FRUSTRATED?

Can you relate to these words of a frustrated Christian? "The Bible was the dullest, most uninteresting book in existence. And the sense of depravity, the vileness and bad-motivatedness of my nature was terrific."

Sounds pretty grim, doesn't it? Those words were penned by Oswald Chambers during a time of deep soul searching that lasted over four years. He was struck with his own unworthiness and his own inadequacy to live the Christian life. It wasn't until he understood the words of Luke 11:13 that he experienced hope. Jesus said; "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Oswald Chambers finally came to the end of himself and believed that God the Holy Spirit could empower him to be what He needed him to be.

Do you feel inadequate for what God has called you to do, like Oswald Chambers? Begin to read what God has promised in the Bible and take Him at His Word. That means studying His Word daily and becoming intimate with what He has spoken to you. God can use you to do great things for Him if you'll trust Him and take His promises by faith.

Frank Coleman

When Everything Goes Wrong

When Everything Goes Wrong

by Pam Clark



Pam ClarkEver have those days? Those weeks? Those seasons? For all the "confessing" and "rote prayers" you might do, you will still encounter days and seasons and weeks where things just seem to go crazy. After the initial shock, you start asking questions, hopefully, instead of just reacting from "the flesh" or "the carnal nature" rather than your spirit-man.



It takes effort. Your carnal nature acts on impulses. It often reacts to things that confront it with a reaction of displeasure. You can be sure that if something is amiss to you, the devil wants to jump in and make it worse. He definitely wants you to bypass prayer and considering Scriptures to challenge your situation.



Many mistakenly believe that God should jump in and "fix it" for them, or they think it means that He doesn't love them. For sure, the devil wants you to believe that so that you will turn away from God. But, the sun will still come up tomorrow morning, even if the clouds are obscuring the view.



But even more sure than nature is the eternal words of God. We have to find them and hold on to them. It is so key to know the purposes of God and your place in that. You are doing real good if you believe that God is good and the devil is bad. Throw into that mix that you have the choice, will and volition to navigate and declare your "space" and an interesting dynamic is at work.



The right mind will know that God is real and almighty and omnipotent. The right sense of nature will tell you that God is good and He is life and He is not only creative, but He is the Creator. He is definitely bigger than we are and we know that just by looking at the sky and earth around us. But observing and knowing are two different things.



Why Were You Put on This Earth?



Well, you can certainly reason that it's because God wants you here. And He wants you here to make a difference. But how do you do that when things are overwhelmingly wrong? And when the stuff hits the fan, then what?



This is where it is important to realize what Jesus said, when He said, "In your patience you possess your souls." Let's look at the context of that a moment.



Luke 21:10-19 Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls."



Wow! There is a lot going on there! It sounds like He is saying that for a time like this, when a bunch of negative things are going on. Take your pick from the list or come up with some more from your own battles!



It's so important to realize that Jesus wants to get in the middle of the battle with you. The greatest thing that Jesus ever said or proved was "I Am the Resurrection and the Life." Without that hope, life is surely nothing more than a gamble that could have a really bad ending. Since we don't want to go that direction, let's look to the Creator and His purposes.



God created us for fellowship, not just with each other but with Him. Sometimes we can feel very far away from that, but if we point our hearts towards Him, you will find He is looking right back at you with a message. We just have to decide that we want to hear the message or go our own ways. We have been offered some leeway on some things but others things can be quite critical.



Some may have relatives or friends they can call on, but I'd rather be subject to my own prayers than someone else's most of the time. When God answers prayers, it is because He is believing the relationship stands a chance. He'd rather let you suffer a little pain and keep your understanding of Him than just let you go your own way never to return.



God is Sacred.



He does have holy places and holy ways. And He is bigger than what a lot of even church folk would sometimes like to have you to believe. God is always there with you in "the now". People are going to act crazy, circumstances are going to go crazy sometimes, but our best angle is in knowing God's will - which is good - and how to pray.



We don't define good to God; He defines good to us. His good is better than our good! It is so important for us to realize that. There are a lot of people who know how to share about their fancy steps towards God and He may very well be in some of that. Some really have a song and a dance and a testimony. But some places in life are just seemingly dull and weak and even unpleasant.



When crazy things happen, He may be very much in the midst of that for your good! Give it a chance in your own soul for it to happen. Don't defeat your cause by trying to defeat others who should believe. It may not be what you thought, but it may be pointing you into a direction that is better than you thought. And if you really believe, you will start to not just wonder, but gain confidence in knowing it from experience.



