The Kingdom of God

We Must Be Born Again

The Gospel of John tells of the kingdom of God in terms of a spiritual birth. Just as we were born and grow in the flesh, we must be "born" and grow in the Spirit. Speaking to the Pharisee Nicodemus, Jesus said we must be born again spiritually to enter the kingdom:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' (NAS, John 3:3-7)

Saul's Conversion

Saul was a well-educated young man, a Jew and a Roman citizen. His Jewish heritage meant everything to Saul, and he saw the rise of Christianity as a threat to all that he held dear. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and he became a fierce persecutor of the early Christians. He was determined to destroy the young church, and went from house to house arresting Christians and sending them to prison. (Lockyer, pp. 805-6)

Sometime around the year 34 A.D., while on the road to Damascus, Saul was blinded by a bright light:
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. (NIV, Acts 9:4-7)

Saul was born again that day and became known as the Apostle Paul. He became the first and most influential interpreter of Jesus' message and teachings, a passionate missionary, founder of many Christian communities, and author of several New Testament letters.

The only type of meditation!

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, 

And in His law he meditates day and night. 

3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither; 

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so, 

But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.…

What is suffering for the name of Christ?

The context in 1 Peter is that of persecution and suffering for the name of Christ during our sojourn on this earth. Suffering is a training tool that God uses, like the blast furnace used by a refiner of fine metals, to purify and develop our faith. This is a humbling process in that it causes us to live more and more in dependence on God. For the refining concept, note 1 Peter 1:6-9.

6 This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. 7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away—and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:6-9.

God's personal care for believers in Christ!

Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.

As God is perfect, so His care must also be perfect and complete. The following overview covers some of the key areas of God’s personal care for believers in Christ as His beloved children. These are truths that are of special importance to new believers.

The value of modesty

This morning, I found a very interesting article written by Wayne Jackson. 

Louis L’Amour wrote stories of the Old West that became bestsellers. He was meticulous in producing works that are fastidiously accurate in terms of the culture of the 1800s which addressed the manner in which women were viewed in the Old West. He observed that almost uniformly they were treated with great respect, even by the roughest of men. He noted that, as a rule, females could travel alone hundreds of miles by stagecoach and feel quite secure, because men regarded them so highly, and were extremely protective of the “fair” sex. I would add that I have noticed this in most Western films.

Those days are gone—and have been for quite a while. Now, a woman can hardly walk unescorted down a crowded street without being verbally assaulted or in some fashion sexually harassed. Most men in sizable cities do not want their wives driving alone at night.

One recent author believes she knows, at least in part, a cause for this dramatic shift in attitude toward women. She says it involves the “loss of modesty.” 

Modesty Abandoned

Wendy Shalit, a young Jewish writer, created a considerable stir in the media with the publication of her book, A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue.
This volume has been hailed by some as a work that will “change society.” Others—especially feminists—vehemently denounce it, even suggesting it should be banned.
Ms. Shalit says that her initial exposure to our grossly “immodest” culture commenced when she was in the fourth grade. She was introduced to a “sex education” course, from which her parents presently removed her. She argues that such classes should be “completely abolished” because they erode one’s natural sense of modesty. She voices concerns that I've had along with other English colleagues everytime we've taught sex education to 12 and 13 y.o. in Year 8 and 9.
Modesty, Ms Shalit contends, is an innate, psychological barrier which protects youngsters as their personalities are developing.
Later, as a student at Williams College in Massachusetts, Shalit was appalled by coed restrooms and other on-campus, sex-related problems. She wrote a piece about these practices that was eventually published in Reader’s Digest.

The thesis of A Return to Modesty is that the so-called “sexual revolution” has robbed society of many of its most valuable virtues—for one thing, a sense of self-worth.

Read on, click here

Visit Wendy's website, click here

The names of the apostles!

Good morning my friends.
Are you a child at heart? I hope so and in that case this song is for you!

Simon Peter and Andrew his brother
James and John the sons of thunder
Philip and Bartholomew
and lest you doubt Thomas too
James the son of Alphaeus
Matthew used to make us nervous
Leadeus or Thaddeus or Judas, the son of James, he may have other names
Simon the Zealot and
Judas the Isacariot betrayer of the Lord

these are the 12 apostles

You can see this 'byzantine' frescoe in Auzance (Creuse) in the Puy de Dome. 

This is Jesus' last meal shared with the 12 apostles.
On the table a bread and a fish stand, symbols of the very first Christians, as much as a chalice and a host, symbols of Christ's blood and body.
While the apostles are listening to Jesus, Judas the traitor who sold him for 30 golden coins, is swallowed (on the left) by a dragon.

A fresque by Nicolas Greschny

Have a blessed day filled with the peace and love of our Lord Jesus-Christ. :-)

What God intended us to be..

Robby Dawkins part 1

Jesus came to bring us back to our relationship with God, having intimacy with God and a personal relationship with him. God is still calling us to his likeness..