Skip to main content

Three Months!

             Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.  (Acts 19:8)

 

            I’ve heard that Charles Spurgeon wrote hundreds of sermons focused in some way on candles. I’ve also heard that people used to attend lectures and debates lasting several hours, then go home and discuss and debate the subject for several more. Now, if I don’t agree with someone in less than thirty seconds, I’m declared a Fascist. I have participated in discussions lasting multiple days via e-mail. A face-to-face discussion of the kingdom of God that lasted three months definitely has my admiration.

            Now, I’ll grant you that there were probably repetitions in the discussion. He might have only gone there for an hour once a week for three months. But the main point I get from today’s passage is that there is probably far more to be said or considered about the kingdom of God than we may first imagine. Even within this series of blog posts, we’ve leaped from harps, clouds, and streets of gold to the range of God’s influence.

            I suspect that if a person wished to, she could spend decades researching the kingdom of God as a particular subject. It would be like the story George Washington Carver told. “When I was young, I said to God, ‘God, tell me the mystery of the universe.’ But God answered, ‘That knowledge is reserved for me alone.’ So I said, ‘God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.” He went on to find more than 300 uses for the humble legume. (Note, peanut butter was actually first made by a Canadian – but GWC still deserves tons of respect – and other things he did were even more impressive.)

            The point is that anything we learn about the kingdom of God is probably a crystal on the snowflake at the tip of the iceberg. That doesn’t mean that we should ignore the topic, but our attention isn’t going to solve all of the questions or mysteries.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more