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March 24, 2014

The Kingdom of God is Within You


By Tony V. Hammack


Abundant Life Today Media
Abundant Life Today Podcast

Podcast: Play in New Window | Download
To watch the video, click here.
Abundant Life Today Video
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.


The Rule and Reign of Jesus Christ

Luke 17:20,21
20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.

What is the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is expressed where Jesus Christ rules and reigns in the hearts, minds, and actions of His people. It can be further boiled down to: The Kingdom of God is the rule and reign of Jesus Christ in the Earth.

Lordship is the goal of our Christian activity 

Christ’s Lordship
Professions, positive confession, participating in spiritual disciplines and a relational pursuit of Jesus are all appropriate, however, if these pursuits don’t lead to the lordship of Jesus, there will be no kingdom expressions.

Jesus wants to be our Lord in every area of our lives

To Love is to Obey to Obey is Lordship 

John 14:23 
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Luke 10:27 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Emotional Surrender 

Christ wants to Rule our hearts and souls, our emotional make up.

Jesus wants to be the perfect ruler of your feelings. He never wants you to feel something he wouldn’t feel. He never wants you to let your emotions and thoughts run wild with worry, anger, lust, anxiety, stress, hatred, or bitterness. Where sin rules our emotions, Christ does not.

Surrender of Strength

Christ wants us to submit our strength or abilities to his Lordship because of our love. What are you good at? Where are your strengths? Christ wants us to Love him with our strength. Exercise our strengths for his glory. Stop and think for a minute, how can you love God with your strengths? Sometimes God will take our strengths and transform them for his purposes.

Surrender of anything to Jesus allows him to use it. When we surrender to his Lordship he can turn a walking stick into a serpent; Take a fearful man and make him a mighty general; take 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and feed 5000 men. If we will surrender and trust the Lord with our lives he will anoint the things he want’s us to do and cause amazing things to happen.

Surrender of our Ways of Thinking

Christ wants us to love him with our minds, surrendering our thoughts to his kingship. Loving Christ with our minds causes us to focus our thoughts on Christ. When this focus is “dialed in” through prayer, Jesus gives us directives and information. When acted upon this will extend the Kingdom of God.

We need to Experience Christ 

Isaiah 29:13
The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

A man with an argument is always at the mercy of a man with an experience. Our experiences if they are in agreement with scripture are to be trusted. If they are not in agreement with scripture they are to be considered human / sociological / psychological or demonic.

The Jesus Revolution

The Revolution that Jesus is still the leader of is a peaceful revolution to rule the hearts and minds of people. He’s empowered us with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to conquer the wills of people everywhere causing people to come into the Kingdom of King Jesus.

People will Bow Now or Bow Later 

Philippians 2:10 
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Some Kingdom Manifestations 

Romans 14:17 
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Causing us to live rightly and affecting our internal character with peace and joy.

Where the Kingdom of God is manifested the kingdoms of this world come down.

Luke 11:20 
But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

In the New Testament strange behavior, mental illness and physical illness are linked in with demonic activity in the lives of people.

The Devil is the one who causes sickness. Sickness is subject to the kingship of Jesus Christ and must submit to his Lordship.

Mental Illness can be subjugated to the Kingdom of God or put under the control of Jesus Christ.

Any organized group of people who try to accomplish anything, if they are individually surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus the organization, will move in the direction of King Jesus. Where there is sin, greed, etc. in the camp it will move toward selfish agendas and goals. Jesus said, “If you’re not for me you’re against me.” The default setting for humanity is evil.

Jesus wants your whole heart. Any part of you not surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus leaves that part of you vulnerable to the enemy.

1 John 4:4 
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Today, is there something that the Holy Spirit is telling you to surrender? Is he calling you to a greater level of love?


Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
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March 20, 2014

The Family - Husbands and Fathers


By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
Abundant Life Today Podcast

Podcast: Play in New Window | Download
To watch the video, click here.
Abundant Life Today Video
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.


It has been widely accepted for generations that the family is the basic building block of society. It’s also been understood that to destroy a society, all one has to do, is destroy the family.

The Basic Unit of Society

The family, centered on marriage, is the basic unit of society. Healthy marriages and families are the foundation of thriving communities. When marriages break down, communities suffer and the role of government tends to expand. Sound public policy places marriage and the family at the center, respecting and guarding the role of this permanent institution. 