God loves the element of surprise but He also offers the stability of His Word through the Scriptures. It pays to know His Word to learn His ways. And there are other people who can open things up to you in even more ways than what you just figured out. In making God-connection friends, you will have people you can call on when you go through your tribulations. They can help encourage you, pray for you and sometimes even act on your behalf.



But when it seems that you are all on your own and in need, work to hear His Voice because He does say He will be there with you in time of need. You may have to coast and trust in that faith "knowing" and find it's really all okay, or you may find a new dimension in your life.



Just work to have that patience that will not sell its birthright like Esau did (see Genesis 25) and sabotoge your blessings. And realize that if you do fail, God IS ready to help pick you up again. It's those who turn away that He cannot help. I wish you His Best.



Pam Clark

pamclark@prophetic.net

God's Delays Are Not Denials

God's Delays Are Not Denials by Lee Grady
Do you trust God's timing? The path to spiritual maturity requires us to surrender our selfish deadlines.

When Mary and Martha sent news to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, was about to die, Jesus didn't respond the way his friends expected. He actually snubbed their request. The Bible says when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, "He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was" (John 11:6, NASB).

For Mary and Martha, those were two very long days.

Doubts tormented them. What kind of friend was Jesus, anyway? Why did He ignore their urgent plea? Why didn't He drop everything and rush to their aid? Mary was especially frustrated and distraught about Jesus' seemingly insensitive delay.

When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany—four days after Lazarus died—a shroud of gloom covered the village. Everybody was in mourning. Mary was overwhelmed by grief and disappointment. Her faith was as cold as Lazarus' corpse.

Mary didn't even want to talk to Jesus. This woman who was known as a passionate disciple of the Lord stayed in the house when her sister went outside to ask Jesus why He took so long (see v. 20). We don't know exactly what Mary was doing in the house. Most likely she was sulking, maybe even struggling with feelings of anger toward Jesus because He didn't come when she called.

You may relate to Mary. Many of us get stuck in this same place of disillusionment. We get upset and confused when God doesn't work according to our timetable.

Perhaps you have been asking Jesus to intervene in your crisis. You may need Him to rescue a wayward child, heal your body, provide for a financial need, restore a broken relationship or salvage a dream that is on its deathbed. It may seem that Jesus missed His golden opportunity—or that He was so busy meeting the needs of others that He just dropped you from His priority list.

Like Mary of Bethany, you may feel that Jesus waited too long. It's over. Your problem is now so serious, and your dream so lifeless, that Jesus cannot help you.

When we face these frustrating delays, we automatically assume that He is denying us, neglecting us or rejecting us. So we throw a childish pity party. We go in our rooms, close our doors, shut out the pain and stay as far away from Jesus as possible.

We find it too difficult to pray when we are in a faith crisis. The enemy of our souls tells us that Jesus doesn't care, that our prayers are meaningless and that there is no reward for believing in Him. Some of us, if we have melancholy tendencies, also beat ourselves up with the familiar "I guess I just don't have enough faith" line.

Thankfully Mary did not stay in her self-made prison of depression. The Bible says that when Jesus came to her house and got close enough to Lazarus' tomb to smell the stench, Mary ran to him and knelt at His feet—the place where she began her journey of discipleship (see Luke 10:39). After all the moping, she set aside the blame games and returned to the only place where life's struggles make sense.

She knelt in His presence, not to ask Him why He let Lazarus die but simply to gain strength from being with Him.

She decided to grow up. She left behind the whining immaturity that demands Jesus must act a certain way. She put her trust in Him afresh, letting go of selfish expectations. When she surrendered her life to Him that day, she was saying that she would follow Him not only in the good times but also on the darkest days when she couldn't see His love through the clouds of death, suffering and pain.

There, at Jesus' feet, Mary caught a glimpse of Jesus like she'd never seen Him before. He wept for His friend Lazarus, and then He commanded his lifeless body to come out of the tomb. Mary would have missed the miracle if she had stayed in seclusion. She needed to see with her own eyes that God's delays are not denials—and that Jesus' timing is perfect even when it seems He has forgotten us.

Do you feel as if Jesus has ignored your request? Does it seem as if your message to Him was intercepted? Have you been sinking into discouragement because your dream has died—and Jesus doesn't care?

