The tale of two kingdoms
11 – Activating Church
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I want to point you to two excellent items posted on the website, Life with CD. I’ll give a short taster to both with links to the originals, I urge you to read them both in full (they are not long, but they are very thought-provoking).
Sometimes we need to be provoked into thinking things through more thoroughly and deeply. The enemy is so clever at interleaving error quite subtly into everything we think and do, even in meetings we believe to be fully devoted to following Jesus. We can easily swallow what is wrong and believe it to be right. That’s why I’m adding this post to my series Activating the church.
In part one we read about Eli, a young man who is challenged by a conversation with an older man. He loved the Lord, or at least he truly meant to. He read devotionals in the morning when he remembered. He played worship music in the car. He posted verses online. He served at church once a month, sometimes twice when his schedule allowed. He wanted to be known as faithful. He wanted to be useful. He wanted, if he was honest, to matter.
And that is where the trouble began.
For Meridian was a city ruled by two kingdoms.
The first kingdom was loud and dazzling. It did not always look evil. In fact, it often looked admirable. Its banners read words like success, influence, visibility, control, relevance, security, platform, and image. Its citizens woke early and slept late. They measured life in numbers: followers, income, invitations, accomplishments, upgrades, applause.
Eli began to notice the two kingdoms everywhere.
He noticed them when he was ignored and felt a surge of resentment. One kingdom whispered, “Make them regret overlooking you.” The other whispered, “You are already seen by your Father.”
He noticed them in ministry meetings. One kingdom wanted credit, subtle control, and the final word. The other was content to serve, listen, and decrease.
He noticed them in suffering. One kingdom demanded immediate explanation and escape. The other invited trust, even in darkness.
See also:
- Life with CD – Website
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Journeys of Heart and Mind 