The Kingdom is Both the Map and the Destination
E. Stanley Jones book on the kingdom of God reminds me of the book of Romans and some other of Paul’s epistles where he sets up a massive insight for the people of God click-click-clicking up the ascending side of the roller coaster and then about midway he dives headlong into practical encouragements and talk of basic living in the kingdom. By the time you hit the beginning the third section of Jones’ book you have absorbed all you need to know to take and apply the big idea to a conversation. I recommend you read it.
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Reality and Relevance are in the Kingdom
The Church, as she often is encased in institutional systems and as Christian culture, has become a cul de sac which is able to receive forgiveness, revelation, knowledge, and the Presence of God...but she seems to have no idea to what end. Being saved is less a release from and more a release into something: the kingdom of God. It is time for us as the people of God to rise up and embrace our purpose to proclaim and provide a highway into the kingdom of God.
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The Church is to Pursue the Kingdom
What follows, again, are notes generated from engaging E. Stanley Jones book, The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person. It is available at Amazon. These notes again are designed to increase our perspective on the kingdom of God. These notes have particular impact in understanding the differences in and the relationship of the Church and the kingdom of God.
Jesus is the kingdom, and the kingdom is Jesus.
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The Kingdom is the Center
Recently, I read a great book on the kingdom of God: The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person, by E. Stanley Jones, first published in 1972. It is worth buying. It stirred many thoughts as I read and I took notes on what was three dimensional to me. Some of these words might be Jones, so I must give credit where credit is due, but most are probably my reflections and summaries of thoughts that were generated as I read.
This introduction is a broad stroke intro for our imaginations about the Kingdom.
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The Kingdom and the Church, Part 2 of 2
Ben sits down with good friend Chris Austin in this two part series on discovering the beautiful differences in, and the powerful revelations of the Church and the Kingdom of God. Part 2 of 2.
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The Kingdom and the Church, Part 1 of 2
Ben sits down with good friend Chris Austin in this two part series on discovering the beautiful differences in, and the powerful revelations of the Church and the Kingdom of God. Part 1 of 2.
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The Kingdom and the Church
Two sets of two words
Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom. He formally announced its arrival, and he spends His ministry years from beginning to end defining its nature.
On the other hand, Jesus claimed the Church as His own. He made it clear that it was His people and that He was absolutely in charge of it from top to bottom, but his action toward the Church was different than his engagement with the coming of the Kingdom.
These two words: claiming and proclaiming have very distinct meanings and I am using them to promote a simple truth by their relationship to these two very different words: Church and Kingdom. Let’s spend some time on this together so we can get a better grip on the claiming of the Church and the proclaiming of the Kingdom. I think if we can see the beauty and the differences in these two distinct ideas that it will help us mature in a million ways.
First, I would like to jump to the present, and look into how we treat the Church and the Kingdom in our journey with Jesus.
Intro to the Kingdom of God
This is a wonderful introduction to the Kingdom of God. It is brief and provoking without being very detailed or teachy. Ben recommends an excellent book on the Kindgom, and then introduces Tim Thornton who, in a casual setting, is encouraging his friends to embrace what is God is doing among them--what God is doing in the Kingdom. Part to this is recorded in studio, and the meat of it is live at a family gathering in Tim and Laurie's home...
This Churchthink MP3 is 17 minutes long and about 16mb.
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Round table from Peru, Part 1
Round Table discussion with Doug, Mitch, and Ben, and tiny bit of Robin on building the Church instead of just planting one, understanding the role of the apostle not just the Greek definition, and learning how to make transitions so we can mature in the Lord. This is the first of a three part series.
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