Run back to Him and take your place at His feet. True disciples know that life operates on God's schedule, not ours. Press through your doubts, surrender your deadlines, renounce your impatience and renew your trust in the Lord, who is the sovereign Lord over your circumstances.

WILDERNESS JOURNEY

-by David Wilkerson.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, pictured the Christian
like someone trying to cross a sea of floating pieces of ice. The
Christian cannot rest anywhere while crossing, except in his faith
that God will see him through. He cannot stand anywhere too long,
otherwise he sinks. After taking a step, he must watch out for the
next. Beneath him is the abyss and before him is uncertainty - but
always ahead is the Lord - firm and sure! He doesn't see the land
yet, but it is there - a promise in his heart. So the Christian traveler
keeps his eyes fixed upon his final place!

I prefer to think of life as a wilderness journey - like that of the
children of Israel. And King Jehoshaphat's battle, along with all
the children of Judah, is also our battle (see 2 Chronicles 20).
Sure, it's a wilderness; yes, there are snakes, dry water holes,
valleys of tears, enemy armies, hot sands, drought, impassable
mountains. But when the children of the Lord stood still to see
his salvation, he spread a table in that wilderness, rained manna
from above, destroyed enemy armies by his power alone, brought
water out of rocks, took poison out of the snakebites, led them
by pillar and cloud, gave them milk and honey, and brought them
into the Promised Land with a high and mighty hand. And God
warned them to tell every following generation: "Not by might, nor
by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).

Stop looking in the wrong direction for help. Get alone with Jesus
in a secret place; tell him all about your confusion. Tell him you
have no other place to go. Tell him you trust him alone to see you
through. You will be tempted to take matters into your own hand.
You will want to figure things out on your own. You will wonder if
God is working at all - there is nothing to lose. Peter summed it
all up: "To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for
I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22).

"Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my
salvation: my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).

-SOURCE:
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/devotions/2010/wilderness-journey

TUHAN DIMANAKAH KAU?

TUHAN DIMANAKAH KAU?
Kasihanilah aku, TUHAN, sebab aku merana; sembuhkanlah aku, TUHAN, sebab tulang-tulangku gemetar, dan jiwakupun sangat terkejut; tetapi Engkau, TUHAN, berapa lama lagi? (Mazmur 6:3-4)
Tetapi Engkau, TUHAN, janganlah jauh; ya kekuatanku, segeralah menolong aku! (Mazmur 22:20)
Janganlah menyembunyikan wajahMu terhadapku, janganlah menolak hambaMu ini dengan murka; Engkaulah pertolonganku, janganlah membuang aku dan janganlah meninggalkan aku, ya Allah penyelamatku! (Mazmur 27:9)

