Kingdom Thoughts

You are the Kingdom encounter this world needs. - Pastor Derek Coy. 

Think about the words above for a few moments. Ponder it. Let it sink in. If you're like me, all the turmoil in the world has probably had you thinking, "What do we do? What's next?" The answer is in those words that our youth pastor shared with us today. As Christians, we need to live our faith bolder and louder than ever before! We need to rise up, get involved, serve more, and take our jobs as Christians more seriously. It's time to BE what we want to SEE in the world around us!


Nearly two years ago, I shared on my fitness blog about hearing testimonies at church. The youth of the church were sharing about how they were "Kingdom workers." It was very inspiring to me! We need to have that attitude; the attitude of servanthood. We need to be happily working to see the Kingdom come and God's Will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). After all, is there anything else that will yield as much fruit as laboring for the Lord? It's like another phrase that came to mind from another sermon I heard several years ago. It was something like, 'you can either build His Kingdom, or you can build your own.' Which makes more sense? Which one lasts? My friend, Karen, once put it this way, "What will weigh more in heaven?"

I'm blogging these thoughts and putting them out there today because I felt very stirred to do so. There was a time where I blogged very regularly. I enjoyed it and felt like God was inspiring and fueling me to write and share with others. My life has drastically changed since those days and I haven't blogged as much for a variety of different reasons. Aside from obvious factors (such as simply not having the kind of downtime that I used to) another big one has slowed me down: self-worth. Even though there have been times where God has had me encouraging and sharing with others that it's never to late to serve and be the kind of person He's called you to be, those very words have been hard for me to embrace for myself. I keep comparing myself to previous versions of who I was. I often reflect on my teen years (where I was growing in the Lord the most) as well as in the years right before my divorce. I think more highly of those Melissas than I do this one; even though I never thought I was good enough THEN either!


Derek's message today strongly emphasized that we need to embrace our identity in Christ and reject any lie that would contradict the truth of who we are in Him. I think the main thing that I deeply need to comprehend is the fact that I am NOT unusable by God! At every age and stage of my life, I felt like I never had the kind of faith or testimony to be the kind of person that I THOUGHT I should be. I have been like Moses; chosen by God but reluctant to be who He says I am because I don't see what He sees (or think that I'm "almost" there, but not quite and therefore can't do it). So many things have been on the back burner of my life for all sorts of reasons, but none of them more than the stupid lie of, "He can't use me anymore. My life isn't what I think it should be, so I'm done."

What I need to focus on now is not in who I was or who I think I should be. The only thing I should EVER be focusing on is who HE is and whatever HE wants to enable me to be! God brought the Luke 19:26 to my mind as I was pondering all the Kingdom thoughts during the service.
 
These words of Jesus have always been a little confusing to me. I have never fully understood the meaning until God showed me today how it directly applied to me. In the five years since my divorce, I have tried to wrap my brain around how God could still love or use me after I've committed my personal "unforgiveable sin" (divorce). To me, it doesn't make sense how he could forgive me when I don't fully forgive myself. Beyond that, how on earth could He be so GOOD to me when I still don't feel deserving? For three years, I was running and drowning in pain and grief until I made faith my foundation again in 2013. In no time, he was accomplishing the impossible for me: He found me the perfect job, a house of my own (right next to my parents), an amazing boyfriend (whom He quickly revealed to me was to be my husband), followed by a wedding, the selling of my new house for a profit, and another new and amazing job!

1st Wedding Anniversary Selfie 

 

 

Everything keeps getting better and better; and that's where that verse comes in! I truly believe that faith and thankfulness is what has brought about the blessings in my life! Just like Job, He didn't "take away" anything from me to punish me or anyone else, but to give me a better life; not because I deserve it, but because He truly loves me! He gave Chris and I to each other because we have content, grateful, and faith filled hearts. We appreciate what He's done and continue to give thanks for what He continues to do in our lives. We strive to pay it forward and bless others as we have been blessed. This is also where the other part of that verse makes sense as well. Chris and I were rescued from lives where His work was hindered by the bad choices and attitudes of the people we were with. They were not content with anything they had (including us) and so they lost the blessings that they never knew they had because it was never enough for them. They thought they had nothing, so that "nothing" was taken from them but has become EVERYTHING to us! Chris is a priceless treasure to me that I feel grateful for every day! It kind of feels like finding something precious or rare that someone else discarded; you just wonder how someone couldn't know what they had when it was theirs! Sometimes, they figure it out later on, but it's usually too late. God will give the blessings to the people who treasure and appreciate them!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that someone is blessed by reading this because I was certainly blessed today! Remember, be a Kingdom worker because that is the type of person and encounter that this world needs! We will begin seeing changes in our communities and all over the world if we continue to advance the Kingdom of God instead of just trying to build our own castles in the sand. We MUST put our time and energy into the people and things that will weigh the most in heaven! YOU matter to the Kingdom! God can and will use you to bless others and He will bless you right back as well! May your faith fuel and fill your heart with contentment and joy! God bless you!

