Kingdom Awareness

29 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by eisakouo in Kingdom of God, Luke

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Abraham, Adam and Eve, Elijah, Exodus 3:2-5, hearing God's voice, Jacob, Jesus, John 19:10-11, kingdom of God, Luke 17:20-21, miss God's will, Moses, physical signs, Rome, signs, spirituality

The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20-21

Jesus said people miss out on what God is doing in and around them because they fail to detect or discern what the Lord desires to accomplish in them personally. In this verse Jesus calls His followers to become Kingdom Aware.

So are you Kingdom Aware? Are you looking for the Lord to work outside you or inside? When we are looking for the Lord’s action some other place rather than inside ourselves, we will probably miss the Lord’s movements. I wear glasses. Occasionally, I misplace them and go searching for them. In desperation, I will finally ask my wife… “Have you see my glasses?” She will give me one of those looks and say… “They are on top of your head!” It is embarrassing. It must have been embarrassing for Jesus’ followers to hear Him say, “Stop looking and expecting the Kingdom of God to arrive with physical signs…The Kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus could have said, “Hey, stupid… the Kingdom is starring you in the face… can you feel me now?” Jesus is, was, and will continue to be a perfect gentleman.

The major focus for Jesus was the Kingdom of God. It still is! The power of Rome and its occupying force was hardly a blip on the radar for Jesus, even though it was foremost in the minds of almost everyone else. Jesus wasn’t concerned with the power of Herod, the Jewish leaders or even Pilate. In fact, when Jesus was being questioned by Pilate at His trial, Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:10-11).

Jesus’ focus was not on the power of the government, but on the power of God. He stood before Pilate in complete confidence. What was it that freed Jesus from fear and gave Him such confidence? It was the constant awareness of the presence of the kingdom of God. The same Kingdom that ruled and reigned in Jesus’ heart and life should be ruling and reigning in ours as well.

Unfortunately, we miss Kingdom’s movements all the time. Most of our favorite Bible characters did too. It started in the garden with Adam and Eve. God told the first couple they could do anything they wanted and eat anything they wanted except for one small item. As soon as they thought God was off somewhere snoozing, they proceeded to make a dinner of the forbidden fruit. They acted as if God didn’t exist anymore. Because God was absent, His presence didn’t seem to appear as important. Bottom-line, the first couple didn’t value the Presence of God or His Kingdom.

God broke into the world of both Abraham and his son. He made special promises to both generations. Apart from these special visitations, they seem to be unaware that the Lord was continually with them. It was mainly during down times of testings and trials in which they doubted God’s word and forgot His promises.

Abraham’s grandson, Jacob was on the run when God spoke to him in a dramatic way. While he was sleeping, the Lord revealed to him that earth and heaven were not two separate places, but connected. Jacob saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth with angels traversing in between. Jacob called the place “Bethel”, which means “house of God.” He was partly correct. God did live there, but He also lived everywhere. This dream was not a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence…. it was an eternal truth about the Presence and Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is always waiting to be discovered by seekers. Bethel was not an unusual experience for one man way back in history, but a reality for every person, in every place, in every time. How many of us have had times when God’s presence broke through into our everyday lives? These experiences should have made us want more of God and His Kingdom.

I have had Bethel type experiences in prayer or when reading the Scripture, and I have had them when I least expected it. The point is, God is always trying to break through our world, if we will only be aware of Him. I believe God had been attempting to speak to Jacob many times earlier in his life, but he was not ready to experience Him. It was only until Jacob became desperate enough and needed the Lord that the Lord was able to capture his heart.

At first Moses tried to force the Kingdom of God into action and killed a man in the process. It was not until Moses had spent a long time away from Egypt, and came to the point of desperation that he was ready for God to speak to him.

The Bible says, “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up… When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’ ‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:2-5).

I believe that every place can be holy ground, and the only thing that keeps us from experiencing God is our willingness and readiness to experience Him.

