In talking about the metaphor of seeds, Pastor Benji shared the following:
-seeds have unstoppable power;
-seeds can move sod and split rocks;
-when the conditions are right, seeds come forth.
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed...
The kingdom of heaven is like the smallest seed...
And we have seen in nature how a tiny, insignificant, dead-looking seed can grow into a huge tree.
"Embrace it while it's small... later it will be too large for you." Let's receive Pastor Benji's sermon as a personal reminder and warning.
Take heed.
Showing posts with label Daniel 2 and Matthew 13. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel 2 and Matthew 13. Show all posts
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Spent.
In the final point of this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Benji noted that the kingdom of God is lasting. Because it's an everlasting kingdom, it carries a value that is worth all we have.
Let's reflect on what was shared:
-Since the kingdom of God is everlasting, the wise man secures it (Matthew 13:44-46);
-No sacrifice is too great to ensure we enter this everlasting kingdom (Luke 9:47);
-Present entry guarantees future security (Matthew 19:29).
Are you willing to spend all you have for the sake of God's eternal kingdom? For those of us who are members of Bronx Bethany, we have stated our willingness to give of our tithes and offerings, our time, and our talent to support the work of the local church... but this commitment to the kingdom goes beyond the local church. Our call is to say yes to God, Who can do as He pleases with us.
To paraphrase Oswald Chambers, God can choose to make us poor or rich, sick or well. He can send us to India or plant us in the center of Idaho. He can bless us with respect or cause us to be bombarded with ridicule. It's His call, not ours.
My friends, will you say yes to being spent for the sake of God's kingdom? It's a costly yes, but a worthwhile yes.
Don't pull back. If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him (see Second Timothy 2:10-13). Yes, God.
Let's reflect on what was shared:
-Since the kingdom of God is everlasting, the wise man secures it (Matthew 13:44-46);
-No sacrifice is too great to ensure we enter this everlasting kingdom (Luke 9:47);
-Present entry guarantees future security (Matthew 19:29).
Are you willing to spend all you have for the sake of God's eternal kingdom? For those of us who are members of Bronx Bethany, we have stated our willingness to give of our tithes and offerings, our time, and our talent to support the work of the local church... but this commitment to the kingdom goes beyond the local church. Our call is to say yes to God, Who can do as He pleases with us.
To paraphrase Oswald Chambers, God can choose to make us poor or rich, sick or well. He can send us to India or plant us in the center of Idaho. He can bless us with respect or cause us to be bombarded with ridicule. It's His call, not ours.
My friends, will you say yes to being spent for the sake of God's kingdom? It's a costly yes, but a worthwhile yes.
Don't pull back. If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him (see Second Timothy 2:10-13). Yes, God.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Alliter-Bug
In the spirit of Pastor Benji's sermon, today's points will be alliterative.
In considering the the kingdom of God, we learned on Sunday that it is a large kingdom:
-The kingdom initially will fool. Many people in this world make the mistake of thinking that the kingdom is small. They limit the "kingdom" to their notion of the local church, or their pastor(s), or their cultural norms. But God is not limited by any of these things: He surpasses and supercedes them all.
-The kingdom increasingly will fill. As we read in Scripture, the earth is full of God's goodness (Psalm 33:5), God's praise (Habakkuk 3:3), God's glory (Isaiah 6:3). It is the nature of God to fill the environment with His attributes.
-The kingdom inevitably will flourish. As the kingdom of heaven increases, all the kingdoms of the earth will be destroyed (Daniel 2:44) and God's kingdom will be the only one that stands forever. The process has been set into motion by God and nothing will stop it.
As Pastor Benji said on Sunday, God's kingdom annihilates the kingdoms of the world without firing a shot. It's the ultimate coup.
So, whose side are you on?
In considering the the kingdom of God, we learned on Sunday that it is a large kingdom:
-The kingdom initially will fool. Many people in this world make the mistake of thinking that the kingdom is small. They limit the "kingdom" to their notion of the local church, or their pastor(s), or their cultural norms. But God is not limited by any of these things: He surpasses and supercedes them all.
-The kingdom increasingly will fill. As we read in Scripture, the earth is full of God's goodness (Psalm 33:5), God's praise (Habakkuk 3:3), God's glory (Isaiah 6:3). It is the nature of God to fill the environment with His attributes.
-The kingdom inevitably will flourish. As the kingdom of heaven increases, all the kingdoms of the earth will be destroyed (Daniel 2:44) and God's kingdom will be the only one that stands forever. The process has been set into motion by God and nothing will stop it.
As Pastor Benji said on Sunday, God's kingdom annihilates the kingdoms of the world without firing a shot. It's the ultimate coup.
So, whose side are you on?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
New York Winter
I love winter, especially here in New York. You never know what a day might bring: it could be snowing, or icy, or fifty degrees, or zero degrees...
