Daily book quote;

Luke 8:22-25 – “One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Acts 27:12-25 – “When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

    After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."

"There is one crucial difference in these stories; In Acts, God doesn’t put an end to the storm, in fact, the storm rages until the ship is utterly destroyed. The point of this is that God does not always work the same way to protect and provide for His people. Sometimes he calms the storm, and at other times He changes the circumstances. Sometimes things work out well…and at other times things just seem to get worse! In one case God simply ended the storm. In the other case God brought them through the storm. Which is better? We really don’t know. Only God knows what is best for us. But, remember this, there will be times when God will calm the storm and give us peace, and, there will be times when He expects us to ride out the storm, knowing that He will bring us safely home even if we have to swim all the way holding on to a broken piece of wood. I have had to do that, but God always brought me through and provided my needs and prepared my faith for the next storm."

Daily book quote;

Now let's look at the other one, “blameless”. Most people refuse to think of themselves as blameless because they know that they have done many things for which they ought to be blamed. That is, they have made choices, deliberate choices, against light, and against right, against God, and even against knowledge of the consequences. But we confuse this word with another, because it is not sinless. Never having done anything wrong is sinless. But, the Bible says you can be sinful and still be blameless. How? By handling your sin in the right way, and only through Christ.

    If you did something that injured someone else, and the full result of it was not visible to you when you did it, but afterward you saw how much you had hurt the person, and you acknowledged it, apologized to them, asked for forgiveness, and did what you could to restore it, then there would be nothing further you could do. From that point on you would be blameless. You would not be sinless -- you still did it -- but you also did all you could to handle it rightly, or to make it right.
    The idea is the same with our offenses against God. What can you do about your sins? You can't go back and straighten it all out, no, but you can ask for and accept his forgiveness. You can acknowledge what you did and your need for forgiveness, you can seek to restore the relationship, and when you've done that, you're blameless! And that is what God has chosen us to do -- to learn this wonderful process of being whole and blameless.

Daily book quote;

Ephesians 1:1– “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

    We think of words like “holy and blameless” and we think that holiness is all about being absolutely sinless and pure, and we don't want to claim that for ourselves. But it is not that at all.

    Holiness means "wholeness," and wholeness means "to be restored to the originally intended function" to be put to the proper use, that's all. Physical wholeness prevails when the body works the way it was supposed to. And when your whole being functions the way it was intended to function, you could say you are holy.
    It is when we begin to understand these words that we can apply them and accept them. Now let's look at the other one, “blameless”. Most people refuse to think of themselves as blameless because they know that they have done many things for which they ought to be blamed. That is, they have made choices, deliberate choices, against light, and against right, against God, and even against knowledge of the consequences. But we confuse this word with another, because it is not sinless. Never having done anything wrong is sinless. But, the Bible says you can be sinful and still be blameless. How? By handling your sin in the right way, and only through Christ.”

 

Daily book quote from "The Pastor's Desk";

    “As it concerns spiritual maturity in our lives, I find that some people are like thermometers: they spend their lives recording the atmosphere of life, and reacting accordingly. Others however, are like thermostats; they regulate the atmosphere of life. They have matured to the point where they are able to say “This is where I am most comfortable in life, and regardless of the pressure, stress, sunny skies or stormy weather, I have set my course, I have set my priorities, I have set my heart, mind, soul, and spirit, and I shall be content no matter what the circumstances!”

    On the other hand, those who are thermometers would be those who are “tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching.” (Ephesians 4:14) If the situation is hot and heavy, thermometers register tension and irritability. If the situation is stormy they register worry and fear. If it is calm and quiet, they may register comfort depending on how they see their present circumstance as well as the future.
    In Philippians 4:11 Paul says “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Notice that he did not say “I am the kind of person who is content”…He said “I have learned to be content.” Contentment, or becoming a thermostat, is a learned characteristic. It is a sign of maturity. It is that which carries the attitude of the serenity prayer: “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”
    Thermostats take control of their lives and regulate their surroundings, rather than letting the situation, the circumstances, or the people around them regulate their lives and control them.    
    Thermometers can become thermostats when balance replaces extremes in emotions and actions; When good choices replace bad choices; When their concern for others outweighs their concern for themselves; When they become encouragers rather than critics; When they know correction is in order, and they have a willingness to change.”

