This week we will look at Ephesians 4:20-24:

The primary way we get to know the voice of the Lord is by being with Him, yet some principles we learn in our own personal relationship with Him can be helpful to others. He relates to each of His people in a unique and personal way. This is not because He is changing, but because we are all unique, an attribute He seems to especially love in His creation. This is why He gave a different word to each of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. Even though they all existed at the same time and in the same region, they were all unique.

The kingdom economy is built on trusting more in the principles of the kingdom of God as taught in the Scriptures than in the trends and principles of this world’s economy. Of course, there are many areas in which the principles of both overlap, or are at least similar, but there are many areas where they are diametrically opposed. We will examine a few of the most basic ones here.

As we close out 2007, many will certainly be saying “good riddance!” to it. As someone once said, “Life is hard, and then you die.” As we recently heard in our Disaster Response training, the mortality rate still hovers somewhere around 100 percent, so basically we are all terminally ill. It is true that life is hard for everyone, but what are the alternatives?

Last week we began discussing what the earth will be like when the kingdom has come and the earth has been restored. Certainly there is far more to this than we have covered, but since the Bible is quite general about this we will be the same. The Bible is general about such things because we do not need more information about this now. We only know that it will be fully restored to its original intended purpose and state—a paradise that man will rule over as he again walks daily with God.

We continue our study of Ephesians and the purpose of the church with Chapter 1:15-17:

If our theology of the kingdom is correct, then a biblical worldview will essentially be a kingdom worldview. Jesus came to preach the kingdom, and He gave us that same commission. He said that this had to be accomplished before the end of this age could come.

In the Scriptures, two of the worst curses are to have arrogant, immature, or unrighteous leaders and prophets speak words to tickle the people’s ears, or who only say what they think the people want to hear. The prophecies about the end of this age speak of a similar devotion of many. There are a number of things that separate the wheat from the tares at the end. There is a separation going on presently in the body of Christ where those who will only listen to what they want to hear are being given over to immature or unrighteous leaders.

          As we covered, the body of Christ cannot have the mind of Christ, or fully represent Christ, until it comes together with every part taking its rightful place. As long as we are divided, we will fall short knowing Him as He is and representing Him as He is.

         The last night that Christ was on the earth as a man, the last night that He would be able to intercede as the Son of Man, He repeatedly prayed for the unity of His people:

2005 was a remarkable year. With the hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, mud slides, record highs and lows, rain, snow, and drought, it does seem as if a great hand has taken the earth and begun to shake it. It has not even been a year since the tsunami hit. This is actually what is described in Romans 8:19-21: