Your Mindset Determines If You Will Believe The Gospel
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
— Matthew 4:17
When he stepped into his public ministry, he encouraged people to repent and believe the Gospel. We instantly think of sin when we hear the word “repent,” meaning we think repenting is always about confessing our sin. Repenting from sin is important, but that’s not what Jesus was talking about.
Definition of Repent
Repent is the Greek word metanoeō, which is a combination of two words; meta and noeō. Meta means; with, after, behind. It’s a preposition that modifies the verb noeō. Noeō means; to perceive with the mind, to understand, to have understanding, to think upon, heed, ponder, consider.
Metanoeō or Repent means; to change one's mind, to turn one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins.
So repentance does have to do with turning away from sin but more specifically it is about changing our minds about the beliefs that drive sin. Repentance is when you do a deeper work than just apologizing for a sinful action. It’s when you go into your heart beliefs and make adjustments.
What you believe generates your thoughts. Your thoughts then lead to feelings and emotions. Those feelings and emotions then give way to action. So whether it be anger or adultery, sin is the fruit of your beliefs and what you think on. To repent is to turn away from the thinking that leads to sin. In this passage, Jesus teaches us to change the way we think about God’s kingdom because he’s bringing us good news.
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“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
When he stepped into his public ministry, he encouraged people to repent and believe the Gospel. We instantly think of sin when we hear the word “repent,” meaning we think repenting is always about confessing our sin. Repenting from sin is important, but that’s not what Jesus was talking about.
Definition of Repent
Repent is the Greek word metanoeō, which is a combination of two words; meta and noeō. Meta means; with, after, behind. It’s a preposition that modifies the verb noeō. Noeō means; to perceive with the mind, to understand, to have understanding, to think upon, heed, ponder, consider.
Metanoeō or Repent means; to change one's mind, to turn one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins.
So repentance does have to do with turning away from sin but more specifically it is about changing our minds about the beliefs that drive sin. Repentance is when you do a deeper work than just apologizing for a sinful action. It’s when you go into your heart beliefs and make adjustments.
What you believe generates your thoughts. Your thoughts then lead to feelings and emotions. Those feelings and emotions then give way to action. So whether it be anger or adultery, sin is the fruit of your beliefs and what you think on. To repent is to turn away from the thinking that leads to sin. In this passage, Jesus teaches us to change the way we think about God’s kingdom because he’s bringing us good news.
Definition of Gospel
The original word for gospel is euangelion. Euangelion means; glad tidings of the kingdom of God, the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ, good news.
GOSPEL MEANS GOOD NEWS!!! In this case, the good news about the kingdom of God!!
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was, of course, addressing sinful actions, but he was saying something deeper. He said that we would need to change the way we think about God, and his kingdom, because his kingdom was now here. There wasn’t much good news about the kingdom of God at that time. There wasn’t necessarily bad news, there was just an expectation that God would send his savior and establish his kingdom. That time had come!
Mark 1:14 After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 15 “The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
What time was fulfilled?
Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Jesus is that light!
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upond his shoulder, and his name shall be callede Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Jesus began to establish this prophecy in his time.
Matthew 4:12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew 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 of the Sea, beyond 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 has come near.”
The Good News About God’s Kingdom
This was the time the prophets spoke about. The time when God would send his savior. The time when a great light would be seen in the darkness. The time when the government of God’s kingdom would be on the shoulders of his messiah. The time when the kingdom of God begins on earth until all of his enemies are made his footstool, the last one being death.
Jesus was saying you’re going to have to change the way you see God. Jesus introduced us to the concept of God as a loving father. Moses gave us truth, but Jesus gave us grace AND truth. Jesus showed us that God’s motivation toward mankind was love. Jesus displayed the mercy of God. Jesus displayed the heart of God by forgiving people and healing all manner of diseases.
I can imagine in our language, Jesus saying, you’re going to have to change the way you think about God because the time of him dwelling among you is here. God will now be with you forevermore. Walk with me, and I will show you his kingdom. Yes, there is still an end and a final judgment, but God is making himself available in a way you never imagined. He is accessible through the work I will do for you. The Law still applies, but I am the way through which you approach God, and I make you righteous through my blood. My father is good, and he loves you.
So we must change the way we think about God and make sure all of our thoughts about God are in line with who Jesus showed us God really is.
Kingdom vs. Religious Mindsets
True repentance is a mind-renewal journey, the result being transformation continually into the image of Christ. 2020 was a year that presented many obstacles along that journey. You may need to repent from the way 2020 made you think!!
The world is experiencing collective trauma. If we’re not careful we’ll slip into the same hopelessness and fear as the rest of the world. As Christians, we have a secret weapon against gloominess and oppression, we have the joy of the Lord. And we have the Word of God to plant in our minds to help us in every situation. Because his kingdom is in us, we have a never-ending supply of power and hope.
We do not have to adopt the world’s destructive, doom and gloom mindsets, we can have hope in every situation, no matter what, because we have the favor of God in our lives and we have the hope of eternity! This world may get darker, but God’s kingdom is also at hand, getting brighter and brighter!!
Do you perceive God’s kingdom increasing? Or do you only see the darkness growing? The truth is, both are growing, but if all you see is the darkness growing, it’s time to repent and believe the Gospel!!
We need to check our mindsets and make sure our thoughts are in line with God's proclamation of His kingdom's good news. If you’re having trouble seeing His kingdom and finding good news in today’s world, change the way you think and believe that there is good news all around you because God’s kingdom is at hand.
“As he thinks in his heart, so is he…”
We think we are products of our upbringing, society, our education, and our communities. Those are factors, but by and large, we are products of our mindsets, regardless of where they came from.
The way you think shapes your paradigms, perspectives, and points of view. Your mindsets determine the way you live and will influence your choices. There are nuances to the subject of mindsets, such as the beliefs of your heart, self-worth, past experiences, theological persuasion, and a few more, but by and large, your current reality is a direct reflection of your mindsets.
You may have more than one, but in general, the way you think, what you think about, and the way you allow your mindsets to influence you, determine the quality of life you will have and your general outlook on life.
MINDSET: A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations
Are your preconceptions casting a shadow on your view of the world and your future? I wonder if you have any bad theology lingering in your mind that keeps you from believing there is good news all around you? It’s hard to repent sometimes. We’ve been programmed our entire lives to believe the way believe, changing that almost feels wrong at times. Remember, Jesus teaches you to change the way you think and believe the good news about his kingdom.
