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Posts Tagged ‘Kingdom of God’

Seed of Heaven

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , on April 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 13:31b-32
…”The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

The mustard seed metaphor for the kingdom of heaven is really amazing. First of all, if we remember that the Kingdom of Heaven is synonymous with the Kingdom of God … which is within, then the mustard seed of heaven is within and actually has an opportunity to grow. So, some people have a very small kingdom within and some have a very big one…. the nurtured seed that has become a tree.

This is the whole point of following Christ… to nurture and grow the kingdom of heaven. The seed is planted when we accept Christ. If we follow all the growing metaphors that Jesus used and were recorded in the New Testament, there are lots of lessons on how to grow that seed.

I ask the Lord to give me courage to see the true size of my tree. I know I’ve sprouted, but is it still a seedling after all these years? Is it still struggling to grow because of the quality of the dirt? Is it bearing fruit?

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Consider the Lilies

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , on April 15, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 12:27-28
Consider how the lilies grow. …If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

Flowers are beautiful with no effort on their part. They reflect and express their true essence. There is a natural provision for them (and if not, they play their part in the cycle of life and death). Isn’t it likely that human beings would be loved and cared for by God?

Jesus identifies our inability to allow God to care for us because of our “little faith.” Since we don’t believe God will really care for us… or even more likely, we don’t like the methods or the determinations… we intervene. We decide for ourselves. There is a stark divide between what we “need” and what we “want.”

Most Americans want more than we have, despite the fact that by the standards of most of the world, we have more than enough. We have lost our ability to look within ourselves for our satisfaction. Jesus says, “…seek His kingdom” which is within. And there is our contentment, our provision, our hope, our joy.

Today my schedule is packed with external responsibilities like meetings, work, and kids. Here is my prayer: that I retrieve 30 minutes to be still, to look within, to celebrate the gift of life.

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Raising the Dead

Posted in Sermon Echoes, Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , on April 13, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Romans 8:11
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Yesterday, Pastor Craig gave a powerful message for Easter calling us to strength, calling us to engage that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead to raise us from our own crucifixions. When we face our most difficult trials, we must look to the One who can teach us, who can show us, who can uphold us from within.

Like all of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), strength is like them and comes from within; it, too, is an attribute of the Kingdom of God within us (Luke 17:20-21).

There is a tension between our own way and the way of Jesus. There is a tension between our own ways and the ways of the kingdom of God. We must surrender to this Way daily (… your Kingdom come, Your will be done in Earth as it is in heaven…). Note, I have changed “on earth” to “in earth” because I also think of Earth as my body… the flesh, the three-dimensional self and then the three-dimensional world/environment around me. “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

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Cornerstone of the Kingdom

Posted in Lent, tagged , , , , on March 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 20:17b-18
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’…Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.

As I meditated on this scripture this morning, I took a long time trying to figure it out. I didn’t even know who might the builders be or what are they building. Then I compared this reading with the Matthew version (Matthew 22:42-44) and it is quite clearly stated: it is the Kingdom of God being built. So, if Jesus is the foundation, the cornerstone, of that Kingdom, then those who fall on Him (trip over Him, ignore Him, try to cover up the reality of Him), will break. Bottom line, the Kingdom of God will not fail. It is not something that can be destroyed. Those who try, will break. And if someone tries to put something else as the foundation, that will be crushed, whether it be person, place, idea, or concept. The Christ is the true foundation whether one accepts/believes/understands Him or not… like gravity, a law.

Matthew 20:43 says, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” We are the builders. And if we do not build on the cornerstone, we will fail and the kingdom will pass to those who do build upon the Christ. What is this kingdom? Where is this kingdom? It is broad and wide. It is small and deep. It is within. It is without.

We must first place the cornerstone within and from there, the kingdom of God that is uniquely me or you, grows and touches the unique (sacred) buildings of others and eventually, encompasses our world.

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