Is God too Small and the Problem too Big?

Everyone screams no way.  We get adamant about this.  
Yes. That is good.  
So why have we given up on some of the problems affronting our faith?  

A couple daunting problems that need "nothing is impossible" faith and resolute courage in the face of slow progress....  You can think of more I'm sure.  

1. We treat each other like competitors instead of family. A powerful witness of the love of God, the deep and true unity we share in Jesus, among the family and churches of a given city or even among leaders of different ministries is weak or non-existent.   Lines and boarders may be our testimony instead of a generous, vibrant, overwhelming love and encouragement.    High Praises to those warriors of Christ who are daily believing and working for love and the fragrance of Jesus among the diverse witnesses for Christ Jesus in their city.  

"The Core" - Sonya J. Day

 

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.…Eph 4:5

Sonya J. Day - friend from Redding CA.  

Beautiful art - find her here - support her vision

http://www.sonyajday.com/hearts/o6szc9a20omkqv4kr9s9dhifl1xc1w

 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

 John 13:35

 Are you one of the change makers?

• Nothing is impossible
• The Father lavishes love on us in Jesus - lavish some on your divine family - Give and it shall be Given.
• All things are possible for those who believe

 In the end LOVE WINS. Sow the future now. Live in the hope of the consummation-all things one in Christ. By this all men will know we are HIS. Sow love first.  Be love first and last.   This is doable!  Jesus provided all we need to walk in love in the face of the worst darkness. 


God too small?  Problem to Big? 


2. We have limited impact with those who need the blessing and grace of the gospel.  Turning cities upside down with the witness of the Gospel of the Kingdom.   Possibly the problem is we want intellectual check offs, ideas and statements, more than we want surrender, following and evidence of new birth in Jesus.  Meeting the Lord of glory is so much more than checking off some "yes, I believe that" statements.   Religion makes people worse.  Jesus said 10x's worse.  Meeting and encountering Jesus sets them free forever.   

God to small?  Problem to Big? 

Believers today seem to have an identity crisis.  Many live in silence and fear at the thought of stepping out into the community to witness to the reality and glory of the Gospel of Jesus.  Sin, Death and the Devil are defeated through the work of Jesus.  We have a message that sets people free both now and eternally.   Every sin - Forgiven.  Every sickness - healed.  Every fear - crushed in love.  Every power - stripped.   The new creation born in his resurrection.  Everything sealed into the heavenly tabernacle when Jesus sat down at the Father's right hand.   

Sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult.  Love is easy.  Love your neighbor as yourself.


3. Problem Perspective: My personal problems are insurmountable.  As I work with faith communities I see apathy, depression, disappointment, anger and offense at God, leaders, church family, anyone who rises up to be a change agent.    Confronting hell with the power of the cross is desperately needed in and among those who claim to bear his name.   The cross is testimony of defeat for the powers of sin, death and the Devil.   Jesus was clear on this.  If we don't pick up our cross and follow him daily we are not worthy of him.   

"And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.…"

 Luke 9:23

The seed falls to the ground and dies first.  There is a great need for laying down our personal kingdoms for the eternal one in Christ.  It is so important that the everyday believer knows the power of the Kingdom to confront sin, death and the Devil in their own lives.  

Deliverance and discernment are the heartbeat of wisdom and love in action.   Love cannot bear to see the lost left without a shepherd and wisdom discerns the pathways of freedom and deliverance. Together there is resolute focus on freedom and overcoming the world.  

Many believers today seem to think that they inherited a salvation that brings them into a utopia dream of no problem existence where everyone is happy all the time. 

Reality - we are in a conflict with the powers of the age.  Sin, Death and the Devil.   The Father has given us the keys to the Kingdom.  We wage war in the love and power of Jesus for the salvation of the world.     Love wins.   Here are three characteristics of Kingdom love in action.

1) Love believes all things - Nothing is impossible with God

2) Love hopes all things - we carry his presence everywhere we go -  the reality of new life

3) Love never fails - As the Bethel Music song says "his love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me."


God to small?  Problem to big?   
How big is the God you believe in?  
How present is he in your life today? 
How is his Kingdom coming daily in your life?  
He is an ever flowing stream of grace, mercy and love for you every day.  

 
The answer for the world is up to us.  How we live.  Hope.  Trust and walk in Him. 
Receive and welcome his Kingdom and Power in your life today.  
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts!   I Cor 14:1

By this we know that we are in Him: 6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

I John 2:6

Comments?  Ideas or discussion on this topic?

I appreciate everyone's comments and ideas.  We are in this together!

Thank you for reading.   

Keep hope alive!

In the Love of Jesus,

Jeff Reynolds aka - brother Jeff

www.mycapstone.org

www.jeffreynoldsminnistries.com

jeff@jeffreynoldsministries.com

An Overcoming Mindset - Can We See the Victory of Jesus Loving the Father The Way He Did?

What is an Overcoming Kingdom Mindset?  - Do Our Starting Thoughts  De-activate the Kingdom Power In Our Lives?

Can we see the victory of heaven loving the Father the same way the Lord Jesus loved the Father? 

An amazing thing about the world we live in, touch, taste, smell, feel, embrace and know every day is,  it was created in the Mind of God full of loving kindness and replete with life changing power.    A couple examples to get things going.