Elijah may offer the best example of how the Kingdom of God should move in our life. Elijah knew and experienced the power of God. He had witnessed God consume the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. Immediately following this great victory, Queen Jezebel sought to kill him. Feeling dejected and depressed Elijah ran. At this point he desperately needed a word but couldn’t get one from the Lord.

God sent a great a powerful cyclone, but the Lord voice couldn’t be heard in the cyclone.
God sent a great earthquake, but God’s voice was absent here as well.
Then the Lord sent a consuming fire that ravaged the area, but God was not in the fire.

NOTE: This is why it is never a good idea to attempt to discern God’s will right after a natural disaster. Yet, you hear people all the time attempting to do so. If you find it difficult to hear God in peaceful quiet times, how much more difficult do you think it will be to discern His voice when melee ensues.

Finally, Elijah heard God’s voice in a gentle whisper (small voice). This gentle, small voice was so holy and full of the presence of God, it made Elijah pull his cloak over his head, cover his face and fall on his knees.

Maybe you have been in this place? You desperately needed a word from the Lord, but couldn’t hear. You sought for the Lord to speak in a big way, but heard nothing. Later, God spoke in a still small voice. Why does God move in this way? Because the Kingdom of God will not arrive with signs to be observed… the Kingdom of God is within you.

The Good News is the Kingdom of God is coming! The better news is even though God’s Kingdom arrives in small ways… it doesn’t have to stay small. Jesus confirms to us that God’s Kingdom will grow if we water, nourish, and allow it to grow within us. It is a mistake to believe that just because the Lord is quiet at times, He is not with us. Our job is to be constantly Kingdom aware. We bless the Lord when we value His presence whether we sense it or not. Keep Seeking!

Blessings – From God’s Incubator,

Pastor

The High Cost of Low Level Complaining (Part 2) The Results Are Contagious

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Dying to Self

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christianity, complaints are contagious, dealing with doubts, don't pray your problems pray your solutions, fatalistic conclusions, get a word, Holtz quote, lack of faith, lust, moan, Moses, mutter, Numbers 11:14-23, Numbers 11:4-13. mix multitude, only see the problems, real faith

Yesterday, I began blogging about the high cost of complaining and how vocally venting our displeasure with God reveals our ingratitude. Today, I continue by noting how complaining just doesn’t go into the air and quietly dissipate. When we choose to complain…it usually becomes contagious. It goes viral like a bad internet video. Listen as the story continues in Numbers 11.

A Mixed Multitude Began To Mutter.

And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting… Numbers 11:4a

This “mixed multitude” consisted of Jews along with some of the Egyptians that had followed the Israelites out of Egypt. Egyptians came along for the ride for various reasons. But it was this group which first began to “lust” or long for the way things used to be. It was one thing to possess internal desires for something. It was another to vocalize those desires and encourage others to voice their displeasure.

The Children Of Israel Began To Mourn As Well

…and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, ‘Who shall give us flesh to eat?’ Numbers 11:4b

I talked about this a little yesterday. But note, this is the first link in the awful chain of complaining. Let one person or small group of people start complaining to others about what’s wrong with the church, an organization, or leader and soon thereafter others will link up with the complainers. Muttering complaints is easy. Fixing issues is hard. This is why so many choose to complain… it is the easy road and requires no effort. The problem is that complaining is contagious. Mark Twain once said, “Don’t complain and talk about all your problems. Eighty percent of people don’t care; the other twenty percent will think you deserve them.”

Even Moses Began To Groan and Moan

Under the weight of these complaints, God’s man Moses began to crumble. With nowhere else to turn, he voices his complaints to the Lord.

11 So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? 12 Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ Numbers 11:11-13

This would be funny if it weren’t so serious. Moses feels afflicted. Like a mother who is up all night with a crying baby, Moses is tired, beat-up, and apparently not taking care of his own personal needs. He isn’t caring for one child…but a multitude of immature infants. He knows he doesn’t have the resources to meet all the demands of the people. Remember the people are not starving or dying. They are simply complaining because they want more. As a result of all this negativity, Moses draws some rather fatalistic conclusions.

