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After inaugurating the kingdom with Jesus’ first coming he would allow sufficient time for us to spread the good news of the kingdom throughout the earth (Acts 1:8). If Jesus had returned in the first century, then his message would not have reached the whole earth. Therefore, God would guide history according to his hidden plan until the time when the Son would come to earth a second time to complete the establishment of God’s kingdom. We describe our present time as the time when the kingdom is already here but not yet fulfilled. We are in the “already/not yet”. Since it is here, we seek the kingdom of God first in all things. Even though the kingdom is not yet fulfilled, we do not wait passively for Jesus’ return. He promoted and equipped his people to spread the lifestyle of the kingdom of God. We can do this because Continue Reading →

Last week we described the new self. Your new self wants healthy, loving relationships, especially a union of love with God. Your new self has an aversion to corruption and is open to conviction of sin. I believe this was John’s point when he said: “no one who is born of God will continue to sin” (1 John 3:9, ESV). Your new self wants to know God better and is disappointed when you sin. If you continually embrace these new desires and reject opposing desires, then your new self will mature and dominate.   You can enlarge the influence of your new self by taking a few moments, especially in solitude, to “put on” your new self. Following is a guide for this. You might also use this for challenging situations. Exercise – Living From the New Self Find a place of solitude and silence. Let the concerns of the Continue Reading →

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.His love endures forever. Psalms 136:1 (NIV) Yahweh is good. All his works are good. His response to all the sin in the world is good. Everything he does for us is good. He disciplines us for our good. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28, NIV). Yahweh is the source of all that is good and he gifts his good to us; “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17, NIV). Why does he give us his goodness? Because he is love and his love endures forever. He does not withhold his goodness from us, but generously pours it out on us. He gave us his Son and brought us into his kingdom. He gave his Spirit to indwell us and empower Continue Reading →

For great is your love, higher than the heavens;your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalms 108:4 (NIV) How much does God love you? Does he love you like a father who is proud of his wonderful child? Does he love you like a mother who cherishes every sign of affection from her child? Does he love you like a lover yearns to unite their heart with the beloved? God’s love is higher than all these. It includes all these types of love and more. His love is higher than the heavens, in other words, it is beyond anything we know. His love is bigger than we can imagine. It is more passionate than any human passion. It is wiser and more benevolent than any gifts that a human lover could give. We cannot even imagine how great his love is no matter how long we tried. No words, including these, Continue Reading →