The kingdom life

I have be reading through the message trying to look for places where Jesus talks about the kingdom life. What amazes me, is what He is describing when he gives us the standard of living to follow Him. When i read the sermon on the mount i am blown away by how many cultural laws Jesus shuts down and then infuses kingdom living into them. The beatitude,s Matthew 5 talks about how to receive the kingdom, and how to represent the kingdom. Matthew 6 talks about the radical nature of the kingdom and it's benefits. Matthew 7 describes our relationship with God and who He is. The kingdom is not just and idea it is the way of life. Jesus came and the kingdom of God was what He established. Life is more than just being good it is about living for the kingdom and the one who brought you under its rule.

dethroned

We all have idols of the heart. We fight them, we long for them to go away. Idols have a way of getting into our dna. They tell us how to think and what to be. The create in us a false sense of salvation or comfort. Tim Keller calls them functional saviors, they functionally make us feel better for a time so we feel safe and rescued. The truth is there is only one true savior, Jesus Christ. We can talk details and see the importance of removing idols and allowing Jesus to have the throne of our hearts. you and I can talk about our idols and the role they play in making us who we are, but the greatest idol is still to be removed, you. A.W. Tozer said that " we all want to be saved but we insist that Christ do all the dying". We love our selves and the role we play in our own lives. We might think to our selves that salvation is a means to an end not the beginning of life. Eternal life sounds better than the transformation and dethroning our selves form our own hearts. Where will it all end? At the foot of the cross. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. Take your life give it away and get the one He intended for you. Take you acceptable sins and confess them. Take you life and give it away to the one who knows you better than you know your self. Will you allow your self to be dethroned?

The cross is a radical thing

The cross effects its ends by destroying one established pattern, the victim's, and creating another pattern, its own. Thus it always has its way. It wins by defeating its opponent and imposing its will upon him. It always dominates. It never compromises, never dickers nor confers, never surrenders a point for the sake of peace. It cares not for peace; it cares only to end its opposition as fast as possible.

With perfect knowledge of all this Christ said:

Luke 9:23 (NIV) "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

So the cross not only brings Christ's life to an end, it ends also the first life, the old life, of every one of His true followers. It destroys the old pattern, the Adam pattern, in the believer's life, and brings it to an end. Then the God who raised Christ from the dead raises the believer and a new life begins.

We must do something about the cross, and one of two things only we can do--flee it or die upon it. And if we should be so foolhardy as to flee we shall by that act put away the faith of our fathers and make of Christianity something other than it is. Then we shall have left only the empty language of salvation; the power will depart with our departure from the true cross.

If we are wise we will do what Jesus did: endure the cross and despise its shame for the joy that is set before us. To do this is to submit the whole pattern of our lives to be destroyed and built again in the power of an endless life. And we shall find that it is more than poetry, more than sweet hymnody and elevated feeling. The cross will cut into where it hurts worst, sparing neither us nor our carefully cultivated reputations. It will defeat us and bring our selfish lives to an end. Only then can we rise in fullness of life to establish a pattern of living wholly new and free and full of good works.

excerpt from A. W. Tozer the cross is a radical thing

Volunteer letter 7

God has blessed us to be a blessing. We have been given the riches of salvation (blessing) and now we can extend those riches to the children in our classes. Thank you for being faithful to speak the name of Jesus to these children. We know from Acts that there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. What a blessing to no the power is not in us but in the name of our God and King.

We are quickly coming to a close of the school year session. I have been encouraged all year by your patience, persistence, and trust in our great God. As we are moving toward summer session and you maybe looking to a break, let me encourage you to finish strong. These little ones are apart of your flock for now and you are there shepherd under the great Shepherd. Allow them to see you pressing on towards the mark of the High calling of God that Philippians reminds us of.
You know your students and what your class needs to be successful. Please be looking for people in the church who you might encourage to fill your role in the classroom. You are our best recruiting tool; you know what we need and what works. God has blessed us in abundance with people through out the years to help leave a legacy for these children. You are apart of the legacy of evbc.

One of my favorite memories is of my 1st and 2nd grade Sunday school teacher’s Mr. and Mrs. Green. They were a young couple with out children who loved me. They would call and send cards. The thing I remember most was being able to go to a Detroit Pistons basketball game with Mr. Green; not for memorizing scripture or attendance, but because he desired to have a lasting impact on my life.

God has called us to love beyond our capacity with His love. Who needs the love of Christ in you from your room? Which child needs that extra encouragement? Who would you call to come along side of you in your mission to leave a legacy? We have more blessing than we always know what to do with. Lets give it away to the little ones of evbc.

I am praying for you and asking God to strengthen you in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:14-21

when love comes home

now what? do you every thing that phrase over and over in your head? Something happens and now what? I spent the weekend in Williams, AZ for high school winter camp. I was blown away by God. I got to see His spirit moving in the lives of students. I was able to see the love of God penetrate hearts and see people worship for the very first time. The students gained a renewed perspective on their heavenly Father. The amazing part was the bearing of one anothers burdens, the students had compassionate love for each other. It was a wonderful weekend.

the question now stands: now what? what now? Love has come home. God has been so good so gracious and now what? The fire is still burning and the passion for the King is glowing now what? The goal is to remember to ask for open skies, a window into heaven. When we have this window we have eyes that see the King on His throne. Love has come home in us. Love can go out through us, through the Holy spirit. God loved us first and that is the only reason we can love. Love has come home and it is alive. When our view of God is big and our love is filled our now what as action behind it.

Love has come home. look out world God has done great things this weekend and He has established His purposes in His people. They are on task and about the Kingdom, i can't wait to see all that God will do in the students with there now what.

God in Heaven thank you for all you did this weekend. Your purpose remains, you rescue sinners, you bind the broken hearted and you get your kids back. we are so grateful for all you have done and will do through the Holy spirit. We praise you and glorify your name becasue you are a God who loves. Thank you that Your love has come home in us. amen.