Kingdom

June 16, 2013

Luke 17

"The Kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed.."

Find the Kingdom - the coming of Jesus was the first of three phases in the unfolding of the Kingdom.  Jesus comes, the church proliferates, and Jesus comes again. Three progressive phases of unfolding of the Kingdom of God.

For the Joy Set Before Us

How Long O Lord?
Reflections on Suffering and Evil
D.A. Carson
Ch 8 - From the Vantage of the End

Thoughts on the monthly book study with members of Andover Baptist and Severna Park Evangelical Presbyterian.

It is absurd to suffer for Christ if we do not have a clear view of what we are hoping for in the future.  The quintessential example for us is Christ Jesus Himself: "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Carson: "Without that prospect [of "vindication and resurrection"] ... Christianity does not make much sense..."

"if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all others." First Letter to the Corinthians 15:19. 

Worse Than Death?

What could be worse than death? I think for most of us, death is one of the worst things that we can ponder.  That is partly due to what is called the "self preservation instinct" that humans are born with. Also, the fear we have of the pain involved in death and the unknown are both good reasons to dread it.  But are there things that are worse than death?