Identifying Your Mindsets
Let’s look at a few examples of mindsets people have. See if you identify with any of these mindsets, and look for ways you can change the way you think to make sure you’re believing the good news about God’s kingdom. Case by case, life situation by life situation, there is good news regarding God’s kingdom. Your job is to renew your mind and believe that good news.
The fixed mindset
The growth mindset
The fear mindset
The lazy mindset
The envy mindset
The business mindset
The dreamer mindset
The follower mindset
The greed mindset
The gratitude mindset
The confident mindset
The creative mindset
The short-term mindset
The angry mindset
The productive mindset
It’s a helpful exercise to understand yourself by identifying the way you think, that way you can know where you need to repent and believe the good news about God’s kingdom. This list of mindsets is neither right or wrong. This list only serves to help you understand yourself better. You may not know you have certain patterns of thought. Since repentance is a process of changing the way you think, it can be helpful to identify patterns. Let’s look a little deeper.
FIXED MINDSET
Likes safety and stability
Wants to maintain what they have
Doesn't pursue change
Has trouble seeing other people's perspectives
GROWTH MINDSET
Wants to improve
Puts effort toward learning
Acquires new skills
Seeks out new relationships
VICTIM MENTALITY
Blames other people or the world's systems for their problems
Stays stuck in destructive patterns
Justifies holding on to the past
Makes excuses for not taking personal responsibility
Christian Mindsets
Now let’s look at some common Christian mindsets. We think our Christian mindsets are always based on the Bible but that’s not necessarily true. Our Christian mindsets come from what we’ve been taught, how we interpret our life’s circumstances, and our general view of God.
Do you have any of these mindsets? Remember, these lists only serve to help you identify areas where you may not believe the truth about the good news of God’s kingdom. If your beliefs about God and his kingdom are not based on the good news, it’s time to repent.
GOD’S IN CONTROL
Everything that happens is part of God's plan
God isn't causing it but he's allowing it
God could have done something but he chose not to
DOOM AND GLOOM
The world is getting darker
The end is near
The wicked are in control and are prospering
LOST WORLD
We just have to endure until the end
We're all sinners
Judgment is coming soon
VICTORIOUS MINDSET
Jesus has defeated the enemy
Jesus has given us his victory
Jesus is currently reigning through us
Do you see yourself in any of these beliefs? While some of these areas touch on deep theological constructs, I pray it is helpful as you make the journey to repent and believe the Gospel. Changing the way you think is hard, but when you base your beliefs on the good news, you will not go wrong.
We have believed what we believe for a long time. I want this series of articles to help you become rooted and grounded in the good news of God’s kingdom. We’ll continue to look at what Jesus accomplished through his death, burial, and resurrection. I pray you subscribe to my email list and walk with me through this Gospel journey. (subscribe below)
I’ll leave you with a proclamation of a very important aspect of the Gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
Recommended Reading
How to yield to the river of life in your heart to bear one another’s burdens
What a year! COVID, the US election, and all the personal challenges people are experiencing. By now, I’m sure you know that depression cases are skyrocketing, alcoholism and substance abuse are at record highs, domestic abuse has increased, many people have lost their lives due to COVID, businesses are failing, and more.
If you’re not careful, you can allow all of the bad news to skew your entire perspective of life. In the world, he said we would have trouble, but to be of good cheer because he overcame the world. He also said that there would be wheat and weeds growing together in His kingdom until He returns.
Listen on Spotify | Soundcloud | Apple | YouTube
What a year! COVID, the US election, and all the personal challenges people are experiencing. By now, I’m sure you know that depression cases are skyrocketing, alcoholism and substance abuse are at record highs, domestic abuse has increased, many people have lost their lives due to COVID, businesses are failing, and more.
If you’re not careful, you can allow all of the bad news to skew your entire perspective of life. In the world, he said we would have trouble, but to be of good cheer because he overcame the world. He also said that there would be wheat and weeds growing together in His kingdom until He returns.
Read my last few blogs for more on the parable of the wheat and weeds.
It is vital that the church be the church in these times of uncertainty. We know that God is destroying the enemies of Christ as we speak. His spirit is alive and active in the earth, as well as in our lives. But we also know the enemy’s weeds are growing as well. What are we to do?
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The hope we hold to is the Gospel. We’re delivered from Messianic judgment. We are safe in Christ, and we will experience the restoration of all things when He returns and renews the universe. Until then, we hold fast. Not from a place of dread and fear, but a place of hope.
We already have the victory in Christ. What we allow to influence our hearts will manifest in our lives. We must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We must encourage one another, be kind to one another, lift each other up, and bear one another’s burdens.
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else
We are to love one another to the degree that we identify with each other’s struggles. Paul warns us against comparing ourselves to one another in times of division. He says that if we will empathize with each other and bear one another’s burdens, we will not pridefully compare ourselves to one another.
What does comparing ourselves to one another have to do with the times we’re in?
Comparing yourself to someone else is the opposite of seeking to understand them and bear their burden. When you step into someone else’s shoes, listen to their story, and understand their journey, you will not be quick to make them your enemy.
We see people comparing themselves to one another in politics right now. We compare and judge based on who someone voted for. We compare and judge based on skin color. We compare and judge based on all sorts of divisive demographics. But if we can lay aside our pride and bear one another’s burdens, we can come together as a church.
Jesus prayed for it, I will not give up on the idea, no matter how bad it gets. Our love for one another is the catalyst for an unbelieving world to desire Jesus (John 17).
How do we get to a place where we lay down our pride and stop comparing ourselves, our beliefs, and our political views to other people? I believe allowing God’s life to flow from your heart is an important component.
John 7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
We have to realize that people are thirsty. They are thirsty for righteousness but don’t know it. So they drink of the world’s Kool-Aid. There is a craving to be satisfied by God in the heart of every human, but if they don’t choose to drink of God’s spirit, they will be under the influence of the world.
We must be so influenced by God that His spirit overflows into the world through us. It doesn’t matter the scale, how great or small your circle of influence, YOU MATTER!!! Your display of God’s love to those around you can change the world.
God is seeking to bless others, and he does it through you. Jesus is currently ruling and reigning in the earth through you. Are you exercising your king's decree to love others, or are you comparing the world to your version of right and wrong?
When you compare people to what you think must happen, you set yourself up for disappointment.
The world is dark, and it will get darker. But you are light. You are of the eternal kingdom that can never be extinguished. The world needs to see the church hold fast and experience God’s blessing and provision in the midst of the darkness. God specializes in such things. The world needs to see God’s children walking in His promises. The world needs to see Christ’s body extending a hand of empathy rather than judgment.
