Kingdom Purpose Women

Where Christan Women Go to Grow in the Supernatural Word of God

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A Father’s Heart

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As a mom and a wife, I have enjoyed watching my husband interacting with our children over the years.  Quite honestly, neither of us had much experience with children and had very little confidence about this “parenting thing.”  Through God’s amazing grace, we have grown to realize that there is no greater joy in life than to raise up these little people in character and integrity, with a firm understanding of the Gospel and the operation of the Kingdom of God, so that we can one day release them into the world with a vision and purpose to pierce through the darkness and reflect His glorious light, and as a result change their world. [Read more…]

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Be My Valentine

 

Be my Valentine!  Aaahhhh!  Stirs up dreamy imaginations of affections lavished upon us as we relish in the indulgences of the one who adores us so!  Oh, to be the center of someone’s world!  To focus on the one who cannot live without me, this person who sacrifices all their desires in order to satisfy and care for me!  What can I do for this person to please them because they have been so good to me?  Ah, yes!  This is Love!  Or is it?

 

To the majority of the Western world, this is the mindset behind the day we enjoy called Valentine’s Day.  What did I receive from my Valentine?  What did I give to my Valentine?  It would seem that this mindset generally prevails all throughout the year.  How does my Valentine treat me?  Reminds me of the words of a song popularized by Janet Jackson back in the 1980’s, “What have you done for me lately?”

 

Love is patient and kind

Love does not envy or boast

It is not arrogant or rude

It does not insist on its own way

It is not irritable or resentful

I Corinthians 13:4-5

 

The Biblical meaning of LOVE proves something quite different.

LOVE does not focus on self but on others only

LOVE never brings attention to itself

LOVE sacrifices its own needs for the needs of others

LOVE treats others based on itself, not conditionally based upon how it is treated

LOVE always responds in kindness and never fights for its right to be “right” or to set others straight

 

The scriptures shed a whole new light on the true meaning of “love.”

 

This is a tremendous challenge for the disciple of Christ because in Christ the attention is on what I can do for you, and never the reciprocal. An even greater challenge is presented when we are admonished to treat with kindness those who have handled us grievously and do not deserve to be treated with any respect at all, and to truly find joy in this response toward them This is not only unnatural but completely achievable in the nature of a human being.  Perhaps we can manage to outwardly exhibit some measure of self-control enabling us to act kind, but for our hearts to be pure and truly caring towards the wrong-doer is beyond human ability.

 

But I say to you, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Luke 6:27-28

 

These are the words of Jesus, the One whom we claim is our Master.  Did he give us (and expect us to carry out) instructions that are impossible to obey?

 

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26

 

The new creation  is not merely a suggestion, but an absolute requirement in order to be able to walk out being a disciple of Jesus.  Playing church is not enough.  Enjoying our gatherings as nothing more than a wonderful time of social fellowship will never bring the maturity that unites the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:13) and transforms us into a beautiful creation formed in the image of love.

 

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Romans 8:9a

 

If we truly have the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9b), we are a new creation.  The old has passed away and the new has come (II Corinthians 5:17).  Now we find that to respond to mistreatment with love is not only possible, but the initial “new natural” response, because it is rooted in true love – the image of perfect love –  Jesus Christ Himself.

 

Related articles you may enjoy:

New Lifestyle or New Creation?

Beware!  Obstacles to Maturity in Christ

Tarrying for Transformation

Real Life for the New Creation

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Joining Journeys

 

As always happens with a new year, everyone is focused on goals.  You know, those ones you had every intention of achieving but fell short last year.  Somehow the change of the year presents itself as a fresh start, beckoning like a siren’s song full of assurances – of promises finally fulfilled and goals easily attained.  This year will be different!  This year I will finally reach that mark of success! [Read more…]

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New Year! New You!

Have you ever wondered why it is that every year when we establish for ourselves goals for the new year, those common “new year’s resolutions,”  we seem ineffective in keeping them?  The desire to effectuate change in ourselves is strong, the commitment firmly established.  Yet for all the tenacity, our energy wanes throughout the winter months, our endurance washed away with the rains of spring.

 

Effectuating lasting change in our lives proves quite difficult.  We are capable of accomplishing such changes by our own will, but it is hard. [Read more…]

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Chewing the Cud

Several years ago our family relocated from our familiar city surroundings and plopped ourselves down in a small rural community looking to provide a wholesome natural lifestyle for our children where they could run, play, and squeal with delight without disturbing neighbors.  We wanted them to understand eggs came from chickens rather than grocery store shelves and a hard day’s work results in an empowering sense of satisfaction that trumps the best of video games. [Read more…]

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Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory!

Mine eyes have seen the Glory of the coming of the Lord

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored

He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword

His truth is marching on.

[Read more…]