Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come..." The New Testament actually mentions the kingdom of God a lot. Here are just a few passages regarding God's kingdom which is now here spiritually and one day will come physically when our King returns in glory.
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Mt.3:2; 4:17
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. Mt.5:3 (They know that apart from God, they are bankrupt spiritually.)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves Col.1:13
Whoever practices and teaches God's word "will be called great in the kingdom of God" Mt.5:19 (By writing down and prayerfully reviewing your 3x5 verses, you are seeking to practice his word. Keep looking for people with whom you can share what you're learning, including family members. God graciously calls such people great. This reminds us of the G in our GREAT scoreboard- G= God's word- by practicing it and sharing it, Christ calls you great!)
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Mt.6:33 (Put his priorities above your own. We are to make advancing his kingdom far more important than advancing our comforts)
"...in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction." 2 Tim.4:1-2
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. Mt.11:12
That's who you are- forceful, determined men. And that's what we are training like a military unit to do- to forcefully advance God's kingdom, despite Satan's fierce opposition. The enemy seeks to hold on to his prisoners of war. But we are called and determined to set the captives free- both the lost who are in chains and those who are saved, but sidelined.
Earthly battles and kingdoms are advanced, based in part, by how forceful or determined the men are in battle. Even though God gave the promised land to the Israelites, they didn't conquer all the enemies living in the land. Why? Because it says, "the Canaanites were determined to live in that land." Judges 1:27. I'm not a racist, but I can tell by what nation a person is from if they will conquer for God's kingdom or not. Any would-be protege is bound to fail if he is from the nation of Procrastination. Does he come up with excuses for not calling you back promptly or daily reading and blogging? He is sure to succeed if he is from the nation of Determination. In other words, "It's not the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog!" Despite initial fear, if men will "be men and fight" they can conquer. 1 Sam.4:5-11 is a pointed story in this regard. Sometime you ought to check it out. The losers may surprise you.
1.-Write out this "praise phrase" on your 3x5 "the kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and forceful (determined) men lay hold of it." Mt.11:12. Pray over it today asking God to give you forceful, determined men to advance his kingdom with you. (Write Did it when you did it.) Make this a frequent request! Jesus told his leaders in training to pray for such- "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Mt.9:37-38.
2.-We've read a number of Scripture verses. Please share a thought from anything you've read today in this blog regarding men and the kingdom of God.
3.- Put on your 3x5 the names of one or two coach quality men from New Life Midway that you want with you in M3 and pray for them. Then call or text me their names. I'm at-708-543-6544. We will work together to recruit them by Jan.1st. The letter T of GREAT on our GREAT scoreboard stands for Telling others about Transformation. That's what we're all the more going to be doing. I know that any coach quality man that joins us is going to be greatly enriched by all of you via your Scripture sharing and encouraging comments and prayers. You've tasted and know now how much this group will help others. Let's expand this band of brothers so we can more forcefully advance the kingdom of God.
We are in a terrible war, and key soldiers like you are few. Thus, we need to call in air support- prayer support. Think of two people you could ask to cover you daily in prayer. These people might include your spouse, family members, friends, etc. Just pick people who pray! And pray today that God would give you such prayer warriors. We will talk more about your Prayer Warriors soon.
May it never be said of us, "I have never travailed nor brought forth children, neither did I nourish up young men..." Is.23:4. We will labor to see young men and old be raised up to be manly and multiply.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. Mt.5:3 (They know that apart from God, they are bankrupt spiritually.)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves Col.1:13
Whoever practices and teaches God's word "will be called great in the kingdom of God" Mt.5:19 (By writing down and prayerfully reviewing your 3x5 verses, you are seeking to practice his word. Keep looking for people with whom you can share what you're learning, including family members. God graciously calls such people great. This reminds us of the G in our GREAT scoreboard- G= God's word- by practicing it and sharing it, Christ calls you great!)
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Mt.6:33 (Put his priorities above your own. We are to make advancing his kingdom far more important than advancing our comforts)
"...in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction." 2 Tim.4:1-2
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. Mt.11:12
That's who you are- forceful, determined men. And that's what we are training like a military unit to do- to forcefully advance God's kingdom, despite Satan's fierce opposition. The enemy seeks to hold on to his prisoners of war. But we are called and determined to set the captives free- both the lost who are in chains and those who are saved, but sidelined.
