Tag Archives: kingdom of God
Seeking the Kingdom
What do we mean when we talk about “seeking the Kingdom”? I was invited to speak on this topic recently. See the video below for the recording of that presentation, and feel free to add your own questions or comments underneath.
Are we “Born of God”, or “Adopted”? It can’t be both.
Does the Bible say we are adopted by God? I am quite certain that the Bible does not say we are adopted by God. It does say that we are born of God. Many commentators seem awfully confused about this, but that’s because they are reading an English translation of a Greek document, written in a […]
Read MoreThe Kingdom of Heaven is like Yeast
Yeast: Bad… or good? Often in the Bible, yeast is a metaphor for things that are bad. So why did Jesus say that the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast (Matthew 13:33)? Listen in, and find out!
A Parable to Explain Jesus’ Claim to be “Son of God”
The Kingdom of God is like a Furniture Maker… When people think about how Jesus’ can claim to be the “Son of God”, they most often think in terms of the Virgin Birth: Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy […]
… and this just in: News from the Streets of Ipswich. Issue 13
The Word on the Street The Leaven in the Dough So many amazing and fascinating things go on in Ipswich, as I move around on the streets making friends with people. There are lots of stories I can’t share, for various reasons, but I find there are many that I can. I hope this series […]
Read MoreEternity in their Eyes
God has one Story, one Plan I recently found myself explaining to my friends why I am always so passionate and excited about what God is doing around me. It’s because I see eternity in their eyes.
Evangelism: A Revolution
That Old Question: What really is Evangelism? I’ve posted a couple of things previously which reveal my unorthodox take on what ‘Evangelism’ actually is, but more recently the threads that I had been alluding to have been woven together in a quite remarkable way in real life. It is time to review and restate what […]
Asking the right questions about what “Son of God” means
What does it mean when Jesus says he is “Son of God”? Jesus claimed to be God’s son. He claimed to be both equal and subservient to God. This mystifies theologians today, because they find it hard to reconcile these two things. It isn’t supposed to be that hard. Let us ask not how Jesus […]
Read MoreWill not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? – Luke 18:7
Persisent Prayer – An illustration I just found this audio. I recorded it twelve months ago, and kept it switched to “Private” in SoundCloud. It reveals part of what I have been praying all that time. Some of these things are now beginning to take place. I pray about a few things. Some are yet […]
Read MoreIt Starts: The Kingdom of God is Germinating in Ipswich
October 2013: It Starts. I need to record some of the things that have been happening because God is making himself known in remarkable ways in Ipswich at the moment. I think I need to just blurt it all out without structure, because otherwise I will make a dozen or more separate blog posts!
John 1:29 – What does “Lamb of God” actually mean?
What does it mean: “the Lamb of God”? Property#1 / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND John (the Baptist), in the Gospel according to John (the Evangelist), uses the expression “the Lamb of God” to introduce Jesus (John 1:29). Scholars debate the origin and intended meaning of this phrase.
Read MoreJoin us in Street Ministry
You too, can Preach to the Street I have recently been producing and distributing little cards which contain a single Bible verse, and a very brief reflection on what that verse means for someone reading it. This has been wildly popular with my friends on the street. So far, two of the guys have asked […]
Read MoreWhat’s Your Story?
God’s Story, and your place in it. The Universe is a Story. It is the Story of God, His Creation, and His plans for that Creation. Those plans include two parts, although these are two sides of the one “coin”: the redemption of all that is of God, and the destruction of everything else. You […]
Read MoreChristian Assurance, Apart From the Law: A Defence Against the Judaisers
Judaisers A ‘Judaiser’ is someone who insists that a believer in Christ must join the Covenant of Moses, which was ratified at Mt Sinai around 1300BC. The Apostle Paul was routinely persecuted by Judaisers, who were scandalised that Paul’s non-Jewish (“Gentile”) converts were not being circumcised. The Judaisers are back. There is a whole movement […]
Evangelism: A View from the Inside
A State of Being: Freedom I was reflecting, as I often do, on what the chances are that I will be able to impart my joy to others before I die. What a tragedy it would be if I, having received so indescribable a gift, should die without having shared it. May it not be so! […]
“We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” – Hebrews 12:1
Who are the Witnesses? Aren’t all those people dead? Hebrews 12:1 assures us (the faithful), that “we are surrounded by … a great cloud of witnesses”, referring to the saints whom the whole previous chapter had been listing. But they’re all dead. What’s with that?
Street Theology: Justification by Faith
How Biblical Justification Looks “On the Street” Everybody loves being right. It’s even better when you are recognised as being right in front of other people. When those other people have scoffed and mocked you, the victory is all the sweeter. But the ultimate prize is when you are declared right, and your mockers declared wrong, and […]
The other side of the “No Smoking” sign: discrimination by Social Cleansing
Is this Social Cleansing? I’m a non-smoker. Indeed, I am even an ex-smoker, and I support the principle of removing cigarette smoke from the lives of those who don’t smoke. But the recent (1st Feb 2013) ban on smoking in some of the public spaces in Ipswich has made me uneasy from the start. Today […]
“Mission to the Marginalised”…?
How many roads must a man walk down before they call him a missionary? I was invited recently to talk under the heading “Mission to the Marginalised”. (I frequently wrestle with the appropriateness and definition of words like “mission” and “marginalised”, but at least the other two words in the heading were pretty straightforward) I […]
Recent Posts
- Addiction: How to Help
- … and this just in: News from the Streets of Ipswich. Issue 23
- What Happens When We Die, and Where are my Loved Ones?
- Seeking the Kingdom
- If it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you – Matt 12:28
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Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’ – Jesus
What are you doing, helping people like that? A friend recently heard what I’m up to on the streets of Ipswich and was flabbergasted. Not that she thinks I’m doing anything wrong, to the contrary she dubbed me “Saint Kevin”, about which I have profoundly mixed feelings, but I can add it to the list […]
- June 26, 2014
- / Category Commentary, Matthew 9, Mission to the Marginalised, Reflection on Ministry, Sin, Sinner, The Human Connection
- / Posted By Kevin Bennett
- / 3 Comments.
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