Apicontent

“For Christ’s love compels us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14)

When we study the life of Paul, there is no question about what compelled him to live as he did. It was the love of Christ! Christ’s love provided a vision that enabled Paul to endure myriad obstacles and difficulties as he sought to accomplish the mission God gave him. And it was the eternal aspect of life that provided the primary motivation in Paul’s life. He said that he fixed his eyes on the unseen, eternal things rather than the seen, temporary matters of this world.

Something is making you do the things you have chosen to do. Have you figured out what the driving force in your life is? Are you concerned with the temporary, or have you turned your attention to the eternal? We need to ask God to free us from the prison of ourselves, so we can be good ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is the representative of a foreign kingdom or state who seeks to communicate the interests of that kingdom or state to others. In this case we are communicating the gospel of heaven, so others may have the opportunity to gain entrance to it and have eternal life.

We do not want to be one of those who has received the grace of God in vain. We want to be involved in God’s work in response to all he has done for us! We can do that by being engaged and mobilized for the purpose of helping to fulfill the Great Commission.

God has made it possible for us to be partakers of his divine nature! Christ frees us from ourselves so we can be effective in our service toward others. This is going to be an important part of our story when we stand before him to give an account of what we did with our time, talent, and treasure.

Heart Deposit

In what ways is God using you to make an impact in his world? What opportunities are currently available to you? Are you willing to be available to God as Isaiah was? “Here am I. Send me!”
(Isaiah 6:8)

Related Verses

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love you neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:14)

“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5, NASB)

Wake up sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

When we are consumed by the Word of God, Jesus Christ shines upon us and through us. Focusing on Jesus gives clarity and meaning to our lives. For this reason, we must get to know him better every day. He is the one who gives direction on how best to use our time, talent, and treasure in his world. He is the one who gives our lives lasting purpose.

Great things happen when God’s favor shines on us. If we believe in God, and that he rewards those who diligently seek him, then we will spend time in his Word, listening to his voice. This allows us to become partakers in the service of Jesus Christ! And as we serve, his light shines on and through us.

We have the opportunity to become radiant Christians. Jesus is waiting to shine forth in us! And when that happens, our hearts will swell with joy as we see the hand of God at work in our lives and our circumstances. Are you consumed with having your life hidden in Jesus? Are you consumed with a passion to know him better? When we get to the point that nothing matters more than him, our lives gain sharp focus. Jesus Christ’s light shines through us in amazing ways.

Heart Deposit

How do you see the light of Jesus Christ shining on you? On others? Through you? Through others? How is the Holy Spirit working in your life to help you experience Christ in a significant way?

KingdomNomics enables others
to see Christ shining through us.

Related Verses

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkeness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

“’You are the light of the world. A town guilt on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.’” (Matthew 5:14-15)

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)

“For our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)

If you feel unsettled at times and wonder where you fit into this world, this may be God’s way of telling you not to become too comfortable down here. This unsettledness comes because we know that this world, in its present form, is passing away! We also know that those who do the will of God will live forever. The brevity of this life sends us a message: Don’t fall in love with this world because we are just passing through.

I love the fact that our citizenship is in heaven! Our hearts should be set on pilgrimage. We are strangers in an alien world. We do not have an enduring city. The more we see of this dysfunctional world, the more we need to seek the world to come. Our citizenship may be in heaven, but in the meantime, we are ambassadors for Christ by reaching out to a lost and dying world.f you feel unsettled at times and wonder where you fit into this world, this may be God’s way of telling you not to become too comfortable down here. This unsettledness comes because we know that this world, in its present form, is passing away! We also know that those who do the will of God will live forever. The brevity of this life sends us a message: Don’t fall in love with this world because we are just passing through.

In his Word, God has revealed to us what is happening in this world. The whole earth is under the sway of the evil one, and the prince of the power of the air is at work in the sons of disobedience worldwide. The Bible also tells us that our weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God to tear down strongholds that exalt themselves. Our warfare is against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this present age, and rulers of wickedness in the heavenly spheres. We are engaged in warfare! In the meantime, we are eagerly waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is coming again, and according to the Bible it is going to happen soon!

Heart Deposit

Are you looking forward to Jesus’ return? What kingdom business are you pursuing that shows you realize you are a citizen of heaven?

KingdomNomics is knowing
our real home is in heaven.

Related Verses

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:5, ESV)

This is an incredible statement of fact and promise. When you get up in the morning, do you commit your day, your way, and even your life to the Lord? The Bible tells us this is the thing to do!

Let’s take hold of this promise and see it work out in our lives. This verse assures us that if we commit our endeavors to God, trusting in him by an act of faith, he will act. A sense of expectation for seeing the hand of God working in our lives will begin to permeate our days, bringing an excitement to all that we pursue.his is an incredible statement of fact and promise. When you get up in the morning, do you commit your day, your way, and even your life to the Lord? The Bible tells us this is the thing to do!

When we experience times when God feels distant, it is on our side of the equation. The problem is not with God, but with us. We need to keep moving in his direction until our lives are brought into alignment with his will. Remember, we are a part of a much bigger story, his story.

