God, the creator, made everything possible in the world. It through Him that I am understanding more about myself than before. I believe that God’s kingdom is endless and profound. Paul talked about the Kingdom of God in his letter to the church in Rome: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." In his book Gospel and Kingdom: A Christian Interpretation of the Old Testament, Graeme Goldsworthy uses the definition God's people in God's place under God's rule” and in the book The Bible and the Future, Anthony Hoekema defines God’s Kingdom as the reign of God and sovereignty in human history through Jesus Christ. God’s purpose is the redemption of his people from sin …show more content…
After learning more about myself through Christ I’ve come to believe that God’s Kingdom is “the spiritual reign of God on earth.” Every single human being has a specific place in the Kingdom of God. He created all humans different from each other with different qualities, abilities and gifts for that specific reason. This is what makes us unique. As we each hold a specific place in the Kingdom of God, God also has a plan for our lives. I believe that although we have free will, God has already written what is going to happen. Therefore, no matter how many left or right turns I make, God knew that before it happened. We are all children of God with different callings. Our calling should determine what in God’s Kingdom were we designed to accomplish for …show more content…
Since God made us all unique, we all have something different to put on the table. While some of us have obvious outstanding skills, others struggle to find a specific quality, and think we’re just average. Unfortunately, that may often times be because people define gifts from God as performance skills. If someone isn’t good at sports, music, crafts, etc… they might say they have no skills. However, when the Bible addresses the spiritual gifts, it addresses gifts such as wisdom, service, exhortation, evangelism, etc… In their true form, none of these gifts can be used for self-exhortation, which differentiates spiritual gifts from other gifts.
God entrusts us with gifts and talents in order to sow seeds in his Kingdom. In Matthew 25, the parable of the talents compares two servants – one who used his talents to sow and reap, and one who kept his hidden. God gave his gifts not for our own use, but for others. We are not to keep our talents for ourselves, but we are to use them in the Kingdom of God. This concept is mentioned in the bible. “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians
The continuous reading of Cornelius Plantinga Jr.’s book Engaging God’s World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living, has left me lingering on a lot of thoughts towards my relationship with God. In the conclusion of his book, Plantinga focuses on the redemptive qualities of God as well the the redemptive possibilities of mankind. Another main subject is the vocation in the Kingdom of God, correspondingly the Bible says in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God- what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Plantinga (2002) states clearly, “given Jesus’ summons, his followers have always understood that to be a ‘Christ person’
While studying the Kingdom of God from the perspectives of Derek Morphew in Breakthrough and Charles H. Kraft in Christianity with Power, it has opened my mind up to completely new and interesting discoveries when considering the power that has already been given to God’s children while here on earth. It is utterly mind blowing realizing that many Christians, including myself, have not tapped into their full potential of unleashing the expectations of the risen Savior. Christians have come to believe that they are helpless and powerless against any of Satan’s attacks; however, that belief is not the reality that Christ intended when He laid down His life on the cross. When Jesus came to live on earth and walk among His people, He came not only with a goal to unleash His Kingdom, but He also came with the supernatural ability to unleash His Kingdom and thereby impressing upon His children the victorious ability to daily live in supernatural abundance. He came for so that those who believe in Him would be set free and no longer held bondage. Kraft stated in Christianity with Power, “But Jesus acted as if healings and other uses of spiritual power to overcome natural, human, or spiritual conditions ought to be the normal occurrences” (Kraft, 1989, p. 102). Derek Morphew stated it this way in Breakthrough, “the mysterious nature of the kingdom consists of the fact that it is always here, almost here, delayed and future” (Morphew, 1991, p. 66).
The greatest gift someone can receive from another is his or her faith. Faith in someone indicates that even though they cannot see the rest of the road, they harbor enough trust to take the first step. Many religions call for their followers to have unwavering faith, even when certain stories or situations may lead them to question its veracity. The followers of Yahweh generally reap rewards for their confidence and loyalty in their Lord. On the other hand, God usually punishes their adversaries. The aforementioned statement means a person’s faith determines the degree of the benefaction. The people in the Old and New Testament perform and receive miracles based on the level of their faith in God.
