Oh, LORD come quickly! Jesus COME – we long for You!

That’s what I once thought, Julianna. But it is written, “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom…” If so, how can it then be said the gospel Jesus preached is “about his death, burial and resurrection” when he hadn’t been crucified yet? Belief in that historical set of facts is certainly the WAY into our eventual participation in the Kingdom – but the gospel itself is centered in the belief of that coming messianic kingdom here on earth as all the prophets proclaimed. It was the institutional church that promoted a spiritualized kingdom within us that led to a spiritualized fulfillment in heaven instead of a true kingdom here on earth.

Eve-Loraine,
Please don’t be frustrated because you have a field that’s ripe and ready to harvest. What we have to do is put ourselves in the same need as the unbeliever. We will never arrive this side of heaven. We still need Christ every second of every day, like a sponge needs water to be effective. When we continue to put ourselves on the same level as unbelievers we begin to have fruits of the Spirit. Without these fruits we cannot minister and be effective for Christ. Think of how Jesus probably felt while on earth? The only ones I saw Him frustrated and angry with was the self righteous and the religious bunch and there where more of them than not. Just as there is today. He is Love that was beyond understanding when He was healing people spiritually and physically. This is why He came to earth, to give an example of who He is, to show those that followed Him His kingdom, to become our ultimate Blood Sacrifice and New Covenant. This is Christ and Him crucified. Stay in His word, prayer and seeking Him for directions. He will answer when you are prepared and ready. We the body of Christ are His hands, feet and mouthpiece, He will not allow us full access if we are not ready. When we go on our own without being ready we take the chance of spreading something that may be false and we would not know it because our eyes would be blind to our efforts. Our eyes will fully see the Truth of the Gospel and His kingdom when God has fully prepared our way. Be with Him, be patient and your time will come. Jesus was 12 when he was attending the Fathers business in the Temple and He was 30 when He was baptized by John and was called to do the work of God and what He came to do for all people.Until then love those around you, even in there sin, as long as you know your place with Christ. This will help them to trust you before you start to witness to them. When that time comes, the word of God will speak for itself, your place is to be a willing vessel and God does the rest. Blessings!!

Ed,
By you saying I’m not outgoing enough to get out there, means that you are still leaning on yourself and you have allowed a measure of fear to creep it. When we are as hospitable as we can be and we make close connected friends ships, people will start to trust and listen to our heart as we explain and teach Christ and Him crucified. We have took the Love of Christ abroad. When we love God with our every thought and actions and obey His directions, His love will flow through us in order to go out and go. When we read scriptures of Jesus ministering to those He needed to hear who He is, they where healed spiritually and physically on the spot. They were healed because Jesus trusted the Father in heaven and he never doubted what He came to do would take place. This has to be our mindset and will. Before any where called to minister in scripture they were put through alone time with God, God wants us to seek Him and His kingdom first, by prayer, listening, studying His word for fuel, and then we have to put on Christ, our Armour that protects us from the enemy as we do the work of Christ. We cannot put on Christ until we have died to self and fear and unbelief. When we are born again with the Spirit of God, He gives us His power to crucify the flesh and self will. Without this Spiritual Power leading our way, we can do nothing. This is called absolute surrender. You will know when this fully takes place, because His power will overtake you and you will no longer lean on your own understanding for your own life and spreading the gospel of Christ. This will take as much time as we ourselves allow because it’s our flesh that has be crucified first. You can and will do this when the Lord as prepared you ahead of time. Seek His kingdom first and all else will come to you as you minister to others. Jesus says we have not because we ask not, and when we do ask, make sure it’s what God wants, not what we want.