Aku merasa gentar dan takut. Belum selesai aku memperjuangkan kestabilan ekonomi keluarga dan pelayanan selama tiga tahun ini, kami harus pula menampung anggota keluarga yang mengalami musibah di tempat kami memasuki tahun 2010 ini. Kala semua belum beres, kini kontrakan rumah kami pun habis dan dalam waktu seminggu ini kami diminta untuk meninggalkan kontrakan rumah kami. Haruskah kami menjadi gelandangan di kota Bandung? Kadang dalam kesendirianku, aku merasa ditinggalkan. Kusadar saat kita punya kedudukan dan harta, banyak orang di sekitar kita tetapi saat kita memulai suatu yang baru, sedikit sahabat di tempat yang baru dan nama kita belum dikenal maka terkesan orang kurang peduli. Ketakutan meliputi pikiran dan hatiku. Berdoa…berpuasa….berseru dengan segenap hati…memberi & berbagi apa yang kami miliki dalam kekurangan…tapi keuangan kami belum pulih juga….bahkan kini kami terancam menjadi homeless alias gelandangan. Mengapa kami harus melalui ini semua…??? Tuhan dimanakah Engkau??? Bukankah KAU BAPA YANG BAIK, mengapa KAU izinkan hal ini terjadi atas hidup keluarga kami seolah kami sudah melakukan dosa yang tak terampuni, ketika kami berbagi cerita dan beban dengan saudara seiman lainnya…nampak semua menutup telinga dan memalingkan wajah mereka….ketika kami berpaling kepadaMU pun rasanya KAU diam saja tak bergeming. Darimanakah pertolongan kami??? Waktu berjalan terus jangankan untuk membayar kontrakan rumah, untuk makan sehari-hari dan bahkan pelayanan pun tiada. Akankah kami mati kelaparan sebagai gelandangan di kota Bandung??? Inikah akhir kehidupan kami?? Inikah rencana Tuhan atas hidup kami di kota Bandung?? KEMATIAN DALAM KELAPARAN & KEMISKINAN??????
AKU TAHU BAHWA RENCANA TUHAN ITU MASA DEPAN YANG CERAH DAN BUKAN RANCANGAN KECELAKAAN….tetapi yang tiga tahun ini kami rasakan seolah kami ini penjahat yang layak ditindas…rasanya sia-sia kami setia pada visi dan panggilan Tuhan. Bila melihat kehidupan orang yang hidup dalam dosa dan berkelimpahan harta…menyia-nyiakan hidup dalam dosa dan kesia-siaan….aku merasa iri hati terhadap mereka. Kami memiliki visi tetapi tidak memiliki harta untuk mengerjakannya. Kami sudah mencoba berbagi beban visi ini selama tiga tahun tapi tak seorangpun meresponi secara positif….seolah apa yang kami kerjakan ini sia-sia. Kami menjadi bahan olokan orang dunia dan bahkan saudara seiman…yang lebih suka menjadi penonton….ingin melihat “bagaimana cara Tuhan menolong kami”….bukan dukungan tetapi kata-kata negatif terlontar dari mulut saudara-saudara seiman….hingga aku pun mulai bertanya-tanya…benarkah Tuhan itu ada dan memanggil kami? AKU TAHU BAHWA TUHAN ITU ADA…..tapi kami merasa seolah Tuhan tak ada dan kami tak memiliki masa depan. Aku tahu pandanganku ini salah tetapi itulah yang kurasakan sekarang…..aku hanya berupaya transparan saja di hadapan Tuhan maupun sesama. Tuhan mengingatkanku akan keluhan bani Asaf dalam Mazmur 73…..tetapi tetap itu tak menghiburku sebab sudah tiga tahun berlalu dan “terobosan” itu tak kunjung terlihat…..Begitu banyak nubuatan positif dan ayat firman Tuhan yang menjadi rhema dalam hidup kami disampaikan oleh rekan-rekan pelayan Tuhan lainnya tetapi…..kapan dan dimana penggenapannya?? Seolah semuanya hanyalah hiburan selama beberapa menit dan lalu kami harus menghadapi kenyataan yang pahit.
Sampai berapa lama KAU berdiam diri ya Tuhan??? Dimanakah janji pembelaanMU bagi kami para hambaMU bahkan anak-anakMu ini?
Pikiran gila kadang melintas dalam pikiranku….19 tahun sudah aku melayani dan hidup dalam Tuhan….tapi tiba-tiba pikiran untuk meninggalkan Tuhan terlintas….keputusasaan memenuhi pikiranku..rasa frustasi menyesakkan dadaku…….aku merasa sia-sia semua perjuangan dan pengorbananku ini. AKAL SEHATKU MENGATAKAN SEMUA INI TIADA SIA-SIA…TIDAK ADA YANG SIA-SIA DI DALAM TUHAN. Tetapi di sisi lain kala melihat kenyataan hidup saat ini……..hatiku getir….pahit…melihat anak-anakku tidak bisa minum susu….anak-anakku tak dapat mendapatkan pendidikan yang optimal….aku merasa sebagai pecundang…..AKAL SEHATKU MENGATAKAN BAHWA AKU LEBIH DARIPADA PEMENANG……benarkah??? TUHAN BILA ENGKAU NYATA….DIMANAKAH ENGKAU SAAT INI? Sampai berapa lama lagi kami harus hidup di bawah garis kemiskinan dan hinaan orang? Apakah tidak sebaiknya aku melupakan Tuhan saja, sebab aku merasa Tuhan sudah melupakan kami sekeluarga? Peperangan timbul dalam batinku….kutahu kebenaran tapi kenyataan seolah bertentangan dengan kebenaran dan janji Tuhan. Sampai berapa lama kami dapat mempertahankan iman kami padaMu, Kristus? Bila kami harus melalui tahun-tahun yang kelam ini……sampai kapan???
Entahlah sampai kapan kudapat bertahan…tiap kali semangatku bangkit dan melihat jiwa-jiwa baru mulai berdatangan saat itu pula…kami tidak memiliki dana untuk mengunjungi mereka….jangankan membantu….mengunjungi saja…tak mampu hingga akhirnya apa yang telah kami bangun kehilangan momentum kembali…..Komunitas baru terbentuk lalu kami tak sanggup untuk sekedar berkumpul untuk ibadah dengan mereka….hingga akhirnya kelompok saudara seiman yang lain mengambil alih atau yang terburuk…mereka kembali pada kehidupan mereka yang lama. Seolah semuanya menjadi sia-sia.
Usaha dengan membuat proposal, meminta bantuan dengan share perjuangan kami pada saudara seiman lainnya sampai berupaya membuka usaha sudah dilakukan namun tidak ada satu pun yang berjalan dengan baik dan dapat mendukung sisi finansial kami….semuanya nampak sia-sia….aku merasa sudah berada di ujung tanduk untuk menyerah saja…aku merasa sudah tak kuat lagi…..
Sampai aku pada suatu kepasrahan…….”SANGAT SUSAH HATIKU, BIARLAH KIRANYA KITA JATUH KE DALAM TANGAN TUHAN, SEBAB BESAR KASIH SAYANGNYA; TETAPI JANGANLAH AKU JATUH KE DALAM TANGAN MANUSIA.” (2 Samuel 24:14)
Doaku,”Tuhan ampunilah hambaMu ini yang kurang percaya…tambahkan iman hambaMu ini. Mampukan hamba untuk terus maju dan mengalahkan setiap keraguan yang menyerang pikiran ini. Aku gentar…aku takut…BAPA….melalui lembah kekelaman dan gunung terjal dihadapan kami. Kami sadar tidak sanggup lagi berjalan dengan kekuatan kami…tolong Dave, Novie, Philip dan little George untuk melalui ini semua dengan iman yang berkobar padaMU. Hingga bila kami harus melalui skenario kehidupan yang terburuk sekalipun….kami tetap dipenuhi ucapan syukur…dan tetap dapat melihat kebaikan Tuhan. Hidup atau mati kami ada dalam tanganMU TUHAN….kami berserah sepenuhnya padaMU saja….lakukanlah yang KAU lihat itu baik bagi kami….AMIEN.

