Kingdom Value

Jesus shared a couple of parables that we read in Matthew 13 which point to the value of the kingdom of heaven/God. One parable (verse 44) speaks of a treasure hidden in a field while the other (verses 45-46) talks about the pearl of great price. Both of these parables remind us that the kingdom of heaven/God is worth all that we have and more.

To truly understand these parables, we must first come to grips with the ideas around the kingdom of heaven/God. The most basic understanding we have is this: "In Christianity, the spiritual realm over which God reigns as king, or the eventual fulfillment of God's will on earth. Although rare in pre-Christian Jewish literature, the idea of God as king was fundamental to Judaism, and Jewish ideas on the kingdom of God most likely shaped New Testament usage. The term is often used in the New Testament, and it was a central theme in the preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus. Theologians differ as to whether Jesus implied that the kingdom had arrived in his person or whether it was expected as a future event. Christian orthodoxy now holds that the kingdom has been partially realized by the presence of the church in the world and that it will be fully realized after the Last Judgment." For our understanding today we will hold to the orthodox view that it has been partially realized and that it will be be fully realized.

There are several references to the kingdom of heaven/God in the New Testament. I will list a few of them here and let you do the research.
The kingdom of heaven is at hand
The kingdom of God has come upon you
The kingdom of God is within you
I believe these phrases are synonymous. Some will disagree with this interpretation, however, in light of what we see in the Gospels some of the writers chose the phrase "kingdom of heaven" while others chose "kingdom of God." Jesus, while talking with the rich young ruler used both phrases. Regardless of how you view it, these kingdom references place God on the throne and become the greatest endeavor of our lives.

The good news for each of us is that the kingdom of God/heaven is realized in Christ. He spoke of His kingdom not being of this earth, prayed that the Lord's will be done in earth as it is in heaven, and then told His followers that the Kingdom of God was within them. We also understand through the writings of Paul that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. My point is that the Kingdom of God has been realized in Christ, will be realized through us (the Church), and ultimately will come to its full establishment when we see the throne of our Lord among us. What you and I need to understand right now is that the Kingdom of God/heaven is worth everything.

Since the kingdom of God is so valuable, anything related to the kingdom is of great value as well. This is why we use such phrases as "Kingdom Value." What I am discovering in my own life is that when I discover kingdom truth that I must become sold-out to that truth. It's the main reason why I cannot get away from the messages on the finished work of Christ. It's why I cannot abandon the unconditional love of God regardless of the controversy I may have to endure. These are kingdom truths and they are worth all that I am.

Why am I willing to give mercy where others would bring condemnation? There is kingdom value in it.
Why am I willing to see people based upon the unconditional love of God rather than their behavior? There is kingdom value in it.
Why am I willing to change the way I have viewed Scripture in the past based upon the finished work of Christ? There is kingdom value in it.
As long as I view the kingdom of God through a denominational lens, it will be hard to accept the truth of the Kingdom of God.
As long as I view the kingdom of God through the lenses of others interpretation rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal His amazing truth, it will harder to accept the Kingdom of God and all that is available.

I have learned and am continuing to learn how to live from a kingdom mindset. I am learning to pray with the kingdom of God in full view. This is the endeavor of my life. This kingdom is so valuable that I am willing to lose everything to discover more about the valuable treasure the Lord has hidden for us. I am willing to be sold-out to possess this pearl of great price.

What about your life? What have you discovered about the Kingdom of God that has you tossing away everything that shrinks in comparison? I know that some people see this as a radical move but I'm discovering that what we tend to call radical the Bible calls obedience. I know that not everyone is at the same place in their journey but that is why I share the truths I have discovered with such passion. I know what I know, I know what I have experienced, and I know how the truth can set us free. And more often than not, what the truth sets us free from us not just a flat out lie. Many times, it's a half-truth. Which is why many believers are almost free.

The question you will need to answer is: Am I willing to search for the Lord's hidden treasure?
The answer to this question will lead you to another: What am I willing to do to possess it?

Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." Happy hunting!!!

What is the Message?

Hello PBC Voice readers. It's great to be back with you. After a wonderful week of rest & relaxation, I'm grateful to continue sharing things that I pray will enrich your life as a follower of Jesus. There's a lot that I could talk about but I've been thinking on this point for some time now: What is the message?