Part of committing your way to God must involve daily studying God’s Word, in addition to soaking, sowing, and flowing with the Spirit of God. Start committing your way to him each day. Trust him to act in your circumstances.

Heart Deposit

How often do you conscientiously commit your day to God? How can you begin to put this principle into practice every day?

KingdomNomics realizes
it is God who makes things happen.

Related Verses

“Listen, my son, and be wise, commit yourself to live God’s way.” (Proverbs 23:19, ISV)

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” (Proverbs 16:3)

“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6, NIV84)

The battle for control of our lives is won or lost in our head. Whoever controls our mind ultimately controls us and our behavior. The Apostle John tells us that the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. Therefore, it is all-important that we make sure the Holy Spirit is in control of our thinking and attitudes.

Think for a moment of your mind as a compass needle. It can point in four main directions: CHRIST, being north; WORLD, being west; SELF, being south; and MAN, being east. We always want our needle pointing north! We must make a decision to keep moving in that direction. It will require discipline to focus on the “things above” and to keep our lives hidden in Christ. If we allow our compass to point to the WORLD, SELF, or MAN, we will get lost and fail to carry out the work God has for us.

We are told that the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. Paul said that he brought every thought into captive obedience to Christ. Peter told us to pay attention to the Word of God, letting it be a light in a dark world. He also told us to be sober-minded and to set our hope fully on the grace that is to be revealed to us by Jesus Christ.

Heart Deposit

By faith, have you asked the Holy Spirit to take control of your mind? Are you experiencing his life and peace? In what ways is your thought life helping you fulfill your God-given potential?

KingdomNomics is having
a Spirit-controlled mind.

 Related Verses

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
(Isaiah 26:3, ESV)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Truly, our behavior springs from our hearts! That is why it is critical that we daily spend time immersed in God’s Word. God’s Word will protect our hearts from being consumed with the things of this world. This is the only way we can obtain a perspective which properly balances temporal and eternal concerns in life. This perspective will impact what we do and do not do in this world. We must soak our hearts in the Word of God! And that takes time. I like to call it “heart time.”

The ways in which we invest in God’s kingdom are truly a reflection of heart time. It determines where we spend our time, talent, and treasure. The more time we spend in God’s Word, the more we realize that the matter of kingdom investing needs to have a high priority in our lives. Heart time influences our desires. Are our minds preoccupied with the desires of the Flesh or with the desires of the Holy Spirit?ruly, our behavior springs from our hearts! That is why it is critical that we daily spend time immersed in God’s Word. God’s Word will protect our hearts from being consumed with the things of this world. This is the only way we can obtain a perspective which properly balances temporal and eternal concerns in life. This perspective will impact what we do and do not do in this world. We must soak our hearts in the Word of God! And that takes time. I like to call it “heart time.”

Juggling the temporal and the eternal can be a tricky endeavor. Discernment is needed. Judgment calls must be made. It is a challenge, but it can be stimulating to see how we can transform time, talent, and treasure into the eternal when we originally were focused primarily on temporal objectives. When we focus on God’s goals, it is amazing to see how the Spirit of God molds us to be conformed to God’s purposes rather than our own.

Heart Deposit

What is flowing out of your heart? Are you thinking about the ways your life can have an eternal impact on the lives of other people? How often do these issues occupy your thoughts? What criteria are you using to make decisions about how touse your time, talent, and treasure? In what ways are you guarding your heart?

KingdomNomics cultivates
a heart protected by God’s Holy Spirit.

Related Verses

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:6-7)

“My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will greatly rejoice.” (Proverbs 23:15, ISV)

“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’” (Luke 12:15)

The giants of consumerism and greed can eat us alive. These giants can also keep us from investing in projects and endeavors that will produce eternal rewards. The influence that we have while we interact with one another is important, for each person will live eternally in either heaven or hell. This truth takes on much greater implication when we consider that, in the Word of God, we are told all our worldly endeavors will pass away. But the reward of being used by God to influence others to put their trust in him will last into eternity.

Jesus counsels us to be wise stewards of our time, talent, and treasure, which he has blessed us with. He also instructs us to use the unrighteous “mammon” of this world, or our worldly resources, to win friends for eternity.he giants of consumerism and greed can eat us alive. These giants can also keep us from investing in projects and endeavors that will produce eternal rewards. The influence that we have while we interact with one another is important, for each person will live eternally in either heaven or hell. This truth takes on much greater implication when we consider that, in the Word of God, we are told all our worldly endeavors will pass away. But the reward of being used by God to influence others to put their trust in him will last into eternity.

God has given us all things to enjoy. He also wants us to be generous and willing to share, to do good to others and to be rich in good works in accordance with our means. God loves a cheerful giver!

One of the surest paths of seeing God work in your life is to become a cheerful giver. Paul says that God is able to make all grace abound to such a person. So instead of being a “getter,” allow God’s Spirit to begin transforming you into being a giver.

Heart Deposit

Take a moment to consider: Are you more fulfilled by the accumulation of stuff or by impacting someone for Christ? What impact are you seeking to make in this world that is immeasurable from a human point of view?

KingdomNomics uses
all of our resources to win people to Christ.