Jesus has already won, the world doesn’t know it yet. I want to be a trumpet through which God is announcing His kingdom's victory until He returns. I hope this is your prayer, as well. We need each other, and the world needs Jesus.
Let’s BE the Church and show the world how great our God is!! Open your heart to allow the wheat of his kingdom to grow in your life and make a decision to stop focusing on the weeds. He’s taking care of them as we speak. Stay focused, God’s kingdom is increasing!!
The Precious, Cleansing, Redeeming, Sanctifying, Life Giving Blood of Jesus
Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to be sacrificed or why blood had to be shed for atonement and remission of sin?
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. ~ Leviticus 17:11
The sacrifice of Christ was necessary to exchange human life for eternal spiritual life. Jesus exchanged his perfect, spiritual, eternal life (blood) for human life (blood) so he could, in turn give us his life.
He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ~ Hebrews 9:12
“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to be sacrificed or why blood had to be shed for atonement and remission of sin?
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. ~ Leviticus 17:11
The sacrifice of Christ was necessary to exchange human life for eternal spiritual life. Jesus exchanged his perfect, spiritual, eternal life (blood) for human life (blood) so he could, in turn give us his life.
He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ~ Hebrews 9:12
His blood cleanses us and make us righteous. His blood, his eternal life, cleanses (sanctifies) you and makes you holy. When you say yes to him, he washes you clean and removes your sin from you forever.
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- ~ Colossians 1:22
Jesus takes you in his arms and walks you into the presence of God and says, “I've made them holy, they have received me, and now I am one with them.” At this moment, you are forever hidden with Christ in God. The old you died, never to return. Your sin is removed from you, and your spirit is made one with God. You become the dwelling place of God.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7
The Powerful Blood of Jesus
Read through the following passages about the blood of Jesus. Take some time to meditate on each one. Personalize each one. Allow each passage to evoke emotion within your heart. Your salvation is sure in the blood of Jesus. Use this list of passages to persuade your heart of the power of his blood.
Hebrews 9:22 Indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
Hebrews 10:6-9 In burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Acts 16:30-31 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Hebrews 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
1 Peter 1:2 According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
“Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
Revelation 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Romans 3:24-25 And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
1 Peter 1:18-19 Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Hebrews 13:12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
John 6:55-59 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Colossians 1:20 And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
1 Corinthians 11:24-30 And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ...
Luke 22:20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,
Hebrews 10:19-20 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
Hebrews 10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Romans 3:25 Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
COMMUNION: Discover the Nourishing Power of the Body and Blood of Christ
MESSAGE TITLES
We Overcome By The Blood of Christ
Drawing Power from the Life of Jesus
The Indwelling Spirit of God Gives Us Real Food
Developing A Spiritual Mind
We Are Fed God’s Glorious Riches As We Are Rooted In His Love (Includes a powerful testimony)
Communion without Condemnation
The indwelling spirit of God will sustain you like real food. God’s spirit is not just an idea that you subjectively ponder, he is a real presence in the deepest part of your being. And His presence nourishes your soul, mind and bodies better than physical food. Like Jesus, we have the food of the spirit of God that will sustain us and make us whole.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
"Jesus becomes as truly assimilated to the life of the individual as the nourishing elements in food enter into the substance of the body. The believer abides in Christ as finding his life in Him (Galatians 2:20); and Christ abides in the believer, continually imparting to him what constitutes spiritual life. For in Christ man reaches the source of all life in the Father (John 6:57), The living Father has sent Christ forth as the bearer of life. The Father is the cause of my life; I live because the Father lives. The Father is the absolute source of life; the Son is the bearer of that life to the world. Every one that eateth Christ will by that connection participate in the life of God." excerpt from Expositor’s Greek Testament on John 6:55-56
Don’t Freak Out, It’s Going To Be OK
We must remember that Jesus said His kingdom is at hand, it is in our midst (Matthew 4:17, Luke 17:21). He initiated His kingdom when He came to earth as a human, and it has continued to increase since then (Isaiah 9:1-7, Matthew 4:12-17). His kingdom's ultimate goal is to destroy all of God’s enemies, the last one being death (1 Corinthians 15:26), and bring about the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21).
It’s easy to see the darkness, but it takes faith to see the kingdom. You must look at the kingdom with the eyes of your heart. The evil is real, and the kingdom is real. Which one is more real to you? Which one are you allowing to influence your life?
“Evil and things that cause sin” are in the earthly side of His kingdom because mankind has dominion over the earth for a season, we allow it. One day that will come to an end, and there will be no difference between His eternal spiritual kingdom and the physical kingdom of creation. Until then, He is busy destroying His enemies through His church.
Are you allowing Him to reign in your life and destroy the plans of the enemy in your life?
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The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds Part 2
““ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ””
In the parable of the wheat and weeds in Matthew 13, Jesus teaches that two things are growing; His kingdom and evil. At a certain point, He will send His angels to remove everything that is “evil and causes sin” from His kingdom.
Until then, He says, let them both grow together.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Why is evil in His kingdom in the first place?
We must remember that Jesus said His kingdom is at hand, it is in our midst (Matthew 4:17, Luke 17:21). He initiated His kingdom when He came to earth as a human, and it has continued to increase since then (Isaiah 9:1-7, Matthew 4:12-17). His kingdom's ultimate goal is to destroy all of God’s enemies, the last one being death (1 Corinthians 15:26), and bring about the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21).
It’s easy to see the darkness, but it takes faith to see the kingdom. You must look at the kingdom with the eyes of your heart. The evil is real, and the kingdom is real. Which one is more real to you? Which one are you allowing to influence your life?
“Evil and things that cause sin” are in the earthly side of His kingdom because mankind has dominion over the earth for a season, we allow it. One day that will come to an end, and there will be no difference between His eternal spiritual kingdom and the physical kingdom of creation. Until then, He is busy destroying His enemies through His church.
Are you allowing Him to reign in your life and destroy the plans of the enemy in your life?
1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Jesus Is King
You know that Jesus is king, but you may not know what is currently happening. Jesus is the preeminent one. God gave Him a name above all names, meaning He has the highest authority. Jesus humbled Himself as a human to face and overcome everything that separates man from God. In this, His Heavenly authority was shared with humanity.
In His sinless life, He qualified to be the sin offering for the whole world. He suffered the punishment for all sin and died the death we deserve. In His obedience and faithfulness in death, Jesus overcame the power of death and the grave. He conquered all the evil spiritual forces and gained all authority as a man.