Daily book Quote from "The Pastor's Desk";

On a Personal Note:

    Being experienced in carpentry work, I have used many different tools over the years. For instance, I have a sledgehammer in my tool box in the garage. I also have a small finishing hammer. I have found that they are both equally important to me. If I had to choose between the two, I suppose I'd pick the little guy. He's been a real help to me over the years -- but I'd rather not choose at all. Both hammers are my good friends and trusted companions, and they can teach us a valuable lesson; bigger isn't always better! Smaller isn't always better either. The value of the tool is determined by the task ahead. Driving stakes for a circus tent? Or, trying to break up concrete? Use the sledge! Repairing the living room coffee table? Or, hanging a picture? The finishing hammer will do perfectly.
    This brings me to an important point. Why do we compare ourselves with others? Why do we allow ourselves to feel inferior (or superior) to the people around us? We're all equally important -- though we have different roles and functions in life. We're all a part of the same toolbox!
    In Galatians 6:4 it says; “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” It would be silly for the finishing hammer to glance furtively at the sledge and murmur, "I'm so small and insignificant! Compared to that guy, He’s so big and strong and able. I'm just useless!" Likewise, the sledge could say, "I'm too awkward and clumsy. I’m just so overweight and bulky…I wish I wasn't such a klutz and could be more graceful like the finishing hammer."
    Comparisons with others is always a dead end street. It’s a street that always leads to inferiority or arrogance. The importance of the hammer is determined only by the carpenter, not the hammer (or any other tool in the box!)…Just a thought. All the hammers -- both big and little -- are needed to build great cathedrals. When it all is said and done, it won't matter which hammer was used for which part. Nobody will look at the majestic cathedral and say, "Wow, what a hammer!" Instead they will be inspired to glorify God and say, "Wow! What a Carpenter!"

 

 

 

Daily book quote;

    Scripture tells us that the wicked man, or the fool is "unteachable." He will not listen to reason. He will not listen to the Lord. If you try to show him his waywardness he will continually resist and deny the truth. "Wise men change their minds; fools never. A wise man thinks all he says; a fool says all he thinks." - Anonymous

    Too often we change jobs, friends, or spouses instead of changing ourselves. The person who chooses human foolishness over divine truth is a person determined to live his life on his own terms! While the fool persists in his foolishness, the wise man will listen when he is confronted with the truth and he will adjust his life accordingly. He has a "teachable" spirit! Proverbs 1:7-9 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” The wise man realizes his own limitations and short-comings and grasps every opportunity to develop his life into one that is more pleasing to the Lord. The neat thing is that he also finds favor with others.
    These two kinds of people are all around us! There are those who are unteachable. They think they know what is best for their lives and you cannot tell them any different. They are fools! Then, there are those people who know they aren't perfect. They know they need instruction and they receive the truth of God with joy knowing it will change their life for the better. These folks are wise! Who best describes you?

Daily book quote;

Proverbs 14:4 –“Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.”

    To those who serve the church – especially in the capacity of pastor – this scripture says serving God will not be easy, neat, and tidy. “Where no oxen are, the barn is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.”
    This is an obscure verse I’d never noticed before. But the message is an interesting one. Basically, what we see in the Proverb is a tension between the desire for a clean barn and the need for a “filled” barn. I’ve noticed, through the years, that certain tensions are always a part of church life. The tension between being inclusive or exclusive is one example.
    Well, when Proverbs was written, the ox was the farmer’s tractor. He plowed with it, he watered his crops with it, he harvested with it, he ground his flour with it. The more oxen, the more productivity! But on the other
hand, the ox was also a source of trouble to the farmer. The ox had
to be fed daily, and it took a lot of feed to satisfy the appetite of the working ox. The ox had to be sheltered from the wet and cold in order to stay healthy. He had to be penned in so he didn’t wander off and get into trouble. He had to be doctored when sick or injured; and oh, the smelly mess found in the ox stall!
    Do you see the tension here? Dealing with an ox is worth all the trouble if you care about filling the barn. But if what you care about is a clean barn, then by all means, don’t take care of the ones you have and for heaven’s sake don’t bring in any more oxen.

Daily book quotes;

Proverbs 4:4 and 20-23 –“Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live…Verses 20-23 – “My son pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words; do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart for it is a wellspring of life!”

    In other words, the “heart” guides the outcome of one’s life…or it determines the course of your life…Where your heart is, the rest follows! Your life will follow the desires and the passions of your heart. The heart must be made new by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit…If the heart is not changed, neither is the man. (Ezekiel 36:26 -27 –“I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
    John Flavel very wisely observed that “The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God; and the greatest difficulty after conversion is to keep the heart with God!” Christianity affects the heart. It is not just a system of moral conduct. Salvation is the work of God in a person’s heart. It is the conviction of sin, it is repentance, it is faith, and it is worship; all of which are works of the heart.”