King of the Sand Castle

Ok, everyone, we are back to the “House” series at church!! We had a nice two weeks of Mike Gerber’s messages; and now, we are back to Chad’s “House” series. I think this may have been the last installment of this series today. But, if it isn’t, look forward to more! And, as always, I will continue posting my sermon notes. You can also listen to the sermons online at our church website - or download the podcasts if you have an ipod. You’ll DEFINITELY want to hear today’s because Chad told some REALLY good stories. He was pretty funny today as well. So, check that out once it gets uploaded to the site, because this is one message I don’t think I will be able to articulate as well as Chad did.

Anyways, in case you haven’t been following the series, you might want to go back and read parts one, two, three, and four so that you will understand the flow and what I’m about to talk about next. So, let’s jump right in!!

Today, we come to the “Kingdom” door inside the house. Often times, we think of “Kingdom” as being in the future tense. We think of it as in being the end destination - the Kingdom of Heaven when we die. But, God’s Kingdom isn’t just “later” it’s NOW!!

The definition of “Kingdom” needs a little bit more expansion. Chad says there are two Kingdom realities: realm and rule. Sure, we have God’s Kingdom of Heaven where He rules and reigns, but His Kingdom is also HERE on Earth where He indeed rules and reigns. Also, HIS Kingdom is warring with another kingdom: Satan’s kingdom. Just like in the parable of the sower, this world is a crop of wheat and weeds. In that sense, the “Kingdom” is future because in the end, the wheat and weeds will be separated. The good wheat will be harvested and the weeds will be uprooted and tossed away.

So, what do we do in this present Kingdom while we wait for the ultimate Kingdom? Well, for one, we endure. As was mentioned, this is a world of both wheat and weeds. We can’t escape the weeds right now. So, we’re just going to have to grow alongside the weeds for right now and try to flourish despite the weeds all around us. We mustn’t allow the weeds to choke us out!!

So, what does it mean to be wheat and to be concerned with God’s Kingdom now? Well, we all have our kingdoms. Does it line up with God’s? I know that for one, I was thinking of this song by Casting Crowns when Chad was preaching today. Watch this you tube music video and take in the words:

American Dream
By Casting Crowns

All work no play may have made Jack a dull boy
But all work no God has left Jack with a lost soul.
But he’s moving on full steam
He’s chasing the American dream
And he’s gonna give his family the finer things

Not this time son I’ve no time to waste
Maybe tomorrow we’ll have time to play
And then he slips into his new BMW
And drives farther and farther and farther away

So He works all day and tries to sleep at night
He says things will get better;
Better in time

‘Cause he works and he builds with his own two hands
And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are comin’ crashing in
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands
His kingdom stands

His American Dream is beginning to seem
More and more like a nightmare
With every passing day
“Daddy, can you come to my game?”
“Oh Baby, please don’t work late.”
Another wasted weekend
And they are slipping away

‘Cause he works all day and lies awake at night
He tells them things will get better
It’ll just take a little more time

He used to say, “Who ever dies with the most toys wins”
But if he loses his soul, what has he gained in the end
I’ll take a shack on a rock
Over a castle in the sand

Now he works all day and cries alone at night
It’s not getting any better
Looks like he’s running out of time

‘Cause he worked and he built with his own two hands
And he poured all he had in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are coming crashing in
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands
His kingdom stands

All they really wanted was you
All they really wanted was you
All they really wanted was you

Profound message isn’t it?? ;)

There is so much more I would like to say about today’s message. But, like I said, I don’t think I can put it into words the way Chad did today - especially with the funny and unique stories he told. You’ll have to listen to it for yourself. ;) But, I will leave you with this quote he gave us from C.S. Lewis: “Faith is not hearing what Christ said long ago and ‘trying to carry it out.’ Rather, the real Son is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as himself. He is beginning to inject his kind of life and thought into you…”

Yeah, that is just like the mixing bowl illustration Chad told us. They are all nested in each other. The little bowl of the Holy Spirit working in us rests in the bowl of us working in the church/community, and rests in the bowl of the bigger picture of the Kingdom. How profoundly interesting!! I like that!!

Anyways, I loved this “House” series!! My kudos to Chad!! I can’t wait to see what’s next!! And, I’m looking forward to our Christmas musical production - which I am participating in!! So much fun!!

God bless you everyone!!