The Kingdom Is Here

Words. Everyone has a tendency to use words for our own purpose. Words help us make decisions, understand our purpose, and determine our direction. Words matter. The word of God matters. We have to use them both appropriately. The Truth should be our guide. In this episode we dive into the use of the word, “need.” Let's see where this goes.

In part one of a two part episode, we talk with Pastor and Minnesota District Superintendent, Ron Lichtle, from Grand Rapids, MN we start a discussion on perspective and how important it is. We cover topics like how entering the Kingdom changes your life, heaven and hell, the kingdom of this world, interacting with a fallen world, and much more.

Welcome back to The Kingdom is Here. We live in a world of choices. The kingdoms of this world use these choices to divide people. As the church, as members of the Kingdom of God, we don't have to accept the terms of the world. In this episode we dive into the illusions the kingdoms of this world paint and the narrative of truth.

We're at the place where we can see the changes in the world around us. We feel like it's almost time to go home. The signs of the soon return of our King are everywhere. Are you feeling homesick? Will you be ready when He comes to take you home?

In this episode we have our first Q&A. We cover a wide range of topics from favorite jokes to defining moments in ministry. We hope you enjoy listening. Leave a review with your feedback!

The world has changed and we're experiencing the impact. We're seeing the impact grow and extend into our lives. There are people growing cold, divisions, fractions, famines, earthquakes, wars, but the most concerning thing isn't the events. The most concerning things is the language of the people of the Kingdom of God in during these things. What should the people of the Kingdom be talking about in these times?

In this episode, Reverend Sidney Poe shares his perspective on the Kingdom of God. He gives insight into the church being whole and being well; what each of those look like and why we need both.

Our world is full of pressures on all sides. How do we handle this pressure? What do we do with it? How do we let go? In this episode we dive into the Kingdom perspective of pressure, what we should do about it, and how it compares to the pressures of this world.

In this episode we continue our discussion from last week on the temple. The temple is not just a building, it's also a representation of God's dwelling among His people. We ended off with talking about how we are the temple of the Holy Ghost and God is telling us that He wants to be at the center of our lives. This is true, but it's not all there is in the building process. It goes deeper than that. Let's see where this goes.

In Acts 1 the disciples asked Jesus if it was the time that He would restore the Kingdom. This was a promise that had been held onto for centuries. What this promise fulfilled would look like wasn't what anyone else thought and that is a common theme even in our world today. Let's see where this goes.

Sometimes we can get dialed in on our own perspectives, but getting someone else's viewpoint on things is very important. In this episode we get some perspective from our guest, Caleb Lichtle. We discuss Caleb's take on the Kingdom of God, things not going how we want them to, and a lot more. We hope this is helpful.

Many of the walls of the church are starting to crumble and fall down. This isn't a matter of compromise, it's a matter of the Kingdom of God growing within us. It's a matter of us fulfilling our purpose. In this episode we dive into our calling to tear walls down, save people from the broken and corrupt systems of our world, and to introduce them into the Kingdom of God.

Have your words ever been taken completely out of context? Has anyone decided their opinion on you based on 1 or 2 sound bytes? Have you ever entered the middle of a conversation and heard something that shocked you? These things happen often in our world, but it isn't anything new. Today we dive into where this started.

Today we discuss a current trend and where it's going. Taking selections of the words of Jesus and using them to support an agenda, opinion, or position is a theme and trend growing in our world. What this really does is it distills all that God has given us into one sentence that a person claims, but there's so much more to the word of God and our relationship with Christ than that.

“Agree to disagree” is a phrase commonly used in conversation. However, the Kingdom of God does not agree with the culture and agendas of this world. Today we discuss, however obvious or subtle these agendas are, disagreeing to agree. Let's see where this goes.

We can be fluent in the language of this world, but hopefully that is not our native language. What about the language of the Kingdom of God? Are we fluent in that language? What is it? When we become a part of this Kingdom, it is crucial that we're familiar with this language. The language of the Kingdom of God has to do with what we say, but it's also about the method of our communication. Jesus is our perfect example and today we dive into His examples of this language.

There is a race to get ahead and advance in the climate of our culture, but is that what God's kingdom calls us to do? We are always striving to move forward and get ahead, but at the end of our lives what will we have to show for it? In this episode we discuss these and other questions and see what scripture has to say about them.

