Advance the Kingdom

John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

With the changing demographics of our community and culture, our church is looking at the focus and goals of this congregation in this colony area of central city, originally settled by German immigrants, that we cal home. This church family, like all churches, must seek to provide for the mind, body and soul needs of the members and seeking attendees through the window of Christ. Meeting spiritual needs by seeking truth through worship, prayer and Bible study to grow in the knowledge and image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – the head of the church, which is His body of Believers. At the same time, being a light of hope and righteousness to a lost and dark society, who may not see that they have sinned against a “just & holy” God and may not know the Savior sent by that God to pay for those sins to forgive and restore their relationship with Him – Advancing the kingdom of Heaven.

John 3:3-5 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

America, being founded by primarily Christians with the purpose and goal of advancing the kingdom of Jesus Christ in the presence of God, created a Christian nation with religious freedom and liberty based upon the Word of God. The Pilgrims signed what has come to be known as the Mayflower Compact, which reads: In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honor of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together in a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid .. Text of the Mayflower Compact - Anno Domini 1620

2 Peter 1:2-11 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We support an organization called “Open Doors”, whose motto is: “Advancing the Kingdom Where Faith Costs the Most”, that comes to the aid and defends suffering brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, staying on the offensive against the dark forces allied against them. But we all have to also recognize and realize that the darkness of unbelief with atheistic secular humanism is in the neighborhoods of our own community and the light of Christ needs to stand firm and shine in that darkness, like a light on a hill or lighthouse in the dark storms of life. For decades, I know of Christ, but I didn't know Christ. Who will go out with the light of truth and reach the lost, that they may come to a “saving” knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. 

Which church will say: “Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith, and Honor of our Lord Jesus and the kingdom of Heaven, a pilgrimage to know Christ and make Him known in this community and culture.”?

Advance the kingdom.

In Christ, Brian