What On Earth Is God Doing?

What On Earth Is God Doing? by David Orton
"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Luke 12:32
The global financial system totters. Whole nations declare bankruptcy. Panic strikes the world markets. Political leaders meet late into the night searching for answers that don't exist. Militant Islam invades through immigration and population growth. Secularism dominates the public square. And the church pursues cultural appeasement.

The nations are dismayed and men's hearts fail them for fear.

Where is God, and what on earth is he doing? Are there no answers for the nations? Does not God have a plan?

In the face of the economic and societal upheaval of the last one hundred years the Spirit of God cries out that he is the omnipotent One, the creator of the heavens and the earth, and the sustainer of all that is. The 20th century outpouring of the Holy Spirit is testimony to the fact that God is powerfully at work in the earth. On the one hand we have seen an increase of the kingdom in powerful outpourings and revivals, but on the other an increase of world wars, economic dislocation, societal turmoil, and natural disasters.

More going on than meets the eye

Even so, how do we understand these contradictions? Are we being flushed down the toilet as some defeatist end-time theories would have us believe? Or is something more going on than meets the eye?

Paul, facing off with the wisdom of man, declares that,

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Cor 2:9

Human wisdom, fed by the five senses and natural reasoning, cannot see the things that God has destined for the heirs of salvation. But fortunately they are revealed to us by the Spirit (see v10). And so, something more than meets the eye is occurring.

Without a revelation of God and his kingdom our hearts will fear when he shakes the nations. This is why Paul prayed that the Ephesians, surrounded by an occult and pagan world, would receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Through seeing the ascended Christ by the Spirit, and apprehending his fullness, as his body, they would rule over principalities and powers.i He had declared to them "the whole plan of God",ii causing the entire region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) to hear the word in a two-year period.iii Whatever this whole plan was, clearly the modern church has lost it. Instead we have been fed a 'part', a truncated gospel, focusing either on personal salvation and holiness, or the baptism and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

The whole plan of God

Prophetically speaking, the church has celebrated the feasts of Passover and Pentecost. In some measure, justification by faith and holiness (Passover) were restored as truths during the 16th to 19th centuries and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) in the 20th century, but the spiritual realities of the Feast of Tabernacles are yet to be celebrated. With her decline and Constantinian fall the church lost her grasp on the whole plan of God. However, this is now being progressively restored, as the wisdom writer so aptly declared, "The path of the just is like a shining light, shining brighter and brighter until the full day" (Prov 4:18). Over the last five hundred years God has been increasingly restoring light and truth to his people, setting them free from their Babylonian captivity.