John 3:16 is one of the most quoted and referenced verses of the Bible in our world, but it is often one of the most misunderstood. When we look at that verse on its own we fail to realize that it's actually a part of a conversation. Today we look at John chapter 3 verses 16 and 17 and the importance of them within context.

Welcome to Season 2! There is a cause in the Kingdom of God. What is our role? How do we engage within that cause? How do we act? What do we do to take action? Today we look at the disciples to start answering those questions.

This week we take a more in depth look into our discussion on, “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the son of man be…” Follow along with us in Matthew 24:37-38, Genesis 6:5-13, 2 Timothy 3:12, James 3:1-10, Proverbs 13:2, and Proverbs 18:21 as we study how this applies to the kingdoms of our world today and what that means to the kingdom of God. 

When we look at our world, there is tragedy everywhere. In this tragedy there is a cry for things to be made right, for restoration; for justice. But who defines right or restoration or justice? There are people dying, families being broken and a world being divided. As Christians, our job isn't to make sense of the chaos, but to seek justice and restoration. This week, we take a step back and look at justice done God's way.

On this episode we read from Genesis chapter 8 and Luke chapter 17 and discuss a pattern of what is good being called evil. This is a pattern called sin. In sin, however, God has not forsaken the world, the world has forsaken Him. But there is hope.

Just because the Bible reveals certain things, doesn't mean it, or God, condones those them all. It's all revealing the process of falling, stumbling, and redemption. Today we dive into the book of Judges to break down that cycle in scripture and our lives.

We consider the Kingdom of God to be larger than life, which is true, but it's also in you. The Kingdom comes through your intentional living. Today we take stock and think about how the Kingdom of God is expressed in our lives, personally.

When you live and operate in the Kingdom of God, life's not always what you think it should be. This week we look at the dual citizenship found in Genesis chapters 37 through 50 and discuss the life of Joseph and the fact that dual citizenship doesn't require compromising integrity.

Last week we discussed the weeds in our lives that are destructive and try to compete for our attention, but there was a time when those weeds weren't there. This week we look into that time. Is it possible to get back to that? How do the seeds we plant tie into what we reap? Can we live a life of purity before God without the thistles, thorns, and weeds?

Matthew chapter 13 is full of parables. These parables all start by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” In this episode we begin to dive into what exactly these mean in our world and lives today because the reality is that the kingdom of heaven is not just the end of your story, it's every bit of your story. It's all about the process.

Decline. Corruption. Depreciation. Decay. Fade. Dishonesty. These words don't sound very descriptive of Jesus and His Kingdom, but they must be addressed by those who represent Him. In this episode, we'll look at these things that emphasize our need for King Jesus.

What type of ruler is our King? Where is the throne He sits on? Where does He dwell? This week we'll dive into First Samuel chapter eight and look at the beginning of earthly kings in Israel.

There is a revolution that is coming. In fact, it's already here. It's the one that's going to win. But are you a part of it?

This week we are diving into the question, how are we supposed to rule in the age in which we live? According to other kings, might and strength are the ways to rule and dominate the earth. Instead, we look to our own King Jesus to answer that question. In His famous sermon on the mount, Jesus took the laws of the time and flipped them on their heads, and in doing so, flipped the entire world on its head. The way we should rule is to follow His teachings when He said “I tell you a different way.”

In the world of technology and social media in which we live, anyone who has an opinion, has a platform to share it. With all these voices begging for our ear and our attention, is it not that much more important for us to concern ourselves with what our King has to say? It is in his likeness and image that we were formed, and his purpose for us, found all the way at the beginning of his word, is to rule the Earth that he created.

In Second Corinthians, Paul calls on the church to be Ambassadors of Christ. God's Kingdom, His priorities must take precedence over our own. Our words and, more importantly, our actions should implore others to be reconciled to Christ. Jesus found a better way on this Earth, and as citizens that strive to become more and more like our King, we are here to show others that there is a better way.

What is a kingdom? To which kingdom do you belong? Government. politics, technology, education, career, money? There are many kingdoms in this world that we can become subjects to, but what does it really mean to be a servant of the highest King?

Let's see where this goes...