Month: January 2019

Weekly words of encouragement

We Live In The Kingdom Of God – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” Mark 1:15 (NIV). Over and over again in the Old Testament the prophets predicted that God would bring his kingdom of peace, and love and holiness to earth. All that was ungodly or destructive would be eliminated. This kingdom would be led by a Messiah. The Jews then waited hundreds of years for God’s kingdom to come. The coming of God’s kingdom would be the arrival of utopia so naturally devout Jews constantly yearned for the kingdom. Finally, Jesus announced that the time of waiting was over. The kingdom of God had now arrived. But it didn’t come in its fullness because God wanted to allow for an overlapping time when the kingdom was hidden but available to those who would believe. Yet the kingdom was definitely here with power and love and holiness. This is our encouragement Continue Reading →

seated with Christ

Are You Living Where Christ Is?

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The dwelling place of our heart and mind is very important to our growth. This is why Scripture teaches: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4, ESV). Notice in this passage that our true life is now with Christ. We are united to him so our true life is where he is, which is at the right hand of God. We are united to him in death because we have died like he did. “One has died for all, therefore all have died” (2 Cor. 5:14, ESV). Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Jesus Is Always With Us – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matt. 28:20 (NIV). Before Jesus ascended to heaven he promised to be with his disciples always. The gift of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of Jesus, fulfilled this promise. This is a priceless gift that the Old Testament believers could not imagine. In the Old Testament God, Yahweh, only dwelt in the innermost room of the temple, the holy of holies. The temple and especially the holy of holies was the center of the ancient Jewish nation. Nothing was more precious to devout Jews than the presence of Yahweh in their temple. It was better to be at the temple than anywhere else on earth because the presence of God was there. Now his Spirit makes his home inside you and we can “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18 ESV). You have the presence of God Continue Reading →

dark faith

The Best Way To Develop Deep Faith

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“We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7, ESV). This means we must be willing to accept some blindness. We cannot insist on being able to have spiritual sight about everything. For most of us God has already proven himself in various ways. We do not need to wait for something more to learn to walk in dark faith. We can’t keep going back to convince ourselves of God’s truths. There is a point at which we just start walking into the darkness of faith without any other support. This experience usually keeps cycling on and off throughout our Christian life. We step out in the darkness and eventually the light dawns and we reach a plateau. Later, we walk into another patch of darkness. Gradually, God trains us to connect with him on a different and deeper Spiritual channel. Times of dryness and darkness are our best Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Our Inheritance Is Coming – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matt. 25:34-36 (NIV) These words spoken by Jesus describe his blessing for us when he returns. We will finally receive our inheritance, which is to live in God’s pure kingdom for eternity. We will no longer have to live in a time when the age of death overlaps with the age of the kingdom as we do now. The kingdom will be a perfected community Continue Reading →