Category: Kingdom of God

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Discipleship Getting Help Holy Spirit Kingdom of God Ministry

Changing Life Seasons

Photo by Andreas Dress, on Unsplash.com

In a recent exploration among fellow Spiritual Companions, I described my current cycles of growth where I felt aerated—like ground broken up for planting fresh crops—good and necessary for the long term and a difficult process in the moment.

I’m getting older and am cutting back on taking on new projects. I am getting help to manage the household; all because I’m discovering that I have less energy than before. Having to make such changes is hard.

Yet, making these changes helps me focus more on my calling to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preaches, and help activate people at The Miracle Café in the highlands of Panama, where people learning how to minister are helping others experience miracles of healing and restoration in other areas of their lives.

Earlier, I knew a transition was in progress for me. At first, it was difficult. More recently, I knew through Holy Spirit that my spirit was confident. Even though my soul—my mind—did not consciously know what the transition was towards.

I guess that’s a sign of growth. There was a time I didn’t trust so well, and I would have tried to insist on knowing what was going on and understanding the process before I would choose to trust the process. Now I trust God more completely. (That is good progress, I am sure of it.)

Feeling like ground that was too hard and not yet ready for planting while being plowed—was still difficult though.

There will be more changes. Change is always in progress. For me, spring is not so far away now. Other seasons will follow.

A deep help for me was being asked key questions and seeking to answer Spiritual Companions and Holy Spirit. Being encouraged helped me put this into words, and I understood with greater awareness and consciousness. Support, friendship, and encouragement helped.

Spiritual Companionship is a great and necessary help for me and all of us. We go through transitions easier and better with such help, even when they are challenging.

Transition and change can be painful, difficult, wonderful, and joyous in any combination. 

Transition is much more productive as we seek help through Holy Spirit, which is often easier and faster when we have the encouragement, help, and support of Spiritual Companions.

We all go through transitions and many changes. It is easier and faster, and more joyous for us with excellent help. Yet, seeking help from Holy Spirit is easy and effective with help from Spiritual Companions.

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Church Life Discipleship Jesus Preaching Kingdom of God Prayer Presence of God Worship

Ekklesia – What is it?

A Gathering of Disciples can be an Ekklesia – Photo from Unsplash, by Shane Rounce

In the New Testament, the word most translated into English as “church” is most often Ekklesia.

An Ekklesia is a special kind of gathering of disciples of Jesus Christ, disciples being learners and doers – students who act on what they are learning.

In Roman culture, an Ekklesia was an important part of government, much like a town council, but with a special duty: to teach people to be like and to become – Romans. So much so that if the Emperor came, he would feel comfortably welcome if he should visit.

Jesus used the term to mean:

  • Disciples gathered to bring heaven to earth
  • Disciples to rule on earth so earth will be like heaven
  • Disciples who rule for the Kingdom of Heaven, and
  • Disciples who help the surrounding peoples become Christians – little Christ’s.

They met in public space – the Temple, and they met in people’s homes.

An Ekklesia didn’t have its own building (with the expense of building it and maintaining the building) or single leaders like a Pastor who was the only person active until Constantine, who forbade meetings in homes and other public spaces, and whose patterns of worship leading were like the pagans. With a single leader in a robe, who led, rather than having several leaders whose job was to prepare the people for ministry, as taught in scripture.

The main purpose of an Ekklesia is to influence the culture surrounding it, so Jesus served these people through Christian Disciples. And so that people surrounding became Christians.

Through the preaching of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached and taught, including the healing of the sick and the freeing of people bound by unclean spirits, raising the dead and cleansing lepers.

Ekklesia’s prayed for people, ministered to them, announced the Good News of the Kingdom to them, helped them become Christians and Disciples. Who made more Disciples. Who planted more Ekklesias. Often through local businesses – the marketplace. The Message that Jesus preached and taught spread with wonderful and amazing speed.

And you can learn to take part and be a part of this today. What a great way to live!

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Gospel Jesus Preaching Kingdom of God Ministry Presence of God

Bad News & Good News

Bad News.
Good News!

First, the bad news. We live in a busted up, broken world, full of problems. Many problems to many people. It’s the world we find ourselves in: sickness, poverty, troubled relationships, corrupt governing, and lots more junk.

The Good News that Jesus preaches is that Paradise is available to us all, now. Paradise is within reach, it’s “at hand”. We get to live in Paradise!

Contrast that with the Bad News of a busted up, broken world that is full of all kinds or horrible problems – and the Good News becomes obvious.

There is literally a process that allows us to change our world, and experience Paradise – complete with healing, wholeness, restoration and joy – instead of a broken world full of pain.

It’s sort of like science fiction – beaming to a new place, a better place – only this isn’t fiction, it’s real. And it can be real for you. Not to just visit, but to live in.

