John 16:33. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
I used this scripture in yesterday's post as the fonder of contemplation in dealing with marital strife. But as I reflected more on it myself it came repeatedly to my mind that in Christ is peace, in the world is tribulation.
A mind in Christ is in peace, a mind focused on the world is in tribulation and turmoil. A spirit dwelling inside the kingdom of God is in Christ and Christ is in him and the perspective gives peace, but a spirit striving after the world and self is in tribulation and turmoil.
Henri Nouwen says, "Our emotional lives and our spiritual lives have very different dynamics, and we can literally 'choose where to live,' while owning both. The ups and downs of our emotional lives depend a great deal on our past experiences and present surroundings and what they 'trigger.' ...
The ups and downs of our spiritual lives depend solely on our current level of obedience and surrender to what we Know to be so, regardless of external circumstances - that is, our attentive listening to and acting with the movements of the Spirit of God within us. Without this listening and acting our spiritual life eventually becomes 'subject to' the windswept waves of our emotions, where we will 'act good' when we 'feel good,' and 'act bad' when we 'feel bad,' pointing to others as the cause when we act bad and feeling good about ourselves when we act good."
There is an option, a choice if you will. It must be developed, and certainly does not come naturally. But we can choose to live by the spirit, and live in the peace of obedience to God. We can in turn develop this ability not by strengthening anything. There is no amount of self-will that can get us there. Rather we have to find this spirit strength in the weakness of surrender and a daily death. In this place is Christ and His peace. In this place we sleep on the boat in the middle of the storm.
Today I am there... in the sweet place of surrendered obedience. And believe it or not, it's so peaceful it is unnerving. Somehow my soul tells a lie of missing the stress of; striving to discover purpose, and how can I so something for God, and why are these opportunities not opening up? What a joke. How can any part of me not enjoy the rest of simple obedience. How can part of myself try to shake me from the sleep so that I can go back to needlessly focusing on the waves.
What a stupid soul that I have... I choose to rest in the spirit.
John 16:33. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
I was allowed the opportunity to spend some time with a man, that for this post we will call David. David is days away from being on the front lies of his world war II... a second divorce.
At first he shows the attitude of no big deal, this is something for the better, but I refuse to buy into that lie. Forget theology for a moment, it is never better for a child to have his two loving parents split. It is never better for a child to be forced to divide his time and attention between people he/she loves equally. And so, with this thought the conversation moved deeper.
I listened a lot, and what I discovered was that according to David it is all his wife's fault. It is her fault for being jealous of David and his ex being so amicable in the dealings with the child of his first marriage. It is her fault for being too close to her parents. It is her fault for not raising her daughter from a previous marriage in accordance with David's demands and discipline prescribed to their child together. All difficulties any blended family could experience. But complete fallacy that his wife's thoughts, feelings, and attitudes are the cause of the legal proceedings.
He went into great detail, and being in a blended family myself I was able to offer some very alternative reactions to the issues. In the end, I had to remind him that God can work all things together for good. I could have gone a lot of different directions with this opportunity. I could have condemned, quoted scripture, advised, tried to fix... but that was not where Christ was in me.
For me to be Christ was to offer an alternative to the emotional physics of every action has an opposite and equal reaction. This does not have to be the law of the relationship. In fact, the conversation ended with this statement from me. I said, It takes a very big man to allow his wife to be who she is, to have her emotions, feelings, opinions, and pains while simultaneously allowing her to comment, correct, and complain about everything about you. To do this, to allow the hypocrisy to exists without argument is nearly impossible. But if you can get there, then your example will gradually change her, and she will eventually do the same for you.
I don't care what age you are, but you made it to where you were not because you have everything right. You made it there because God allowed it, because He stepped in time and time again. As you go forward it does not matter what direction you go, just so long as you go with God. If you are married, that path with God is not determined by what you think. There is not a wrong or right in terms of his way or her way. God's way is the path of peace. Choose peace, even if it means surrendering to the other side. If both sides love God, then both sides can guide to a good thing. All things work together for good for those who love Him. Go... but go together, and go in peace.
It is not their fault... it's your fault. Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." Or in this case... all women.
Acts 18:3, Regarding the Apostle Paul, "and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers."
At present God has not provided completely for my needs through gifts, or lottery winnings, or coins in fishes mouths, and after much prayer and well over 100 applications I have to go back to life... back to reality.