And so, what is the whole plan of God? The feasts of Passover and Pentecost, we understand and experience in some measure, but what is the significance of the feast of Tabernacles? Much can be unpacked from the typology of the feasts.iv Nevertheless, we will resist this temptation and focus on only several salient points. Passover was initially celebrated in Egypt on the eve of Israel's deliverance, Pentecost in the wilderness at Sinai, but Tabernacles was first celebrated in the Land as a celebration of realized destiny and a remembrance of the wilderness journey. As the feast of the Promised Land, celebrating Israel's final realization of the covenant promises, Tabernacles foreshadows the church finally entering the fullness of the kingdom on earth, despite her lengthy wilderness wanderings. Like Israel, the church has delayed its entrance into the fullness of the Land despite its celebration of Passover and Pentecost.

Even though she has enjoyed the recovery of both feasts over the last several centuries, she still languishes in the wilderness through unbelief. She too has come to her Kadesh-Barnea.v With her nose up against the store window, looking into a land of milk and honey, of God's kingdom coming to earth in miraculous power, she has pulled back in unbelief. Rather than occupying the land as a holy nation of king-priests and filling the whole earth with his glory she has been seduced by "doctrines of devils", gullibly believing every defeatist and escapist end-time teaching, conveniently relieving her of the kingdom mandate to disciple nations.vi On seeing the giants of the land, the principalities and powers that rule cities and nations, she has found solace in escapist 'rapture' theories that wisp the church out of the world, rather than occupying until he comes.vii

The gospel of the kingdom of God

We have lost the gospel of the kingdom of God.viii The gospel of personal salvation we understand, the message of the Holy Spirit's ministry, we value; but the message of the kingdom, as proclaimed by Christ and his apostles is all but forgotten. This was the 'whole plan of God' that Paul proclaimed to the Ephesians:

8And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.

9But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

10And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Acts 19:8-10

So, what is the gospel of the kingdom of God? It is the good news of a new creation - a new order of God's government - one of righteousness and justice, bringing peace to all peoples and nations.ix For many, it is a shock that this has already begun in the person of God's Son. Through becoming man, living his sinless life, learning obedience through suffering, and finally through his death, resurrection and ascension to the Father, the kingdom has come definitively to this planet. With God becoming man, a permanent shift of cosmic proportions has occurred.x Restored to the image of God, man has been reinstated to the rulership of the universexi, and the new creation has begun.xii

Consequently, we do not look to the second coming (nor to a future kingdom age), to achieve what God has already accomplished in the first coming. The kingdom of God came definitively in Christ when he rose from the grave as the firstfruits of all those who believe.xiii Ascending, as the son of man,xiv to the right hand of the Father he now rules the universe. From this position, he pours forth the promised Holy Spirit, imparting his perfected humanityxv and sonshipxvi to his body, and progressively extending his rule through itxvii until all his enemies are subdued under his feet.xviii Christ is, therefore, in heaven seated at the right hand of the Father until every enemy is defeated.xix He will not return until this occurs. Every pretender to the throne, every idol, and false ideology - every rebellious human system will fall before Jesus returns. God is shaking the heavens and the earth until only the unshakeable remains - the everlasting kingdom of God.xx And when he does return only one enemy will remain - the last enemy, death. And this will be conquered through the final resurrection.xxi The gospel of the kingdom of God is the good news that the universe is now being renovated - that the creator-redeemer God has invaded time and history, exorcising every demonic force, infusing the world with his glorious presence.

End-time scenarios

Therefore, any end-time scenario, which robs the body of Christ of its mandate to exemplify and extend Christ's victory in the world must, at least, be seriously questioned, if not viewed as a diabolical lie. Likewise, any view that relegates the gospel to personal faith only, castrating its power to transform creation must be rejected. Every sphere of human endeavour and creativity, including nature itself, is transfigured by Christ becoming man. Christ will be satisfied with the reward of his suffering,xxii returning not only for a bride without blemish (xxiii) but also a planet leavened and liberated by the kingdom.(xxiv)The kingdom has come definitively through God in Christ, is coming progressively through the obedience of faith, and will come consumatively at the second coming.