But in a normal winter cycle, a walk through the park will reveal a stark, bare picture of plant life. All the trees have lost their leaves and, to the untrained eye, they look dead... but look again.
Do you see it? There's life.
Oh, maybe you won't see it with your eyes until March or April or May, when the trees begin to bud again. But I think you've been through enough cycles to know, by faith, that spring will reveal the life that has existed all through the winter.
As Pastor Benji shared on Sunday, the kingdom of heaven is a living kingdom.
Do you see it?
Oh. Maybe you don't see it because you're too overwhelmed by life's circumstances- maybe your prayer didn't get answered the way you wanted it to. Maybe the triumph of evil has jaded you and you are no longer willing to wait on God. Maybe the duplicity of carnal Christians has convinced you that this God thing is a sham.
May I give you a word of encouragement? See life from heaven's perspective. See springtime in the kingdom: not with your physical eyes, but with the eyes of faith. God's kingdom is real and alive and flourishing, even though it might look dead to the world.
Yes, I can smile in the dead of winter... SOON, soon life will burst forth and everyone will see. And there will be no doubt that it is a work of God, for His glory.
But in a normal winter cycle, a walk through the park will reveal a stark, bare picture of plant life. All the trees have lost their leaves and, to the untrained eye, they look dead... but look again.
Do you see it? There's life.
Oh, maybe you won't see it with your eyes until March or April or May, when the trees begin to bud again. But I think you've been through enough cycles to know, by faith, that spring will reveal the life that has existed all through the winter.
As Pastor Benji shared on Sunday, the kingdom of heaven is a living kingdom.
Do you see it?
Oh. Maybe you don't see it because you're too overwhelmed by life's circumstances- maybe your prayer didn't get answered the way you wanted it to. Maybe the triumph of evil has jaded you and you are no longer willing to wait on God. Maybe the duplicity of carnal Christians has convinced you that this God thing is a sham.
May I give you a word of encouragement? See life from heaven's perspective. See springtime in the kingdom: not with your physical eyes, but with the eyes of faith. God's kingdom is real and alive and flourishing, even though it might look dead to the world.
Yes, I can smile in the dead of winter... SOON, soon life will burst forth and everyone will see. And there will be no doubt that it is a work of God, for His glory.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
O Zerubbabel!
This past Sunday's sermon had a long title, and the title reflected a clear prophetic warning: "Embrace It While It's Small: Later It Will Be Too Large For You."
This week we'll reflect on some of the thoughts shared by Pastor Benji during the sermon. Let's start with a recap of the main points shared:
-the kingdom of God is living;
-the kingdom of God is large;
-the kingdom of God is (ever)lasting.
In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, and that is a good place to start our reflection for today. (Let's not nit-pick over the use of the phrase "kingdom of God" versus the phrase "kingdom of heaven": I think we'll agree that the issue at hand is rather the approach we take to the things of God: His law, His principles, His mandates, His protocol.)
What credence do we give to something that is the size of a mustard seed? I think of words like 'inconsequential', 'insignificant', 'irrelevant'. Sometimes we don't pay attention to things because they are small. But if any of you have experienced the pain of a splinter, or the discomfort of walking with a tiny pebble caught in your shoe, you know that small things have the potential to get our attention in a big way. And if you don't deal with the small thing, it can soon become a big problem.
Are there kingdom principles that you are ignoring- submission to authority? Obedience? Humility? The day will come when we have to answer for what we've done, and what we've failed to do, in this effort to live the life of the kingdom while we're here on this earth.
The smallest seed becomes the biggest tree. How will you treat that seed?
This week we'll reflect on some of the thoughts shared by Pastor Benji during the sermon. Let's start with a recap of the main points shared:
-the kingdom of God is living;
-the kingdom of God is large;
-the kingdom of God is (ever)lasting.
In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, and that is a good place to start our reflection for today. (Let's not nit-pick over the use of the phrase "kingdom of God" versus the phrase "kingdom of heaven": I think we'll agree that the issue at hand is rather the approach we take to the things of God: His law, His principles, His mandates, His protocol.)
What credence do we give to something that is the size of a mustard seed? I think of words like 'inconsequential', 'insignificant', 'irrelevant'. Sometimes we don't pay attention to things because they are small. But if any of you have experienced the pain of a splinter, or the discomfort of walking with a tiny pebble caught in your shoe, you know that small things have the potential to get our attention in a big way. And if you don't deal with the small thing, it can soon become a big problem.
Are there kingdom principles that you are ignoring- submission to authority? Obedience? Humility? The day will come when we have to answer for what we've done, and what we've failed to do, in this effort to live the life of the kingdom while we're here on this earth.
The smallest seed becomes the biggest tree. How will you treat that seed?