I have taken a position to fill the gap if you will. A position of 100% commission, self-paced and self-motivated selling of credit card and check clearing services. It's a mindless job, with leads provided to me. I will be one of the many worker bees in the hive.
But today was my first day of training. A ride along if you will. Now the company has Integrity in its name, and I haven't asked where that came from, but what I witness on my ride along was some really hard selling on someone who's company didn't need the service. Fortunately they did not succumb to the pressure. But I almost decided in that moment to not go forward. Not that I can't hard sell someone, because I can. But that I cannot hard sell someone when I can see clearly it is not a product or service in their best interest. I did debrief my trainer afterwards regarding the hard sell. And he explained that he was just trying to keep the guy engaged so that could get a full taste of the objections I might face. He later explained that in his normal approach he would not have gone there.
So I feel better. Tomorrow is another day of riding along, and then Monday it's down to business. Down to the business of finding God in my day, finding someone to minister to in the middle of making some tents. And when God calls to go another direction. When God makes a financial way to do nothing but meet the Robert(s), Tim(s), and Birmy(s) of this world, then I won't have any issue walking away.
Someone asked, is this something you can make a career out of. To that I said, "Oh no... my career is ministry, this is just a stop gap until God opens those doors." However God wants me, however He needs me... that's what I am here to do, and be just exactly that.
Psalms 51:8-10, "Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot our all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
I just love the community of people that is Tomball Love Machine. It is a dynamic group with some comings and goings, but in general it is a space rich in healing love, and bounding in learning experience. Today, like last week, the star of the show, the person with the preeminent need of seeing Christ's love was Tim.
If you don't recall Tim's story, just click his name and the link will take you to it. For this post all that is important is that Tim is a widower on his 6th week of separation from his soul mate. The pain for him is crippling, and the tears are endless.
In the group there is all manner of perspective and genuine love tossed his way. It is all there with some intent to comfort. and to help him come to grips with. and embrace the pain, and to embrace the work the pain is doing in him. There is empathy as he shared his heart. There is encouragement that there is another side to the grief. There is sorrow, and "sorry" for not being able to snatch him out to a better place. But today there was also a compatriot. A man, who like Tim lost his wife to cancer. He had the most interesting, freeing, loving, perspective on the situation that I want to share with all widows and widowers. Actually, I want to share it with the world because it is a living example of agape love.
Mark is Tim's compatriot, and Mark said to Tim, "God blessed your wife with a man who could walk her through her own death. You have experienced what Mary did at the foot of the cross." Wow, what a perspective. Tim is blessed to have discovered God in a very personal way out of this tragedy... but to realize that his wife was blessed to have him?
Mark explained that in his situation it was his wife's destiny to die at 49 from ovarian cancer. And it was his destiny to be with her through it. The entire event/tragedy was a destiny with love. If Mark could have it to do over again, if he knew the destiny, he would do it again. Tim shares this feeling. If a check could be written to bring them back it would. But at the same time that check would be written from selfishness. Bringing them back represents stopping the pain. However, To be able to say, I will be that blessing again... even if I know the outcome... even if I had to watch them die again... that is love. That my friends is perspective from inside the kingdom of God.
Do you see how close to Christ they have come? To be willing to endure something again, because they love someone so much.
Tim cries at the thought that his wife's death contributed to his discovery of a surrendered life. He wonders if the loss could have been avoided and surrender achieved otherwise. What we see is that his ability to surrender his life was why God but him with her to begin with. He knew the great love that would come out of it. And the pain to follow is purifying to the heart.
Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
It has been previously discussed in The Kingdom of God post that this concept preached by Jesus of the kingdom of God is a place, a thing, a noun. It is a place that is bordered by a boundary.
Moving a little further in this attempt to articulate my perception and experience in the kingdom, I can say that the kingdom of God is where The Father is. It is the spiritual space occupied by His radiant glory.
I will not get into an argument or theological discussion about the doctrine of the trinity. But it willl suffice to say that The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one, but seperate. A prime example is the Father cannot look upon sin, but Christ can.
So in this seperate but one mentality, the kingdom of God can be looked at as that spiritual space the Father occupies. Additionally, those that are inside the space have access to the Father and an understanding of His glory. I have a full theological development, and biblical proof of all of this, but will forgo the details to say that Matt 5:8 speaks of this when it says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The pure at heart experience God the Father in this life, not just postmortem.