Earthly battles and kingdoms are advanced, based in part, by how forceful or determined the men are in battle. Even though God gave the promised land to the Israelites, they didn't conquer all the enemies living in the land. Why? Because it says, "the Canaanites were determined to live in that land." Judges 1:27. I'm not a racist, but I can tell by what nation a person is from if they will conquer for God's kingdom or not. Any would-be protege is bound to fail if he is from the nation of Procrastination. Does he come up with excuses for not calling you back promptly or daily reading and blogging? He is sure to succeed if he is from the nation of Determination. In other words, "It's not the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog!" Despite initial fear, if men will "be men and fight" they can conquer. 1 Sam.4:5-11 is a pointed story in this regard. Sometime you ought to check it out. The losers may surprise you.
1.-Write out this "praise phrase" on your 3x5 "the kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and forceful (determined) men lay hold of it." Mt.11:12. Pray over it today asking God to give you forceful, determined men to advance his kingdom with you. (Write Did it when you did it.) Make this a frequent request! Jesus told his leaders in training to pray for such- "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Mt.9:37-38.
2.-We've read a number of Scripture verses. Please share a thought from anything you've read today in this blog regarding men and the kingdom of God.
3.- Put on your 3x5 the names of one or two coach quality men from New Life Midway that you want with you in M3 and pray for them. Then call or text me their names. I'm at-708-543-6544. We will work together to recruit them by Jan.1st. The letter T of GREAT on our GREAT scoreboard stands for Telling others about Transformation. That's what we're all the more going to be doing. I know that any coach quality man that joins us is going to be greatly enriched by all of you via your Scripture sharing and encouraging comments and prayers. You've tasted and know now how much this group will help others. Let's expand this band of brothers so we can more forcefully advance the kingdom of God.
We are in a terrible war, and key soldiers like you are few. Thus, we need to call in air support- prayer support. Think of two people you could ask to cover you daily in prayer. These people might include your spouse, family members, friends, etc. Just pick people who pray! And pray today that God would give you such prayer warriors. We will talk more about your Prayer Warriors soon.
May it never be said of us, "I have never travailed nor brought forth children, neither did I nourish up young men..." Is.23:4. We will labor to see young men and old be raised up to be manly and multiply.
We've read a number of verses today. But if you have extra time, please enjoy Ps.145:8-13 which exalts God’s kingdom (we will look at v.14-21 soon). Then close in at least the first part of the Lord’s prayer that we’ve covered. Going to my knees helps me slow down and better focus, instead of rushing away to my day after reading. Find what works best for you.
Also I'm glad to report that Alvin's wife is out of the hospital. Thanks for being so devoted to her Alvin.
Also I'm glad to report that Alvin's wife is out of the hospital. Thanks for being so devoted to her Alvin.
| G=God's Word | R | E | A | T | ||
| For Tues.12.16.14 | ||||||
| Alpha Force | ||||||
| Fire Team 1 | ||||||
| 1 | Jack Rogers | Y | ||||
| 2 | Daniel Contreras | Y | ||||
| 3 | Roger Vinlasaca | Y | ||||
| Fire Team 2 | ||||||
| 4 | Israel Fuentes | Y | ||||
| 5 | John Pallozzi | Y | ||||
| 6 | Sam Vargas | Y | ||||
| Delta Force | ||||||
| Fire Team 3 | ||||||
| 1 | Alvin James | |||||
| 2 | Dave Heidekruger | Y | ||||
| 3 | Mike Pagan | Y | ||||
| Fire Team 4 | ||||||
| 5 | Eddie Morales | Y | ||||
| 6 | Gary Remson | Y | ||||
| 7 | Ismael Andrade | Y |
1.- Dit it
ReplyDelete2.- Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
What a humbling reminder that we should seek God first everyday. Usually things like work or bills will keep me distracted instead of focusing and trusting in God. May the Lord help me keep my priorities straight and be more concerned about reaching the lost for Him.
