Servias Ministries Blog

The aspiring overcomers long for the manifestation of the Kingdom of GOD to come forth on earth.  Excitement swells when a prophetic word comes forth by a well-known prophet communicating the eminent return of CHRIST.  Even natural disasters tweak the interest of Christians wondering if these are the signs ushering in the Kingdom.  Televangelists pour over Scriptures in the Book of Revelations over and over promising the soon to come change.  Everyone focuses on the external at the expense of the internal.

In Mark 12, Jesus explains how to bring forth the Kingdom of GOD: 12:30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second [is] like, [namely] this , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.  The scribe replies: 32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said , Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.

Love brings you into proximity of the Kingdom of GOD, not external events.  External prophecies are subject to revision based on changes of the heart.  When a heart change occurs, judgment is often withheld by grace and mercy.  In the Old Testament, the children of Israel would cry out and repent and Our Heavenly Father would deliver them from further judgment.  Love allows for grace and mercy to change or delay prophecies.  Yes, Our Heavenly Father is sovereign but our linear minds attempt to force HIM into a box of either or with sovereignty or free choice.  I would suggest both exist without conflict.  The Law allows for both and lawbreakers are thankful that judgment can be affected by the decision of the judge to evoke mercy when the Law demands judgment.  Paul received this very mercy after officiating over the stoning of Stephen.

In Luke 17, Jesus is asked: 20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Do you want to usher in the Kingdom of GOD?  Then focus on the internal rather than the external.  As your heart changes, you draw near to the Kingdom of GOD and the external responds to your heart change.  The Kingdom is not some faraway place that is just out of reach.  It is within each of us and as we individually seek it with pure intent, we will experience the glorious results.  Quit worrying about the external and focus inward.  You’ll be glad you did.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social portals have taken the Under 40 group by storm.  These portals have their place in the current social interaction just as the telephone filled the gap back in the 50’s through the 90’s.  Some of you can remember the “party lines” where households had to share phone service with multiple homes in the area thus you had to wait your turn to use the phone.  Nobody worried about invasion of privacy back then.  The more affluent obtained private phone lines but at an additional cost.  In the 1980’s, mobile car phones were the rage among those with money to burn.  For about $350/month you could have a mobile phone in the car.  My boss had one in his company car and when we would trade out company cars for the weekend, I would drive his car and make phone calls “just because I could”.  My company car, a Chevy Blazer (4 wheel drive), was his preferred vehicle for his New Mexico hunting trips.  I was more than happy to drive his Lincoln Towncar with the phone while he was gone.  What ego’s!

My daughter was an early adapter of Facebook.  It seemed that the number of “friends” was more important to those new to Facebook.  She has finally discovered that only those who she really has a relationship with are the ones she is interested in sharing her family’s life.  Did she need to suffer Facebook “Depression”?  “What is that?” you ask.  You see that people you casually know seem to be doing all these great things that are posted on Facebook while you are at home in a sleep-deprived state from caring for your sick kids the last three days.  The thing that you don’t know is that those same people will not post anything that reflects the negative events in their lives.  Facebook has just become another illusion that people have used to escape the emptiness in their lives.  Don’t misunderstand me, this portal is great for keeping up with family and friends with pictures, videos, posts, etc.  However, having a thousand “friends” and having your newsfeed loaded with “noise” does not fulfill the need for socializing and sharing.

Facebook can become addictive to the point that you spend most of your day in cyberspace rather than doing something productive.  This world is full of addictions: cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, sex, social networking… the list goes on.  People are trying to fill an emptiness in their hearts.  Love is the only thing that can fill that void.  Love has an infinite supply to fill all those voids that addictions focus on.

Man’s systems and structures invest heavily in keeping man under subjection to addictions.  The ego will not be conquered without a fight.  Love wins but with only a heart change.  The ego will fight to the end to keep itself in control.  Once you make a decision to subdue the carnal man, you can be assured of many tests coming your way.  It is like the ego turns on a magnet to attract circumstance that would assure its position in your life.  How much longer will mankind be a slave to structures and systems?  One day people will wake up and wonder how they became so enslaved to their addictions.  As that happens, social portal use will move to moderation and no longer rule the day.

Today is the 111th day of the year, the 3rd day of Passover.  After Jesus, the Passover Lamb died on the cross, He arose after being in the grave 3 full days.  This year marks the 12 years since HIS 2000th Birthday in 1999 and the Sons of GOD have been commissioned to bring forth the Kingdom of GOD to all the earth.  How close is the Kingdom?  Jesus provided us a clue in Mark 12:

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul,  and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

But after that no one dared question Him.

Jesus explicitly related that your proximity to the Kingdom of GOD is based on Love.  You draw near to the Kingdom as you walk in Love.  Clearly, the Kingdom of GOD is far from those who do not walk in Love.

A scribe is a man learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings, an interpreter, teacher. Scribes examined the more difficult and subtle questions of the law; added to the Mosaic law decisions of various kinds thought to elucidate its meaning and scope.  Jesus expounded on the Kingdom of GOD with an audience who knew The LAW and taught The LAW.  His response was not a casual generality but met all legal tests that a “lawyer” might challenge.

Paul understood the Law and understood what Jesus spoke of in the above passage thus he penned 1st Corinthians Chapter 13. the chapter on Love, by the Holy Spirit.  Earlier in the letter, he brings up the topic of the married and unmarried status:

7:29  But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;

Paul was not telling men to act like they were single thus giving them a license to pursue other relationships.  He was directing us to keep our focus on the things of the LORD and keep it simple.  An unmarried person has less worldly issues than that of a married person.  Couples deal with complexities that single people don’t.  As one translation puts it- I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple–in marriage.

Don’t be a slave to men, lenders, and “stuff”.  Travel light and be ready for what Our Heavenly Father has in store!

Deuteronomy 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

We are called to Love Our Heavenly Father with our complete essence, not just lip service.  The above Scripture includes the entire package: the heart, the soul, and the body.  How do you Love with all thy might?  Might denotes action and strength, not just passively from a pew.  Devotion is defined as Love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.  How enthusiastic are we to do what Our Heavenly Father has chosen us to do.  Are you enthusiastic about your chores, job, or other emotionally challenging duties?

Romans 14:8 For whether we live , we live unto the Lord; and whether we die , we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die , we are the Lord’s.

When we are devoted to Our Heavenly  Father, we have the privilege of being His representative to the world.  Each of us has a unique calling that requires our specific gifts.  Rather than approaching life with disdain, we should be the ones who stand out in the crowd because we are on a “mission from GOD”.

Smile, you are on a mission from GOD!  (Who wrote this script, anyway?)