In the end, this recognition of the kingdom of God reveals the life cycle of the Christian. We are saved through Christ. His blood covers our sins, allows the Father to look upon us from His kingdom, and allows the Holy Spirit to start His work. When we look at the kingdom in this Saved state we see a formidable wall. We see a Father high on His throne, and that throne is inaccessible. And so the Holy Spirit begins His purifying work. The cross of Christ bears down on our soul, and works until it brings that very soul to surrender. At the place of surrender we are empty of ourselves, and it is here the empty vessel can begin to be filled with Christ. The surrendered soul is the purified heart. And it is once again Christ, and Him living in us that grants us entrance to the kingdom of God and access to the Father. It is here spiritual vision begins.
From outside the kingdom the boundary appears a formidable wall only breached by physical death and being resurrected inside. But from the inside the kingdom you can see that this wall is not a wall at all, but people, alive on the earth today, linked arm in arm who at about the work of the Father to expand it.
From outside the kingdom denominations are truths or lies. From inside the kingdom denominations are communities and parts of the body. They are a subset of the whole, the whole being the complete body of Christ.
From outside the kingdom adulterers, homosexuals, drunks, can never ever get in, or achieve eternal life. From inside the kingdom you understand that the blood of Christ covers the person not the behavior. You can see that they are not a Sinner, but a potential child of God because of the blood. The sin is not who they are, therefore hope remains.
Inside the kingdom love is clearer, and it looks nothing like the world's definition. Inside the kingdom favorite scripture has new meaning.
Luke 4:43, Jesus said, "But He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.'"
What is the kingdom of God? Why did Jesus mention those exact terms 57 times? Why did some gospel writers substitute kingdom of Heaven for the same terms? Why did He send out people to "proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing."
Christians in mass understand salvation, and that Christ died for our sins. Charismatics in mass understand there is a power of the Holy Spirit available for so much including power to heal. But not many understand the kingdom of God. And to be frank, I can see a whole lot more than I understand, and can articulate even less. But scripture says Jesus was sent for the purpose of preaching the kingdom of God.
This would make sense given that nearly everything coming out of His mouth was about the kingdom of God. Nearly every parable was about the kingdom of God. But wait. I thought Christ purpose was to provide the body with salvation?
This is true, but this is a bi-product or necessary precursor for His real purpose of proclaiming the kingdom of God. Salvation is the first step to entering the kingdom of God.
For generations we have been taught that Christianity is about salvation, then overcoming, with no discussion of entering the kingdom of God until we die. I for one have been taught that the part of us that enters the kingdom of God is some resurrected form of our flesh after we physically die. But the kingdom of God is not to come in some distant future, to be experience post physical death. It is here. Jesus said, it is at hand.
So what is it?
The kingdom of God is a place that exists on a spiritual plane. The Greek word used by Jesus in every case was Basileia. Somewhere in history this word lost its original meaning of a physical place, a kingdom, and took on a more action oriented meaning of a reign or kingship. To Plato, a Greek, he understood the word to be a royal palace, and why not? The royal palace is the seat of power for a kingdom. But a kingdom is a place, a place that has a boundary. And the kingdom of God has a boundary. It has a boundary in existence and even has a boundary within our very being, in our soul.
We know the kingdom of God is spiritual and inside us because of Luke 17: 20-21. We know that the kingdom of God can be entered, and that this entrance is granted to child like nature according to Mark 10:15. But not only is there the requirement of a child like nature, but our spirit must be reborn to even see it. John 3:3.
Please understand. Salvation is not a guarantee to enter the kingdom of God. Salvation is a guaranteed escape of hell, but it is only a guarantee that we will "see" the kingdom of God, not entrance. An entrance that can occur in this lifetime. I know the entrance into this spiritual place of the kingdom of God is for this lifetime because God's word say it.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven. It does not say their's SHALL be the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, "But if you cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." (Matt 123:28) - Here and now.
Not only can we enter it, we can be removed from it... Matt 21:43, "... the kingdom of God will be taken from you..."
The kingdom of God is a mystery that some are given understanding of. (Mark 4:11). In Luke 8:10, "... so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand."
The kingdom of God comes with power. Mk 9:1.
