Blog Archives

Daily God Walk - The Christ Life - The King and His Kingdom

12/12/2019

Purposes Of The Kingdom

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:10

From the beginning man has misunderstood the purposes of the kingdom. The serpent posed the idea that God was holding man back by restricting what he should know. Man listened to that lie and a desire was begun in man to know what God knows and thus become like God. The serpent is the thief Jesus was talking about.

The feeling that following God will somehow keep me from being fulfilled has permeated the human experience since the first sin. Many today feel that God’s way is boring and leaves no place for just being themselves. How many times have we been asked, “What do you Christians do for fun any way?”

The thief, who is the same as the serpent in the garden, has sown false hope in self, which is the seed of destruction. Listening to the lies of the arch deceiver has allowed him to steal our peace, 1
destroy our hope and lead us ultimately to death.

All of man’s searching for the good life, outside of what God has to offer, has left him empty and still searching. It seems that the more he strives for fulfillment the emptier he becomes. As man focuses on self-realization he moves further and further from the God who has promised fulfillment in knowing him.

Jesus expressed a purpose in the kingdom of God in our verse for today. “I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full.” A primary purpose for the kingdom is to restore man to the fullness he had with God in the garden.

The kingdom of God is positioning us so that the best heaven has to offer can be released to us. The kingdom is not about controlling our life but it is about calling us to a lifestyle which allows him to open the doors of heaven and pour out upon us a blessing we cannot contain. It is about God having an opportunity to express his love for us.

The Scripture is full of promises which are to be fulfilled in those who have been born into the kingdom of God through a faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the opportunity to experience your kingdom. Grant me the grace to serve you will. In Jesus name. Amen.

Message: A primary purpose for the kingdom is to restore man to the fullness he had with God in the garden. The kingdom of God is positioning us so that the best heaven has to offer can be released to us. The kingdom is not about controlling our life but it is about calling us to a lifestyle which allows him to open the doors of heaven and pour out upon us a blessing we cannot contain. It is about God having an opportunity to express his love for us.

Affirmation: God's purpose for me is that I might have an abundant life. He makes the way for me to have that life by showing me the path to follow. That path is his law.

Reflection: We must not misunderstand the grace of God. The path to abundant life in the kingdom of God is straight and narrow. Not everyone who claims to be on the path are really on the true straight and narrow path. Think about it.

If you enjoyed this devotion you might want a copy of the book, The King and His Kingdom. There is no charge for this book - it is our gift to you. CLICK HERE TO GET THE BOOK

0 Comments

Daily God Walk - The Christ Life; The King and His Kingdom

12/11/2019

0 Comments

Fearing God Produces Long Life

Watch the video of this devotion:

0 Comments

Daily God Walk - The Christ Life Series

12/11/2019

0 Comments

The King and His Kingdom
Fearing God Produces Long Life

These are the commands… the Lord your God directed me to teach you… so that you, your children, and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. – Deuteronomy 6:1-2

Many have seen the rules of the kingdom as being impossible to keep. They see them as harsh and unrealistic. It is easy for some to get the idea that God just gave us this big set of rules that he knew we couldn’t keep just so he would have an excuse to chastise us.

What was the intent of the Lord in giving these commands? His purpose is clearly stated in verse two, “so that you may enjoy long life.” God knew that the way to long life was to live in harmony with him, others and the earth. That’s all the laws, or rules, of the kingdom are about. They are about reestablishing the harmony that God had with man in the garden so long ago.

Are these laws difficult to keep? Yes they are. In fact, over the years the Jews had tried to define the law very carefully so that a person would not in any way offend God. Their effort produced a set of rules that no man could follow. They had missed the point.

That was not God’s intention in giving the law. He gave man the law so that he would have a guide to being in relationship with him. One of the keys to understanding the kingdom is not just to abide by the rules but it is to understand that God is preparing us for kingdom life. He speaks of fearing God and obeying the commands so that we will have long life, but ultimately the life we gain is eternal life.

When you are concerned about obeying the rules and gaining long life just remember the core of the commands. It is respect. Respect God, the earth and others. Love God and love others and you will fulfill the entire purpose of the law.

We often hear the “obey these laws” command, but we seem to miss the part which says, “that you may enjoy long life.” When we live out God’s law we are building healthy relationships, we are living a healthy lifestyle, and we have a healthy relationship with God. All of those result in having a long life.

Prayer: Lord, I need your Spirit to enable to live righteously. Amen.

Message: One of the keys to understanding the kingdom is not just to abide by the rules but it is to understand that God is preparing us for kingdom life. He speaks of fearing God and obeying the commands so that we will have long life, but ultimately the life we gain is eternal life.

Affirmation: I understand that God's laws are given so that we may have access to the abundant life Christ promised us.

Reflection: Some see the laws of God as being too restrictive, and others see them as a guide for living well. How do you see the laws of God?

0 Comments

Daily God Walk - The King and His Kingdom

12/7/2019

0 Comments

Man’s Journey Back To God

Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord. – Genesis 4:26

When man fell from grace, favor with God, he became a mere shadow of the image he once was. Created in the image of God he became the victim of his own choices and he was separated from God.

Adam and Eve were dead from the day they partook of the fruit. Their spirit died, or at least became dormant, as their soul man became alive and began to dominate their life. Their physical man began the journey toward death when God banished them from the Garden saying, “He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

The first children born to Adam and Eve brought heartache to them. Cain, the oldest, killed Abel his younger brother out of jealousy and from that time crimes against others has been a common thing.