Daily book quote;

    “Right in the very first verse of Proverbs we read “for attaining wisdom and discipline.” There are two different kinds of “discipline”. One is the consequence of an action; the other is an action that develops character. The later discipline is something that must become part of our character if we are to have the “abundant life” that Jesus talked about in (John 10:10) It must become a part of our life if we are to develop a “Christ-like” character, which is God’s desire for us according to (Romans 8:29) “For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” This is God’s purpose, his reason for saving us!

    What we are really talking about is “self-discipline.” Laziness seeks short term pleasure, while self-discipline seeks long term results. Self- discipline applied to the Bible will make us wise; Self-discipline applied to Prayer will make us powerful and effective; Self-discipline applied to our character will make us Christ-like. Developmental discipline must become intentional. It is not a “take it or leave it” part of God’s desire for us.”

Daily book quote;

 

    “The third part of Proverbs 3 – another directive for our lives says; “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” I know a lot of people who are “wise in their own eyes” but I have learned to be wise in the things of the Lord and never think I know it all. I always try to remember that “my ways are not God’s ways” according to scripture, and that my understanding and wisdom are not always right.  So, this is part of what it means to “fear the Lord.”

    In this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of life. The foundation of knowledge is to fear the Lord—to honor and respect God, to live in awe of his power, and to obey his Word. Faith in God should be the controlling principle for our understanding of the world, our attitudes, and our actions. Trust in God—he will make you truly wise. Our lives are to be ones that constantly seek the Lord and His wisdom and instruction. There is only One who knows it all and it is not the person that you see when you look in the mirror!”

Daily book quote from "The Pastor's Desk"

“The reward of “straight paths” is available if we follow the three directives that precede it; Trust the Lord with all your heart; Lean not on your own understanding; and in all your ways acknowledge Him. These three are our part of the bargain, so to speak, and He will make our paths straight.

We have several paths in life, such as an educational path; a financial path; relationships path; an emotional path; a career path; as well as a spiritual path, and God will make them all straight if;
#1. We trust Him with all our heart. “Trust” is the key. To trust means (a.) to rely on for security  (b.) to depend upon in many areas of need; and (c.) to have complete confidence in. Trust is the most dynamic concept of any relationship. I think that’s why it is listed first.”

Daily book quote;

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

"It is obvious that there are four parts to this particular scripture. The first three we could say are “directives” while the fourth is the promise, reward, or result of wisely following what it says.
    What is the first directive? (“Trust in the Lord with all your heart”) And the second directive? (“Lean not on your own under-standing”) And the third? (“In all your ways acknowledge Him”) And the reward? ( “He will make your paths straight”.) There seems to be a reference or an underlying assumption that to “make our paths straight” means that there is greater goal or reward in doing so. “Straight paths” are helpful if not life changing, but they are not the reward, it’s what they lead to!"

 

Daily book Quote from "The Pastor's Desk"

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life.”

     Several things are clear and lie right on the surface of today's text. The first obvious thing is that God is the giver of and a lover of life; he likes to promote life, not violence and death.
    I have come to believe that life is the gift of God - both this life and the life to come. And, like any gift, it is freely given out of love; but it must also be received, and opened, and experienced in order to become a true reality in our hearts, minds and souls.
    This is what Psalm 36:9 says: "You [God] give them to drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life." God Is a Fountain of Life and the Righteous Live on God. Now we are getting to the very bottom of things. Now we know why righteousness makes the mouth into a fountain of life. The reason is that righteousness is a life based on true wisdom, and true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and the fear of the Lord roots people in God himself and keeps us close to him in personal fellowship, and God—and God alone—is the ultimate, self-replenishing, inexhaustible fountain of life.
    "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life" because GOD is a fountain of life and the righteous live according to the life-giving flow of the Word of God in their lives.

 

Daily book quote - from "The Pastor's Desk"

Matthew 7:7-8 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened.”

    Someone has written “I asked for strength that I might achieve; he made me weak that I might obey. I asked for health that I might do great things: he gave grace that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy; he did not give them so that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel a need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I received very few of the things I asked for; but I received all the things I had hoped for.”

    Sometimes God gives us what we need and not what we ask
for, but then, He is God. The good news is that God has promised that “it shall be given to you; you shall find; and it shall be opened to you” but, we can’t just ASK.

