff? Is the lack of these things making you unhappy?

Christ came to give us joy and peace that are not bound by our situations and if we are not experiencing this then we have lost our focus.
Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

If you are not experiencing His Joy and Peace it's because you are not willing to take it in the format that GOD has decided to give it to you. It is right there to be taken if you want it but you have to be willing to take it the way GOD serves it up. It requires you see God for who He is and realize that if you are walking in righteousness before God then this is EXACTLY what he wanted for you. The things in your life today are a representation of His love for you and not that He has forgotten you.

So today I say to me and to you ... “Man Up” and get going!

Find out what God wants of YOU today and do it.
Don’t hold back your heart from Him or others around you.
Serve the Lord gladly and serve others too.
Trust that He is able to do more immeasurably more than we could possibly ask or imagine according to HIS power that is in us!

Stop waiting for tomorrow but consider each day as the best GOD has for you and stay focused on Christ love for you and truth of God’s word.

Currently What Are They Saying About Matthew's Sermon on the Mount? By Warren Carter see related

The Sermon on the Mount: The Kingdom of Heaven

We have been discussing over the last months the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount……..the most prolific of Jesus’ teachings and wisdom. I want to take a small side path today and share with you Jesus teachings on the kingdom of heaven.  Of course, this ties in directly with all that He taught in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount.

First, let’s look at the picture that comes to your mind when I say “kingdom of heaven”, what do you see? What pictures does that put in your mind?  Golden streets, no suffering, eternal peace , volumes of clouds, pearly gates....and on and on and on. I don’t want to totally destroy that picture, the picture of the place that we have so very much been taught about, heaven.

The principal theme, the primary teaching, especially in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) within Jesus' message was and is "The kingdom of heaven / The kingdom of God".

Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven 32 times in the New Testament…….all in the Gospel of Matthew. He taught about the kingdom of God 69 times in the New Testament……… predominately in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, but there are also teachings in the Epistles. There is no instance that I can find in the Old Testament Scriptures of either of these two phrases. However, the thought of a coming time when God would rule as King is throughout the Old Testament and in many ancient Jewish writings.

I spent over a year studying Jesus’ teachings on this subject, and must say that I am still learning new things. The results of this study can be found here at this link.

As I studied and looked closely at the Scriptures and to what Jesus was telling us, I realized that I had been missing the key to Jesus teaching most my life. I had it about right……..but I was missing so much! The Kingdom of Heaven is not JUST a place where saved souls go after death or a place of post mortem bliss…..it’s more!

Let me try to illustrate where I was before I looked so closely at the Scriptures here (maybe you are here also):

I was very much like a child sitting down to the dinner table with his plate of food and on the other end of the table is a chocolate cake. As a child, I had a rough time eating my dinner because my eyes were always on that scrumptious, sweet, and inviting chocolate cake.

If we are not careful, we’ll  place to much focus on the picture of the kingdom of heaven ….in our future…. and not see it in our midst right here and right now! In short, the kingdom of heaven /  the kingdom of God refers neither to a place nor to a time but to a condition in which the rulership of God is acknowledged by us, His people. It is a condition that starts when we acknowledge Christ as King in our lives. And this, by the way, then….. does extend into eternity.

You know, we sit and we sing, we preach and listen to sermons about Jesus, we pray…… and very often we do this to look forward to a glorious day when we will be united with the Father in heaven. Isn’t that true?

We talk about going to heaven after we die, but we should be talking about God’s will being done here on earth, before we die! We talk about people being good and moral, following the wisdom of God, so that we can avoid hell after death……..but my prayer is that you will be inspired (as I believe Jesus taught us) with the mission Jesus left us with. Yes, going to the ends of the earth to take forward the Good News....but also of helping to bring heaven to earth.... IN THIS LIFE by being a an active part of His healing and restoration of God's people.

We may learn to be a good Christians…..and we may do it especially well on Sunday. But Jesus wants to inspire us…..He wants to challenge us….to live out the kingdom of heaven / the kingdom of God in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in our families,In our schools and in our society. And not only on Sunday…..but between Sunday’s, every day and every hour that we breathe! THIS…….is what Jesus taught when He taught about the kingdom! It’s a place in our hearts in which Jesus is King in our lives, in which God’s wisdom is welcomed and obeyed, in which we love a love that transcends all of what we think is reality in life.

The Kingdom of Heaven is a condition of our heart in which we are in daily relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit reigns in our lives! Okay. now let’s get down to some Scripture! 

I believe that in
order to understand the Scriptures fully, that it is important to understand context. Not only Scriptural context (we should be careful about placing a meaning on a verse without out understanding the story in which it is told), but we must also understand the cultural and historical context. Let’s first look here at a little broad Scriptural context.  I discovered that the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” were synomonous………. they have the same meaning.

Let’s look at just one story that is told in all three Gospels. Indeed this is ONE……..but there are at least 7 other instances like this:

 Let’s look at Matthew 19:14 (TNIV) Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 

Now let’s look at Mark 10:14 (TNIV) When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

And finally, let’s look at the Luke 18:16 (TNIV) But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

It is clear that these two terms are synomonous. But what explanation could there be that Matthew would use the term, “kingdom of heaven” and the other Gospel writers would use “kingdom of God”? It’s actually rather simple. Matthew wrote his Gospel with the Jewish people as an audience. The other writers were writing primarily to the gentiles (Greeks, Romans and others). Additionally, to the nation of Israel……the word “heaven” was often substituted in the place of God’s name out of reverence and respect.

