Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Kingdom

Sitting at Tully’s, I’m fighting back tears as I listen to Matt Redman wail on about how the cross of Jesus makes us whole again, how Jesus is the one who wipes us clean of sin, how Jesus is the one who sets us free, heals our hearts, and makes us friends of God.

Thoughtful and thankful, I’m sort of ruminating on all sorts of concepts, having just finished Study, and preparing myself to tackle this week’s topic of Debt and God’s desire for us to live unburdened. I’m thinking about how there is always a tension between things…economic fear versus generosity. A tension between trusting God or shouldering my own burdens. A tension between longing for the “good old days,” and hoping for a “bright future.” A tension between remembering my sin, and remembering my forgiveness. At our EPIC Men’s Event, Mike Erre pretty much rocked me with this clarity…that God wants me Alive and Thirsty. Fully Alive and yet Thirsty for Him. Content with His Love and yet Longing for More of His Glory. On this side of eternity, there will always be a tension…probably stemming from the Now/Not Yet nature of the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to announce.

I finished Erre’s book, Why Guys Need God, before church on Sunday, and he rips off what he says is the greatest chapter title that he’s ever seen, and I’d like to rip him off, ripping it off, because it is absolutely where I am. I imagine I’m not alone. Here is the title:

Truly Changed, Truly Changing, and Still at War.



Welcome to the Kingdom of God.

4 comments:

Jan said...

Right on, Mike! Keep teaching the truth. I am now debt free and words cannot express the freedom I feel! The Bible is so right - the borrower is a slave to the lender.

SevenX7X said...

Maybe you'll cover this topic in your message sunday: If my house is worth more than I owe on it (thank god) and that's my only loan, am I in debt? Did I just answer my own question?

Lyonslove said...

I love seeing your heart! I wish I could go to your church every week.

Jodie Howerton said...

Not bad. Not bad....