Tag: Kingdom Design

Six Kingdom Questions: Introduction

throne-of-godJesus said Christians were to seek first the kingdom and His righteousness. Matt. 6:33.

However, if you don’t know what the kingdom of God is, it will be hard to seek it.

The neighborhood I lived in when I was growing up in southern Indiana was in a rural area. As unredeemed adolescents, the kids in my neighborhood had a trick we would play on younger kids.

We would ask them if they wanted to go snipe hunting.

Invariably they would say yes, and being insecure, as kids are, they would not ask what a snipe was. We would then take them back into the woods and send them down a path, telling them if they saw a snipe to yell out. Then we would wait for them to yell.

Of course there is no such thing as a snipe. The whole thing was a cruel adolescent gag.

The kingdom of God is not a snipe; it is very real. But if you don’t know what it is, you might as well be hunting snipes. Continue reading “Six Kingdom Questions: Introduction”

What God Expects From You At Work—Part 3

Back to Work SignWhen the groom ran out of wine at a wedding feast, Jesus stepped in to help meet the need. See John 2:1-12.

To the meet the needs Jesus turned a lot of water into a lot of wine.

One would think turning water into wine would be significant enough, but the apostle John  makes a point to describe the excellence of the wine. See John 2:10.

John says it was customary to serve the bad wine later after people were sufficiently liquored up not to notice, but Jesus served  excellent wine when He could have served any wine.

In short, when Jesus assumed a vocational role He made sure His work was excellent.  It was the same in his ministry. After healing one man, those in attendance remarked, “Behold he does all things well.” Mark 7:37. Continue reading “What God Expects From You At Work—Part 3”

What’s In A Name

Earlier this year I went to see my ear, nose and throat doctor, only to find he was no longer my doctor.

Instead, they had assigned me a new doctor . . . Dr. Tongue. I thought his name was a good sign.

The first law clerk I ever had at my law firm had a last name of Butts. Her father was a doctor. He was a proctologist.

Those who knew Dr. Butts noted that he had a great sense of humor, but I always thought there was more to his name.

I do know that names are important to God. Continue reading “What’s In A Name”

The Great Paradox

We live in a fallen world.

And in the world, as Jesus promised, you will have trials and tribulation.

Trials and tribulation come through things like sickness and disease, sinful people (which we all are) who hurt one another and so-called “natural” disasters (which are actually unnatural convulsions of a nature corrupted by the effect of man’s sin).

The good news for Christians is that trials and tribulation are used by God for good in our lives.

The Apostle Peter said to rejoice when you encounter trials. (I Peter 1:6) James said “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial…” (James 1:12). Christians are told to rejoice when they encounter trials because The Lord uses trials to make Christians more like the perfect character of Jesus. (James 1:2-4). Continue reading “The Great Paradox”

The King Of The Kingdom (Part II)

Yesterday I blogged on how, by understanding Jesus’ use of the kingdom as a metaphor, we can gain a deeper understanding of how Jesus rules.

Earthly kings are sovereign because they have authority to make law, execute the law and judge those who violate it. King Jesus enjoys the same sovereignty in His kingdom, a kingdom that encompasses both heaven and the earth.

There is “one Lawgiver and Judge” and His name is Jesus. (James 4:12). People often make the mistake of thinking Jesus only judges in heaven, i.e. only after people die. If that were the case though, Jesus would not be sovereign because the kingdom of God encompasses both heaven and earth. Continue reading “The King Of The Kingdom (Part II)”