14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.” Numbers 11:14-15

When death becomes a suitable alternative for you, your situation has deteriorated and you’re losing control. Moses appears to have forgotten he was still conversing with the same God which delivered Israel from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea. The pillar of clouds and the fire by night were still in operation above his head. Miracles were still flowing from God’s hand.

God never intended for Moses to bear the full load of this people. Though Moses complained to God, we never read that he ever complained before the people or spread his malcontent. This is the difference between the godly and the ungodly. There will be times when we need to unload our concerns. If we must…it is ok to tell the Lord about what is going on in our life. But, when we complain to others first, before talking to God…it reveals our lack of faith. It reveals we don’t really want solutions, we simply desire to complain about how bad things are for us.

Unfortunately, Moses arrived to the point where he even doubted God could handle these circumstances.

21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23 And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” Numbers 11:21-23

Moses is like so many people…he only sees the problems. He can only comprehend God answering via his own personal resources. Listen, we are not really praying when we are believing in our own resources. Moses wasn’t praying for God’s solutions. He was praying about His problems. When you pray… don’t pray your problems, instead pray for God’s solutions. God knows about your problems. You know about your problems. It doesn’t take any faith to believe you have problems. Real faith reaches into God’s pockets and believes He will bless you with heavenly resources. Moses needed to pray His word. (Food for a month.) Instead, he continued to blather to God about His problems.

There is a fork in the road today for all of us. We can choose the path of continued complaining. This is the easy road. Here we can join the multitudes which choose to complain and gripe about all those things God doesn’t do for us. God will never move for this group because no one on this road expresses faith. Praise the Lord there is another road for God’s people. On this path people choose not to complain but believe in what God has revealed. These folks look to the Lord because He has spoken. Prayer is a joy for these folks because they pray God’s solutions not their problems.

Blessings,

Pastor

Don’t Settle For Less Of God, When You Can Have More!

23 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by eisakouo in Our Spiritual Process

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deeper in the Lord, Exodus 33:13-14, let me know you, live in favor, Moses, Settling for less, teach me your ways, without the presence of God

¹³ Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” ¹⁴ And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:13-14

Moses was truly a man of God. When God withdrew Himself from the camp of Israel, Moses quickly inquired of the Lord to reverse His course. It is easy to praise Moses for taking the right course of action. Understand, he did not have to intercede for the people. The Bible is full of folks who took the wrong course and neglected their higher calling. I like this about Scripture. The Bible shows people’s good choices and their bad choices. I like knowing people have flaws and warts. In this passage though we have the anatomy of a good decision.

There is an important principle here we can learn from Moses’ life…Do not live or move without the presence and blessing of God. Does this sound simple? It is very simple. Why settle for less of God’s presence, when you can have a lot more of the Lord in your life? When the Lord began to withdraw His presence, Moses countered with three petitions of His own. I personally believe we can ask the Lord for these same three things.

Teach Me Your Ways
Let Me Know You
Allow Me To Live In Your Favor

It is not like Moses had never experienced the Lord along these same lines. Moses wanted to go deeper in His relationship with God. He wanted more! There is an unspoken truth here in Moses’ life and in our lives too. If we settle with what we have already experienced with God, we cannot grow further in the Lord. Settling means we have become satisfied. As great as Moses’ experiences had been, he still wanted more of God. Think about it…Moses heard God speak from a burning bush. He witnessed the ten plagues poured out on the Egyptians. He watched the Red Sea divide and afterward swallow up the Egyptian army. While God’s finger carved out the Ten Commandments, Moses stood by to record the event. Every one of these events was life changing on its own. Still, Moses wanted a deeper walk with God.

If Moses felt the need to grow deeper in the ways of God, should we seek anything less? The question is not whether or not God is willing to reveal more of Himself to us. The Bible is full of verses offering these types of promises. The real question is whether we will follow Moses’ lead and ask the Lord for more of His presence. I encourage you as I encourage myself…seek the face of the Father and ask Him for more of His presence. You just might hear these words, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Blessings,

Pastor