Related Verses

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, or homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, NASB)

“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Understanding the power of the cross is instrumental in understanding the concepts of KingdomNomics. It is by the cross that we are crucified to the world and have new life in Jesus Christ. Paul boasted about the cross in his own life with regard to his relationship to the world and the passions of the flesh. He was dead to them by the power of the cross. The same can be said of us when we apply the power of the cross to our own lives. God’s power overcame Jesus’ death on the cross! And it is the power of the cross that gives us new hope and new perspective for living.

Through the power of the cross, we are able to overcome the giants of consumerism and greed. They relentlessly pursue us to keep us from giving to the work of God. It is the power of the cross that enables us to overcome these giants by the practice of giving our time, talent, and treasure to those endeavors that will advance God’s kingdom. It is the power of the cross that allows us to develop the practice of giving so that when the opportunity arises, our hearts will be open and ready.Understanding the power of the cross is instrumental in understanding the concepts of KingdomNomics. It is by the cross that we are crucified to the world and have new life in Jesus Christ. Paul boasted about the cross in his own life with regard to his relationship to the world and the passions of the flesh. He was dead to them by the power of the cross. The same can be said of us when we apply the power of the cross to our own lives. God’s power overcame Jesus’ death on the cross! And it is the power of the cross that gives us new hope and new perspective for living.

The sinful nature is ever demanding us to think only of the temporal. By the power of the cross we can put to death these demands by focusing and feeding our minds on our eternal rewards. As we soak our minds on what the Spirit desires, his objectives and desires will grow in us. This growth will cause us to overcome what our flesh desires and enables us to fulfill the desires of the Spirit. By the power of the cross, we are able to become fully invested in God’s kingdom.

Heart Deposit

How have you seen the power of the cross working in your life? In what ways has the power of the cross influenced your giving? How can you begin to apply this principle to your life today?

KingdomNomics has confidence
in the strength of God.

Related Verses

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1Corinthians 1:17)

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)

“All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:2)

“The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 28:8)

According to these passages, obedience to God results in blessing. It appears that blessing will chase us and even overtake us when we obey him. Since God’s principles are eternal, they never change. Passages like these are “button pushers” God uses as incentives for us. When I read these passages, they make me want to test them, to see if they will be operative in my own life. God wants us to try them in faith, believing that he will fulfill his promises in response to our obedience. Our giving is always an act of obedience. We respond to the Holy Spirit’s direction.

There is a world of opportunity for giving to the various interests of God. We live in a desperate and dying world, and we as believers are compelled to do something about it. There are as many ways to do this as there are people in the world. Part of the transformation process for believers is that we move from being self-centered to being God-centered. We must replace the consumption mentality that is so prevalent in our culture with a giving mentality.According to these passages, obedience to God results in blessing. It appears that blessing will chase us and even overtake us when we obey him. Since God’s principles are eternal, they never change. Passages like these are “button pushers” God uses as incentives for us. When I read these passages, they make me want to test them, to see if they will be operative in my own life. God wants us to try them in faith, believing that he will fulfill his promises in response to our obedience. Our giving is always an act of obedience. We respond to the Holy Spirit’s direction.

 Heart Deposit

Have you made the great discovery of the blessing of giving? What opportunities has God placed in front of you for giving? What blessing has come to you as you have responded to God’s direction?

KingdomNomics is
using all of our time, talent, and treasure
to glorify God.

Related Verses

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, Then come, follow me.’” (Matthew 19:21)

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

When giving is done with the right attitude, it can be a gateway for God to move in significant ways in our lives. It is important to remember that it is not the amount we give that matters so much as it is the attitude that characterizes our giving. God loves it when we give out of a cheerful and grateful heart.

God’s loving of a cheerful giver results in God taking action in our lives. Scripture states unequivocally that God will make all spiritual and earthly blessing abound to us so we can multiply our efforts for the kingdom. This is why I believe giving provides a major gateway for God to work in our lives, we can expect God to visit us. Jesus will fellowship with the cheerful giver, and the Holy Spirit will impart life to out mortal bodies. When we weave a pattern of giving into our lives, we can expect God to visit us. Jesus will fellowship with the cheerful giver, and the Holy Spirit will impart life to our mortal bodies.

When we give of our treasure, it shows there is a conversion of our wallet and bank account from the temporal to the eternal. It helps to break the force of greed in our lives, enabling God to have access to what is so important to so many of us. When we give of our time or our talent, we demonstrate our dependence on God to use our abilities to further advance his kingdom. We are turned outward, rather than inward: What can I do for others? rather than, What can I do for myself?

God is giving us the opportunity to partner with him in meeting the spiritual and physical needs of people in this world. He has promised to reward us, even though we are simply giving back a portion of what he already owns. We are the stewards of his provisions.

Heart Deposit

Take a moment and think about your attitudes about your giving. Are you cheerfully taking advantage of the opportunities to give that God is presenting to you? If you don’t give regularly to God’s work, ask the Holy Spirit to show you one small step that you can take in that direction.

KingdomNomics is
giving with a willing heart.

Related Verses

“Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” (Deuteronomy 15:10)