LITTLE ONES

LITTLE ONES

(c) Morris E. Ruddick

"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones."Matthew 18:10

Matthew 18 begins with Jesus' response to His disciples' question of greatness in the Kingdom. Kingdom entrance starts with conversion coupled with the simple trust of a child. Then Jesus illustrated greatness in the Kingdom as conforming to the humility of a little child.
"Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."Matt 18:3-4

Also in Luke 25, Jesus pointed out that those who are the "least" would be the greatest; that greatness would come not through position, but through serving. In Matthew 18:10, still addressing the issue of greatness, Jesus explained the importance the Father places on "little ones;" those who are the "least," who operate through genuine humility, who esteem others higher than themselves.
"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."Matt 18:10

Jesus described the humble ones as those to whom priority should be given not to cause them to stumble or be despised; as their angels are always in God's presence.

The Dividing Asunder
The issue bears on the employment of Kingdom power "in the world," without acquiescing to the way of the world. It represents the core of societal transformation.

It is this dynamic that makes humble believers the most vulnerable; yet in terms of the Kingdom, the most strategic. It is why in the Kingdom, that "greatness" is defined by a different standard. It falls to the "least" who wield a faith that is pure.

The beatitudes provide a still deeper glimpse into true greatness and those whose mantle radiates the focus of God's blessing: the lowly in spirit, the meek, those who hunger after righteousness, the merciful, those in mourning, the peacemakers, the pure in heart and those persecuted for their faith.

In the world, greatness may be characterized by power exercised, status and money. In the West, the bridge to greatness within the Body too often seems to be in competing with the world's standard. Yet, in wrapping up one of our latest initiatives among those paying the cost of being persecuted for their faith, there is clearly something more to the truth of Jesus' words of "take heed that you do not despise one these little ones."It marks the fine line between these two standards.

The Distinction Recognized by the World
When freedom is at risk due to ones' faith; the glory of God shines on those who choose to identify themselves with the Lord. That identity crystallizes and becomes stronger as it delineates the boundaries by which God's people are not like "everyone else." It is a cultural mantle.

In the late 90s China recognized something significant. They discerned the importance of the biblical foundations to the free enterprise system. At a time when China was emerging into the world's economy; they saw the role of the Christian ethic in Western business, despite the departure from its roots when God was at the center.

So it was that China wanted this "special" dimension operating in their entrepreneurial startups. When they could have contacted Bill Gates or IBM, they chose to ask a small, but strategic-level Christian business association to put together a television series on "the Western approach" to how to start a business. The TV series that followed proved an overwhelming success and has been shown again and again since its first viewing.

The Impact of the Little Ones
Yet, there is something more to this dynamic recognized by China. It is the "something more" tied to being the head and not the tail that we as Christians share with the Jewish people. It defines our identity and our destiny as God's people. It is our cultural distinctive.

This "God-centered" cultural distinction has been wielded by the Jewish people for centuries. It reflects their mantle as carriers of the oracles of God. As a people, they apply God's original mandate of dominion: they master what they are given to do.

The Jewish people likewise know how to operate in community: they take care of their own. Even more so, the overflow from the Torah-driven foundations of their culture has shaped the ethical, moral, legal, economic and social mores of Western civilization. It is the basis of God's word through Moses that they would be the head and not the tail; as they have been a light to the nations through the God-centered, entrepreneurial community model that was operated by Abraham.

On the high side, the Jewish people represent .25 of one percent of the world's population. In America, they are roughly two percent of the population. Despite those odds, they have won 23 percent of all the Noble prizes ever awarded - 27 percent after 1946 - after the Holocaust destroyed a third of their numbers. Of the Fortune 100largest companies in 2003, 15 percent of the CEOs were Jewish. In that same year, of Fortune'slist of the twenty five most powerful people in business, 24 percent were Jewish. Of the Forbes 400list (2007), 31 percent were Jewish. (Steven Pease, "The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement,"Deucalion Press, Sonoma, 2009)

It begins and ends with God's word to Abraham: "I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you; and through you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Genesis 12:2-3

Yet, from the stance of God's purposes, serving as the head and not the tail is far more than the accomplishments of individuals. That is only the by-product of the destiny that God has for His people, as a people, in being a light to the nations. Despite their incredible contribution as a people, again and again, Jews have encountered Hamans and Hitlers, who not only despise them, but are bent on their destruction. It is the spiritual dynamic behind this cultural imperative. It is the cost of wielding the mandate of dominion that brings the Abrahamic model to the cultures of the earth.