He rose again as the triumphant God-man and is currently reigning in Heaven. His authority extends to all of creation, but mankind has dominion over the earth, for now, Because He is a man, He can operate in the earth, but He’s choosing to co-labor with His church.
In His collaboration with His church, He is destroying the enemies He overcame in His death, burial and resurrection.
He stripped these evil forces, principalities, and powers of all authority in His resurrection, but He is now enforcing His victory over them by destroying them through His church. It’s the same thing He’s been doing since He came here as a human, going about doing good and healing people who are oppressed by His enemies.
This is not a dualistic battle of equal forces. This is a battle between a dominant, conquering king and an enemy that sneaks around trying to subvert His authority and deceive His citizens.
When we become aware of our king’s victory and walk in His authority, we too experience victory over His enemies.
Wheat and Weeds
Jesus told us this would happen. He said that His kingdom and evil would grow together at the same time. He taught us to remain patient and nurture the wheat. We are not to attack the evil, let it grow, and face its own fate.
This does not mean we make provision for the evil. This does not mean we focus on the evil and darkness. We are not to be afraid of the darkness. We are not to make life plans governed by the presence of darkness. We are not to hide in our homes and churches praying the darkness away. We are not to give up hope on the increase of His kingdom. We are not to watch TV news reports that tell us all about the darkness.
He instructs us not to worry about the rulers of this world. He instructs us to cast our cares on Him. He warns us not to be afraid. He instructs us to recognize that there is darkness, but remember that we are light. He instructs us to walk in the light, so those in darkness come out into the light. He promises that we can reign in this life with Him as He puts all His enemies under His feet.
Hope Or Despair, It’s Your Choice.
Can I be honest for a moment? Some people are so overwhelmed with life that they want the rapture to come tomorrow. They want God to swoop in and fix everything for them. Some folks are so defeated by life that they see no potential for the kingdom to make a difference in their lives or the world. Some people are so full of what’s happening in the world that they think the darkness is winning.
WAKE UP!! The light is winning! The kingdom is growing!! Jesus is reigning!! Whose report will you believe?!
Are you allowing Him to reign in your life? Are you reigning in life with Him? Are you co-laboring with Him and destroying the oppression of the enemy? Or is the oppression of the enemy more real to you than the victory of your king?
When you're watching the news and posting on Facebook about the state of the world, remember that His kingdom is growing too. I see too many people focusing on the evil, the darkness in the earth, seemingly forgetting that we have been delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into His kingdom. We are in His kingdom NOW.
Fulfill your kingdom assignments. Quit allowing the assignments of the darkness to dominate your thoughts and emotions. Fill your mind and heart with God’s written Word so it will become the Living Word for you. Inject the Word into every facet of your life and watch it grow. Condition your heart to trust God. Think His thoughts so you will be receptive to Him when He leads you.
Jesus told us this would happen. The wheat and weeds are growing together. One day there will be no more weeds, but until then, don't forget about His increasing kingdom.
How can you reign with Him in your life today?
The Parable of the Wheat and Tares
We tend to attack evil once we see it. We are quick to condemn sin. We are quick to cast out devils. We are quick to identify people as sinners. We are quick to dismiss teachers that we perceive as dangerous. And the list goes on.
I am not suggesting that we permit sin, entertain false teaching, and let demons continue to harass people, I’m saying that we sometimes need to take a different approach.
Nourishing the wheat is a better strategy. Yes, teach people to repent and turn from sin. Yes, cast our demons when appropriate. But the people who are choosing sin and are allowing demons to harass them need to know who they are in Christ as to walk in freedom from such things.
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““ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ””
Jesus teaches the parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13:24-29.
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds (tares) among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”
He explains the parable to His disciples in verses 36-43. While there is an obvious focus on end times in Jesus’ explanation of the wheat and weeds, I want to focus on how the principle applies in your everyday life. I will write more about the end time implications in my next article.
Should We Attack Evil?
One thing that strikes me from this parable is how patient Jesus is. There are weeds in His kingdom, yet He says, ‘let them grow together with the wheat, my Father will take care of the weeds.’ We see that “the weeds” are the people of the evil one in Matthew 13:38, but I want to explore how this principle can help us in other areas of life.
For clarity, let me streamline the principle in this article. Don’t pull up the weeds among the wheat because you might damage the wheat while pulling up the weeds. Let them both grow together and harvest the wheat when it’s ready.
We tend to attack evil once we see it. We are quick to condemn sin. We are quick to cast out devils. We are quick to identify people as sinners. We are quick to dismiss teachers that we perceive as dangerous. And the list goes on.
I am not suggesting that we permit sin, entertain false teaching, and let demons continue to harass people, I’m saying that we sometimes need to take a different approach.
Nourishing the wheat is a better strategy. Yes, teach people to repent and turn from sin. Yes, cast our demons when appropriate. But the people who are choosing sin and are allowing demons to harass them need to know who they are in Christ as to walk in freedom from such things.
If you have been involved in ministry in any capacity, you know that you can’t just tell people sin is wrong and expect repentance. In fact, it usually yields the opposite response. But when you help them understand how valuable they are to God, show them His unconditional love, and encourage them as they overcome their failures, they will appropriate grace and live a life that honors God.
But we generally see the church attacking sin. If you ask most people on the street to describe Christians, people usually say we’re condemning, hypocritical, and out of touch. I think that’s because we tend to attack the weeds rather than nourish the wheat.
Practical Application
What does this look like in your personal life?
If you constantly beat yourself up over your failures, you’re attacking the weeds. Of course, the best path is to turn away from sin forever, but that’s not so easy most of the time. We know it’s wrong. We know sins are weeds that choke the wheat. But we also tend to damage the wheat as we are attacking the weeds in our own hearts.
The wheat can be the fruits of the spirit, while the weeds are a temptation. The wheat might be a relationship, but the weeds are how to respond to the other person’s failures. The wheat may be a job opportunity, but the weeds may be a short cut for money. The wheat may be deliverance from past trauma, but the weeds may be attacking the devil.
What is the wheat in your life you are neglecting?
What are the weeds you are attacking in your own life?
God is pruning the weeds with His spirit in your inner man. Sometimes His correction isn’t pleasant, but it will always be loving. God doesn’t prune you by creating external challenges in your life. He prunes by reminding you of who you are and who He is in your own conscience. He prunes you by empowering righteousness and holiness through your heart.
If you experience guilt and condemnation when you encounter truth, that reveals where you have weeds. Should you allow the weeds/sin to remain? Of course not! But the wheat will bear fruit, and the weeds will die if you cultivate and nourish the wheat.
What is the wheat in your heart?
Of course it’s the Word of God, but be specific.
