The Kingdom of Heaven Is a Treasure

John Piper hands down my favorite pastor. First 20mins is on the Kingdom of Heaven. It's an old sermon, yet always true and relevant.

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46

7 "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him" Philippians 3:7-9

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

For some reason I woke up with this Kingdom of Heaven passage in mind. There are things in this life that are like finding a treasure hidden in a field. Yes the kingdom of Heaven is by far our greatest treasure! As Christians we joyfully submit to the rule and reign of our King. 

some other random thoughts..

There are other very rare treasures that we come across in life. I think I found a treasure that is very valuable. In fact, it's priceless. You know it when you find it. Similar to the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven, it's worth giving everything up for. If you find a treasure that is worth more than all the rubies and diamonds in the world, you need to do everything you can to protect it, cherish it and keep it safe. Fight with everything you've got for those you want to keep in your life. "Anything valuable is worth our best effort." God is not just another number in the equation, rather He is the parenthesis and the solution. 

I was reading an interesting thought about porcupines. Two porcupines trying to keep warm move closer. But if they move too close they can get pricked by each other's spines. Perhaps there is a sweet spot. In the same way, humans long for closeness and yet also need space. 

Beyond the strength of how one's heart feels, we are to Listen to God first and foremost. This is something I'm praying for. Divine clarity, guidance and discernment. I think this requires more time in prayer and waiting on God. Just like in any relationship, it's important to prioritize spending quality time.

Fancy line graphs will not always look like the ideal. There will always be ups and downs, highs and lows. But we are to focus on the positive and forgive any negatives. Generally the positives of acceptance, appreciation and gratitude should outweigh any downward declines. i used to think between two people it needed to be a 50/50. But then i heard a professor say, "No, it should be 100/100" I thought that was really profound.

One thing i've realized is that.. when something is right, it usually feels very organic and super easy. you don't need to force two puzzle pieces to fit. If two pieces snap quickly easily together, it's usually because they're supposed to. If two magnets naturally gravitate together, it's probably because they're supposed to. hmm.. socks and shoes also go really well together. You get the picture. 

It's possible to speculate and predict what the future may look like, but we really don't know. And this is why faith in God is pivotal for growing one's commitment and devotion. True flourishing intimacy is not a quick sprint. Rather, it's a marathon that aims to thrive for the long run. 

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

Closing the Sanctification Gap

The following is a little excerpt from John Coe's Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He was one of my spiritual formation professors in school. His article is titled "Spiritual Theology: A Theological-Experiential Methodology for Bridging the Sanctification Gap." It piggybacks on Richard Lovelace's journal article on The Sanctification Gap.

This Sanctification Gap is the difference between our Ideal-self (all the oughts & shoulds of who God calls us to be) and our Real-self (Who we actually are). I don't think it's possible to fully obtain being our ideal-self at all times. In my understanding, I think God brings our sanctification to completion in the process of glorification when we are with Him in Heaven, but while we're still here there will always be this tension of our Ideal and Real-self. And this is why the doctrine of God's Grace is so important to understand. God's grace not only covers our sins, but helps us to do what we cannot do ourselves.

In short, in order to close the Sanctification Gap, John Coe is basically saying to apply systematic theology and the Biblical teachings to our daily lives to promote spiritual maturity. Not just spiritual maturity, but a deeper relationship with God by growing in the likeness of Christ. A Christian must also draw observations and reflections of the work of the Holy Spirit in their life. We desperately need God's help in order to apply and experience God's truths in our lives. If we could just do one thing right in life, it'd be correctly interpreting scripture and joyfully obeying it by applying it to our life. 

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There exists a serious gap in the mind of many believers between what they know to be the goal of sanctification and growth and where they know they actually are in their life. The goal or spiritual ideal is somewhat clear to many, at least as an ideal: to be conformed to Christ, to love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves, to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, to pray without ceasing, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We hear these good words from the pulpit and our teachers; we read them in books and meditate on them in Scripture. However, the frustration begins right there: in the awareness of an immense distance between where we should, could or ought to be spiritually and where we in fact are—a huge chasm that some have termed the “sanctification gap.”

The church and its leaders would be better equipped to address this “sanctification gap” if its ministries were informed by a robust Spiritual Theology, understood in two senses or forms that are interrelated: (1) its more general form of drawing out the spiritual and existential implications of theology in order to better understand and participate in the process of transformation; (2) its fullest sense as a theological discipline in its own right that attempts to integrate (a) the Scriptural teaching on sanctification with (b) observations and reflections of the Spirit's actual work in the believer's spirit and experience. 

Some Spiritual Formation Books & Authors for my new reading list

Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal 

by Richard Lovelace

The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God

by Dallas Willard

Hearing God Through the Year: A 365 Day Devotional

by Dallas Willard

Father God, 

Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your Spirit to help me. There are things that are unknown and uncertain to me. There are things that i feel stressed about. I find myself worrying about these things. God please help me to trust you and to grow in faith. Guide me and have your way with me. Help me to draw closer in intimacy with you. Help me to listen, to understand, to apply and follow your Word, Will and Way. Help me to trust and receive your grace. Fill me with your Love and your Peace. Thank you God, Amen.