Ever need a miracle? There’s a process for this, too; and a kind of time and place where miracles are much more frequent than otherwise.

There really is bad news in this world. And there is Good News. And the amazing thing is, you get to choose! (If you have not already done so, visit and see The Gospel Process.)

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Church Life Disciple Making Glory Holy Spirit Kingdom of God Worship

Simon Xing on Worship

Worship – aliane-schwartzhaupt-raeSgX3u3ZA-unsplash

I once asked a good friend, Simon Xing, who lives in China, about worship. He’s a fine worship leader, with wonderful experience to share. What follows is an edited version (for readability) of our conversation.

D: Simon – I have a question…I can use your help. How might you describe different levels of worship?

S: Thanks for your questions. Personally, I would divide it into four levels.

D: Tell me!

S: The first is surface level. Just singing.

D: Makes sense. Please go on.

S: The second is when you are infected by another person’s spirit to worship.

D: Good. Go on….

S: The third is when you can worship anytime in any place.

D: Tell me more about this.

S: Just feel like God is on your side.

(D: That sounds so simple; it’s useful and profound.)

D: Wow! Tell me more.

S: The fourth, also the deepest, for me, I think is when you are the performer standing in front of God. (D: This is what your attention is full of. Nothing else.)

D: Please go on. More!

S: And angels are your audience. They are listening, and maybe even join in.

D: Ahh…I love this!

S: This is a moment of holiness. You don’t care about anything but God. You may cry. You may dance. You may sing in tongues.

D: Ahh….

S: Nothing but holiness.

D: Wonderful!

S: You will not care, in such moments, about timing. No concern or worry. Your focus is single and complete.

D: I never thought of that….

S: You just want to continue and go on – in that environment. This is just my experience.

D: Your experience in such things as this – is valuable.

S: I experienced four levels. Maybe there is a fifth. It may take time….

D: Go on…think out loud.

S: Now I don’t know…. I just hope there would be a fifth one. (D: Simon is getting ready to speak and put into words a deep intuition of his understanding, so far. Holy Spirit whispering to his spirit.)

S: Which may be that God only wants me to worship.

S: He cares about my worship most at such a moment.

D: Go on….

S: And I can feel his holy touch.

S: Not by saints, but by him.

S: (Simon spoke briefly of some Internet difficulties.) He blessed me, sent his deep love.

We said goodbye for now.

D: (This was a fascinating and lovely conversation, with thoughts from an experienced worship leader.)

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Disciple Making Evangelize Gospel Healing Hearing God Holy Spirit Jesus Key Article Kingdom of God Ministry Miracles Success

Disciple-Making on Steroids

Miracle of Jesus Healing a Blind Man

Discipling someone, or several people, can can succeed a lot faster than most of us are used to. I call this “Disciple-Making on Steroids” because this approach is so powerful and fast.

Here’s an example to learn from, that, with variations – depending on your situation, can be done more easily and more quickly than perhaps we have ever seen.

On the street or in a supermarket or other store, or maybe a shopping mall, you see someone who obviously needs healing. Their injury or disability or pain is obvious to you.

So you walk up to them and say, “Hello. My name is ____; it looks to me like you have some” pain, difficulty, injury, disability – whatever it is. Make it easy for them to talk to you about it. Make sure you discover what it is that they cannot do or cannot easily do, because of that particular need of healing.

Ask them if it’s okay for you to pray for them. Most people will be glad for such prayer, if by then you are in rapport. If they are not willing, thank them and let them be.

You can pray for them at a distance if you like.

Keep doing this until you discover someone who is willing to be prayed for.

Pray for them, praying to Jesus, maybe something like, “Dear Jesus, help this person with ____” whatever is needed. They expected you to pray for them, and it’s easy for them to say yes to such a request. Then be sure to quietly but with authority – like when you are talking to a child or a pet and you really mean it – tell that need for healing to be healed. Be sensitive to Holy Spirit and do as seems best.

Ask them to test, to do what they could not easily do or could not do. When they succeed, give thanks to Jesus!

When that does not go well, you can be like Jesus healing the blind man who could see a bit more at first, but needed more healing and said something like, “I see men walking, but they are like trees walking”. So, like Jesus, you pray (and command with authority), healing again.

If you want to do it like Jesus did, and was so successful at healing so often (always), you can do it like this:

Keep testing the healing until it is done. Persist.

Now comes the cool part, disciple making on steroids:

Now that they have been healed, ask them something like, “Would you like to give your life to Jesus and have him as your Lord?” When they say yes, lead them in such a prayer. When they say no, just continue as if they had. Because of what happens next, they probably will.

Take the person who has now been healed and who now has Jesus (or not) in them, and go with them. Find someone else who has an obvious need of healing. Instruct them to pray for and command healing, just as they experienced. Have them heal the person in need. Pray for them and their ministry, and their good success while that do that. Help them out loud as called for and needed.

