Another view of the Kingdom

If my last blog seemed a bit harsh... lets look at it this way. Have you ever read the Bible, looked around and thought, something's not right? When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give it to the poor, did you actually think that is what he expects many rich people to do if they are going to enter the kingdom of heaven? I do. I really think that Jesus meant what he said about a number of topics. My thought, my thrust is that life is suppose to change drastically once we enter the Kingdom of God. Our value systems and our choices should reflect a different attitude.

Now I am a realist, in that I understand that for many people this is a process. One isn't automatically aligned with the values of the Kingdom from the first confession of faith, but I do think that there needs to be regular, measurable progress. Now I am not about to say that we all need to become like the Amish, Mennonites or other strict religious orders, but I am suggesting that we should be different from the culture around us. We should stick out a bit. We should react differently to things that happen, but we shouldn't become all religious and think we are so much better than everyone else but we shouldn't be agreeable with many of the sinful attitudes and actions either. I know I am talking in generalities at this point, but I hope to address some specific topics in the future.

A mentor of mine was heard to say once, "We should never underestimate our ability to deceive ourselves." I pray that I am not self-deceived, but I know that I have been in the past. So, the point of this is -- we may think we know how things are suppose to work, but often we are so wrong its not funny. We judge things based upon the paradigms (if you will, a set of rules for making sense of the world around us) that we live in. We see life to work a certain way and so we expect God's Kingdom to work that way too. Well, that is the upshot of it all - The Kingdom doesn't play by the worlds rules or our rules.

 What the world says is wisdom, is foolishness in God's sight. The Kingdom of God is Topsy-Turvy from how the world system works. Its hard to explain, but things we think are important like riches and fame, just aren't important to our King. He cares about our hearts and how we treat everyone else. He wants us to love our neighbors, the down trodden and even our enemies. Instead of fleeing from adversity, He wants us to embrace it and even rejoice in it. Its okay for his subjects to be oppressed by others, but its never okay for his subjects to oppress others. Our King doesn't care about national boundaries, but He does want to see the boundaries of the Kingdom of Light expand and overtake and overthrow the kingdom of darkness. His language is the language of all men. He doesn't care what language our mouths speak as long as we glorify Him and speak out His Love, Grace and Truth.

To some of you this may seem like nonsense, but to great men like Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr., the Gospel - these values and ways of living were/are the dynamite that can and has transformed the world. It's time more of us grasped this truth, and began to take Jesus at his Word, instead of turning His teaching into mere illustrations and irrelevant dogma. The message of the Cross and the Message of the Kingdom of God is just as relevant to day as it was some 2000 years ago.

Okay enough preaching for today.

There is one God, and one Way to Him, through the person of Jesus Christ. I make no apologies for this assertion. It is the truth (the absolute immutable truth) that I try to live by. I admit to you now that I don't have it all right, but I am pursuing this Kingdom as if it were rare treasure. And I am going to share what I learn with anyone who is willing to listen.

Be blessed and may you experience the Joy of serving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as I am.

In Him,
Alan

In the Beginning

So why am I creating this Blog....

It has been weighing heavily on my heart that God's people are not what they should be. It seems that we have settled for something less than what He had meant for us to have. As I see it reading the Bible, it was about us all becoming subjects of the Kingdom of God. People who are ruled, guided by the principles of, and committed to this Heavenly Kingdom. We have settled for the church as we now know it. We are more concerned about programs and buildings than we are about being subject to and extending the rule and reign of God's Kingdom through the work of Jesus Christ, His one and only begotten Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit invested in all of us who call Jesus Christ, our Lord.

So, you might ask, what is my point. My point is this, its time to get back to the basics. Are we God's people or not. Are we going to live the way He has called us to live or not. There are so many things that this causes me to want to write about... but only time will allow for that. I hope to address a number of topics.

But let's start here... "Are you first and foremost a follower and obedient disciple of the One True God, existing in Father, Son and Holy Spirit?" If not, why not? If so, are you completely sold out for him, or is He just another thing in your life. Want a quick test? Is there anything in your life that gets you more excited than the thought of serving God? If there is, your not sold out. I'm sorry Monday night football or the World Series, or the World Cup should not get you more excited than serving God. If it does, it is your god and you are not really as true citizen of the Kingdom of God. I know that sounds harsh, but telling you what you want to hear is what deceivers do. I'm not here to condemn you, but to challenge you. We have been playing at this whole church thing too long. I'm sorry but there are no gold stars in heaven for perfect church attendance. There are no awards for most faithful tithers. As I read the scriptures, it begins with belief in God, moves into trust and results in obedience to Him. As we pursue God, He transforms us more and more into his Image. But this doesn't have to happen in a designated building. It can happen at the side of your bed, in your favorite arm chair or working in an orphanage. It can happen anywhere that you allow God to enter in and speak to you and to use you. As subjects of His Kingdom we are here to serve His purposes and plans not ours. To enter the Kingdom means dying to all our wants and desires and allowing Him to either restore those desires or implant new ones in our hearts. "Not my will be done but His be done." His Kingdom come, his Will be done. This is some pretty radical stuff, but we've watered it down so that it is palatable for us. But God want us to take it full strength. It may make us uncomfortable, it may cause us to turn our lives upside down, but that is the power of the Gospel. It takes lives and transforms them. It changes value systems. Coming to Jesus and accepting Him as Savior and King, means that we are willing to accept radical change and difficult challenges. If someone has told you otherwise, they have lied to you.

I hope to get back to this soon and add more, but I have a couple of projects going so this is a sideline for the moment. If God continues to speak to my heart about it... who knows where it will lead - closer to Him I hope!

May you experience the fullness, the grace, the love and the power of the Living God, who sent is Son Jesus to die for us, that we might die to the wrong in our lives and who was raised from the dead that we might live a new life with and for Him, and who sent us his Holy Spirit that we might have the power to live the kind of life He is calling us to.

Much blessings in and by Him
Alan