The Reality Beyond "Being Like Everyone Else"
God's purposes pivot on this issue of "little ones" entrusted to wield His power. It is the power of God, applied by God's people to change the course of nations.

Jesus underscored the dynamic of the "little ones" grasping the reality of His power with the words, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes."(Matt 11:25)

Jesus prayed these words at a time when He had just ranked John the Baptist as more than a prophet and being the greatest among those born of women. Yet with the same breath He stated: "The one who is least in the Kingdom is greater than he [John]"(Matt 11:11). John stood against the grain of both the religious and political power brokers of his day and gave his life for that stand. Yet in the Kingdom, he bore the brand of being among "the least." The mix in the equation to exert Kingdom power is in being the least, or the most humble.

It was then in this context that Jesus cursed the communities in which John had prepared the way; the communities in which He had ministered. Jesus cursed them for failing to grasp the significance of His miracles. It gave focus to the issue of transformation and the cultural response to the reality of God. It also bore the cultural contrast of the standard Jesus used to describe Kingdom greatness.

In the case of Capernaum, their "success" or greatness had been exalted to match heaven. Yet, His words were that Capernaum would be brought down to Hades. Today, it is a shell of ruins and a reminder of the path they missed as the "wise and prudent" of the world whose priorities were themselves, rather than God and others.

The Poise of the Culture
The other side of this equation was the observation the Egyptians had when Joseph was a slave in Potiphar's house.
"Everyone saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made all that He did to prosper."Genesis 39:2-3

The poise of the culture to recognize the reality of God when it comes is at the heart of the distinction between the communities Jesus went to, who failed to receive His transforming power; and those in Egypt who recognized and embraced the power Joseph imparted, despite the brand of the "least" position, that he had as a slave.

So it is today. Beyond the account of each segment of the Church in Revelations 2 and 3 is the context of the cultures from which they served. It conforms to current ratios in which more than two-thirds of the world lives under; which the Psalmist refers to as oppression, affliction (persecution) and sorrow.

The poise of the culture is in its response to the least; the "little ones" who genuinely bear the mantle of being blessed to be a blessing.

During one of our venues among brethren persecuted for their faith, we met a brother with a most remarkable story. At the time he met the Lord, he was so poor that he didn't even own a bicycle, a most basic mode of transportation in his culture. His first Bible was a gift someone gave him. In simplicity, he read in Genesis 12:3 that those who blessed Israel would be blessed.

This brother acted on that word; and along with what consistently began as very much a widow's mite He gave to his congregation, to the poor and to a ministry in Israel. In a matter of a couple of months, the piecemeal work he had been doing turned into a full-time job. He worked hard and smart; and increased his generosity. Roughly a year later, the Lord spoke to him to start a simple business.

Not only has his business grown and prospered far beyond his expectations; but it has allowed him the joy of becoming a major benefactor to enabling opportunity for others in his community. Having spent time with this brother, I've been struck by the genuineness and depth of his humility. Similarly, his example is marked by his commitment to his community, to Israel; along with the increase that comes from the mastery and stewardship of his gifts.

God indeed endows His own with gifts to employ. When you're under this mantle, the natural and spiritual gifts combine exponentially; and when developed will exceed any natural means of development. Then when nurtured with a God-centered community context, the potential of these gifts becomes explosive.

This dynamic of being blessed to be a blessing is at the very foundation of the Kingdom message that Jesus imparted and entrusted to a small remnant of followers. Yet, until the Church as a people gets the economic and community dimensions of God's word operating with the spiritual, it will only be giving lip service to this destiny we share with the Jewish people, of being the head and not the tail.

It's about the mandate of dominion and the model operated by Abraham. It involves taking care of your own. As good stewards, it entails mastery of our gifts, while overcoming the obstacles of life, with God at the center. The path is one that only the "least" will find.

The pathway is the narrow one outlined by Jesus in which we bring transformational change, as we are blessed to be a blessing. The pathway distinguishes that fine line between what we do for God and what we allow Him to do through us. It is operating with God's heart, with His mantle of power that bypasses the ways of the world. It is assuming the leadership role of servant, of being one of the "least" who are not to be despised.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame - who set their mind on earthly things."
Philippians 2:3-4; 3:18-19
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Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the call of God in the marketplace. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" and "The Heart of a King," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders called to impact their communities with God's blessings. They are available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other popular outlets.

