Week 4...THe Kingdom Of God- AKA amazing

10/19-10/23

Ok... So now I will attempt to blog about week 4. Saturday, 10/24 I went surfing with some people in my DTS. The place where we went had rocks in the place of a sand beach. The day that we went there were no waves. Always thought it would be difficult to surf but never realized how physically taxing it would be. By the time I paddled out I was just about spent. I rode one wave laying down and a little bit after paddled back to shore. So glad i went and want to go again when there are more waves. However I think I might just be a bigger fan of boogie boarding! so fun! I don't remember much else about what I did this week but I remember what I learned.

Don Stephens was the speaker during week 4 and he brought a guy Nyk with him. Don talked about different world views and about the Kingdom of God. I learned about Modernism, Post Modernism, Naturalism, Pantheism, Socialism, Communism, Islam, Evangelical Gnosticism (Religious Christianity) and most importantly the Kingdom of God. I love learning about things like this so during class this particular week I was on the edge of my seat furriously taking notes.

I'll list a revelation and some extremely important things I learned:

*Creation is made to reflect the glory of God. Mankind is made to reflect the glory of God. If God created me to reflect His glory than I am truly glorious in Him. I have something in me that draws mankind to observe the glory of God.

THis is significant to me because I always thought I may be pretty to God but I'm still undesirable to mankind. THIS CAN NOT BE TRUE if I am made to reflect God's glory. Also... this brings a whole new significance to my singing Opera. Not many people can reflect God's glory is this art but God has gifted me. I still don't want to seek a full time opera career but I would like to start practicing again. I miss it! I was created with a burning desire to be the best singer I can possibly be. I love practicing and studying voice. I lose passion for singing when I'm not learning more about it. This is the way God created me and I think it is significant.

*Christians often thing of evangelism in terms of a circle. The "saved" christians are inside and we are focusing on the rest making their way into the circle. Problem is... who really knows when others point of conversion is? When was Peters? was it when he confessed Jesus to be the Son of the living God? Not long after that Jesus says to Peter, "get behind me Satan!" Some people inside our circle may have gotten "saved" and not have any interest in knowing or seeking Jesus and then others outside our circle may be seeking after and searching to know Jesus more. What if we erased the circle and just started pointing everyone towards Jesus... no matter where they are at spiritually. It is my hope to be used of God to make disciples of all nations and not just converts.

*God's plan is for a kingdom. Jesus talks more about the Kingdom of God than anything else. It was the first message that Jesus preached (Matt 4:17). THe Kingdom of God is every place where the will of God is being done. It is everything gone wrong in Adam's fall reconciled in Christ. It is God's glory filling all things. It is the dance of the trinity extended to all of Humanity. We live with a mentality of waiting for Heaven. What untill then? I pray that
God's kingdom come in my life.

Thoughts... questions... ?

Blessings!