Our Bodies are built to heal themselves.   Those small cuts and wounds to hands and legs amazingly heal with a little care over a relatively short period of time.   A sickness enters our body and into action it goes to defeat it before it can overtake us.   Cancer starts with a few cells.   Then those cells have to convince the healthy cells around it to join with it.  Accept it and ultimately provide a connection to a blood source to really take off and grow.  Evil is always working in a similar way, searching for available agreement and then encouraging more.

We know this stuff.  But when it comes to God's Kingdom do we possibly have the wrong mindset?  There are plenty of believers marching with an empowered mindset advancing the Kingdom daily, but there are what seems and equal number of poor minded Saints who do not understand the way the kingdom overcomes the world.   How?  From the inside out, through sacrifice and love and with a compelling vision of Christ triumphant over all things!

A kingdom mindset is more reliant and founded on the truth that Jesus overcame the world than we seem to believe today.   Jesus overcomes the world.  The power of the Kingdom  continues to do so through those who understand the total victory of dying now, living in the resurrected life and ascending with Christ daily to the heavenly realities of his Kingdom rule and reign. 

When it is some kind of "victory of faith" to attend church on a regular basis, we are not plugged into the overcoming power of Jesus Christ that is transforming nations. 

What do I mean?   Consider the wheat and the tares for one thing.   Jesus said about weeds being sown into the wonderful wheat of his Kingdom garden and his servants question of whether to pull them out, 

"Mat 13:29

“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them."  

How many times I have moaned about the "little Ones" blown out over some church issue that is not "central to Jesus Christ" or critical to his Kingdom advancing. You?  To many I think.

Jesus is all about keeping and upholding and blessing and encouraging even the smallest flame of the Kingdom in all our hearts.   The task is about encouraging, strengthening and comforting those with a commitment to follow Jesus with all energy and effort, not to focus on defeating the tares of the world.   Let everything grow to the glory of God.  Water what you want.   The Kingdom overcomes as our Lord overcame the world.   the Kingdom moves and grows where it is received and welcomed.  Somehow we have come to a mindset that believes that the Kingdom is better served by policemen.  That the task is to root out and cleanse and purify.  I recall that being the work of the Holy Spirit. (but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;… John 16:8)  Is that at the root of this world mindset.  We don't believe in the core reality of the work of Jesus. 

When Jesus told Peter to "Feed My Sheep".   In some fellowships broken people are considered bad.  Broken children who can't pay attention are labeled.   Jesus said "Blessed are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom."   (Matt 5)  Quite possibly the American social and economic classes have taken over the Kingdom mindset?   Possibly we have no answers for the desperate because we don't share the mindset of Christ or move in his power and love?  

Side Note:  I am just asking.  I am part of this journey myself and have been blown away by my lack of understanding basic things in Jesus Kingdom. 
    

As I weeded my greenhouse this past weekend this truth came home to me. My pea patch was overcome by weeds that looked just like the pea vines.  As I grabbed up handfuls of weeds I also pulled up healthy beautiful pea vines that were ready to produce fruit.    I started thinking, possibly with the Spirit's aid, about my mindset of clearing the weeds.  It seems to me that much of our mindset regarding how to do church and much of the wounds inflicted relate to pulling weeds not to encouraging more of the Kingdom.    Whole movements get stuck and focused on "keeping out the bad" instead of overcoming evil with good.   Some things that hold up these ideas:

• Love overcomes the world in Jesus through sacrifice.  
• Our love is our witness of the truth of Jesus to the world -  John 17:23
• Can we abide in him in circumstances that need deliverance, wisdom and love? 
• Jesus ascended to the highest place through loving the Father and doing his will. 
• Can we see the victory of heaven loving the Father and the Lord Jesus the same way? 
•  He fills all things in every way.   Live from the mindset of the Kingdom overcoming the world.
• The Father sent his Son into the world as one light --- who has now lit the hearts of billions!   

Are we too impatient or unwilling to join the Apostle John in....

"I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." 

Rev 1:9

I think Jesus expresses a basic bottom line mindset about his Kingdom in his statement about not pulling out the weeds.  It may be hidden but I believe it is there.   Jesus is saying something about the Kingdom of God.  About how our lives prosper in the Kingdom.  About how we grow the Kingdom.  About a Kingdom mindset.   

The Kingdom overcomes obstacles by prospering, growing, presenting it's reality vrs tearing down, policing, and defeating what is clearly passing away with this world.  

world mindset - it is more powerful than Jesus and his love

Kingdom mindset - it is growing daily in the "Christ in you" (Col 1:27) believers and the Ekklesia of Jesus our Lord who Was and IS and IS to COME.   

Apostle John, teaching out of understanding of the Lord said,
"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." I John 2:17.   

A critical piece of an overcoming mindset is "the world is passing away".   Jesus and his Kingdom are advancing by love, sacrifice, patient endurance and power through the Holy Spirit.   Are we living in what is passing away as if it will remain?   Are we attached to the world for our identity and significance?

"There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this."  Isaiah 9:7f

  
Overcoming the world is done.  Jesus did it. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33.  Now we with unveiled faces are beholding his glory are moving by faith each day into the greatness of the Rule and Reign of Our King Jesus.   

I believe the greatest offering you can bring in the world: to be a living sacrifice, holy and devoted to HIM.  (Rom 12:1-2)

Thank you for reading.  Pass it on if it blesses you. 

 Comments?  Ideas?   I would love your feedback.

Jeff Reynolds. Sr. Leader 

Capstone Christian Fellowship

jreynolds@mycaptone.org

jeff@jeffreynoldsministries.com 

Thanks again, 

Brother Jeff.