In my thoughts, a talent is something you can be born with or grow to have. For me, I feel that I was born with, as well as developed, the talent of drawing and seeing things in a unique perspective. When I was younger I can remember sitting at the table or on the floor drawing and coloring on any kind of paper I could. I was also a quiet child which helped me grow to become a more introspective individual. There were moments when I was younger and playing make believe with my siblings and friends that I could actually envision a whole new scene on the
The Church as a whole debates many concepts that are in the Bible, in both theology and in practice. One of these debates surrounds the gifts that are spoken of in the Bible. In one corner are those who believe that charismatic gifts are alive and well in the church today. The Continuationist view believes that the gifts have continued on through Biblical times and are still relevant for today. In the other corner are those who believe that particular gifts have ceased to be used in the modern church and that they were only given for a particular reason in Biblical times. This view is called the Cessationist. Today each view, and other views in between, and the practice of the gifts in the current culture will be examined for truth, validity, and application by searching through each view and holding fast to the scripture as the final word of authority.
I’ve always loved tool sets. Whether it was my first tool box, a chemistry set, or Batman’s utility belt, they offered a set of elements that, when used individually or combined, could solve a wide range of problems. When I read the Scriptures about the fruit of the Spirit, I connect with it because it feels like a “Christian utility belt” of tools for any situation. Particularly, it is a powerful combination for solving problems in the workplace. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Most of God's servants were given talents but only three of them are talked about in Matthew 25:14-30. God distributed talents to three servants. To one he gave five talents, to (Mack 2)another two, and to another one, according to their abilities (verses 14-16). According to Matthew Henry, God distributes goods diversely; "giving to one five, to another two, and to another one (3). And who knows why God distributed his talents in this way. J. Hampton Keathley says, "God suits his blessings to them in a wise an effectual ways" (1). We know that God could have dictated what each servant was going to do but he does not. The duties that men are called upon to do are based on their situations and the talents they receive.
The Kingdom of God defined by the Israelites as a physical place here on earth. The Kingdom of God is also called the “Kingdom of Heaven.” It means God’s rule in the lives of His chosen people and His Creation. In the Old Testament, the people in God’s kingdom were the Israelites. In the New Testament and now, the people in God’s kingdom are those who believe in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes again, then God’s kingdom will become visible to all people. The term “Kingdom” according to (Kingdom of God,2011) means the rank, quality, state, or attributes of a king; royal authority; sovereign power; rule; dominion; monarchy. It can also be used in the context of a divine kingdom, the term Kingdom appears 13 times in Matthews, 7 times in Luke and 2 times in John.
God’s Kingdom is a place where He places His servants in order to see the world as He does and serve in His Kingdom. His Kingdom, also known as “the House that God built,” is a place that always has pressing needs and it is important for Christians to understand their “calling” in God’s Kingdom. As Frederick Buechner states, “The place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet,” Christians need to first recognize the needs of the world and become inspired enough to be actively involved in the coming of God’s Kingdom. Reflecting on God’s Kingdom and the pressing needs within the Kingdom, there are many issues and needs that I have become inspired to begin involving myself with in resolving. Also, I
...work. Additionally, in the parable of the ten talents we learn a little about God’s view for Christians on debt.
A biblical doctrine that I feel is important is spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are defined as any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church. Spiritual gifts can refer to more natural things, like teaching, administration, or creativity. This is obviously more prevalent than the other way spiritual gifts have appeared, in a miraculous since. These kind of miracle gifts would include things like prophecy and healing. Even with these two different distinctions, there is a sizable list of the specific gifts mentioned in the Bible. Some of them include: apostles, evangelists, prophets, tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, faith, administrators, pastors, helpers, and showing mercy. These are some
"The Kingdom of God Is Within You." . Dover Publications , 8 Sept. 2006. Web. 5 May 2014. .
how to get in to the Kingdom of God, what it is, and what it means to
His plan is that we mature in our knowledge and understanding of His ways— living vibrant lives in obedience to Him.
. And I want us to look at our text to see more clearly and specifically the sovereignty of God in regards to salvation. There are some words here that we need to examine such as foreknowledge, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. This is the progression of our salvation and we are saved according to the predetermined plan of God.