I want to encourage you to develop a habit of going to the Bible to build your understanding of the areas you’re struggling with. Identify the areas in your life that have weeds, and then search the Word to gain God’s perspective of those areas. Renew your mind and experience transformation. Cultivate the wheat, and it will bear fruit. Cultivate the wheat, and the weeds will not choke it out.
Reigning In Life with Jesus
I have an optimistic and hopeful expectation of the future because I have a hopeful and optimistic expectation of God’s kingdom. His kingdom will overcome all the kingdoms of the earth without fail. God, and everyone in Him through Christ, wins. There’s no hope for any other nation or kingdom. They will all succumb to His rulership and authority. God’s Kingdom is unrivaled.
He began establishing His kingdom in the earth when He sent Jesus, and to the increase of His kingdom there shall be no end. The kingdom is on His shoulders and what capable shoulders they are.
Jesus defeated all the enemies of His kingdom through His death, burial, and resurrection. He forever has all authority and power. He is the preeminent one, there is none greater!! Can I get an AMEN!!
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I have an optimistic and hopeful expectation of the future because I have a hopeful and optimistic expectation of God’s kingdom. His kingdom will overcome all the kingdoms of the earth without fail. God, and everyone in Him through Christ, wins. There’s no hope for any other nation or kingdom. They will all succumb to His rulership and authority. God’s Kingdom is unrivaled.
He began establishing His kingdom in the earth when He sent Jesus, and to the increase of His kingdom there shall be no end. The kingdom is on His shoulders and what capable shoulders they are.
Jesus defeated all the enemies of His kingdom through His death, burial, and resurrection. He forever has all authority and power. He is the preeminent one, there is none greater!! Can I get an AMEN!!
Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
In His graciousness, Christ has chosen to share His authority with us.
Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
“Seated with Christ” means we are partakers of His rulership and His authority. We are joint-heirs of everything he inherited. We are powerful ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. We are citizens of Heaven. We are currently in the world, tasked with announcing the good news of the finished work of our king Jesus Christ. And He is seeking to exercise His authority in the earth through His believers.
Our shared rulership over the earth will continue until the resurrection and the restoration of all things. Until then, Christ must reign.
1 Corinthians 15:24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
We have been taught that Christ will reign once the end comes, but this passage tells us that Christ must reign UNTIL the end comes. That means He’s reigning NOW and will do so until ALL His enemies are under His feet. Christ has defeated ALL enemies, but they are not ALL currently under His feet.
There is a lot to discuss about that process, but I want to focus on the idea of Christ currently reigning in the earth through you. It’s what God has desired from the beginning.
A Nation of Priests
God has wanted a powerful family representing Him on the planet from the beginning. Look at His desire with the nation of Israel 4500 years ago.
Exodus 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Priests minister, it’s what they do. God wanted to dwell among His chosen people (the Israelites) and lead them in such a way that they were a blessing to the whole earth. They failed, but Christ didn’t fail.
Through Christ, God ups the ante. New Covenant believers are not only the fulfillment of that nation of priests, we are even more. We are priests that minister to the nations AND we are kings that rule the earth with Christ.
Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
At this moment, we are ruling and reigning with Him. Unfortunately, we aren’t doing a very good job. What’s it going to take to do a better job of reigning with Him?
Walk in the light / love - 1 John
Bear spiritual fruit - Galatians 5:22-23
Take responsibility for your place in the body of Christ - Ephesians 4:11-12
All of these are done by resting in His finished work by grace through faith. You can not exercise the authority of Christ on this earth through your own strength or effort. We walk by faith, empowered by grace, accomplishing, or proving His will.
“You can not exercise the authority of Christ on this earth through your own strength or effort.”
The more you respond to His love for you by loving others, and rest in His spirit that abides in you, the more you walk in His authority. In other words, the more you trust and obey Him from the heart and allow Him to live through you, the more He will reign in the earth.
Walking In Love
Walking in love toward your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ allows Christ to reign through you in that it testifies that we are His followers.
Bearing Fruit
Allowing His word to abide in you and bear fruit in your life allows Christ to reign in this world by transforming you to reflect His character and glory.
Taking Responsibility for Your Place In His Body
This can be a tricky one because it does take effort. What kind of effort? It’s paradoxical because it’s not the kind of effort you exert by force, it’s by faith. It is the kind of effort that simply shows up and allows Christ to lead you.
Matthew 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
You are the laborer the Kingdom of God needs. You labor FROM victory. You labor FROM rest. You labor FROM acceptance. But you labor nonetheless.
Circle back to 1 Corinthians 15:25, Christ must reign until the end. How does He currently reign until the end? Through you. As you yield your heart to Him to bear fruit, walk in love, and take your place in His body.
He has assignments for you. He has a calling for you. Are you actively walking out your assignments from God? Do you know what they are? Do you have a life plan that puts God’s purposes for your life ahead of everything else?
No one can do it for you, not even God. No one can even tell you what those assignments are. That’s between you and God.
But I know this, He is an excellent teacher. He is an excellent leader. He is an excellent communicator. I truly believe that if you will go ALL IN and dedicate your life to His work, you will find that path. It starts with allowing His Word to abide in you. Take time to plant His written Word in your heart. Give the written Word and opportunity to become the Living Word.
You would probably say that following His will for your life is the absolute most important thing to you. But are you daily yielding yourself to Him to allow Him to shape you and guide you in His desires for you?
His kingdom needs laborers. Jesus instructed His friends to pray for laborers. Are you the answer to those prayers? Show up and watch God move in your life. Show up and watch Christ reign through you!!
It’s easier than you think. It starts in your daily life. Stop avoiding the daily opportunities you have to share your faith and pray for people. Stop avoiding kingdom responsibilities. Stop avoiding the hard things God is prompting you to do. It’s easier than you think if you allow His grace to empower you.
Show up and watch Him reign through you!!
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness REIGN IN LIFE through the one man, Jesus Christ!”
Is there hope for our world?
Do you have hope for a better future for our world? Or do you expect things to get worse? Do you think we can make a difference in this day and age? Or will the world just get darker and darker in your view? Our eschatology matters. What we believe about the future matters.
I want to encourage you to fight. We can still engage the culture and influence the world. We carry the presence and power of God. As we live out our Christian values, we can still be a voice in this world and turn the tide back toward God.
Don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! The soul of our nation and the nations of the world are worth fighting for. The good news is, we fight from victory. Jesus has already won. Jesus is the King of Kings, and there is none greater.