Jesus tells us all about the kingdom of heaven/ the kingdom of God and I believe that we very often focus on the chocolate cake instead of the food that is right here in front of us. The desert comes ONLY after we have eaten what is good for us! And this is what Jesus teaches! He teaches about the here and now…..today! And then comes desert……eternity with the Father.

Let’s look at the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, verses 12-17. This is the very beginning of Jesus ministry here on earth:

Matthew 4:12-17 (TNIV) 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum (which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali)14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea along the Jordan. Galilee of the Gentiles 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

And then as I studied, I found the key Scriptures to understanding the scope of this kingdom. Listen to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17, verses 20 and 21:

LUKE 19:20-21 (TNIV) 20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation 21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." [which could also be translated from the Greek as “among you“]

Think of this —the kingdom of God can be found through your heart……. it‘s within or among you. Now when Jesus tells us that it is near, is that near as in time, or near as in proximity?   I believe that it can be both!

Jesus tells us how to be a part of His kingdom. But…..imagine people missing the ways of God when they are so close. I think this happens often because they are focusing only on Heaven after they die. It’s almost sad I believe. Jesus message about the kingdom is not just something to be read and heard, but it is something to be seen in human lives and hearts!

So, let’s look at two other things here, the character of the people who belong to God's Kingdom and what entrance into this kingdom requires of us. This is where we come full circle back to the very basis of what Jesus taught us about ourselves in the Beatitudes. The attitudes of our inner self....the attitudes of our heart. Jesus tells us that those of us who are deeply aware of our spiritual poverty …….and conscious of our utter dependence on God, will, because of our complete dependence on God, know the key to living in His Kingdom. 

Matthew 5:3 (TNIV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus also tells us that when we live according to the will of God that we will often find ourselves at odds with the world around us. However , by persevering  and living in God's will, we will realize the kingdom of heaven.

This can be found in Matthew 5:10 (TNIV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus tells us that unless we apply God's wisdom to our lives…the key word is "apply"…….not just speak it with our mouths, we will not enter the kingdom.

Listen to Jesus’ Words in Matthew 5:20 (TNIV) “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus tells us also that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must honestly and sincerely love God and obey His will. He tells us that doing the Father’s will involves first believing, then obeying His Words.

Listen to Matthew 7:21(TNIV) “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.“

Jesus tells us that only believer's, those who put their trust and faith in Him, will understand what he has to say as He reveals the secrets of the kingdom. 

Let’s look at Matthew 13:11 (TNIV) “He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.’”  

And by seeking the Kingdom first, Jesus tells us to seek Him……..to seek God first in our life..... to live righteously. He, in turn, will provide for our needs. As Lord and Creator He wants to help provide what you need as well as guide how you use what He provides. The Kingdom is a place that is close to God, close to Jesus. It is a place where God desires us to be. 

Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

This one, I believe, is a key. Jesus tells us that to be great in the kingdom of heaven/ kingdom of God that we must be humble like a child…… that we must adopt an attitude of humble servanthood.

Listen to what He says in Matthew 18:1-5 (TNIV) “1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “

Jesus explained that little children have the kind of faith and trust needed to enter God’s kingdom. They came to Jesus in humility and received his blessing as a gift. They had no authority or rights but they came to him in trust and love.

This is found in Matthew 19:14 (TNIV) “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’“

Jesus teaches us this in Matthew 13:44-46 (TNIV) “44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. “

Both of these parables tell of a joy in finding peace with God. Both men, the one who stumbled upon the kingdom and the one who was seeking the kingdom, realize when they find it that it is the answer to their hopes and dreams. There is a tremendous value in becoming a true citizen of the kingdom of God.

Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven / the kingdom of God has come and is coming. We have the choice today and every day to seek it, to enter it, to  live as citizens in it, to invest in it and even sacrifice and suffer for it.

Brian McLaren, in his book “The Secret Message of Jesus“ says it this way: “If we trust Jesus, if we follow His way, if we believe that the impossible is possible in our personal and family affairs as well as in our public policy and international affairs, we will make decisions and choose directions of one sort. If we believe His way is unrealistic or too difficult or just plain stupid, we will make other decisions and choose other directions. Depending on how we respond to the message of the kingdom of God, we will create two very different worlds, two very different futures…….one hellish……..the other heavenly.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is not JUST a place where saved souls go after death, or a place of post mortem bliss.......the kingdom of heaven is not free from tears, but in the kingdom comfort comes from God and tears are dried.

The kingdom of God is not free of conflict, but here conflict leads to reconciliation rather than revenge.

The kingdom of heaven is not free of need, but generosity flows wherever need arises.

The kingdom was promised by the prophets, Jesus tells us that it is possible and is at hand, within reach and that now is the time to rethink everything and begin to learn to live in the ways of the kingdom of God!

Again, we talk about going to heaven after we die, but we should be talking about God’s will being done here on earth, before we die! We talk about people being good and moral, following the wisdom of God, so that we can avoid hell after death……..but my prayer is that you will be inspired (as I believe Jesus taught us) with the mission Jesus left us with. Yes, going to the ends of the earth to take forward the Good News....but also of helping to bring heaven to earth.... IN THIS LIFE by being a an active part of His healing and restoration of God's people.

This is what Jesus taught when He taught about the kingdom!

Matthew 6:33 (TNIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Currently Salt and Light: Living the Sermon on the Mount By Eberhard Arnold see related

Ordination: Pastor Todd Barnett

Currently CivCity Rome By Take 2 Interactive see related

Liam saying "Da-Da" for the first time