The family is under attack from many different places. Let’s take a look at one that came out in the media this week. Here’s a video by Melissa Harris Perry talking about the states responsibility to own your children.

Based on these facts I’d say Melissa’s ideology is getting in the way of the truth. More spending is clearly not the solution. If it were, it would be obvious that our nation would be the best in every academic category. There must be another solution.

I believe the solution to our social and educational woes is found in our Churches and homes. Strong, Biblically based families, centered on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will raise a generation of strong, safe, and secure young people who have extra financial and emotional support serving as an effective spring board into successful young adulthood.

Roles

There is an erroneous idea out there that men and women are capable of doing the exact same things in the exact same way. Any sensible person knows that men are better at some things than women in general and women are better than men at some things in general.

A big key to success in life and in family is to find what roles we play, specialization of labor if you will, and get into those roles where we can bring the best good to our families. Sometimes we have to develop into these roles over time. The Bible lays out a basic framework for the relationship between husbands/dads, wives/moms and children.

I realize that not everyone may “agree” with God but I’d encourage you to re-consider your stance. Whenever I’ve tried to do things apart from God’s ways, I’ve been met with problems.

The Role of the Husband and Father

Ephesians 5:25-33
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

The Godly husband has to sacrificially love his wife in the same way Christ loved the Church. Giving himself up for her. This love is a “no strings attached” kind of love and is really only possible if the husband is connected to the Love of his heavenly father.

The husbands relationship to God is where the source of love has to begin from. Most men I know are intrinsically lustful. They want what they want but God has called Christian men to love unconditionally. This is impossible without God being actively involved in the life of the husband.

I heard a marriage counselor say one time at a conference that, “Most marriages are like two ticks and no dog!”

Washing with water through the word

Husbands, I challenge you to talk about the Bible and the prophetic insights you may have with your wives. Share and teach what God’s been dealing with you about.

Most women really want to be led by a spiritually strong husband. They don’t want to be the “spiritual head” but sometimes when we abdicate our role the women take up the sword.

This sacrificial love clothed in kindness will have a powerful effect on your wife’s personality. She, eventually should respond to this kind of treatment, reciprocating love back to the husband.

Self Image

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Men, a good self image rooted in God’s opinion of you, will go a long way to help you love yourself and thus your wife.

Ephesians 5:28
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

The Leave and Cleave principle

A well intentioned mother-in-law or father-in-law can really botch up a marriage. Parents, give your newly married children some space. Your wisdom is indispensable but if it’s pushed and not asked for it can be a curse. It’s wise to start your own life together without certain interferences. It’s comical on “Everybody Loves Raymond” but I don’t think most people would want that kind of life.

Colossians 3:19
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Harsh- unduly exacting : severe Exacting – A Constant making of demands

Severe - maintaining a scrupulously exacting standard of behavior or self-discipline

Colossians 3:21
21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

I think men, we can push our children too hard sometimes and it will have to opposite effect we desire. Learn how to motivate each child in your family. Also realize that sometimes we want to live precariously through our children. I believe this puts too much pressure on our children as well.

If you really think about it, were you that great at, say, baseball? Well if you weren’t then consider that before you take your son’s strike out so personally. He’s stuck with your crummy baseball genetics and probably won’t be that great either. Help your children find what they are most gifted at and enjoy. Help them find their highest way to serve God and their fellow man.

I’m for encouraging children to achieve their dreams. If their dreams are grandiose then good. Go for it. Always consider a “back up plan”, however. For example. Little Jimmy want’s to be a pro ball player. You say, “that’s great Jimmy, what do you think you’d like to do when you retire from professional athletics?”

1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 

Husbands, we’re called to be considerate and respectful toward our wives. In general, women are weaker in physical ways. In some ways women seem weaker emotionally but I also see this as a strength. It brings a different perspective to men's lives that has a lot of potential to enrich us. Women’s emotions can be like the canary in the coal mine. They are more sensitive to where things are going. We should listen.

Being inconsiderate and disrespecting your wife can hinder your prayers. Because it’s sin.

Psalm 66:18
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

Conclusion:

Husbands- Love your wives sacrificially, be patient, considerate and respectful to them. Don’t push your children too hard but learn what motivates them keeping their best good in mind.


Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map