Kingdom Building

July 11, 2019

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:1-14

In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. –Colossian 1:3-8

Kingdom building is all about bearing fruit. Someone prepares the ground, someone plants, someone weeds and waters, and someone harvests. The cycle then repeats itself from one generation to another. One of my nieces recently bought a home and has recently discovered what she got as fruit trees in her backyard began to produce abundantly. She is now the nurturer and the harvester for the work of those who went before her. Although she grew up on a farm she did not have much experience with fruit trees and thus her first act was to contact the Home Demonstration services to learn how to care for those trees.

This same type cycle exists for growing the Kingdom of God. Our ancestors in faith plowed and planted and we now are called to grow and nurture. That requires us to seek all the knowledge we can to guide us on out way. It also requires us to maintain well our contact with the Source of the seeds which is Love.

Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. — John 15:4-5, 7, 16

Prayer: Lord, help us together grow abundant quality fruits of your Spirit. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.