3.- Did it
Yes Roger, Lord help us seek first your kingdom- to pursue your priorities of advancing the kingdom. Glad you are committed to doing so with us Roger.
Delete1. Did it.
ReplyDelete2. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Mt.6:33
Whatever overwhelmes us will either wash us or worry us. If we first seek God and his priorities that will flood our thoughts, mind, heart and there is a greater chance that we can act with an eternal mindset. Col. 3:1-5
3. Did it.
Have a great day fellas!
Nice cross reference Eddie between Mt.6:33 and Col.3:1-5. Humm, why does that passage seem familiar to us? :)
DeleteThat verse is very helpful. Thanks for your encouragements E.
DeleteGood Morning brothers! My NIV version has what I put in 1a. Which led me to some exploration that led me to 1b (Luke 16:16). Therefore, I have both in my phone. I pray that God gives us the determination and perseverance to advance His kingdom.
ReplyDelete1a) 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,and violent people have been raiding it.
1b) Luke 16:16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it.
2) I chose Psalm 145:11They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, - We can always share how God has worked in our lives, Especially to the new believers. I also believe that all us here can be great teachers and that is why I also chose Mathew 5:19.
Matthew 5:19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
3) Did it
Hey Sam! Good words and good exploring. I was quoting from my old NIV -the 1984 edition. Unfortunately, the NIV Bible Committee has come out with a few different editions, which creates confusion at times. Here's a link to a short article about such. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-09-01-bible-translation_N.htm
DeleteThanks for the article Dave.
DeleteThe verse that sticks out to me is Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Mt.6:33. I try my best to live by this verse as well as instruct my children to do so.
ReplyDeleteDid it.
Dave we talk already about George and I will be asking Rich Diaz when I see him at Church.
Very good Mike! I'll call you.
DeleteI too remember Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all things will be added to you. "
ReplyDeleteI was also led to read about Gideon and what God said to him in the dream: "During the night the Lord said to Gideon 'Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.'" Judges 7:9
It is true that we can be afraid but I pray that we all can live with the inspiration of the numerous time God says to "Fear not" and put our priorities and investment first. Those being in Christ and His Kingdom.
Did it
great reference Gary.
DeleteThanks for your dedication to the Kingdom and may God continue to Bless you Bro
Yes indeed Gary- good further digging!
Delete1. Did it! Posted Matthew 11:12
ReplyDelete2. I also chose Matthew 6:33 " But seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well."
I used to be concerned with any tough situation which I thought I could control, such as family and friends in trouble, financial crisis and death of loved ones. Now I fully believe in my heart that God knows all and pray for his will and Righteous guidance in making all decisions and I lean on Jesus as I cannot do anything without his spiritual following. I used to always be there to support others and thought that he would reward me--whereas now I know I don't worry about tomorrow I trust my life in his hands and can't wait of eternity with him.
God 1st and he will guide me to help others.
3. Called with new potential M3 men
Well done Jack! Thanks for the call as well. I believe God is going to give you more good men under you.
DeleteJack, It sounds like you already have a great heart to help others. What a powerful force you are becoming in the Kingdom as you are walking in the Spirit of God and arming yourself with His Word.
Delete1) Wrote out Matt.11:12
ReplyDelete2) Prayer Reading of 2 Tim. 4:1-2
Heavenly Father, how truly great and wonderful you are. Only you know the future, and have revealed to us what is inevitably going to come. When you appear with your magnificent kingdom, you will judge of the living and the dead. As we strive to live for you now, help us to keep your glorious coming in perspective. Help us to realize the urgency of Paul's charge to preach the word to those who are blind and lost and imprisoned around us in sin. Lord, we want to be prepared so that you can use us to bring to you those who are so ready to turn to you. We want to be prepared to wrestle for those who who are so far from you and have no hope. Spirit of God, prepare us so that we can be used to help build up in love our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. May you be able to use us to rebuke and correct and encourage our own children and those in our Church family with great patience and with careful instructions from your word. And thank you Jehovah-Jireh for the practical training we are all sharing in to be better servants and spiritual warriors through M3.
3) Wrote down names and will email them.