Mr. Ruddick is also the founder of the Global Equippers Entrepreneurial Program, which imparts hope and equips economic community builders where God's light is dim in both the Western and non-Western world. To schedule a speaking engagement, sponsor a workshop, make a donation or to get more information on how you can help, contact Global Initiatives at 303.741.9000.

2010 Copyright Morris Ruddick - response@strategic-initiatives.org

Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check: http://www.strategicintercession.org

House Church 1

Hi all,
Note: Links to the two Saturday, April 17 Webinars are below. First will be at 10am CDT, and repeated live at 7pm CDT. (CDT in US and Canada is 1 hour earlier than East Coast, and 2 hours later than Pacific Time)

ALSO - again, thank you for your patience concerning me getting back to the thousands of emails and dozens of phone calls - it's just me and Barb, and our son and his wife - and we're swamped. Thank you again for understanding!

I'd like to share the next few weeks on how house church is different than the traditional, how to start, what a house church meeting looks like, big questions, how to stay balanced, etc.

Things I learned along the way
The basics of house church I could see from the Word, but the 'how to' came about as a result of putting things learned in the Word into practice, making adjustments, and many "OH, that's why Paul said what he did" revelations.

The foundation was that I realized the whole of the New Testament was written to people in homes scattered throughout the Roman Empire. That means every understanding of every chapter and verse Matthew through the Revelation must manually and purposely be brought up in the reader's mind to apply to a living room full of people. If you pull it out of context and apply it to an auditorium with a paid pastor up front, you will have a hard time understanding the Word in context. You have to renew your mind to this truth one truth at a time.

I knew from Acts 2:42-46 that they were in the apostles fellowship and teaching, and they all went 'house to house' breaking bread and praying. It seemed they had 1 foot in the temple and 1 foot in house church.

That only lasted no more than 18-24 months, because within that 2 years Acts 8:1 says all believers left Jerusalem except the apostles due to Saul of Tarsus' persecution, and even after his salvation and the return of some to the city, we never again see them going to the temple for gatherings.

I learned however that the Father graciously provided that 18-24 month time frame of one foot in each place to allow them to adjust from temple thinking (God is in the building) to New Testament thinking (God is in me), and that people go through that same 18-24 month adjustment time today.

People DO often take 1-2 years to decompress from the old temple way of thinking to the New Testament way of thinking. Part of the difficulty is that we use the same Bible terms, so each though has to manually and purposely be interrupted, changed to the context of the NT, and then thought through.

I could see that every NT letter was written not to leaders, but 'to the church at .....', and that the writers expected the body to take care of problems rather than 'leaders'. Examples include I Corinthians 5 and 6 where Paul told the whole body to deal with the man involved in the incestuous relationship and then for the whole body to deal with the 2 brothers suing one another in open court. He never said to have leadership deal with it - he told them all to deal with it, taking responsibility for their own spiritual lives. (there's a thought)

I saw the names of the various initial hosts: Lydia in Philippi, Crispus and Justus in Corinth, Jason in Thessalonica, Aquila and Priscilla at various times in Rome and Ephesus, Philemon in Colossae, and Nymphas in Laodecia to name a few. That meant when I read those letters they were originally sent to these people and those gathered in their homes. When they outgrew a house 4-6 or more divided out and went to other homes. We do the same today.

Common questions and context
The thoughts I had to change after 25+ years in ministry and walking with the Lord, even to understanding study guides which were written by people with a temple based Christian mentality, involved studying out the questions as each thought presented itself and letting the New Testament answer itself.

The questions I had to find answers for in the Word about understanding the NT in light of it all being written to those in house church are the same questions I get today via email and phone calls. I'll answer a few common ones here:

1) Q: What about the 5-fold? A: The NT was written within context of 5-fold manifesting within home churches, and thus that is the natural environment - and I might add, it all flows wonderfully, smoothly, amazingly organic. (The trouble is that because we've had 1700 years of traditional church using 5-fold out of context, people who ask about it are doing so with no visible example in their life experience to compare it to.

It is like trying to describe the animal hippo-ele-monkey-saurus. If you'd never seen a hippo-ele-monkey-saurus no matter how someone explains one to you, you have no point of reference. Such is trying to explain the New Testament house church to those who only know the 1700 year old non-Biblical way of 'doing church.' They have to gradually re-learn all they learned within NT house based context.