Life outside the kingdom of God in the garden was not an easy thing and man began to realize his need of guidance beyond his own wisdom. Our verse today declares, “At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.”

Things have not changed much today. Billions of people around the world call out to the god of their understanding desperately seeking a way to restore what was lost to man in the garden. Fallen from grace, mankind, who was created in the image of God, now tries to recreate god in his own image. The thousands of religions in the world tell the dismal story of man’s attempt to recreate the kingdom he lost when he fell from the grace of God.

God is offering his kingdom today to those who will receive it. His kingdom is not to be found in the religions of the world; It can only be found through faith in Christ alone. Man’s efforts cannot recreate the garden, but God can restore peace to man.

It is ironic that the motivation for mankind to partake of the forbidden fruit was so that he could become like God and it is that attempt to be like God which caused him to lose his god-likeness. God, through Christ, desires to restore his image in man.

Prayer: Lord, I have tried to recover peace and harmony by my own efforts, and it doesn’t work. Grant me your peace. In Jesus name. Amen.

Message: Billions of people around the world call out to the god of their understanding desperately seeking a way to restore what was lost to man in the garden. Fallen from grace, mankind, who was created in the image of God, now tries to recreate god in his own image. God's kingdom of peace can only be found through faith in Christ alone. Man’s efforts cannot recreate the garden, but God can restore peace to man.

Affirmation: God has restored me to a place of peace in him through faith in Christ alone.

Reflection: Give some thought to the idea that man is trying to create god in his own image and try to verbalize what that means to you.

To Get the entire month of devotions on The King and His Kingdom CLICK HERE

0 Comments

Daily God Walk - The King and His Kingdom

12/6/2019

0 Comments

Man Looses Peace With God

So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. – Genesis 3:23

If Eve had known the consequence of listening to the serpent she would never have listened. But she didn’t know. All she knew was that when she listened to him, and thought about what he had said, there was awakened in her desires she had not had before.

She looked at the tree in a different light. Before, it did not bother her that she could not eat the fruit, there was plenty of other fruit that she could eat. Now, because she had listened to ideas she had never considered before she had doubts and suspicions about God.

“Why doesn’t God want me to be wise like him,” she asked herself. “Is God really afraid that I will be as wise as him?” Seduced by the thought of becoming like God she took the step and ate the fruit.

The effect of this act of rebellion against God went far beyond the man and the woman. The harmonious relationship between God, man, the earth and the animals was lost. Man hid from God, the earth grew thorns and animals became afraid of man.

In a word man lost his peace. When peace with God is lost there is no other lasting peace to be found. Everything that offers peace in the world today is related to the forbidden fruit and the peace that it offers turns out to be a disappointment.

Since he lost favor with God in the Garden mankind has been on a quest to restore what was lost. He has established kingdoms that imitate the kingdom of God but fall far short of what God offers. Man has tried to fill his emptiness with vain behaviors that have only left him empty.

When man failed to trust the wisdom of God in the Garden of Eden and partook of the forbidden fruit he lost his peace and he has been trying to regain it ever since. The only way to lasting peace and reestablishing harmony with God, the earth and our fellow man is by entering the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus the Christ.

God is reestablishing his kingdom, and restoring peace in the hearts of mankind, one person at a time.

Prayer: Lord, I have listened to wrong voices and desired wrong things. Grant me the grace to trust you and you alone for my peace. Amen.

Message: When man failed to trust the wisdom of God in the Garden of Eden and partook of the forbidden fruit he lost his peace and he has been trying to regain it ever since. The only way to lasting peace and reestablishing harmony with God, the earth and our fellow man is by entering the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus the Christ.

Affirmation: I have regained my peace with God and his creation through faith in Jesus the Christ.

Reflection: Is there a parallel between the experience of Eve in the garden with the experience we face today? Eve thought about how the fruit was pleasing to the eye and how it would make her wise. It appealed to her fleshly desires just as sin does today.

You can get the entire book of devotions, "The King and His Kingdom" - CLICK HERE

0 Comments

Get Free Devotionals

Register to get the Daily God Walk each month absolutely free.
Just fill in the form below with your name and email address then click the "Click Hee" button.

RSS Feed

Author

Paul Smith: Husband, Grandfather, father, writer, preacher, pastor, servant of God... and hopefully thought of as a Christian.

Take A Knee In Prayer Challenge

Get information on this challenge that will change you life
JUST CLICK HERE

RSS Feed

The Easiest Way to Create a Website. Weebly.com

Do you need a backup program for your computer?

Do you need flexibility in accessing your files?

Do you need to access files from more than one computer?

CLICK ON "Got Backup" below... you will be surprised.

GOT BACK UP?

Daily God Walk - The Christ Life - The King and His Kingdom

​Purposes Of The Kingdom

Daily God Walk - The Christ Life; The King and His Kingdom

Fearing God Produces Long Life

Daily God Walk - The Christ Life Series

The King and His Kingdom Fearing God Produces Long Life

Daily God Walk - The King and His Kingdom

Man’s Journey Back To God

Daily God Walk - The King and His Kingdom

Man Looses Peace With God

Get Free Devotionals

Archives

Author

Take A Knee In Prayer ChallengeGet information on this challenge that will change you life JUST CLICK HERE

Purposes Of The Kingdom

The King and His Kingdom
Fearing God Produces Long Life

Take A Knee In Prayer Challenge

Get information on this challenge that will change you life
JUST CLICK HERE