Life Goes On

Most Christians are familiar with Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." However, there is a wide discrepancy as to what this means. The question that needs to be addressed is "what is the kingdom of God"? In scripture we find references to the "kingdom of heaven", as well as the "kingdom of God. In the New Testament there are at least 27 references to the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. In several parables Jesus told us what the Kingdom of Heaven is like; a man who sowed good seed, but his enemy sowed weeds; a mustard seed which, though very small, produces a tree or bush capable of providing a perch for the birds of the air; and yeast that is folded into a measure of flour. With this background, we can assume that the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom in which the will of God is done immediately and gladly by all it's inhabitants. It is a kingdom where love prev...

Anything that can or should be done individually can be done corporately. The key is getting everyone "on board". For the individual to "seek first the kingdom of God" one must establish kingdom pursuit as the priority ("a" priority becomes one of many, or no priority at all) For the church to do it, the pastoral leadership must consider seeking the kingdom as their reason for being. Perhaps delving into what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God" will help with focus. The realization that God's Word is to be obeyed and lived, not just learned. The recongnition that God's kingdom is under His rule, and not open to a democratic process. Realizing that the Holy Spirit can and will bring consensus to a church body as they seek the kingdom. Understanding that delayed obedience is disobedience. Grasping the importance of "nevertheless, Your will be done". Kingdom growth does not come via the latest church growth secret. It ...

This morning while reading Amos 9, I began to think that perhaps the main problem with the church (universal & local) is that we/they are seeking "all these things" instead of seeking first the kingdom of God. As I follow lots of pastors & staff folks on Twitter, it appears that the pursuit is always the "things" and seldom the Kingdom of God. Maybe I don't know what seeking the Kingdom of God really is, but I think it would involve tailoring everything we do with pleasing God as the sole outcome. Instead we spend untold man hours and dollars pursuing the latest "in" thing with our peers or our heroes. Seldom do I encounter a church or pastor & staff who set aside regular, daily/weekly time to seek God & His kingdom. Most always I find staff meetings, dream sessions, conferences, books, etc. that aim toward "how do we attract people to our church? How do we become better leaders? or What is the next 40 day emphasis?" I...