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom";

    "Jesus is saying here that spiritual life begins with a change in direction in our hearts and minds. We cannot keep going in the direction of our own choosing and expect to meet God at the end of our journey. Like a child, we begin to trust someone higher, someone stronger, someone who loves us, to help us, to lead us, to provide for us. Salvation is not just a humble turning from sin, but a constant trust in a companion who will walk with us for the rest of the journey.  It’s not just receiving the forgiveness of sins but acknowledging that we have a new life that God has given through His Son! We humbly begin to trust this Guide and Friend, this God who allows us to call Him "Father". 

    Our journey soon becomes an adventure of trusting and depending on Him to guide us and provide for us as we walk by faith day to day. We have no strength or power to keep us going, but we can trust that He will feed us, He will clothe us, He will keep us healthy and protect us, if we will hold His hand and follow Him – and even more if we will let Him live His life through us."

Daily book quote;

    “When will we learn that we do not have to earn God’s love?  God loves each one of us equally, and though He certainly will reward our devotion and service to Him, what we do for God does not make Him love us any more or any less. To be sure, we must be saved if we are going to go to Heaven, but even salvation does not come to us by our works, but by our faith. All of the struggling that we do to earn His love only feeds our pride, and tends to make us pat ourselves on the back for how good we are. Jesus says that our spiritual life and growth in His kingdom (our greatness, if you will) is not based on our goodness, but just like our salvation, on His grace.

"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." Now, we can take that two ways; the word “see” may mean that no one will enter or ever see or be a part of the kingdom unless he is “born again”… Or, it may mean that no one can (literally) “see” the kingdom or know the kingdom or understand the kingdom, unless he is born again.”

Daily book quote;

    There is a bumper sticker that gently imposes its little message: “Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven.” Just forgiven? Is that really all there is to being a Christian? Well, it certainly needs to be said that Christians are forgiven. And it needs to be said that forgiveness does not depend on being perfect; but is that really what the slogan communicates? Unfortunately it does not. What the slogan really conveys is that forgiveness alone is what Christianity is all about. It says that you can have faith in Christ that brings forgiveness, while in every respect your life is no different from that of others who have no faith in Christ at all.

    Dallas Willard calls this bar code faith. He goes on to say; “Can we seriously believe that God would establish a plan for us in that essentially the Christian faith and salvation covers nothing but death and the hearafter? ...Can we believe that being saved really has nothing whatever to do with the kind of persons we are now? Or that it somehow leaves character untouched?”
    A recent interview George Gallup said that the reason Christianity hasn’t grown as it should is that people don’t see Christians as being any different from the rest of the population. The question we have to ask is “why?” Why do so few believers experience this transformation and change?

Daily book quote;

    So, what have we missed? We have missed the greatest invitation of all time to be a part of the kingdom of God; and to be a part of it NOW! The Kingdom Of God, is not just a concept about something that is in the future, (about heaven) the kingdom is a dynamic reality that we are invited to live in right now, today.

   In Matthew 7:13 Jesus said; and listen to this with a “here and now” perspective; “wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to LIFE, and only a few find it.”
    Just before this in 6:33 he said “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. What are “all these things”? Worry about what will we eat, drink, and wear. Will we worry about these when we get to heaven? No, we worry about them here and now.
    OKAY – if the kingdom is available now - to everyone - and if the kingdom here and now is place of transformation…then I have to ask; how much transformation into the likeness of Christ do we see taking place in His church?

 

Daily book quote;

    In the story of the two on the way home to Emmaus, Jesus begins to explain the scriptures to them… And I can imagine him saying something like; “You know, Moses and the prophets talked about all these things….” And these two had no doubt read those very scriptures since their youth…but somehow missed it. In verse 32 of that story, one of them – named Cleopas said “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us?” It is the part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to believers to “open the scriptures”… 2 Cor. 4:4 says The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel”. I sometimes think that he does that to believers as well!

• And Jesus told His followers (more than once, in fact four times that scripture records) that He was going to die a cruel death at the hands of His enemies , but that He would rise from the grave 3 days later…BUT – they missed it…
    NOW – Luke doesn’t record their conversation on the way back to Jerusalem…but I guarantee that more than once they said, “Man, how in the world did we miss it?” I have said those words myself from time to time!

