We are a pragmatic people filled with confidence, manifest destiny, lion heart-ed and truly capable.
What Americans set their minds to usually happens.
The rise of the underdog is a core cultural story of America.
American's even pull off the impossible....legalize marijuana.
Wow. Persistent bunch.
Came up with an argument and persuaded a generation to go passively into the laughter.
We get motivated and freedom focused when we get our "don't hold me down" resoluteness going. Then people rise up. It has served us well, for the most part.
Grace puts the first last and the last first. Not the first more first. And the last left out.
What I want to do, be, accomplish is typically the focus and our/my core story.
The focus of my energy, goals, thoughts and dreams.
The alternative story is who I want to know. Jesus opened the way to knowing God with the same relationship he had with the Father. A new story is possible.
Trite but still alive is the "I did it my way" story. We like this one better for obvious reasons.
Empowered by belief, confidence, individual freedom and will, humanity does produce results with such a mindset. Some are very beautiful and some are evil, empty and disturbing.
The later being serial killers, the former maybe selfless workers of mercy.
Our cultural story is all about this, "I rose from nothing to attain this kind of life and you can to".
Again, it has been good and well, but like most things in the world order not good sometimes.
It is those "sometimes" that often spin us off course and throw off thousands of wounded, disheartened people into the soup of disillusionment.
Sports. The underdog. The fighter. The man or woman with nothing who makes it all the way to the top. We love this story because it tells us we can dream, accomplish and achieve.
It's true. We can. As a soccer coach of 14 years, I know amazing things can be accomplished when we set our hearts and minds to it in a team.
We are remarkable beings who can imagine something and then create it in the world. Everything seen was at one time in our minds eye. Fashioned by our hands these things can become idols. And then we become the final idol.
IN God's economy of life we become like the things we worship - Idol?
Then You become the Idol!
If we worship the self made person for accomplishment and success, we find ourselves seeking to be worshiped for accomplishment and success.
Is this part of the Kingdom Jesus is building?
Successful ventures are fun, rewarding and of course praiseworthy. From all points of view but one, Jesus' life was not successful. It ended in torture on a cross in rejection of the very nation he was sent to save. A few still clinging to the hope that they had not spent everything, given up their very lives only to end up empty and with no future. (remember Jesus told them many times he would die this way. He is so good about keeping us up on what is in his heart and what is coming that we don't see at all)The ONE clear point of view in which the ministry and sacrifice of Jesus was supremely successful was the Father's. He asked Jesus to do his will, revealed it to him and Jesus lived it completely and truly."This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased." baptism of Jesus - voice from heaven! Matthew 3:17
The Father's love was witnessed in the world in perfect worship and perfect service and love. It is possible. This is the Way we are on.....
So, is the American cultural story the story of the church and Kingdom as well?
The Q is... Is this the culture story of the Kingdom of God?
Stories get told again and again. They produce vision. They tell people what makes them valuable, viable, worth something in the scheme of things.Jesus seems to have done the opposite of our cultural story.
He left everything behind for love and the Father's will.
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[b] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil 2:5-11The mystery of his life and the sacrifice of everything for the will of the Father, demonstrated the highest worship possible on this planet. Laying down his life for his friends in the will of the Father.
In God's Kingdom the pathway has been set by the firstborn from among the dead, Jesus.
The King came from heaven and lived from the bottom of the world. In doing this he set us all free into the highest heights of human life. There is now a witness on earth and forever in heaven of a perfect walk in the will of the Father. Jesus lost his life and found it in doing the Father's will. Praise the Lord for such faith, hope and love.
Who gives up their wealth, position, place as King to die for those who hate him? Who takes the beatings of the world, when he is perfect in holiness, and does it because its the Father's plan?
Jesus does this in the perfect faith and knowledge that the Father's will is both filled with love and power. It is able to reach into the depths of the human heart and mind and carries with it the very power to do what it calls out in us. From first love fires and desire to know God to the highest expressions of devotion to the Father's will in the world, Jesus lived in fullness. Remarkable.
Jesus made all the pathways and opened them to us. Boundless. Victorious. Abundant. Rich in mercy and love, they are filled with power through the Holy Spirit.
Christians can be great again when they give freely as they have been freely given.
oHave this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,1 6 pwho, though he was in qthe form of God, did not count equality with God ra thing to be grasped, 7 but semptied himself, by taking the form of a tservant,2 ubeing born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by vbecoming obedient to the point of death, weven death on a cross. 9 xTherefore yGod has zhighly exalted him and bestowed on him athe name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus bevery knee should bow, cin heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and devery tongue confess that Jesus Christ is eLord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:5+
We miss the deeper things when we lack surrender to the will, order and power of the Holy Spirit.
In The kingdom of God the model of success is looking like Jesus.The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served.
Grace puts the first last and the last first.
Not the first more first. And the last left out.
2016
Transfiguration!
Look forward, eyes filled with Abundance, Boundless, Victorious vision in Jesus.
Get a copy of my Prophetic Review 2016 - Salvation's Mountain Erupting with Open Doors, Shifts and Invitation.Encouragement, focus, wisdom and insight into the prophetic seasons of the new year.
www.jeffreynoldsministries.com
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Here are some other blogs posts that may interest you.
1.http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2015/01/7-things-enemy-devil-doesnt-want-you-to.html
You can do this thing! He's got you.
Jeff Reynolds ---
Brother Jeff
www.jeffreynoldsministies.com
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