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Do you have hope for a better future for our world? Or do you expect things to get worse? Do you think we can make a difference in this day and age? Or will the world just get darker and darker in your view? Our eschatology matters. What we believe about the future matters.
I want to encourage you to fight. We can still engage the culture and influence the world. We carry the presence and power of God. As we live out our Christian values, we can still be a voice in this world and turn the tide back toward God.
Don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! The soul of our nation and the nations of the world are worth fighting for. The good news is, we fight from victory. Jesus has already won. Jesus is the King of Kings, and there is none greater.
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name (authority) that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As Christians, we are to proclaim His preeminence. We are to rally around our king and announce His supremacy and majesty to the world. We are to spread the good news of what life is like in His kingdom, under His rule. A kingdom ruled by a loving and merciful God who can heal our pain and strengthen us to bear good fruit.
But if you believe that the kingdoms of this world are too great to influence, you will not engage. You will sit on the sidelines and wait for destruction.
What do you expect to happen? Think about it. How much is that influencing your willingness to stand up for God’s truth and righteousness and engage a failing culture?
Fight from Victory
The fight is not actually with people, it’s with their beliefs and ideologies.
Ephesians 610 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We are not fighting for victory. We are fighting from victory. Our king has already won. The dark forces and enemies of God in spiritual realms have not been fully destroyed yet, but it’s coming. Jesus has all authority and power but His kingdom is still increasing. It is the rock cast into the earth that will overcome all the kingdoms of this world, but it is not yet fully physically manifest. But it’s coming.
Consider this passage in light of Christ’s present kingdom. Paul is making a case for resurrection, but also gives us insight into the current reign of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Jesus Must Reign Until The End
You may be under the impression that Christ WILL reign when the end comes, but this passage says Christ must reign UNTIL the end. You have a role in Christ’s reign until the end.
1 Corinthians 15. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The end comes after Jesus has destroyed all of His enemies. He has defeated all His enemies, but He has not yet destroyed them. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
Let me ask you a question; how is Jesus currently reigning? The answer is simple, through His church. THROUGH YOU!! He is the head, and we are His body. We are filled with His spirit, walking in freedom from sin and death, announcing to the world the victory of our king.
Christ must reign until the end. Many Christians believe that Christ will not reign until then end. The end is coming. One day God will sovereignly decide it’s time for the return of Christ and the resurrection. Until then, Christ must reign. I ask again, how does He reign until then? Through you!
The Body of Christ is the most influential and power demographic on the planet. We are ambassadors from Heaven in a foreign land, announcing the defeat of the enemies of God and His ever increasing kingdom.
Christ reigns today as you yield to Him and obey Him from the heart. He reigns by living through you as you trust and follow Him, displaying the fruit He bears through you. We must be willing to accept the difficult responsibilities that God calls us into. We must not shy away from our kingdom responsibilities and give up on this world.
God has not given up on this world. He is alive and active. He is saving people. He is healing people. He is inspiring people to step into their ministries and be voices of change for His kingdom. I pray you are not so pessimistic that you are just waiting for the destruction of all things.
“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”
Influencing Culture with Your Vote
We can still make a difference as God’s kingdom continues to increase. We can still exercise our God given rights on this planet and be agents of good. In the US we have the privilege of voting. Voting will not solve all our problems but it is one way for us to exercise our kingdom influence.
With your vote you can protect life. You can promote personal responsibility. You can vote out Luciferian ideologies that manifest in the form or socialism and communism. You can stand against the consolidation of power and the financial oppression of those who hate God.
There is no perfect party. I don’t believe God is for one party or another. But there are policies that are closer to God’s values than others. You have the right and responsibility to speak up. Voting will not save the world, it’s just one way to influence our world. We still have work to do until the end. We must step into every realm of the world’s kingdoms and influence them from our position in God’s kingdom.
30 million Christians didn’t vote in the last Presidential election. My guess is because they think it’s no use. Don’t sit on the sidelines and pass up an opportunity to use your kingdom influence. If Christians united and put God first, the governments of the world would be forced to listen. We can make a massive difference through our unity.
Yes, there are well meaning Christians in all parties. I’m not telling you who to vote for, I want to encourage you to remember what kingdom you represent. Remember the values of that kingdom as you vote. Don’t stay on the sidelines, engage the world around you and spread the news of the Kingdom of God as you go.
How to Live a Life of Deep Meaning and Purpose
You can live a life of deep purpose and meaning when you are willing to take responsibility for your place in the Body of Christ in the earth.
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“I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.”
When we hear the words “meaning” and “purpose,” we usually equate it to doing something for God, as if the reason God created you was to do a job for him. I say this all the time, God gave you life because he wanted you as His child, plain and simple. He intentionally placed you in the earth so he could be your Father. That’s WHY you are here.
But now that you’re here, and the world is in the state it’s in, God has assignments for you. You complete those assignments from a place of acceptance in Him, not for acceptance. You fulfill those assignments and missions from a place of security in Christ, not to try and hold on to salvation. You walk out the things He is leading you to do from a place of righteousness and holiness in Him, not to better your status in His eyes. He loves you, and He accepts you, period. How you live from then on is your choice.
Living with Meaning
Christ has set us free, but too many people abuse their freedom in Christ. We live selfish and unproductive lives. We have all kinds of reasons and excuses to be selfish, but they’re still excuses.
It’s time to let go of the excuses. It’s time to move beyond the pain and offenses of the past. It’s time to quit blaming others for your life's condition and answer the call of God on your life.
I think one of the reasons we never take our place in the Body of Christ is because we spend too much time avoiding responsibility.
We pursue happiness, but we avoid responsibility. We work hard to make our lives easier but end up empty and unfulfilled. We worry about our future to the point that it paralyzes us, but we never truly embrace the call of God on our lives.
God’s calling on your life is not necessarily formal ministry, but it is some facet of service within his church. God is building his church, and it is very creative. Church is not just buildings, organized programs, and staff positions. That is one manifestation of his church, but his church is also invisible in many ways. You may be an invisible member in his body, but just as important as the pastor with 10,000 members in his congregation.
My point is this; God has assignments for you. Are you seeing them through? Are you actively planning and executing the missions and assignments he has given you? We all have them. One of mine is to facilitate regular worship gatherings in the form of Forward Church, where I teach the Bible nearly every Sunday. I love it!
That’s an obvious assignment. Yours may not be as obvious. Your assignment may be to be a light at your job. If so, do it intentionally. Yours might be to give generously to anti human-trafficking ministries. Yours may be to feed the homeless or be a blessing to widows. Whatever it may be, do it with all your heart.
