January 14, 2017
""As you go, proclaim, saying, ""The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:7)
Rick Warren wrote ""The Purpose-Driven Life"" and sold more copies than any book in history other than the Bible. One of the phenomenas about the sales was the majority of books were bought by men, which is highly unusual.
The reason? Everyone longs to know their purpose, particularly men, and few do.
LET'S SETTLE IT
This is what Christ was doing with his 12 disciples. He was forever defining their purpose. “This is why you live and why you are allowed to remain on this earth. I’m going to tell you in one sentence and write it down so every generation will understand.”
The WHERE
""As you go"" is about the arena in which your purpose is carried out. It is an ""anytime, anywhere"" purpose. This is why it is so good. You don't have to wait nor wonder. You just have to decide if you are going to do what you were created to do or not. We are to do this all along the way in our life. Everywhere. Everyday. To Everyone.
The WHAT
What are we to do all along the way? ""Proclaim, saying."" We are to open up our mouths and tell people something.
We are not alone in this. Christ would later calm the disciple’s fears by reminding them that ""It is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you"" (Vs. 20). We are perfectly aided by the One who has all power and all wisdom. He knows exactly what to say in ANY and EVERY situation. All you have to do is recognize your need for His help and trust Him as you open your mouth. He will give you what to say.
The MESSAGE
... is simple. ""The kingdom of heaven is at hand."" It is near. We are to tell people that there is another kingdom other than the one they can see, feel, and touch. It is a spiritual kingdom, an eternal kingdom, and it has a Ruler. And there is only one way to enter this kingdom: by trusting and surrendering to His control.
The description of this kingdom is found in Matthew, Chapters 5-7. The Sermon on the Mount is the kingdom manifesto. And, it is a glorious kingdom.
The purpose of this brief life is to make sure you get into that eternal kingdom and take as many with you as possible.
This is not rocket science. You have a purpose. As you go, proclaim saying, ""The kingdom of heaven is at hand.""
And today is a good time to get started!
February 18, 2025
I have known many people who have had great joy and power in the midst of great suffering. It is humbling that the slightest inconveniences deter many of us from following God. We have not gotten to the bottom—settled the issue. Most often, we live for our comfort, reputation, or gain. When any of those goals are touched, we are troubled and discontent.
February 17, 2025
The repentant who finds God gains everything. “He who has God and everything else,” said C.S. Lewis, “has no more than he who has God alone.”
February 12, 2025
Repentance helps us. Repentance heals us. Repentance restores us and refreshes us. And these are all the outcomes a loving Father desires for His children.