kingdom

August 5, 2024

What Heaven Is Like

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them’” (Revelation 21:3).   Read Revelation 21:2-7.   In heaven, we will see Jesus face to face. There will be no barriers, no limitations to seeing the reality of our Lord. Of course, without Jesus, heaven wouldn’t be heaven. But praise God, Jesus is in heaven, and He is preparing a place for us there. One day, He will come back and take us to our eternal home.   When we close our eyes one final time on this earth, we’ll also experience uninterrupted fellowship with our loved ones who have gone before us in faith. Now, you might have heard that your departed loved ones are “asleep” until Jesus returns—maybe it’s been called “a state of unconsciousness” or “soul sleep.” That is not in Scripture. The Bible does speak about those who have “fallen asleep” […]
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July 29, 2024

Overcoming Insecurities

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).   Is fear standing in your way of accomplishing great things for God? Do you pray for opportunities to share Christ but find that, when the time comes, you are too timid to speak up? Everyone experiences fears and doubts.   In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we see that even this young apprentice of Paul fought his own personal insecurities. Paul encourages Timothy: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:7-8).   During Paul’s time, Christians faced hardships and persecution. Today is no different. Around […]
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July 22, 2024

The Life of Prayer

“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1).   Have you ever heard someone describe a terrible situation and say, “There was nothing left to do but pray”? Talking like that, prayer seems like a weapon of last resort. But prayer is far more powerful than that.   Read 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5. As Paul peered into the future, he told the Thessalonians how the spirit of lawlessness will be unleashed globally (see 2:3-10). He foretold how the Antichrist will finally reveal himself after a period of deception. Then, he went on to instruct those of us who are living between the two comings of Christ about how we should live: We are to be men and women of prayer.   Paul beseeched the Thessalonians, “[P]ray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and […]
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July 15, 2024

The Grace of Election

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16a). As Christians, we must remember God chose us not because we are lovable but in spite of our unlovable condition. His love is unconditional. His choice was a function of His sovereign will. Why He chooses one and not another is a mystery known only to God. And because His sovereign election of you and me is an act of His sovereign grace, we have no reason to be arrogant. His election of us drives us to our knees in humility and brokenness before Him. We can only cry out to God and say, “Lord, I don’t know why You love me, why You called me, why You chose me, why You predestined me—but in utter amazement and humility, I say thank You, I believe in You, and I want to spend all of eternity […]
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July 8, 2024

There Is Power to Our Witness

“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:8).   In spite of the hostility and persecution all around them, the Thessalonians welcomed the Good News with the joy of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit gives power to our witness. He is at work in us as we witness, and He is at work in those we witness to. He gives power—dynamite—to our words, and He opens the eyes and ears of those who see and hear us.   Some of those who hear our witness will receive it with joy, and others will not. Some will even be angry. Don’t be intimidated; don’t be fearful. Share your faith boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t think you can be a witness for Christ in your own strength—let the Spirit of God speak through you.   One thing is clear about these […]
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July 1, 2024

Three Indispensable Traits

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). In the opening verses of 1 Thessalonians, Paul describes ten distinctive traits of the Thessalonian believers: (1) They had a working faith, (2) they had a laboring love, (3) they exhibited an enduring hope, (4) they displayed humility before God for His election and power, (5) they were genuine imitators of Christ, (6) they had joy in the midst of trouble, (7) they lived exemplary lives, (8) they had zeal in their witnessing, (9) they demonstrated transformed lives, and (10) they expectantly awaited the return of the Lord Jesus. To summarize, Paul said that the Thessalonian believers were characterized by faith, love, and hope—the three indispensable traits of a genuine Christian. Each of these traits is outgoing, not inward; active, not passive; visible, not hidden; public, not private. Faith […]
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June 24, 2024

Making a Difference

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives” (Proverbs 11:30). Only the Holy Spirit can change someone’s heart, but God is calling us to be a part of the process. We can make a difference in the eternal lives of others. We can tell our neighbors how Christ changed our lives. We can share with our friends why we have peace in the middle of difficult times. We can train our children in the ways of the Lord. And we can unite together in prayer for the souls of nonbelievers. We can pray that we will continue to have the freedom to openly speak Jesus’ name in public. We can pray that we remain free to share the full Gospel message, without being confined to a politically correct version. We can pray that God will continue to use His people to spread His Gospel to the ends of the world. […]
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June 17, 2024

The Dynamite of God

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'” (Matthew 19:26). Are you living up to the purpose God chose you to fulfill? Are you living up to His calling on your life? The Gospel is communicated in words—but it is so much more than just words. The Good News of Jesus Christ is power. It is dynamite. And I don’t mean that in the flippant way. In Romans 1:16, Paul says that the Gospel is “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” That word “power” is dynamis in the original Greek—the word from which we get our English word dynamite. So it is not stretching the meaning of God’s Word to say that the Gospel is the “dynamite” of God. It blasts through our sin and rebellion, our brokenness and fallenness, our objections and rejection, and it powerfully draws us to Him. Why does God need […]
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