Over the past couple of weeks I have been looking into the thoughts of like-minded people. I have been reading and listening to folks who understand the finished work of Christ (all that is realized in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus) and I found a common denominator: They have had to endure many of the same misunderstandings that I have endured. They have had to cut through the religious jargon that dominates the church vocabulary. And they find themselves working hard to convey a message that should have been preserved since the days of Christ.

As I have thought about these things, I have asked myself the question as it relates to the church: WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?
What is the message that the world hears from us?
What is the message that the followers of Jesus hear from week to week?
What is the message that we should be preaching?
I think the message is quite simple. It's the Gospel!!!

While that may seem to simplistic for the average pastor or churchgoer, the reality is that this is the message we should be preaching and living. It's a message of God's love for humanity demonstrated through the offering of His Son. It's the message of Christ's death paying the penalty of sin and His resurrection releasing humanity to a newness of life. It's the message of Jesus taking on flesh, living a sinless life, dying on a cross, raising from the dead, and ascending to the right hand of the Father. It is this message alone that will change the world. It is this message that has proven to be the power of God unto salvation. It is this message that has been lost in many churches.

The message of the church is not sin:
That may seem foreign to many of you because it seems like a lot of our churches focus so much attention on sin. We seem to have no problem pointing out the evil-doers and making sure that we don't look like them. While the message of the gospel frees us from the power of sin - sin is not the message.

The message of the church is not judgement:
It seems to fit the bill I guess. If all we are talking about is how horrible sin is then we need to make sure people understand the judgement that awaits them right? But even that isn't the message that we are told to proclaim. The message of the church is not judgement.


The message of the church is not hell:
I get questioned a lot about my lack of preaching on hell. To be quite honest with you I didn't realize that there was a certain quota that I needed to reach. It just seems to me that we have equated preaching the Gospel with preaching hell. And that my friends is why I am saying that the message of the church is not hell.

The message of the church is Christ:
Jeff Turner talks about the need to return to the Gospel message (which is Christ) is his messages. The following quote came from his blog and I would like for you to consider the necessity of it as well.
"It’s time to ascend the stairs to the attic of truth and pull out that dusty, old relic which we’ve long forgotten about–The Gospel! The message of Christ incarnate, crucified, resurrected, ascended and seated at the Father’s right hand is the *ONLY* message packing enough punch to bring transformation...{it is the} one and only message that has the power to destroy darkness, fear, depression and anguish–the message of Christ as man’s substitute and continued incarnate brother. We must shed our blind devotion to the ideas and ideals born out of colonial revivalism and Western conservatism, and we must instead shamelessly embrace that happy message, for which apostles and alleged apostates shed their blood for–the message of God’s ceaseless grace and love towards us in Christ! It’s not the message of ‘revival’ or endless lists of ascetic, formulaic gibberish, which, if followed correctly will guarantee an ‘outpouring’ that brings life! No, friends, the message of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone can bring life!"

My friends, Jesus is the Gospel. He is the message. He is the life giving Savior. This is the message that the world is in need of more than ever. They don't need countless messages on the ills of our nation because Jesus took our sin upon Himself. They don't need to hear about judgement because God has judged sin once and for all in Christ. They don't need to hear about a hell that awaits when they encounter the reality of the One who endured hell for us. They need Jesus and they need to know that it is Christ in us that is the hope of glory.

Waking Up to the TRUTH

The last couple of days I have been doing what I can do to cause you to think. I want to challenge you in your understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While there are plenty of people who stand in opposition to this approach, I feel it is necessary for us to encounter the TRUTH and to see past the illusions of religion.

Allow me to start you off with a question. I do have to warn you: How you answer the following question will determine the rest of your beliefs.
The Fall of Adam vs The Resurrection of Jesus - which is more powerful?

While most of us would immediately respond that Jesus' resurrection from the dead is much more powerful, the reality is that their beliefs do not correspond to this fact. All one has to do is stop, look, and listen to how many believers live, how they communicate their understanding of the Gospel, and witness the lack of freedom in Christ. I'm not being judgmental, I'm simply giving an honest assessment of what I have experienced in the church for most of my life. It saddens me to think that many believers are not experiencing the abundant life that Jesus died to give.