Now you have someone with you who has been healed, who has come to Jesus (or not, yet). If not yet come to Jesus, ask them if they want to make it official now, and help them accept Jesus as Lord. If not, get their contact information, pray for them, and follow up and give them encouragement and help as you are led with Holy Spirit. Just do the best you can and ask for help through Holy Spirit.

I like to ask for more of Holy Spirit before I pray for someone or minister. My prayer and ministry is more effective when I do this, and I hear God better, too.

.

I believe that this is how Jesus wants us to minister in these times. In these days. The time is short: make disciples, with Holy Spirit, on steroids!

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Conversation with God Disciple Making Discipleship Evangelize Faith Friendship Getting Help Gospel Jesus Joy Kingdom of God Ministry Prayer

There are Multiple Biblical Ways to Salvation

John Benitez – Unsplash

Those of us who use even a somewhat Evangelical approach to salvation have a few prayers that we encourage so that someone can experience salvation.

The Bible takes a different approach. So much so that the most frequent method to attain salvation in the bible is one I’ve never seen or heard of being used with a potential convert. By hindsight, this is a bit astounding.

Yet in real life, it makes perfect sense. And the usual prayers are used for several good reasons.

It really is wise and good that we get to know more consciously about Jesus, and Jesus as our Lord. And that this be expressed clearly in our prayer.

So what is this most frequently mentioned method of achieving salvation in scriptures that is so unused for making converts? It’s actually a method frequently used by the rest of us.

A very common prayer, used by many of us when we need help, when we need and want to be saved. Just seldom used to help someone become a convert to Christianity.

What is this frequently used approach for getting help when most needed, but seldom if ever used to help someone become a convert?

It’s simply this: call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved.

Biblical theology is probably wider and more inclusive than our theologies. God is certainly more broad minded than we are.

And this illustrates very well how some things are taught about to us and for us in scripture from many angles, in many ways. And we tend to focus on one way, sometimes proof-texting, yet even so, we tend to focus on one very good way. But God and scriptures offers more options than we often think about and sometimes more options than we even normally trust or believe in.

Thank you, Lord, for being so broad minded, for thinking differently than we do, for being more loving and generous than we yet are able to grasp.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving us eternity to continue to get to know you and your love. We need you. And we need eternity to explore and learn about your love and your depth. Thank you, Lord!

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Disciple Making Evangelize Faith Jesus Preaching Kingdom of God Ministry

Jesus Never Said that He Came to Save You

In him was Life, and Life is the Light of men. (See John 1:4.)

Sometimes the assumptions built into our local traditions help us get things wrong.

Jesus repeatedly said that he came to give us Life. The Life of God (in New Testament Greek: Zoe). Nowhere in the New Testament does Jesus say his purpose was to come to get you into heaven.

He repeatedly said that he came to bring you Life, Zoe: the Life of God. Heaven is included.

He came to get Life into you: the Life of God. (Something the first Adam lost.) Relationship restored!

Jesus never said to make converts; he said to make disciples. (Converts are included in making disciples.)

He came so you can start helping to bring heaven to earth – now. Wow! You get to help bring heaven to earth.

Salvation is included, and you will go to heaven. And later in our New Heaven and New Earth, God will literally be our Light that we see by, in the Temple.

Help bring Heaven to earth: preach the Good News of the Kingdom. Heal the sick. Free the bound. Make disciples of all nations, all people groups.

Also, you get to pray for heaven on earth:

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6: 8-10, NKJV

So…my thesis here is that Jesus did not say he came here to get us into heaven, even though he does get us into heaven when we respond with faith. What he repeatedly said was that he came here to give us Life. The Life of God, in us, does result in heaven. And later, into the New Heaven and New Earth.

It’s like that he did not say we were to make converts. He said to make disciples – this should be our focus when evangelizing. Which will result in stronger and more effective Christians than by focusing on making converts. Let’s follow Jesus and do what Jesus said.

Let’s do and minister as Jesus showed, taught, and as he still says to us today in Scripture, with Holy Spirit. Doing as Jesus teaches is better than following local traditions.

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Evangelize Jesus Joy Key Article Kingdom of God Ministry Presence of God

Experience Jesus

Jesus Invites – by Sitara

I realized something recently that surprised and delighted me. Some years ago I introduced maybe as many as 75 people to how to experience Jesus for themselves, experiencing Jesus in their heart. It was based on a key decision, which I explained they could undo if they did not like the experience or did not want to continue to experience Jesus. Not a single one chose to not continue to experience Jesus in their hearts. That’s astounding, there is little that we humans do that works so well. But then, this was the work of Holy Spirit….

Most of these people went on to be baptized in water, and then be baptized in Holy Spirit. We met in one of three houses, rotating where we met for about two years. Our weekly meetings lasted 6-8 hours; some people came early, others left early. We didn’t have 75 people at these meetings, but the house was always pretty full.

