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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What is the STOREHOUSE?
You have heard it said: “The tithe belongs in the storehouse.” Ok, so where is that from? It is from Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Usually, we hear that sermon once or twice a year when offerings are low at our fellowship and the leadership, or key leader, feels it necessary to remind everyone to put the money in the bank on behalf of building and staff needs. We don’t want to be cynical, but this predictable sermon has become fodder for cynicism over time and the hardest part is that we are not sure why it makes us feel the way we do. It makes us feel manipulated, but why? It makes the presenter of the argument feel as those he is selling a used car, but why? If the storehouse is equivalent to the bank account of each local fellowship, then why does this sermon make our conscience wrinkle?
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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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TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, Bible-ography
BIBLE-OGRAPHY
(For some, a reference section might be a bore, but these Scripture references provided the backbone for the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, and may be a valuable resource for you as you study and consider the content of the work. Enjoy)
The Kingdom as a Way
The good news of the Kingdom is preached, people are healed, baptized, and the end is prophesied.
Matt. 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, Part 3
MAKING IT PRACTICAL
In this the final section of this small book I want to be informal in my tone and direct in my approach to this question: How do we make these encouragements practical right now and apply them to our lives?
What follows are collections of activities, actions, and other practical steps towards becoming a Kingdom person. For myself, I call it “becoming a family man.” Others might call it becoming a family woman, or a family leader, or a family pioneer, or a family member ... I like them all. I have written a statement for each one in the first person so they all will be comfortable in our mouths as we read them aloud, pray them, and make our declarations. In other words, I start each action with an “I” statement so we can personalize each one.
Try them all.
Do them all at once, or spread them out over time—all the time—like I do.
Repeat until the desired affect is achieved.
TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, Part 2, C
THE KINGDOM, THE CHURCH, AND THE TRADITIONS OF MEN
THE TRADITIONS OF MEN
A Fight
Here is the section of our book where it is acceptable to use references like Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, House Church, Mega-Church, Armenian, Calvinist, The Celtic Way, Anglican, Independent Charismatic, Missional Community, Organic, Reformed, Orthodox, Progressive, Emergent, Traditional, Liturgical, Evangelical, just to name a few. These are all the creative ways we—with feet of clay and minds of dust—have chosen to identify ourselves and divide ourselves from others who are following Christ. We have given these classes formal names. These are the well-financed ways we have divided ourselves from one another.
Congratulations, Church, for creating and sustaining the multiple personality disorder that has plagued us for generations. So, how has it been working out for you?
That was rhetorical.
TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, Part 2, B
THE KINGDOM, THE CHURCH, AND THE TRADITIONS OF MEN
THE CHURCH
The Wife that Jesus Loves
I sat beside Bob Terrell years ago on the front row of a little fellowship in west Texas. I had just played a song for the gathering, and he was getting ready to take the stage and teach, probably on 1 John. I had just “retired” from a staff position at a local fellowship and had begun my experimental career as an musician and minister—sort of an arts missionary. He turned to me and said, “Ben, do you worry sometimes about where your provision [money] is going to come from?”
“Yes.”
He said, “Well, you take care of the Bride and the Bridegroom will take care of you.” The fellowship leaders introduced him and he moved up to the podium and began to teach. I just sat there thinking.
TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, Part 2, A
THE KINGDOM, THE CHURCH, AND THE TRADITIONS OF MEN
THE KINGDOM
I hope the first section of “Tom and the Goldfish Bowl” has been like a light flare over the fields of our collective imagination. Sometimes just a little light is enough to sponsor a “eureka” moment that can change us forever. Though I will not refer to the three-part allegory again in the remainder of this book, I do hope that it will continue to illuminate our thoughts as we go.
We Are More
What is the single most popular phrase that flows over the modern Christian’s lips in an effort to connect with someone’s spiritual journey for the first time? I think it is this: Do you go to Church?
I think the second most popular question would be: Would you like to go to Church with me?
Surely, we are more than meetings. Meetings are in many ways like handshakes. Handshakes are supposed to be the entry point into deeper relationships, but the world has grown tired of our culturally-relevant-rock-star-level-cause-driven-highly-orchestrated Church handshakes because there seems to be nothing beyond them except more meetings.