Author: Phil Rehberg

cross, suffering

Why Do The “King’s Kids” Suffer?

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Under the old covenant God promised much prosperity to his faithful followers instead of suffering. But under the new covenant God promises suffering to his true followers. Why the change? Shouldn’t we have more prosperity now that the Son has died for us? The answer is no because we live in the overlap of this present age and the age of the kingdom of God. Since the fulfillment of the old covenant by the new covenant of the kingdom the followers of God no longer need success in this world in order to fulfill the mission of God. He sends us to penetrate every culture but not with external political power, rather, with the internal power of the Spirit. All are invited to join God’s kingdom but people are also free to reject God and pursue destructive lives. This means that we still live in a destructive world that inflicts Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

God Takes Joy In Giving Us His Kingdom – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.” Luke 12:32-33, ESV. After Jesus taught that the Father will provide our basic needs if we seek his kingdom first, then he says that it is the Father’s desire to give us the kingdom. The “kingdom” is the realm where God’s goodness reigns, which we possess in part now and will fully inherit in the next age. And the Father does not give it grudgingly; he does not make it unreasonably difficult. He wants to see us blessed. He wants to guide us to the New Earth where there is no pain or corruption anymore. Therefore, we do not need to fear. It brings God great joy to give us all good things. In fact, if you have wealth then sell your possessions and give to the Continue Reading →

looking for holiness

5 Mighty Motivations For Pursuing Holiness

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The path of holiness can be daunting but God empathizes and encourages us with powerful motivations. Here are five motivations for seeking holiness. The first and biggest reason is that our Christian life should be powered by love for God. If we think of purification as something we do only because God asks us to then our motives are out of order. God wants us to want him because he is our good Father who gives us true life and everything else pales in comparison. Paul told the Corinthians that “I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2, ESV). This is why we cooperate with his purifying fires: we are yearning for our wedding day.   The second reason is similar to the first. Since we are destined to live as perfected new Adams in an eternal community of love Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Gathering With Jesus – Weekly Words of Encouragement

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“Whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23, NIV). Looking on the positive side of this statement by Jesus, it is encouraging that we actually get to gather with Jesus. In this age, Jesus’ mission is our mission because we are his agents. This is our adventure. This is our new life in God, that we can be his channels for sowing the blessings of the kingdom to others. We are his harvesters, inviting and gathering others for the New Creation to come. He is our head and we, his followers, are his body. We are his arms and legs, responding to the leadings of the divine Mind. He is coordinating his followers in his worldwide campaign to bring his kingdom to the whole earth. Our Future Perfect CommunityNovember 14, 2025God Will Show Us Mercy – Weekly Words Of EncouragementNovember 10, 2025We Have A Spiritual Resurrection NowNovember 7, 2025

pure gold money

The Beauty Of Holiness

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The directive to actively pursue purification is one of the most prevalent themes in the New Testament. We can think of pursuing holiness as wiping the mud out of our eyes so we can see God clearly. It is the restoration of our original Adamic image of God which includes freedom from the dirt and grime that robbed us of the vital and peaceful Spiritual life that God desires for us. Holiness becomes increasingly sweeter as we mature because we feel more of the peace and joy that comes with participating in the nature of God. As we grow in holiness we will feel ourselves becoming more at one with our bridegroom. We experience a foretaste of our future marital bliss. So we pursue holiness out of love. We begin to understand that this purity produces beauty and beauty produces delight. When someone finds a gold nugget in the ground Continue Reading →