Daily book quote;

    "Here is what this mean for us. The world is created and built on the principles of the kingdom of God. Live according to the principles of the Kingdom and you will discover that life works, and your life is filled with certain blessings; I like to call it “God’s favor.” Go against the principles of the kingdom of God and you will experience everything from difficulty to disaster. God made the world, and he also built laws into it which determined the way we are to live. Every microscopic, living cell operates according to God’s design, as well as the farthest and largest star in space. What this means is that you can be an atheist and not believe in God, or a rebel who does not obey God, and it does not matter; you are still under those laws! You must obey the laws of God or invite disaster. You may not believe in God, but if you jump off a building which is 100 feet tall, you are going to die, because the physical law of gravity, which God has built into the universe, will prevail over your disbelief and rebellion. The moral laws of the universe work in the same way.    

    For example, your body was made for marriage and sexual fidelity within that relationship. If you walk according to that moral law, you will discover that life works best that way. If you break that moral law, you will discover that there are not only dysfunctional relationships that follow, but possible physical disease as well. Even the stress of a troubled relationship can cause physical and emotional problems. Your body was made to obey the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus. The whole world was made that way, because it is all based on the kingdom of God!

    The same holds true for what we call “social laws”. What are some examples of social laws? Things like love, respect, honesty, etc.  Life, for the most part and our relationships with others, is pretty good if we obey. If we fail, the opposite is true, and life is miserable. And, again, this is true whether you believe in Jesus and desire to obey him or not. We have the freedom to rebel against these kingdom principles, but we do not have the freedom to escape their consequences! You do not break God’s commandments, they break you — This is a fact which thoroughly frustrates those who do not wish to be under the reign of God; because ultimately, they are! You can build your house upon the Rock or on the sand. You do have the freedom to choose."

Daily book quote

Conclusion:

    “This message of the “Kingdom” may not be popular in the church, and I think it’s because we would all like to believe that we all inherit the Kingdom; that we all receive rewards; that we all will rule and reign with Christ; and that we all attend the wedding and the marriage supper of the Lamb; and, that there are no consequences for a careless, mediocre Christian life and lifestyle; I hate to burst your bubble, but that’s just not scriptural. Having a Kingdom perspective here and now is very important. It will affect every choice we make; every word we say; every action we take; and determine our eternal destiny.
Life is the classroom; Christ-like Love is the lesson; the Kingdom is the reward!”

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom"

Matthew 16:27 – “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”

Some things in our lives that the Lord might look at to make His determination:

·        Did we love Him and others? (Matthew 22:37-39)
·        Did we walk by the Spirit? Or By the Sinful nature? (Galatians 5:13-26)
·        Did we choose to follow God and “lean not on our own understanding? (Proverbs 3:5)
·        Did we do everything out of a heart of love? (1^st. Corinthians 13)
·        Did we do it for His glory? (Matthew 6:1-6)
·        Did we seek His will?
·        Did we have a servant’s heart? (Mark 9:35)
·        Did we “deny ourselves” (sacrifice) to follow him and put others first? (Matthew 6:24)
·        Bottom line: Was our motivation right and sincere?

Daily book quote;

1st. Cor. 3:10

– What is the “foundation”?  Is it possible to have the foundation and not “build on it”? 
* We build upon the foundation of Christ by “adding to our faith” –
2 Peter 1:5-8 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
* We build by being “filled with the Holy Spirit” – By being led by the Holy Spirit – By allowing the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
* We build by increasing our knowledge of God and His Word. –
* We build by doing good works. –
* We build by serving and using our gifts, talents, and blessings to glorify God.
* We build by witnessing and giving testimony as to what God has done and is doing in our   lives. –
* We build by learning to love one another.
Notice that it says that if our “works” which include all of the above, are of wrong motives or in our own power, they will be “burned up and we will suffer loss” (of reward) but, we do not lose our salvation! We are there because of our salvation!
Salvation is a gift; Rewards are earned.

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom"

    "We have looked at how the scriptures that speak of the “kingdom of God” may be talking about the literal kingdom - which is a place; Or, it may be the spiritual kingdom - that is within us; Or, it may be talking about the kingdom to come - which is the time of the eternal reign of Christ on the new heaven and the new earth.

    The same holds true in the Epistle Letters, whenever they speak of the kingdom. However, the letters are more concerned with the requirements concerning the residents of the kingdom of God. They deal with who we are, whose we are, and how we ought to live.
    Everything that the Epistles deal with in the life of a Christian is the result of, or the fruit of, or the manifestation of what God does in us through the Spirit. It is not based on anything we can do or will do in and of ourselves for God or His kingdom."