1 Peter 1:3, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead". I want you to notice that Peter did not say that we received a new birth because of a choice we made. Humanity received a new birth because of a choice that God made. In most religious circles, the idea of Adam's fall is still infecting the way we live our lives. Our lack of understanding into the finished work of Christ (all that was accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection) has kept many enslaved to the idea that we are carrying his old nature. It's just not true.

Think about it: Jesus came as the Last Adam. According to the Bible we were immersed into His death and into His resurrection. This reality reveals to us that all that was in Adam died with Christ, was buried, and a new creation emerged with Him in the resurrection. It was always God's pre-determined plan to place us in Christ. It was the purpose of His coming. However, despite of all the verses that point to this TRUTH, we have continued to carry some bad theology. And this misunderstanding has kept us enslaved to a religious system that seeks to enslave rather than empower.

Jesus became all that we were so that we could become all that He is. The moment we realize that for ourselves is the moment that we will begin to experience the same quality of life that Jesus enjoys. It's a liberating truth. The more you grow in this understanding, the greater the freedom you will walk in.

It is my prayer for you on this Independence Day is that you will encounter the FREEDOM that is yours in Christ. Don't allow religion to take it from you. Never accept a Gospel that is anything less than what God designed it to be: Good News that sets the captive free. This is your day to wake up and to see past the illusions that have been created. It's time for you to shine.

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This will be my last post for several days. It's time for our family vacation. I look forward to being back with you in a few days. Be Blessed & Enjoy the Journey!!!

Honestly Seeking Truth

This may surprise you but I am often misunderstood. These misunderstandings come for various reasons: I say things I didn't mean to say, people hear me the wrong way, or I just didn't convey the meaning of what I was saying. In particular, as it relates to the Gospel, our mindset can make all the difference. I'll give you and example and then you can figure it out.

I was asked recently about a statement that I had made about being born again through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The person that I spoke with automatically thought that because I used the term "born again" that I meant "saved." However, the reality for me is that I view those two words differently. The reason is quite simple: I view them from the finished work of Christ.

The term "born again" for most believers is tied directly to salvation. We have heard sermons on the subject, handed out tracts, and witnessed to people about the need to be born again to see the Kingdom of Heaven. It sounds proper because of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. The only problem is that much of that understanding is limited to an improper mindset.

"Born again" is better translated as "Born From Above". Most theologians will agree with that. What you and I need to determine is when does this born again thing happen? [If you seek greater clarification read my friend Thom Cooper's book "What's the Meaning of This?! Clarifying Christian Concepts"] According to the person that I was talking with, being born again is something that happens at salvation. And their approach to the topic makes sense because it has been widely accepted. However, when you and I are willing to take a different approach at looking at the statement of Jesus in John 3, we can come away with a greater and even more biblical understanding.

When most people read John 3 they hear Jesus saying "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" and immediately think that Jesus is saying "Do not marvel Nicodemus that I'm telling you (Nicodemus) that you must be born again". But when you and I look into the Greek text, we discover that Jesus is actually saying (my paraphrase) "Do not marvel Nicodemus that I'm telling you that you all must be born again." It's the difference in the singular "you" versus the plural "you". In the English language we can use the word "you" and mean both. In the Greek it's very definite. It's for this reason that when we read this passage of Scripture that we must understand that Jesus is not inviting Nicodemus to be born again but telling him that everyone needs to be born again which will be the culmination of Him being lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness during Moses' day. Not only that, but when we go deeper into the Greek text we will discover that being born again is presented with a passive verb rather than an active one. In other words, being born again is something that happens to us rather than something that happens because of us.

To be saved on the other hand is something that comes into our lives because we made a choice. Paul's letter to the Roman church tells us that if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead then we will be saved. While salvation is ultimately the result of the finished work of Christ, we receive it through our faith in Him. There aren't too many arguments against that statement.

Let me break it down for you:
Being "born again" is a result of the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, 1 Peter 1:3 tells us that God has "caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead". It was something that God caused to happen. Jesus became the Last Adam so that the old creation could be done away with in Him and a new creation could spring forth. It is my belief that every person who has been born after the resurrection of Jesus is a part of this new creation. However, for each of us to experience the abundant & eternal life of Jesus then we must believe that He rose from the dead and confess Him as Lord.

