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#S4-002: The Danger of Putting Family First Ahead of the Kingdom of God [Podcast]

The Kingdom of God Series

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What's your choice, God or family?

What do you think the concept of putting the Kingdom of God first means? How do you do it? If you remember from last week’s podcast, Jesus gave a Kingdom parable about a Great Feast where everyone who was initially invited to it refused to come. The excuses they gave for turning down the invitation fell into two categories, money and family. We already looked at the first excuse, money. Today, we are going to begin to look at the second which is family.

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[Tweet “If Jesus said to seek first the kingdom, don’t you think He lived this ‘Kingdom first’ principle?”]

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Why Living Revelation from the Spirit of God Is Important To Your Life

The Gospel of Matthew

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Revelation of who God is starts by allowing Jesus in.

God in nature has revealed Himself, as it were, inarticulately and indistinctly; but, in His Son, He has revealed Himself as a man declares his inmost thoughts, by distinct and intelligible speech. Jesus is to the Father what speech is to us; He is the unfolding of the Father’s thoughts, the revelation of the Father’s heart.1 So says, Spurgeon. Along with this line, Jesus asked his disciples a compelling question. The answer required revelation from God. Do you know the answer to this question?

[Tweet “All revelation starts with the correct answer to this Jesus question, ‘Who do men say that I am?'”]

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#S4-001: What Does Priorities in the Kingdom of God Look Like? [Podcast]

The Kingdom of God Series

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What are our main priorities in life. Is it God or money?

There’s no better verse on the subject of priorities than Matthew 6:33, Seek first the kingdom of God. Here are some quotes which echo the thought that priorities will help us to live spiritually successful lives.

Lewis Sperry Chafer, referring to a friend who was devoting most of his time and energy in pursuit of an insignificant matter, said, “He reminds me of a bulldog chasing a train: what’s he going to do with it if he catches it?” 1 When Charles E. Hummell was going into the ministry, a businessman gave him an excellent piece of advice. “Be careful that the urgent doesn’t crowd out the important.” 2 Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: Put second things first and we lose both first and second things. 3

Let’s take a look today, in this week’s Light on Life, at what God says our priorities should be when it comes to the Kingdom of God.

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[Tweet “Life is more than anything so don’t allow money worries to come between you and God.”]

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Perfect Church? Why There Is No Such Thing

The Epistle to the Galatians

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Is this the perfect church?

Nice picture of a church in Cavtat, Croatia, don’t you think? But, does a nice location make for a perfect church? In last week’s blog, we took a look at a few of the problems which Paul dealt with in the churches he had influence in. We were able to see how Paul didn’t cast people aside who were imperfect in their walk with Christ. In Today’s post, we follow up on this thought about imperfections by looking at the subject ‘Why There Is No Such Thing as a Perfect Church.’

[Tweet “There will never be a perfect church on planet earth, that is until Jesus comes back.”]

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Why Bumbling Believers Are Yet Part of the Family of God

The Epistle to the Galatians

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In today’s post, I want to address the issue of ‘bumbling believers’. I use the term with respect as I have visited the ‘Bumbling Believers Club’ many times throughout over forty years of walking with God. Have you ever bumbled things in God? Have you ever stumbled, mishandled, and generally messed things up? I know I have. Is there any help for us bumblers? Thank God there is. When all the dust settles, there is Jesus standing right there to help pick us up. All we can do then is raise our hands and say, ‘Thank God for Jesus. Thank God for His mercy. Thank God for His blood which cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

[Tweet “Sometimes the problem is us. We are at times our own greatest enemy.”]

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#S3-052: Why Faith Demands the Eviction of Ishmael [Encore Podcast]

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America is known as the land of the free and the home of the brave. When we think of America we think of the concepts of liberty and freedom. These values are fundamental to our nation. Our desire for freedom is so great that Patrick Henry word’s “Give me liberty or give me death” still ring in our ears. Freedom is a big thing in America but it’s even a bigger thing in God. Jesus told us plainly, ‘You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free (Jn. 8:32).’ That’s what The Year of Jubilee represents, freedom. But in order to be really free, Ismael, or Ishy for short, has to go.

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[Tweet “The truth of God’s Word is this. While you’re waiting on Him, God’s already acting on your behalf.”]