Excellent Dave! I prayed out loud your excellent prayer. Thank you. Great men you've chosen to invite. I'll talk with you soon.
Delete1. Did it
ReplyDelete2. Reminded and encouraged by Dave H's prayer reading: Lord, please help me to seek your Kingdom above all else and to be a man who lives righteously and is the man, husband and father you want me to be. I have complete faith and trust in you, oh Lord, that you will provide everything that I need
3. texted names (at 11:08pm, sorry!)
Very good Daniel! No apologies needed- you texted me the same day I requested them. Thank you. Very good choices. Let's talk soon.
Delete1. Did it.
ReplyDelete2. I chose ...
Whoever practices and teaches God's word will be called great in the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:19
This one hits the spot! Jesus says "Go and make discpiles of many nations", also "practice"... through out our own prayers, blogs, and reading I've been getting enriched by His words "store up my commands", "keep them around your heart and bind them around your neck" etc. They all have meaning and has helped me by practicing in my home to my wife and outside of home. The time will come to teach, my God is and will continue to equip me through his word.
Hello Ismael, it is so funny, that the last 2 nights, you posted right in front of me, at the last second, thus I commented on the person who posted before you, LOL. While I was typing both nights my comments and my encouraging words for the brother who posted right before me, your post popped up right after I "Published" my comments :) Sorry, I did not mean to skip any encouraging words for you, so I will tell you, that I have been reading your posts and am honored to be fighting this War right besides you! -Israel
DeleteIsmael, I clapped out loud (Is there any other way to clap:) reading your words. Very good! The verses we pick and put on our 3x5s make it simple to then share with our family members and others. Any men that come to mind that you think are coach quality men for M3? Juslemeknow.
Delete1. Did it
ReplyDelete2. All of the verses in this blog post have really awaken me more than ever, to the truth, that we are in a WAR !! A spiritual war, that needs us men to lead in Jesus name, covered in prayer, but also practicing and teaching God's Word at any cost!! It reminds me of the verse in Nehemiah 4:14 when he told the Jews the following, " After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them (the enemy). Remember the Lord, who is Great and Awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” This reminds me of a scene out of the movie "Braveheart." We may not be fighting physically, but we are in a real Spiritual Battle and War for our families, friends, and this great Nation of ours!
3. Sorry so late, but I just texted you 2 names of coach quality godly men.
Hello Ismael, it is so funny, that the last 2 nights, you posted right in front of me, at the last second, thus I commented on the person who posted before you, LOL. While I was typing both nights my comments and my encouraging words for the brother who posted right before me, your post popped up right after I "Published" my comments :) Sorry, I did not mean to skip any encouraging words for you, so I will tell you, that I have been reading your posts and am honored to be fighting this War right besides you! -Israel
Israel, you are my night owl. You're not late- you're right on time for when I expect to hear from you. Yes, we are in a terrible war, but many are asleep. So glad you're not. Great cross reference to Nehemiah, and William Wallace of Braveheart is so inspiring. May God help us to awaken and involve many men to advance God's kingdom. O that we would be a forceful force to be reckoned with.
DeleteIsrael, too funny!! Does it erase your comments when i just published it before you? No worries, we are all here to encourage and build up one another. Yes definitely an honor to serve next to you and fight this battle.
ReplyDeleteYour encouraging words to each other made me laugh with joy!
DeleteDid it!!
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm late guys, but I would like to say thanks for joining in on this great tool to becoming manly men
Love you John! So glad you are a warrior with us. I'd be disappointed otherwise. I look forward to your GDP- Growing Deeper Project. It's going to be very enriching for us all.
Delete1. Did it!
ReplyDelete2. Matthew 6:33: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God... " So many times in my life and in the life of those that God have entrusted to me, the thought the supremacy of God's priority is always something that we must reevaluate. So often I have chosen badly only to realize later that had I looked toward God's ultimate mission for my life, things would have been: a. Easier, b. More Rewarding, and lastly c. In Line with God's Will for My Life.
Good, honest reflections Alvin. I really appreciate that about you.
ReplyDeleteI am really deriving much from these readings
ReplyDelete