I have been a lead pastor for 12 years now. I have talked to so many people who are waiting for life’s circumstances to change to follow God. They don’t say it that way, but that’s what’s happening. Most people aren’t fulfilling their role in the body of Christ because they don’t want the responsibility.
Are you fulfilling your kingdom responsibilities?
Embrace Responsibility
I’d like to give you three quotes from clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson. I don’t endorse Dr. Peterson’s spiritual beliefs, but I do value his insight into human behavior. He has seen thousands of patients over decades and identifies the main thing people need in order to live productive lives - meaning.
Meaning. A reason to get out of bed. A meaningful life focus helps people heal from the past. Living with meaning empowers people to overcome adversity and pain. Peterson says that the pursuit of happiness is nice, but it’s a luxury many can’t afford.
“It’s a luxury to pursue happiness, it’s a moral obligation to pursue meaning. And that’s not easy, it may require sacrifice.”
“Meaning is the instinct that guides you through challenges and tragedies.”
“Meaning is most found in the adoption of responsibility.”
Dr. Peterson explains that people who avoid responsibility often live as victims and never move beyond past emotional trauma. Those who aim at something and have meaning in their lives move forward into health and productivity in greater numbers.
If we have a sense of meaning, we will face anything that comes our way.
For a believer, what gives our life the most meaning is discovering and pursuing God’s purposes in our lives. We can’t wait for him to tell us what to do. He is not going to split the sky and give you a reason to live. That is your responsibility. You are free to live for your own selfishness or lay your life down and allow God to live through you.
The Apostle Paul had a reason to face persecution. His compassion for his Jewish kinsman drove him into a difficult life. Nearly every original follower of Jesus lost their lives for the sake of the Gospel. They lived with meaning.
I’m not suggesting you need to get over yourself and die for Jesus, I’m saying you must find something in life to live for. As believers, of course, it should include the spreading of the Gospel, but maybe not just that.
What are you living for? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Are you just paying bills and trying to create a life of comfort? Or are you compelled daily by a purpose?
Only you can allow that to develop in your heart. God isn’t going to make it happen for you. I pray you watch the full sermon above for more on this subject. I pray this sermon inspires you to step into a life of meaning and purpose.
Don't Conform to the World's Version of Faith, Life and Culture
When it comes to matters of life, faith, and culture, we must think as God thinks. We must persuade our hearts and minds of His ways and adjust accordingly, rather than bend His Word and ways to conform to modern thought and culture.
God’s ways of life are never out of date. God’s ways are righteous and He leads us along the path of righteousness, in all that we do. Our faith is not separate from culture. In fact, our faith should shape culture.
What is righteousness?
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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
When it comes to matters of life, faith, and culture, we must think as God thinks. We must persuade our hearts and minds of His ways and adjust accordingly, rather than bend His Word and ways to conform to modern thought and culture.
God’s ways of life are never out of date. God’s ways are righteous and He leads us along the path of righteousness, in all that we do. Our faith is not separate from culture. In fact, our faith should shape culture.
What is righteousness?
Righteous means "as it should be." Evil means "as it ought not to be." When something or someone is righteous, they are as they should be in God's eyes. When a cultural system is righteous, it is operating as it should in God's eyes.
How does this apply to our lives?
There is a righteousness regarding our identity as children of God. Once we place our trust in the finished work of Christ, God cleanses us and places His Spirit in us, making us righteous before Him. Righteousness is a state of existence God gives us through Christ. It’s not a standard we live up to.
There is also a righteousness (as it should be) to life and culture. In other words, there is a proper way and order to everything, according to God's perspective. There is also a righteousness (as it should be) in sexuality, gender, relationships, justice, government, and every other aspect of life and culture.
When we go against God's natural order, the result is death. The death is not directly from God, it's produced on its own merit.
Righteousness is not achieved through rule-keeping and self-effort, it can only be recognized as God's truth and respected. We can yield to God's grace which empowers us to live well within the salvation He has provided in Jesus, but we can never attain righteousness on our own. Through behavior or laws.
As culture continues to reject God's righteousness, the more death, and destruction we will have in society and culture.
In our current political climate, there is no one party that is righteous, but there are policies proposed that are closer to God's natural order than others. No elected official can legislate righteousness, but we can vote for people who honor and respect God's natural order of creation. We can vote for people who value God’s righteousness or the way He created the world to function.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
Some consider it judgmental or dogmatic to advocate for God's ways, but it is proven, the closer we govern society to God's ways, the better the state of humanity.
Every political party claims to speak for God. The Democrats say we need to take care of people’s basic needs. The Republicans say we need to first and foremost protect life. Libertarians say we need to take personal responsibility for our lives. All of which are godly values and principles. But all of those systems are flawed because they are man-made.
The government can not make a better society for us, but it can protect our right to do so. Vote in such a way that gives you the most freedom to follow God and makes room for His righteousness and values.
Stand Up for Righteousness
I’ll ask a question to personalize these ideas. Where can you speak up for righteousness? How can you speak up for God’s natural order? Where can you speak up for how God says it ought to be?
Maybe it’s at work when people are telling inappropriate jokes. Maybe it’s at the skate park with your kids. Maybe it’s at a restaurant when someone is forcing another person to say the name of a person who has been killed. Maybe it’s online when people are discussing transgender issues.
We can’t go around picking fights, but we can make God’s truth known when opportunities arise.
How else will our children know of God’s truth if they don’t hear it in church and hear it from us?
The culture is trying to tell people that all love is ok, referring to homosexual relationships. Grown adults are subjecting their children to hormone therapy because they believe gender is fluid. The education system willingly subjects our children to debt and calls it normal. Violence in the streets is encouraged by political parties because it fits their agenda. Even some Christians are saying the sacrifice of Jesus wasn’t necessary.
I’m not trying to be negative and say the world is going to hell, I’m saying that believers need to speak up for God’s righteousness and truth when we have the opportunities. People will not know if we don’t. Once we do, the Holy Spirit then has an opportunity to work on those people.
That’s the pesky thing about truth, once you hear it, you have to confront it. You will either let it change you, or you will harden your heart and fight against it.
But there are people out there who have not heard about God’s ways. They’ve heard from Netflix, they’ve heard from their progressive teachers. They’re heard from political candidates but have they heard of God’s righteousness from you?
God Is Building His Body
I am not proposing that we stand on the corner, threatening people with hell. I am suggesting that we lay down our fear of man, our hesitation in offending people, and speaking up for God’s ways when we have the chance. How will people know if we don’t tell them?