Our Christology, (xxv) therefore, must inform our eschatology.(xxvi) Our revelation of Christ, as the incarnate Son of God (i.e. God in a human body in this world), and as the Son of Man (i.e. Man perfected in this world) determines our understanding of end-things. As the God-Man, he is the full stop, the climax of history, and the fullness of the Father in a time-space world.xxvii This is the promised kingdom age. The old heavens and earth, the old covenant age has passed and the new has come - the new Jerusalem has arrived in the person of the Son.xxviii This will 'fuss' with many eschatological sacred cows - with escapist rapture theories, millennial schemes, and not to mention the role of Israel, the church, and the kingdom. Any deferment of the kingdom to another age, or abrogation of it to an old covenant ethnic identity is dismantled.xxix Christ and his body, the new Israel, in which there is neither Jew nor Greek,xxx is the climax of history - the fulfilment of the Edenic promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head,xxxi and thus also, of all the covenants and promises through the fathers.xxxii

Father's purpose

God's government in his Son was conceived in the heart of the Father before time began.xxxiii This has implications in how we approach God and our mission in the world.xxiv If God's purpose begins in the Fall of man, man and his dysfunction is the centre point. The purpose of the gospel is then man's rescue and recovery, resulting in an image of God as saviour and healer, in modern parlance, a therapist. This is surely the case in the contemporary western church. Our half-baked theology has hopped into bed with the west's cult of psychology and produced a monster - a church system geared to the therapy of self. With God portrayed as a 'Dr Feelgood' the shelves of Christian bookstores groan with titles promoting a life of maximised living - of emotional, relational, financial and sexual health. However, if God's purpose begins in himself, the centre and circumference is found in him, in relationship rather than recovery. Paradoxically, when he is in the centre recovery occurs, for God is revealed as the 'Father of compassion and God of all comfort' (2 Cor 1:3-4). As a Father his purpose is discovered in the desire for mature sons.xxxv While, in compassion, he provides for our every need during our infancy, he is focussed on bringing us to maturity, so as to share in the family business.xxxvi

Recovery from the dysfunction of sin is necessary in this maturation process. He will not leave his sons in an eternal state of infancy.xxxvii And yet, this is where we want to remain, cooing and burbling in the playpen of personal salvation with our charismatic toys, but refusing the Father's call toward spiritual adulthood. This then is the gospel of the kingdom of God - a call to mature sonship, so as to share with the Father in the governance of the universe. This is why it is 'the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom' (Lk 12:32). God the Father has purposed to rule the universe through mature sons.

Father's DNA

Jesus is, therefore, the firstborn among many brothers.xxxviii The Father and God of us all has purposed to bring all his sons to glory, not just the firstborn. We all have the Father's DNA.xxxix As Peter declares, we 'have been made participators in the divine nature' (2 Pet 1:4). With the Father's supernatural genes planted within us, family likeness is inevitable.xl As some have said about my own kids, "The apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree!" In fact, the power of genetic continuity is downright scary. More often than I care to admit, I hear an eerie echo of my parents or even grandparents in my words or behaviour.

And so, in this climax of history, God the Father will have a corporate Son in whom he delights. Having reached the full stature of Christ, as a fellow-heir with him, it will inherit the Father''s business. Having received the keys of the kingdom, a redeemed humanity will exercise dominion over the earth.

Therefore, there is no room for fear - the Father will give us the kingdom.

iEph 1:17-23

iiActs 20:27

iiiActs 19:10

ivAn OT type is a prophetic symbol foreshadowing a spiritual reality fulfilled in Christ and his church. OT Israel and her various institutions, as types (priesthood, sacrifice, tabernacle, temple, & feasts), all have their fulfilment in the spiritual realities of the new covenant (see 1 Cor 10:6, 11; Heb 8:2; 9:23, 24). All Israel were to gather in Jerusalem, three times a year, to celebrate the feasts of Passover (including Unleavened Bread), Pentecost (or Weeks), and Tabernacles. See Lev 23 for an outline of the Feasts. It is a common failure to so miss the symbolic and therefore spiritual significance of the feasts that keeping the natural and literal is mistakenly pursued. The principle is "first the natural, then the spiritual".