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The Great Need for the Revelation of God in the Church

The Epistle to the Galatians

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Paul continues building his case to the Galatians for why they should listen to him as opposed to these others who were preaching a different gospel. This is a line of argument which has occurred in many forums of men throughout the ages. Who is right? Whose book is right? Do Christians have God’s book or do the Muslims have it? Is it the Bible or the Koran? Maybe they are both wrong, maybe the Mormons have it. Maybe the Book of Mormon is the right book. The discussions go back and forth like a ping pong ball at the Olympics. Paul was involved in such a discussion with the Galatians. Is the Gospel of grace that Paul is preaching the right gospel, or is it the gospel of works that the Judaizers are preaching?

[Tweet “Paul states that his message came from THE MOST CREDIBLE SOURCE EVER, the Lord Jesus Christ.”]

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#S3-051: How to Locate Your God Ordained Place [Encore Podcast]

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Josh McDowell told this great story. An executive hirer, a “headhunter” who goes out and hires corporation executives for other firms, once told me, “When I get an executive that I’m trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever until he’s all relaxed. Then, when I think I’ve got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, “What’s your purpose in life?” It’s amazing how top executives fall apart at that question. “Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, ‘What’s your purpose in life, Bob?’ And he said, without blinking an eye, ‘To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.’ For the first time in my career, I was speechless.” What about you? Do you know what your place is in God? Do you know how to find it?

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[Tweet “If God promotes you from little to much, it is obvious that little was not your place.”]

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How Meditating the Word Makes You Sharp in the Things of God [Encore]

The Parable of the Sower

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“The end of study is information, and the end of meditation is practice or a work upon the affections. Study is like a winter sun that shines but does not warm, but meditation is like blowing up the fire, where we do not mind the blaze but the heat” 1. So says English Puritan Thomas Manton. Studying a Bible verse is different than meditating on it. Jesus proved this out in His own life. And you can prove it out in yours.

This is part 6 of the Series “The Parable of the Sower” You can find Part 1 ‘What Is the Parable of the Sower [Podcast]’ here, Part 2 ‘How Important is Understanding Jesus Parables?‘ here, Part 3 ‘What Are Fruitful and Unfruitful Places with God?’ here, Part 4 ‘In the Parable of the Sower, What Is Wayside Ground?‘, Part 5 ‘How Can You Become a Man of Understanding?’ here‘.

[Tweet “If Jesus had to grow in wisdom and understanding per Luke 2:52, so do you.”]

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#S3-050: Four Reasons Why You Have More Authority than the Enemy [Podcast]

The Kingdom of God Series

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“Religion prepares man to leave earth; the Kingdom empowers man to dominate it”, so says, Myles Munroe. There are reasons why we can use God given authority in our everyday life. The Bible gives us four of them in the New Testament. In the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word is established (Deuteronomy 17:6, and Matthew 18:16). So, we can be absolutely positive of our position in Christ. That’s what we are talking about in this week’s Light On Life.

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[Tweet “Jesus wants to be totally convinced of your position and completely not intimidated by your adversary.”]

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Whose Approval Is Important to You, God or Man?

The Epistle of Galatians

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A young man once studied violin under a world-renowned master. Eventually, the time came for the student’s first recital. Following each selection, despite the cheers of the crowd, the performer seemed dissatisfied. Even after the last number, with the shouts louder than ever, the talented violinist stood watching an old man in the balcony. Finally, the elderly one smiled and nodded in approval. Immediately the young man relaxed and beamed with happiness. You see, the man in the balcony was his teacher, and thus the applause of the crowd had meant nothing to him until he had first won the hearty approval of his master. 1 Are you seeking the approval of your Master, the Lord Jesus Christ?

[Tweet “We all have to ‘prove’ out the will of God for our lives and then make the decision to do only it.”]

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#S3-049: Why It’s Tremendously Important to Take Your Stand [Podcast]

Defending Your Bean Patch

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One unknown writer wrote these words. “We will never cease to be plagued with sin, but we will never again be brought under the dominion of sin.” 1 You must understand that the very reason why we are not in the Garden of Eden today is because there was a child of the King who was given dominion by the King and he chose not to use it. He refused to take a stand. That’s why we have the sin mess in the first place. Taking your stand and using your God give dominion is a key issue in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said so (Lk. 11:20).

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[Tweet “If you want to have a great victory, you need to take on the traits of David’s mighty men.”]