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom"

“So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

    Notice that Jesus speaks of a “kingdom” and a “home” and you could add a “church”, a “business”, a government, even a nation. And, notice also that he did not say it “might not stand” he said it cannot stand!” The key of unity works both ways – as much as disunity locks up or binds God’s power and authority…unity will loose or release God’s power! The power of unity is so great that at the tower of Babel God himself said that nothing would be impossible to those who “unite” – who “agree” – who have the same “purpose and goals.” The final statement is this; “If the kingdom of God is within you, then the key of “childlike faith” and the key of “unity” must begin where?  IN YOU!
    How many Kingdom keys or principles do you think you can find? Whenever you come across what you think is a principle you should highlite it somehow. (Example – “You reap what you sow”) Do you think that is a principle of the Kingdom?

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom"

    "First of all, the Kingdom of God operates on certain principles, laws, or “keys” as Jesus calls them. So, for this to do us any good at all, we must not only have a relationship with Christ; we must also know what the keys are; what they open and what they are for. If I had a ring of keys and had no idea what they were for, what good are they? 

    Second, however, is this; although we have the kingdom of God within us - that is all the power, wisdom, knowledge, peace, love and authority of God - we have it in seed form. The very next thing Jesus says is that “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.” Even though it was the smallest of seed, it would grow to be one of the largest plants. Like everything in seed form, it must be planted, cultivated, watered, and developed in order to become functional. The seeds of the Kingdom within us are the same.
    Robert Fulghum said; “Sharing everything; playing fair; putting things back where you found them; cleaning up your own mess; don’t take things that are not yours; say you are sorry when you hurt someone; and when you go out into the world, stay alert, hold hands, and stick together!” That’s everything he learned in kindergarten!
    I believe this is the first key; having a childlike faith, a childlike attitude, a teachable spirit, and a humility that understands that we need each other. This, we might say is the “seed.”

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom"

Matthew 13:31
    When God is involved, something small can be transformed into something great. A mustard seed was an expression of the time to signify something small or of little significance. If you were to look at a mustard seed you would think that not much could become of it. It is not something that exudes expectation. This is a kingdom principle; In God’s kingdom, people, situations, and circumstances are not limited to how they appear in the natural.
    First we have to break this down a little; we have a “mustard seed”, it is planted and grows, then we have the birds that come and perch in its branches. The typical view would look like this;

*“Mustard seed” - may symbolize the Kingdom of God (in seed form); or the Word of God; or “faith” which Jesus spoke of often; or the Church; all of which may start out small.

*“Planted” - perhaps in an individual; in a community; or in the world as a whole.
*“Grows” - through seeking, study, preaching, teaching and evangelism.
*“Birds” - represent people who come seeking joy, peace, protection, provision, rest.
*“Branches” - represent the many denominations.

 

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom"
    In Matthew 4:23 and 9:35 we read that “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness; when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
    From these verses we can see that Jesus not only had a distinct message, the good news of the Kingdom, but also that He had a distinct ministry which illustrated that message, in healing every disease and sickness. Everything Jesus did supported everything Jesus said, and it all had to do with the authority, power, and purpose of God.
    When Jesus spoke those words from Isaiah in Luke 4:18 that the “Spirit of the Lord is on me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to release the oppressed” He was letting the kingdom of this world know that the time had come for God to take back what was His; specifically, you and me and all who would believe!

Daily book quote from "The Kingdom"

    The subject of the Kingdom of God was spoken about by Jesus on numerous occasions, and it obviously has great importance. Jesus described his teaching and preaching as a message about the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43; 8:1). Jesus taught his disciples that they were to pray that God’s Kingdom would come (Luke 11:2). Jesus instructed his disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:2), and many of the parables were illustrations used to instruct us regarding what the Kingdom of God is “like.” The Epistles of the New Testament also mention the Kingdom of God often. The Apostles wrote about inheriting the Kingdom of God and the coming of the Kingdom of God. But, the Epistle letters are written to show us what we, as kingdom children, ought to be doing and how we ought to be acting as we prepare for the coming eternal Kingdom. So, it is in the gospels that we really get a better understanding of the concept of the Kingdom of God.
     So just what is the Kingdom of God? That is no easy question to answer. Because the term is used broadly any definition will really fall short in some respects. Nevertheless, I would define the Kingdom of God as “the manifestation of God’s authority, power, and purposes, whether in a person or a place.”