vKadesh-Barnea was where Israel refused to go into the Promised Land because of unbelief (Num 32:8ff; Deu 1:19-38; Jsh 14:6-12).
viGen 1:26; Mat 28:18-20
viiLuk 19:13
viiiMat 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; Lk 9:2, 60; 16:16; Acts 1:3; 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31
ixIsa 2:1-4; 9:1-7; Lk 2:11-14; 4:17-19; Rom 14:17; Rev 11:15; Psa 110; Psa 2
xRom 5:12-20; 8:18-22
xiPsa 8:4-6; Gen 1:26; Heb 2:5-8; 1 Cor 6:2-3; 15:27; Rom 8:17-21
xii2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; Isa 65:17; 66:22; Rev 21:1-5
xiii1 Cor 15:20-23; Col 1:18;
xivDan 7:13-14; Mat 12:40; 16:28; 17:9; 19:28; 25:31-33; 26:24; Rev 1:13; 14:14
xv2 Pet 1:3-4; Heb 2:10-11; 5:8-9; Rom 8:1-4; Col 1:1-5;
xviRom 8:15-16; Gal 4:6
xviiEph 3:10; 1:18-23; Mat 28:18-20; Isa 9:7; Pro 4:18; Eph 4:13
xviiiSee Psalms 2 and 110 as the two most quoted Psalms in the New Testament. They show Christ the Son ascending to the right hand of the Father and ruling until every enemy has been subdued.

For Psalm 2, see Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; John 1:49; Acts 4:25-26; 13:33; Phil. 2:12; Heb. 1:2,5; 5:5; Rev. 2:26-27; 11:18; 12:5; 19:15, 19.

For Psalm 110, see Matt. 22:44; 26:64; Mark 12:36; 14:62; 16:19; Luke 20:42-43; 22:69; John 12:34; Acts 2:34-35; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:3, 17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2.

xixActs 3:21; Psa 110
xxHeb 12:25-27; Dan 2:44; 7:13-14
xxi1 Ths 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:20-26
xxiiIsa 53:11-12
xxiiiEph 5:27
xxivMat 13:33; Rom 8:18-25
xxvDoctrine of Christ and his work
xxviDoctrine of final things
xxviiHeb 1:1-3; Eph 1:10
xxviiiRev 21:1-3
xxixRom 2:28; 4:10-13; 9:6-8; Gal 6:15; Rev 2:9; Jn 1:47; 8:37-39
xxxRom 10:12; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11; Eph 2:11-22
xxxiGen 3:15
xxxiiEph 2:12; 3:6; Rom 11:17; 15:8-12; Gal 3:16; Heb 1:1-3
xxxiiiEph 1:4-12 ; 3:8-11; Rom 8:29; 1 Pet 1:19-20; Jn 3:35; 16:28; 17:5; 1 Cor 8:6; Heb 1:1-14
xxxivSee chapter 3, 'Snakes in the Temple: Unmasking Idolatry in Today's Church' by David Orton (Sovereign World: Tonbridge Wells, 2003)
xxxvHeb 1:1-14; 2:10; 2 Cor 6:18; 2 Sam 7:14. Please note that the reference to "sons" in scripture is gender neutral, it includes both sexes.
xxxviLk 2:49; Gal 4:1-7
xxxviiHeb 12:5-12; 2:10; Eph 4:13-14
xxxviiiRom 8:29; Col 1:15, 18; Heb 1:6; 2:10-12; Rev 1:5
xxxixJn 1:12-13; 1 Pet 1:3, 23; 1 Jn 3:9; 5:4, 18
xl2 Pet 1:3-9; Rom 8:29

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THE 15 "IFs"

THE 15 "IFs"

-author unknown.


If you never felt pain, Then how would you know that I am a Healer?

If you never had to pray, How would you know that I am a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial, How could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness, How would you know that I am a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake, How would you know that I am a forgiver?

If you knew all, How would you know that I will answer your questions?

If you never were in trouble, How would you know that I will come to
your rescue?

If you never were broken, Then how would you know that I can make you
whole?

If you never had a problem,How would you know that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering, Then how would you know what I went
through?

If you never went through the fire, Then how would you become pure?

If I gave you all things, How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you, How would you know that I love you?

If you had all power, Then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect, Then what would you need me for?

-Love, Jesus.