I could go on and on, but the kingdom of God is a spiritual place, with a spiritual boundary. A boundary to which entrance has some requirements, the first of which is rebirth. But then remaining requirements are accomplish with surrender to the cross. The result is a restoration of our child like nature, and innocence. But once you penetrate that boundary, the world is a completely different place. Inside the kingdom of God you understand more fully that we are in the world but not of it. Inside the kingdom of God is a kingdom perspective, that effects body, soul, and spirit.
And most important to me, and the reason I am writing a book title The Father, Son, Holy Spirit, & Coming Kingdom Revival is that Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." There are a lot of gospels being preached. Mainly a gospel of salvation. The kingdom gospel is what is coming, and needs to be preached. The revelation and revival the kingdom of God will create will fulfill Revelation 11:15, where is says, "... The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." This is not a concept. This is not heresy. This is what must occur. This is what will occur. There will not only be an understanding of the kingdom of God, but it will occupy the spirit and soul of every Christian. It will motivate every Christian. It will bear the fruit of love.
The beauty of it all is that unlike many of my predecessors, and peers I do not believe it is anything more than a choice. It is not a salvation issue, it is an issue of becoming what the Bible calls "The chosen generation." "The royal priesthood" that sees the return of Christ. What is further beautiful is that God has already picked that generation. He calls to every generation to be it, but only one, somewhere in time, will stand up and accept the call. One will, in mass, enter the kingdom of God and fulfill Gods work of having man be instrumental in Satan's final stand. But until that day... YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Whether others join you or not is immaterial.
But be careful what you wish for. Count up the cost. The price of admission is everything. Everything must be honestly and completely subjected/surrendered to Him, or it must be stripped from you. I would say too, that there appears to be no turning back once you ask to come in. You will have to pay the admission, and it appears to be a non-refundable purchase.
John 14:2, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."
It has been over 2000 years since Jesus left to prepare us a place. Do you think it is really taking that long? Do you think the God of the Universe who spoke everything into existence is in heaven laboring to build mansions? Was this why He was born a carpenter's son?
I hardly think so. And moreover, why would he spend so much time preparing a place if it is in fact some type of "mansion" in a place that will be destroyed. Remember, Revelation says there will be a new earth and a new heaven. God is not going to restore heaven or earth because both have been contaminated by sin.
So perhaps this place that Jesus said He was going to prepare was really our place in God's kingdom. Perhaps it is our place to stand in the kingdom of God. A kingdom that is here and now.
Jesus as a child was separated from His parents. He was found, according to His words, in "My Father's House." I think this speaks prophetic volumes as to God's true intent with us as believers. I think is says we can be found in the Father's House, which is very much also the kingdom of God.
Now some might think that they are in the kingdom of God because they are saved. Others might have no idea what it even means when I say the kingdom of God. But there are those, that the subject is one of complete unspeakable understanding. If you are in the kingdom of God, you first of all know it. Secondly, I am finding that if you are, there really is no articulation for the experience or place. There are plenty of ways to articulate how to get in. There are even ways to articulate the behavior that manifest from inside. But the inside... it is truly other worldly and very difficult to articulate.
After salvation, and before the kingdom of God our prayers are about things that have gone wrong, and disturbances in our lives. We do not identify with the ever presence of God in His kingdom. We do not understand that our very existence is about "My Father's Business."
Oswald Chambers says this, "Narrow it down to your individual circumstances - are you so identified with the Lord's life that you are simply a child of God, continually talking to Him and realizing that all things come from His hands? Is the Eternal Child in you living in the Father's house? Are the graces of His ministering life working out through you in your home, in your business, in your domestic circle? Have you been wondering why you are going through the things you are? It is not that you have to go through them, it is because of the relation into which the Son of God has come in His Father's providence in your particular sainthood. Let Him have His way, keep in perfect union with Him."
Perfect union with Him occurs inside the kingdom of God. Truly knowing you are His child comes from surrender which leads to the kingdom of God.
Inside the kingdom of God you not only know all things work together for good, but you begin to see how things work together for good. Inside the kingdom of God you not only hear His word, but you see how to apply it, and when to apply it. Inside the kingdom of God there are no denominations, but there is the understanding of community and communities. Inside the kingdom of God pain still hurts, but its purpose is seen and the joy allows it to be endured. Inside the kingdom of God true agape love is taught and expressed. Inside the kingdom of God there is no "doing" but there is a lot of "being" and standing.
