Blog Posts - Kingdom of God

Carol Wimber once said that as followers of Jesus, our lives should be like an open book for anyone to read. This means that as Christians, we shouldn't try to cover up our weaknesses and failures; we should instead be open and honest about them. "I will boast of my weaknesses," says Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "so that Christ's power can rest upon me." And as disciples of Christ, isn't that what we all want to see more of in our lives — the power of God? Paul understood this. He was originally Saul, named after the first king of Israel and a man described in 1 Sam 9:2 as being a head taller than anyone else in the land. Paul's father probably named him Saul in the hope that he would turn out to be a great man of God. And until Paul met Jesus on that road to Damascus, he certainly seemed to be headed towards greatness as someone who could boast of his character, zeal and achievements (see Philippians 3:3-6). But fame, and the fortune which often attends it, meant nothing to Paul after he came to know Jesus as his Lord (Philippians 3:7-8). So instead of Saul, he changed his name to Paul (Acts 13:9) which in Latin means "little." It seems Paul did this because after he met Jesus he no longer saw himself as someone destined for greatness. Instead, he saw himself as "the least of the apostles" and someone who didn't even deserve to be called an apostle (1 Corinthians 15:9). In fact he said his success in his calling was due only to God working in him, not because of his own human efforts (1 Corinthians 15:10). "I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling," he told the Corinthian converts (1 Corinthians 2:3). Doesn't sound very much like a "great man of God," does he? Jesus says that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). He also says that whoever humbles himself like a little child will be great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4). Being open to others about yourself can be scary, because you might end up getting hurt. But guess what? If someone does laugh at you or look down at you, your reaction should be to jump for joy! Because that's how the prophets — those "great" men of God in the Bible — were treated (Matthew 5:12). As for me, I will humble myself and be like a little child before my heavenly Father. Because that's actually what I am — just a simple, ordinary guy trying to follow Jesus. How about you? Cheers, Mitch

What is the kingdom of God like? It's like a kid waiting at an intersection holding a squeegee. When a car drives up and stops at the intersection, the kid runs forward and starts cleaning the windshield. The driver may be annoyed by this, but this kid isn't doing it for a handout — he's doing it so the driver can see clearly to proceed safely toward his final destination. And once the car has driven away, the next car in line drives up and the whole process repeats. Hear what I'm sayin'? —Mitch Based on a dream God gave Ingrid several years ago. [Image credit: Richard Arless Jr/Postmedia News]

What is the kingdom of heaven like? And what it is like to enter it? Before I met the Lord, it was like I was living in a dark room. As I moved around, I would bump my shin and knock my head against obstacles I couldn't see. I would step on something sharp and hurt myself. I would slip on other things and fall. My life was full of pain, and the darkness made me fearful of trying to move. And it just got worse and worse over time. Then I met God through Jesus, and it was like someone had suddenly turned on the lights! Now I could see clearly the things that were causing me pain: the misplaced furniture, the lamp hanging low from the ceiling, the broken glass on the floor, the loose rug with no backing. And the dirt everywhere — so much of it! But now with the lights turned on and brightly shining, I could move around again without hurting myself. And I could start getting my room in order. I began moving furniture to where it belonged. I raised the lamp I had been bumping my head on. I swept up the broken glass and got rid of the slippery rug. And I started to clean out all the dirt that had accumulated in my life. Jesus is the light of the world. May he shine his light in your heart today and lead you upward from this dark world into his heavenly kingdom. —Mitch P.S. Ingrid and I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy (and safe!) New Year's eve celebration. We will be back again early in the new year, so stay tuned!