2) Q: What about accountability/covering? A: Read your New Testament. What does it say about accountability? It speaks of accountability to Jesus, and to each other. The traditional church measures accountability by attendance, giving, and volunteerism.

The NT measures accoutability by growing in the Lord/discipleship and being in relationship with each other - the quality of the relationships automatically brings each into accountability with the other. At first, people's minds practically go 'tilt' and their eyes roll back in their heads in confusion when I tell them it's as simple as 2 friends being accountable to each other and those then being accountable to a larger living room full of friends, and then that living room being accountable to several living rooms full of friends around town...it's all very natural, organic, and not a program - it's relationship.

If one offends, the other goes to them alone, and if they hear them they've gained the friend back. If not they gather 1 or 2 other friends and go to the person - hey, that's something Jesus taught! :) Imagine that, putting relationships back into 'church' actually works - not a formula, it's real.

3) Q: How do you keep balanced? A: How did they do that in the NT? They were connected to each other (in this case Paul's) network, they communicated with each other, they traveled back and forth, they remained connected and active in the larger body of Christ and they were connected to their communities. If you throw in balanced apostolic teaching and relationships all flowing together in a larger community of faith - you remain balanced. Any church no matter the structure can get off if they choose to become an island to themselves.

As a side note to accountability let me add how "witnessing" is done in the New Testament. It's all relationship based; in John 1:40-42 Andrew introduces his brother Peter to Jesus - family. In John 1:44-50 Philip, from the same small town as Peter and Andrew, introduced his friend Nathanael to Jesus - friends and community. In Luke 5:5-10 it Peter introduces his partners in the fishing business, James and John, to Jesus - co-workers. These are concentric circles and also overlapping circles: family, friends, community, co-workers.

You are looking for the person of peace of Luke 10: 5-9. They are a person of peace to you, not yet Jesus - they accept you initially, not Jesus. In Luke 10 Jesus says to find a person of peace, stay with them, eat and drink with them...and oh yeah, on down the road in verse 9 he says to 'heal the sick therein.' It's relationship based, we are not trying to present 'the deal' and close it all in one fell swoop of a Bible banging down on their head - care about them FOR REAL. Get to know them FOR REAL. Be a friend - let them be that person of peace, after you truly know each other, then and only then present Jesus. As Jesus said, if they don't want you, go to someone else.

Why do you think Paul went into the synagogues at first? (This is a good one to de-brief from the traditional thinking that says 'Well of course he was Jewish and they had first rights to the gospel...') Of course that's true, but put it in context that maybe, just maybe, Paul was trying to obey Jesus and look for people of peace. He'd go into a synagogue, some people of peace received him while others rejected him and Jesus, and he (over and over it says) "separated the disciples"...and went into the home of....

Those are the top questions in terms of initial questions I had with answers I found, but many more came when we started putting things into practice...more on that later.

What a house church (HC) looks like
In Acts 2:46 they went house to house, yet in several places Paul addresses specific people 'and the church that meets in your house', as listed above. When we first started I wasn't sure how to balance going from house to house with 'the church that meets in your house...', but it soon became clear once we started.

We started in our living room with a handful of people who were de-churched like us. (A simple invitation to de-churched friends was all it took) For 6 weeks Barb and I hosted in our living room and I led. We talked about house church, walked through the Word together putting scripture back into a home context, put it into practice to see how it played out, etc. Before week 6 the Father spoke to me one day: "You've talked enough, now delegate out to others."

So after I shared that 6th week I told them that the next week one of them would have to lead. So we went another 6 weeks in our home rotating a different leader each of those weeks.

Each meeting was different because the gifts among us were so varied. One brother was more of a teacher - don't bother with a worship CD, just bring your Bible, a Concordance, a word study. Another was more about prayer and worship, so we spent the time praying for one another and in worship. During that time people who had never moved in the gifts of the Spirit did so, while Barb and I remained quiet and let them take the initiative.

Lesson - Let whoever is leading, lead. Let God move through others. When they do things differently from the way you would do things, learn it isn't wrong, its just different, and be at peace with that.

By that time it was 12 weeks in a row hosting. The pressure had been building for some time on Barb, but finally she said something to the effect of, "John, someone else has to host, you can't expect us to do this every week - the Word says they went house to house, so lets do that."