You have a unique position in God’s body. God has specific assignments for you. I want to help you find and fulfill those assignments in the weeks ahead. But we all have the responsibility to be God’s ambassadors in the world. Pray for boldness. Pray for opportunities. Speak up for God’s righteousness when you can.
God Became Human Just Like You
Is Jesus God? YES!!
Was Jesus God before he came to earth? YES!!
Was Jesus God while he was a man? Let’s explore that idea. I don’t want to make you nervous, so the short answer is YES, but there are some things to understand about his form while in a human body.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
It’s safe to say that if you don’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh you are deceived by the spirit of anti-christ. So what does “in the flesh mean?” It doesn’t just mean that he was real, it’s referring to the kind of being he was. Let’s look at several passages that address this topic.
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Is Jesus God? YES!!
Was Jesus God before he came to earth? YES!!
Was Jesus God while he was a man? Let’s explore that idea. I don’t want to make you nervous, so the short answer is YES, but there are some things to understand about his form while in a human body.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
It’s safe to say that if you don’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh, you are deceived by the spirit of antichrist. So what does “in the flesh mean?” It doesn’t just mean that he existed, it’s referring to the kind of being he was. Let’s look at several passages that address this topic.
In The Flesh
John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The word “word” is the Greek word logos. Logos is where we get the word logic. To the Greeks, the logos is the creative intelligence behind the universe. The Chinese call it the Tao. They might not know the one true God, but cultures throughout time have recognized that there is a creative intelligence behind everything.
The logos (word) of God is his wisdom, character, integrity, and more. It’s the way he does things. It’s the way he thinks. And all of that somehow was transmuted into human form and manifested as Jesus of Nazareth.
The eternal, unlimited, formless God of light and love moved on Mary and conceived a human child, into which his DNA miraculously merged with humankind and produced a single son, a unique child of the Most High God. That son is Jesus Christ.
What form was he in once he became flesh?
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
God not only became human in a body of flesh, but it was also sinful flesh, like all mankind. Jesus was the son of God, but he was also the son of man.
Was Jesus sinful? NO! But his body was flesh, like ours. It was capable of sin, yet he never allowed sin to conceive in him. For this reason, he was qualified to be the sacrificial, spotless lamb of God, offered for the sin of all humanity. That’s one primary reason God sent his son so that a human could atone for all humankind.
God’s Law says that sin must be paid for in the body of the sinner, but no human could bear the full penalty of sin, so God gave us a worthy sacrifice. Jesus was made like us to fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law on behalf of humankind, as a human.
Hebrews 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Jesus entered the human condition to destroy the power of sin and death as a human. In doing so, he gave his victory to all humans who would receive his atoning work. He is the substitute. He became like us so we could become like him. In becoming like us, he understood what it was like to be us and now serves as a merciful high priest for us in Heaven.
The beauty in this act is that God knows what you’re going through because he went through it too. He knows what you’re facing because he faced it. He understands your pain, loss, and suffering because he experienced all of those things as well. And he knows how to help you. God became like you to set you free.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Again the writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted. He was tempted in every way we are, yet he never allowed it to conceive unto sin. So Jesus was a being that could be tempted.
This next passage may cause some discomfort for you, but if you grasp the concept, you will gain a deeper appreciation for what Jesus experienced on your behalf.
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
First of all, temptation is not from God, it’s from our own lust. This means that lust must not be a sin. Lust, in this context, means desire. The English language has a different connotation for the word lust, but in this passage, it just means desire. Jesus had desires.
When we are tempted to fulfill those desires in an evil way, it becomes sin, which becomes death. Jesus never allowed his desires to be fulfilled in an evil way. He was able to either subdue his desires or fulfill them in a loving and Godly way.
Jesus has every lust and desire you do. He knows what you’re struggling with. And because he overcame every lust and desire in a godly way, he can help you do the same.
Now, look at the phrase in James 1:13 that says God cannot be tempted. And then go back to the idea of Jesus coming “in the flesh.”
Was Jesus tempted? YES
Did Jesus sin? NO
Could Jesus have sinned? YES
Can God sin? NO
Can God be tempted? NO
Was Jesus tempted? YES
Is Jesus God? YES
This is a mystery. No true believer would deny that Jesus is God, but there is something special that happened when he became flesh. We see from the above passages that he had to become like us to set us free. Even the miracles Jesus performed, he did as a man, full of the grace and favor of God.
Remember John’s test, to say that Jesus didn’t come in the flesh is from the spirit of anti-Christ. This is a deeply sacred issue. This is not one to relegate to doctrine and dogma.
The miracle of God becoming human is the very crux of the Gospel and the very power of God’s offer to humankind of righteousness and eternal life. We must let the Word of God speak for itself, and not water our understanding down to cute phrases like Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. That’s not a scripture in the Bible, yet people defend that statement as if it is.
Let’s look at more passages that discuss the form of Jesus.
Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Jesus was in the form of God, but he emptied himself. What does it mean that he emptied himself? Did he cease to be God? No. But he did become fully human, in the likeness of sinful flesh.
It’s clear that God can’t be tempted, but Jesus was tempted so he could deliver us from that which destroys our soul. If you can get past the theological argument you might be having with me in your mind and see the beauty of the work of God in Christ, we might grow up together in the unity of our faith and show the world the deep and profound love of God displayed in Jesus.
What did Jesus empty himself of?
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
From this prayer of Jesus, we see that he has authority over all flesh. He can help those of flesh because, in his sinlessness, he overcame and was given this authority. We also see that he is ready to take back the glory he had before he became flesh.
So what did he empty himself of? The glory he had with the Father before he became flesh. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t God, it just means he laid something down to enter the human experience in the flesh fully. To deny this is to be deceived by the spirit of antichrist.
Greater Is He In You
1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
This passage takes on new meaning when you understand what it means that Jesus came in the flesh. While this passage can refer to the enemy in the world, it also refers to you. You are in the world, but Jesus in you is greater than the part of you that is still in the world.
He Did It For You
God did all of this for you. God did not leave us to our own strength. He became just like us, so he could overcome everything that kept us from receiving eternal life. He dealt with the sin issue. He dealt with the sanctification issue. He placed his spirit in us to seal us for the day of promise. Because he faced everything a human will face and overcame it, he is able to help us overcome.
No matter what you are facing, Jesus faced it and overcame it. Turn to Him in your weakness. Turn to him in your lack. Turn to him in your fear. He has good plans for you, and he knows how to help you have faith and hope. His love for you will make you whole and help you believe. You can trust him. He sees you, and he understands you. Turn to him today and allow Him to strengthen you.