During that time, discipling happened, helped and led by Holy Spirit.

Regardless, we all learned how to experience Jesus. And everyone liked this so much they wanted to continue.

I was inspired to try this with people by Holy Spirit when reading scripture. It was long ago, and I’m not sure, but I suspect I had been reading 1 John, Chapter 4.

Here’s how it went, helping people to experience Jesus for themselves:

Try out these beliefs, and check your heart: you will be experiencing Jesus in your heart.

If you don’t like it, just decide against those beliefs.

Jesus is fully man, completely human.

Jesus is fully God, he is God.

When you believe both of these things: you can experience Jesus in your heart.

Hallelujah!

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Discipleship Intercession Key Article Kingdom of God Ministry Prayer

Ministry Size & Fame

Public Ministry is Like Being on a Stage

Most of us are called to minister in our sphere of influence. There is a deep satisfaction to ministering where we are to people we can touch with the Kingdom of God.

This is a safe place to practice, learn, and minister in. Your ego will be tempted far less than in some other spheres. It’s a good idea to start where you are, and to follow Holy Spirit as in Galatians 5. The Fruit is good!

I notice that when I minister in my sphere of influence, Holy Spirit often noticeably helps. I feel safe, secure, helpful. Inspired. Temptations of my ego and flesh are minimal. Holy Spirit moves.

Please notice for yourself what it is like for you when you minister in your sphere of influence.

Then there is the Normal Christian Pattern of Ministry Growth. That Jesus taught, his disciples followed, and ministry and church growth – Kingdom of God spreading – was rapid and overcame the Roman Empire. (Until Constantine when they started using expensive buildings and stopped Christians from ministering and turned most of them into passive participants. That’s another story.)

Jesus sent disciples out in pairs. See Mathew 10 & Luke 10. Go. Go minister. Jesus even gives directions on how to do this without money or buildings. Sent people go out in pairs. Take little with them. Depend on resources to live from where they stay, in houses of peace. Ministering to the people who know and are in contact with a house of peace is easy. As healing happens, as people are set free, you become busy.

Be not burdened with seeking fame, money, or expensive buildings that eat up resources for ministry. Follow the pattern in the Gospels. Share the Good News of the Kingdom. Heal the sick. Free the bound. Some people will be eager to learn more: make disciples, of all sorts of people. Disciples that meet together are the start of an ecclesia – often translated as church.

(A church is a gathering of believers, not an expensive building.)

Doing these things will cause increasing numbers of people being ministered to, healed and set free. You will become busy as word gets out – the need is great and there are many in great need. Disciples who plant ecclesias will multiply, and multiply, and the numbers can become amazing before too long.

This is a simple and powerful pattern that Jesus demonstrated, taught, and that his Disciples followed. This pattern still works today.

A few are called – a few – to larger and more public ministry. These are few, and the traps and dangers are many: various temptations. Big expenses and big egos are rampant. Selling the current culture of entertainment works, and becomes part of ministries – too often without Holy Spirit. Tricks of theater can become ineffective substitutes for Holy Spirit, as can enlarged egos of people who seek fame.

Theater skills and lessons can be used well in ministry. Some do this on a full time basis, some part of the time. Too many are distracted by worldly fame and worldly methods – this is not a path that is safe or good for everyone! Take care. Follow Holy Spirit, always; and you will be doing well. For Jesus sends us Holy Spirit for such reasons as these.


The most successful ministers and ministries have intercessors – before, during and after ministry. (This is true whether ministry be large or small; is part of the the Normal Pattern of Ministry Growth that Jesus gave us. Jesus sent people out in pairs. One prays while the other ministers, I was taught early on – and this works amazingly well.)

Teams of intercessors leads to more effective and powerful ministries.

Best is to always minister where God calls you to minister. If you are not clear, ask for more of Holy Spirit. Then ask for where you are to minister. Usually you will not be given a grand plan or a grand assignment. Usually you will be given a single step to follow and do, where you will learn what you need for future next steps.

You will make mistakes and run into obstacles. Holy Spirit will show you what’s next, as you continue to learn. We love our successes and learn most from our failures. After five or six good failures, your ministry will likely be taking off.

You may become famous or have acclaim. If this is for the glory of God, you and your ego and flesh may be safe from temptation.

Seek first the praise of God.

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Getting Help Key Article Kingdom of God Miracles Prayer

Ask for Kingdom Rule

Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is where everything works the way it did in Paradise, Eden. God rules, with love and gives hope, always.

So when you have a problem or difficulty, Ask for the Kingdom of God to rule in that part of your life. (Or even better – all of your life!)

Expect good miracles.

Expect God’s rule to replace that of Satan’s.

So simple. Easy. Effective!