So we did. At week 12 we passed around a list to draw up a monthly schedule and began rotating to a different home each week. Usually the host/hostess also led/leads, but not always. Sometimes the host/hostess says something like "I'll open my house, but it's been too busy a week to get the mind of the Lord, so someone else will have to." We go with that, someone else volunteers to lead, and that's fine.

Lesson: Some water/juice/drinks, some basic finger foods, helps people feel at home.
Lesson: If you don't rotate homes and leaders each week, people fall back into human nature of looking to the hosts that do it each week to be the leaders.
Lesson: If you do rotate homes and leaders each week everyone gets used to sharing from what's on their heart, and you'll be amazed at the discussions that follow as a result.

What we've found is that house churches that meet weekly in the same person's house usually don't go on very long (no more than 3 years usually) before it either stagnates, gets off balance in focus and teaching, or people simply stop coming for various reasons.

In the Word every time Jesus, Paul, Peter or whomever went somewhere, they had something to say. Paul said in I Cor 14:6 they would not benefit unless he came to them with revelation, teaching, life experience to share, the gifts of the Spirit, and so on. He told them that when they came together "every one of you has a Psalm (prayer/worship), revelation (something God showed me), doctrine (something the Lord taught me), or tongues/interpretation (gifts of the Spirit in operation)."

By contrast there are very few meetings where no one was in charge, where no one had anything to share. We see a meeting of 120 praying at Pentecost with no apparent leader until the Holy Spirit came and Peter shared once they spilled out into the street. We see a meeting in Acts 13:1-3 where 5 men were seeking the Lord with no apparent leader - but that's it - and in those cases the Lord did take the lead.

Lesson: God moves through his people, but if once in a while the leader doesn't have anything from the Lord, it's fine to just seek him as a body and see what the Lord does. But otherwise, He will have something to say through those present or those leading.

Next week I'll share some more, but I wanted to give (especially) new subscribers a bit of a 'this is how to start' perspective...

Webinar links below. The first link is for the 10-11am one, the 2nd link is for the 7-8pm link.

Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

What is the Kingdom of God?

What is the Kingdom of God?
By Milt Rodriguez www.therebuilders.org
"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Col. 1:13, 14

The Power of the Filter

We all have mindsets. These are particular systems or ways of thinking about certain topics. Each topic has its own set of thoughts and "principles" pertaining to that mindset. For example, if you are an Olympic swimmer then you will have a "mind" that pertains to that specific sport. This "mind" will have its own set of subsets or principles regarding Olympic swimming. You will tend to think in terms of water, how to move quickly through water, swimsuits, headgear, goggles, racing techniques, etc. And this mindset will contain its own filter. So when you see water, you will envision swimming, racing, etc. When you approach a swimming pool you will automatically "see" a raceway.

We do the same thing with the scriptures, and specifically, with the idea of the kingdom. Christians view this topic from the perspective of many different mindsets. Therefore, they see different things from the perspective of the various corresponding filters.

Some will see the kingdom of God as a political entity and opportunity for Jesus to rule on this earth through the earthly political process. Others will see the kingdom as an opportunity for the display of spiritual gifts such as healings, miracles, the casting out of demons, raising of the dead, etc. Still others will see the kingdom through the filter of evangelism, revival, and church growth. To them, the kingdom is the rapid spread of the "gospel" of the kingdom which is the salvation of mankind. And to many others the kingdom is seen as the fulfillment of end time prophecy concerning the second coming of Christ. It all has to do with physical Israel and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. And I could go on and on with the various mindsets and the corresponding filters, but I think you get my point.

The One Mindset We Desperately Need

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Col. 3:1 - 4

"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him - a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all." Col. 3:9 - 11

Brothers and sisters, we desperately need the mindset of the new man. The mindset of being "in Christ." The mindset of the New Creation!

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Cor. 5:17

In this new mindset we see everything from a new point of view. This is the perspective of God himself. And how does our God see everything? From what perspective does he see? There is only one. He sees from the perspective of "in Christ!" The Father sees all things from this one vantage point. You could say that this is the mindset of God. He sees all things from the "filter" of his beloved Son.

"For in him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." Col. 2:9

You see, God does everything in and through Christ and therefore he has an "in Christ" frame of mind. But we do not think this way. That's why we need this renewal of the mind that Paul writes about.