Seeing these two words from the finished work of Christ makes all the difference. Seeing salvation through the pre-determined plan of God will create a greater understanding of the love of God in our lives. The question we will have to ask ourselves is what will we believe? Will we be more inclined to protect something that has been passed down through the ages or will we honestly seek the truth willing to change our minds (repent) if needed? I have chosen the latter. I have chosen to bank it all on the love of God. I cannot read the Scriptures without seeing everything through the finished work of Christ. I guess that means I will always be misunderstood. But...like I said earlier, mindset is everything. AND I am firmly convinced of the finished work of Christ.

Some Things to Think About...

A friend of mine sent a text this morning to wish me a "Happy Birthday." Being the encouragement that he always is, he said, "Thanks for loving the church enough to tell her the truth."

Of course, my friend and I share some common beliefs. What we believe and communicate about the finished work of Christ, the unconditional love of God, etc. are very similar. While we do not agree 100% on everything, we continually encourage one another to seek the truth of Jesus Christ and who we are in Him.

I've often wondered why this has not been the approach of the church: why we cannot agree to disagree on certain things and still consider one another legitimate believers in Christ? I mean...it's really not that hard. But the more I am around people with a religious or denominational mindset, the more I recognize the difficulty in building bridges with those who think differently than we do.

I actually had someone present to me the idea that discovering who we are in Christ means that we need to figure out if we are Baptist Christians, Methodist Christians, Lutheran Christians, Pentecostal Christians, etc. I was blown away by this mentality. The first thought that crossed my mind is that I cannot see any of this type of thinking in the Bible. In fact, I see quite the contrary. When the disciples decided to shut down a person's ministry because he did not walk with them, Jesus said that if that man is not against them then he is for them. Think about that!!! Jesus, the Head of the church said, leave him alone because he is not against us.

My point is that each of us have to discover the truth of Jesus Christ for ourselves. The truth that is revealed to us may come wrapped in a particular package but it does not mean that I have to sell out to a particular brand. I was raised in a Disciples of Christ church, spent a lot of time growing up in a Southern Baptist Church, saved in an Independent Baptist Church, baptized in another Southern Baptist Church, and would worship with a Church of God on Sunday evenings. You know what I discovered? I discovered that each of them did not mind promoting their own brand of Christianity AND that each of them held some very common views. I found legitimate believers who loved me, accepted me, and desperately wanted to communicate the Good News of Jesus to the world. While I may have felt more comfortable in one environment versus another, I never EVER questioned the legitimacy of their faith. I found Christ in all of them.

So...I reject the idea that my identity in Christ is wrapped up in a denomination!!!

I also reject any theology that has an almost empty heaven and a full hell.

It seems that many people within the religious community have bought into this idea. Not only have they bought into it, they can basically tell you who is going. What has happened (in my opinion) is that we have taken a few verses out of the Scriptures to explain this stance while missing the all inclusive statement discovered in the love of God. Last time I checked, God loved the ENTIRE WORLD and that is why He sent Jesus. I also hear Him saying through the Bible that He is not willing that any perish but that ALL come to repentance. Think about it!!! Do you really believe it has been God's intention to simply save a few while condemning the majority? Or is it possible that in the plan of God that He wanted to include Jew & Gentile in His plan of salvation thus creating one new man in Christ? I can promise you this, there is more Scripture to back the latter than the former.

Why is it we encourage people to find a "Bible believing" church when what we really mean is find someone who believe exactly like we do? The point is this: We can all have some error in what we believe. We can have some truth that we believe. And while all of us will claim to be Bible believing, the differences seem to be determined by how we view the Scriptures. That is why the Apostle Paul encouraged the church in the areas of unity, fellowship, and sharing with one another. He told them that it is in the sharing together that we all come to the fullness of the revelation of Christ. Therefore, we need one another. We need to hear different ideas, thoughts, and interpretations of Scripture. We need to hear of the experiences of others. We need more truth than we have currently experienced and the only way we are going to get it is when we are willing to listen.

Above all, let's remember these important truths:

John 17:3, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

What an expression of eternal life!!! This is what our community should look like. This is how we should express His nature. And in the end, He will work out the rest. Enjoy the journey!!!