"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (see Matthew 6:10)
Sounding too good to be true, many believers are convinced that expecting good from this life is unrealistic. Many even believe the only real blessings are manifested after we die and go to heaven. The idea of God's will being done here on earth as it is in heaven is completely foreign to them. But wasn't it Jesus Himself that told us about the manifestation of the Kingdom here on earth. If we can trust Him with our eternal salvation, then it's a no-brainer to believe all He said is true.
Many Christians today are living so far below God's standard here on earth because they have accepted human reasoning and experience over what the Word of God has to say.
God's Word is clear that He desires to give us good things, give us great joy by answering our prayers, and fulfill the desires of our heart. What good earthly father would give his child a snake when he asks for a puppy? Our Father in heaven wants us to know that He is much greater than any earthly Father, and how much more does He desire to give us good things when we ask:
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matthew 7:9-11
God's plans for us are plans of good and not evil to give us a future and a hope. God desires for us to have an abundant life.
So how then do we know that the kingdom of God is available to us right here on earth?
Mark 1:15 says, "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand [or available to you right now]: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
Luke 17:21 says, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Scripture tells us to seek first the kingdom of God, then these things will be added unto us, for it is God's good pleasure to give us the things of the kingdom. (Luke 12:31-32)
We will bear witness to the kingdom of God being manifested here on earth because where God reigns and His will is done, there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit!
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17
We today are called to go forth and preach the kingdom of God. That's God's will.
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8
God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven is one full of blessings and not curses, but we must choose to be blessed.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. Deuteronomy 30:19
We must stand on the promises of God. We must be willing and obedient to His commands and we must seek the Kingdom diligently. We can't give in to the enemy and what he tells us about our lives. The promises of God far outweigh the attempts of the enemy to tear us down.
God's Kingdom here on earth will be done if we seek Him first.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Eyewitness the Life of Christ Told in One Story
ABOUT THE BOOK
Eyewitness: The Life of Christ Told in One Story by Frank Ball (WinePress Publishing)
Eyewitness reaches people who seldom go to church or read their Bibles.
Of the millions of Americans who don't go to church, 56 percent consider themselves Christian. If they knew what Jesus said and did, they would know the importance of networking and reaching out to help others. While Bibles sit on coffee tables and bookshelves at home, gathering dust, people pick up Eyewitness and don't want to put it down. Not only does it use language that is easily understood, it pulls readers into the story, almost like walking with Jesus in the first century.
The Bible has sold more copies than any other book and continues to sell year after year. Continuing in its footsteps is the Eyewitness series written for the average person.
Flash back to first century AD. One man appeared who shook up the world. Four men testified to what they saw and heard. The details of Jesus life were recorded by four of his closest followers. Each account is written from a different perspective and only one of the four tells the events in chronological order. Therefore, for centuries, the accounts have been told in out-of-sequence fragments.
Eyewitness compiles the information from the Gospels and hundreds of other Bible verses into one chronological story laid out like a story without reference or verse. The result is a seamless combination of the four gospel books that will appeal to customers across the board, even those who would not normally purchase a Bible.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Frank Ball
Frank Ball was the Pastor of Biblical Research and Writing at Anchor Church in Keller, Texas, for three years. After thirty years of research and teaching the life of Christ, he began a twelve-year project to analyze every gospel story about Christ and put the events into chronological order. Ball meticulously considered almost twenty resources, including the Greek and Hebrew texts, the opinions of other Bible writers, and different translations, to make sure his translation was correct. Using the gospel of John as the chronological backbone, he determined an appropriate time setting for every event.
Frank believes there is no greater role model than Jesus. The better we know him, the more we can be like him. “It’s impossible,” he says, “to love someone you don’t know. The Scripture arranged in this easy-to-understand order helps us to know Jesus. It allows us to be more of an ‘eyewitness’ to the events of Christ’s life, and in doing so, to be more like him.”
Frank has always been a great student, especially in math and the sciences, but hated English. He excelled in high school; however, because his family was impoverished, he was unable to attend college. After high school he took a menial job that supported his parents and siblings. In 1968 he married Kay and they had three sons. Kay passed away in 2005. Ball currently lives with his family in Fort Worth, Texas.
When personal computers became available, Frank embraced systems analysis and business administration. He devoured reading material on the high-tech industry and was a successful business executive until he made a commitment to full-time ministry in 2002.
In 1995, despite his dislike of English, Frank believed God was redirecting his life, and he devoted himself to writing—which has, ironically, become his passion. Knowing the challenges he faced without a secondary education, Frank became self-taught by voraciously reading books as if they were college texts. He studied as if he were preparing for tests.
Frank says that this project wasn’t his idea at all. He just had an unexplainable desire to do this chronology, and along the way he realized that God had a plan. Using his Eyewitness Stories version of the Gospels as a foundation, Ball assembled the gospel information, as well as more than two hundred other Bible verses from the Old and New Testaments, to create what he believes is the accurate order of events. Ball believes the combined stories resolve some of the discrepancies that some say exist in the Gospels.
In addition to leading six Christian writers’ groups in the Dallas area, Frank does ghostwriting, has worked as a magazine copyeditor, has written hundreds of articles, and wrote a bimonthly column for The Spirit-Led Writer e-zine. He is also a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
War for your Soul
A War For Your Soul-Birmingham version from Erisai Films on Vimeo.
A filmmaker and public speaker, Reggie Bullock is a vibrant voice and accomplished role model for the youth of today. On March 15, 2009, Reggie’s short film "A War For Your Soul" was independently released on the internet, and has catapulted as a “stirring, epic and inspirational” video for today’s generation”. Over 1.5 million internet viewers have watched “A War For Your Soul” in seven months. The video has garnered praise from mayors, city leaders, youth and civic organizations from Ghana, Israel, the Caribbean, U.K. and other countries for sparking dialogue in encouraging adults to play a more active role in educating children.
On Oct. 14th, Popular radio host Michael Baisden said "This is a must see film".
Reggie is currently active as a noted speaker, conducting speaking engagements throughout the country. For speaking engagements contact warforyoursoul.com or reggie.bullock@comcast.net
This video was created to inspire young at-risk African-Americans not to fall prey to some of the problems they face in society. The "Master of Darkness" represents that abstract concept of evil that has the potential to reside in the consciousness of mankind.
This video should not to be used to divide people (Black & White).
This video should not be used to criticize all aspects of hip-hop culture.
This video should not be used to allow the rest of society to escape from their responsibility, to help with financial & academic support.
If used properly, this video will allow our youth to see some of the horrific conditions that their ancestors fought through and some of the horrific conditions they face today.
An extensive commentary about the film can be seen at warforyoursoul.com
**THIS VIDEO IS NOT FOR SALE & I AM NOT ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR THE FILM, I ONLY WANT THE MESSAGE TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT ANY HIDDEN POLITICAL OR FINANCIAL AGENDA.
Contacts:
warforyoursoul.com
reggie.bullock@comcast.net
facebook.com/reggie.bullock
twitter.com/ReggieBullock
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