Seeing the Kingdom with a New Mind

Of course, we have transferred our old man mindset into our definitions and understandings of the kingdom of God. We only see this from the mindset of principles and topics. For years I viewed the Bible as a book of spiritual topics. Within those topics there were certain "principles" that every believer needs to learn. I not only was taught this and believed it, I also taught God's people this way of topics and principles. I thank God that I finally saw that the Bible is not about topics and principles, but is a book about a Person. That Person is Jesus Christ, God's Son! You see, this Person is all that God thinks about and writes about. The Bible is not a book about certain topics such as salvation, prayer, healing, righteousness, holiness, love, ministry, the church, the kingdom of God, etc. All of the scriptures only speak about one Person and reveal this one Person (John 5:39, 40; Luke 24:27; Rev. 1:1; Rev. 19:13).

All of the supposed topics are actually descriptions of our Lord! Now, let's take a look at the "topic" of the kingdom of God.

The Mystery

"To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables." Mark 4:11

"For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself."
Col. 2:1 - 2

The Seed

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field." Matt. 13:24

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as referring to many, but rather to one. "And to your seed, that is, Christ."
Gal. 3:16

The First

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matt. 6:33

"He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."
Col. 1:18

The Treasure

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." Matt. 13:44

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves."
2 Cor. 4:7

Marriage

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son." Matt. 22:2

"He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body."
Eph. 5:28b - 30

The Vineyard

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard." Matt. 20:1

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."
John 15:5

It should by now be apparent to you what our definition of the kingdom of God should be. The kingdom is not another topic to be studied with principles that need to be obeyed. The kingdom of God is a Person and we have been called to intimately know and live by means of this wonderful Person.

"Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He answered, "God's kingdom isn't something you can see. There is no use saying, 'Look, here it is' or 'Look! There it is.' God's kingdom is here with you." Luke 17:20, 21

The Lord was talking about Himself. He was standing right there in their midst. The kingdom was among them because He was among them! He IS the kingdom. The kingdom of God is the place where God is first, God rules, and God is all. That place is inside of the Person of Christ.

It's interesting that Paul doesn't have much to say about the kingdom using those exact terms. He only mentions "the Kingdom" a few times and yet Jesus spoke about it constantly. I believe that the reason for this is that Jesus was mainly speaking to Jews and he was cracking wide open their mindset (along with the filters) about the kingdom. They had the political mindset about the kingdom and he came to show them that He was the kingdom. Instead, Paul was speaking mostly to Gentiles and he uses the phrase "in Christ." He uses that phrase over two hundred times in his writings. They both refer to a location. A location that is a glorious Person!

The Inheritance

In the Old Testament the kingdom and the land of Canaan were synonymous. Of course, the kingdom of Israel and the physical land of Canaan are only pictures and shadows of the true reality. This reality is Jesus Christ. Paul uses the picture of the Canaan land to show us the unsearchable riches of Christ. He does it through writing about the inheritance of the saints. In the old covenant, the inheritance was a direct reference to the Canaan land being given to the nations of Israel (Acts 20:32; Col. 1:12).

"Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light; who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins . . ." Col. 1:12 - 14

We can see here that Paul ties together the allotted portion, which is a reference to the Canaan land (Josh. 14:1) and the kingdom of the Son of His love. This kingdom, this inheritance, this land is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who is the allotted portion of the saints!

Your Greatest Purpose

Your Greatest Purpose
By Jeremy Caris www.abidingglory.com

Over the last couple of weeks, the Lord has been repeatedly telling me to simplify my life. It is so easy to get caught up in the daily grind of being busy, even with good things. It is also possible to be extremely productive and still not accomplish anything that leads you to the next landmark along your God-given destiny. Nothing in life matters more than pleasing God. The one thing that pleases Him the most is to have someone who is fully surrendered to Him and His design for their life.

He urgently looks for those whose heart is devoted to Him to the point that they will rearrange everything to pursue the life that He intends. When you have that single focus of heart, the decisions you make and the actions you take become simple and determined. Are you spending your time and energy on pleasing Him, and on doing the things that keep you moving along His path for your life also? The second actually accomplishes the first when it flows from your heart. It is time to simplify your life.

Your Unique Purpose

If you have any glimpse of God's plan for your future, you know that it involves your deepest passions. That is because He created you with a purpose and He intends for you to fulfill the unique purpose for which He created you. The only way you will accomplish this is to become the fullest uninhibited expression of everything He intends for you to be. The Bible confirms that God has a plan for each one of us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

In addition, if you are a Christian then you are a part of Jesus' Body in the earth today and you have an unlimited future because of your inheritance through Him. That inheritance is your potential. Because of Christ, you already have the potential to live your life to His full intent, but it is your responsibility to surrender to His path of developing that potential. You must focus your time doing what helps you along in this process of becoming the best that God intends for you to be.

