{"id":456,"date":"2012-09-20T22:51:33","date_gmt":"2012-09-21T03:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/?p=456"},"modified":"2012-09-21T08:44:26","modified_gmt":"2012-09-21T13:44:26","slug":"to-gain-the-whole-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/?p=456","title":{"rendered":"To Gain the Whole World"},"content":{"rendered":"

So do not worry, saying, \u2018What shall we eat?\u2019 or \u2018What shall we drink?\u2019 or \u2018What shall we wear?\u2019 \u00a0For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. \u00a0But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. \u2013 Matthew 6:31-33<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Then he said to them all: \u201cIf anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. \u00a0For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. \u00a0What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? \u00a0If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. \u00a0I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.\u201d \u00a0– Luke 9:23-27<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Last week, we began to speak on exercising faith and humility \u2013 the road of the cross<\/a> \u2013 and its importance in qualifying us for kingdom authority.\u00a0 We defined \u201ckingdom authority\u201d as:\u00a0 capability, influence, and wealth in places where we work, live, learn, and govern.<\/p>\n

Everyone pursues \u201ckingdom authority\u201d.\u00a0 That nature is inscribed in our DNA. \u00a0The reason that faith and humility \u2013 taking up the cross \u2013 must become our absolute foundation to \u201ckingdom authority\u201d lies in our sinful nature.\u00a0 The doubt and pride that propagated from Adam and Eve can corrupt us in kingdom authority.\u00a0 With our propensity for corruption, the church has succumbed to a culture that discourages the pursuit of kingdom authority. \u00a0We look at \u201cgaining the whole world\u201d as equivalent to \u201close or forfeit our very self\u201d.\u00a0 Such a mindset has wrought much confusion for Christians, especially business leaders, because their pursuit of kingdom authority seems to contradict with biblical principles.<\/p>\n

Jesus brought this point to prominence in Matthew 6 & Luke 9.\u00a0 Jesus wants to grants us kingdom authority, the same things that the \u201cpagans run after\u201d and more \u2013 but in the priority of His Kingdom agenda. \u00a0In Luke 9:25<\/a>, Jesus is not telling us to not gain the whole world. \u00a0Instead, His key message is that gaining the whole world but lose ourselves in the process is useless for His Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Jesus wants us to gain the whole world, and yet, not lose ourselves.\u00a0 The path to that is through the cross, the exercising of faith and humility, the seeking first of His Kingdom and righteousness \u2013 in short, to run after Jesus, and not just after His \u201cblessings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Market Place Meditation and Prayer<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lord, we receive your call to become your witnesses through our kingdom authority. \u00a0Teach us about who you are \u2013 the embodiment of faith and humility. \u00a0Teach us how to take up our cross. \u00a0Teach us to gain the world and not lose ourselves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So do not worry, saying, \u2018What shall we eat?\u2019 or \u2018What shall we drink?\u2019 or \u2018What shall we wear?\u2019 \u00a0For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. \u00a0But seek first his … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=456"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":641,"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456\/revisions\/641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpc.168prayer.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}