Take a minute to imagine who you are from God's perspective. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, "But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him." That means He is inseparable from you. Through Jesus, He has fully invested Himself in you. He spent Himself completely in order to have His way with you and through you. Even before you surrendered to Him, He made you a unique and special person for His own pleasure. That not only means that He loves you, but it also means that He has a deliberate plan for your life.

Do you think that He could be so intentional concerning your very life without having a future designed especially for you? Maybe that life has been stolen from you, or maybe you have simply walked away from it. But if you want the happiness and fulfillment that every other person on the planet desires, then don't let life just happen to you, and don't allow your path to be determined by anyone but God.

His Plan Becomes Your Plan

You may be nowhere close to who you will become, but that's okay. He will give you the grace and strength to become who you are as long as you desire to continue. We would all like to become the person at the end of a successful journey, but "the journey" is part of the process of becoming that successful person. Choosing that journey will require your willingness and obedience. According to Isaiah 1:19, it is the willing and obedient who will eat the good of the land. In other words, that is what it will take for you to make the most of this life and receive the greatest benefit. Willingness is a motivated heart while obedience is motivated action.

You see, the first secret to living your successful and fulfilling life is to find what it is that God wants and then to act in agreement. You will go through many seasons along the way. You must not only focus your efforts in alignment with the purposes of God, but you must also work within the season of life you are in. Those seasons are defined by God, but your willingness and obedience in that season is decided by you. God will not force you to align with His plan, He will tell you to simplify your life until His plan very clearly becomes your plan as well.

What is defining your life? Are you focused on who you are created to be? Are you being positioned to fulfill your greatest purpose? There is a reason you are here! Giving your life to Christ is not a prayer you pray, it is an action you take. It is all for Him and all about Him; pleasing Him with your very life. This is what it means to minister to God. It is giving Him what He wants, which is all of you. It is surrendering your entire life and focus. It is choosing His path and future for you. Decide right now to give the rest of your life as an offering of worship that is pleasing to God.

So,Whose Test Is This?

So, Whose Test Is This?
by Francis Frangipane

I think moFrancis Frangipanest of us do not grasp the degree of suffering and devastation that has hit Haiti. We think because the front-page news about Haiti has diminished that Haiti's need has also diminished, but it has not. The urgency of people being buried alive has been replaced with the urgency of a million and a half people without homes or shelter.



To put this disaster into perspective, recall the terrifying Sumatran tsunami that killed 230,000 people in December 2004. Eighteen nations were affected. In contrast, the Haitian earthquake killed approximately the same number of people as the Asian tsunami, but the death toll was focused primarily in one city in the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere! Nearly everyone in Port-au-Prince has lost a family member, friends or neighbors. Many have lost several loved ones. Approximately one-fourth of the city died. The collective burden upon the Haitian people is without parallel.



Let Compassion Grow


Some people familiar with Haiti's worship of elemental spirits (in voodoo) have concluded Haiti has only itself to blame for its catastrophe. This is a convenient analysis. For once we determine that this disaster is the fault of its victims, an icy veneer begins to form over our heart. We feel detached from their suffering, delivered from the discomforting demands of mercy.



But God isn't looking at who's responsible as much as who is able to respond in the compassion of Christ. And this isn't so much about God testing Haiti as much as He is testing us, His church. How we respond, how we give, how we pray or sacrifice to see this nation redeemed has the full attention of the Lord's eyes. He has not blessed us with so much so we can hoard our wealth, but so we can give to help others.



This is our test. God has opened wide doors to minister in Haiti. Anyone who has wanted an opportunity to serve and make a difference, here is your chance. There is no competition here, no "voodoo aid agencies" helping the hungry or homeless in Haiti, no Muslim outreaches lending a hand. Those helping are either from secular agencies sent from a couple dozen nations or they are members of hundreds of Christian outreaches. Our friends on the ground are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and giving shelter to the homeless - and they are speaking the word of God to the newly saved Haitians.



The people in Haiti could not be more desperate or more open to the love of Christ. Remember Jesus' words: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Luke 10:2). He said to pray for the laborers to be sent out, and this is my daily prayer, "Lord of the Harvest, send forth Your anointed laborers, those whom You've raised up, those who simply want to show the love of Jesus, who know in their hearts that You have put Your compassion in their hearts."



Get Involved


I'm going to keep asking you to remember Haiti in prayer. You will continue to hear me urging Christians to take a week or two, or a year, and get involved whenever possible in Haiti's renewal. I'm going to not stop asking pastors to send teams to serve the needs in Haiti and to also go there themselves. Of course, let us continue giving to Christian aid organizations that are already functioning on the ground in Haiti, and let us give sacrificially and with vision.



Haiti is our test. How we respond to Haiti's need, to its outstretched hands, will be a determining factor concerning how God will respond to our outstretched hands in our time of need. Yes, miracles and revivals are breaking out, as we mentioned last week, and certainly God has a better future planned for the people of Haiti. But the test we must be concerned about isn't for the Haitians; God is testing us.

The Healthy Branch

The Healthy Branch
By Dudley Hall www.sclm.org

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:7-8 (ESV)

It seems too simple. Surely there is more to it than abiding and asking. We tend to make the ways of God more complicated than he makes them. Could it be as simple as Jesus has indicated?

God the Father has gone to a lot of trouble to establish such a possibility as Jesus suggests. Alienated from God, mankind had no way to ever be so intimate with the Father. We were "in Adam" and Adam was cast out of the Garden and lived from a perspective of hiding behind a bush. Jesus, the last Adam, has made it possible for us to be as united with the Father as he was while on the earth. There is nothing we could do to make us closer to God. We are in him! So what could we do in addition to abiding?

God did the placement. We abide by living accordingly. As we choose to believe what he has done, we enjoy the benefits of the relationship. We don't always feel or sense that we are so united with the Father, but our sensory awareness is not the last word. When we choose to live by what he says, we experience what he says.

Do you get the impression that God the Father looks forward to answering our prayers? It seems that we often live with a built-in doubt that he is interested. It is by answering our prayers that we are distinguished as disciples of Jesus. Actually he will lead us into circumstances of deficit in order to supply our needs.

If you have a legitimate need today, it is God's invitation to pray. When you pray, remember that you are an extension of his will on the earth. You represent him and he is not hesitant to establish you and supply all you need for your assignment.

Give it a try. Abide and ask. There is no better way to live as his son on earth.

Growth of the Mysterious Eternal Seed

Growth of the Mysterious Eternal Seed
By Bob Mumford www.lifechangers.org

God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain.

It is mystery how anything can grow out of a pile of dirt. When I was a kid there was a huge maple tree in front of my house and one of the seeds dropped into the crack in the sidewalk. Eventually, that seed grew until the whole sidewalk was pushed up. I can remember flying over the concrete ramp that the roots created on my scooter made out of orange crates and old skates.

Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a seed. In so doing, He reveals several aspects of the Kingdom that will help us know the Father’s ways and move with them. It is always fascinating to see how the four Gospels amplify and clarify different aspects of the Kingdom of God. The parable of the Sower is pivotal, far-reaching, and monumental in helping us understand the Kingdom mystery. Mark, after recording this parable, adds important and fundamental insights:

1. Casting Seed. This implies that our confidence is in the Seed because it contains all that is necessary to produce fruit.

2. The growth of the Seed is a mystery. We sleep or rest in the power of the Seed and we embrace the mystery that we do not really know how the growth occurs.

3. The Seed bears fruit in its season. The earth brings forth fruit from the Seed by some “automatic” process. It grows and produces fruit by itself. We can cultivate, water, and nourish, but we cannot make the fruit grow.

4. Harvest of fruit. The harvest cannot happen until or unless the fruit has appeared.
What a beautiful picture Mark gives us of how the Kingdom fruit does not emerge fully mature. As the crop grows, we first see a green stem of grass, then the bud, then the ripened grain—and only when the crop permits is it harvested for use. Every farmer knows the futility of forcing a seed to grow. He also knows it is not possible to plant watermelon seeds today and get watermelons tomorrow. The farmer quickly learns not to give himself a spiritual hernia trying to make the seed grow or reap a crop before it is ready.

THOUGHTS & QUESTIONS
• What does the nature of the Seed tell you about Father’s ways?
• In what areas of your life have you cultivated, watered, and nourished the Seed and are now waiting for fruit?
• In what ways have you given yourself a spiritual hernia trying to produce some characteristic or spiritual attribute?