El Salvador Team Work

May 29, 2008

In addition to fundraising, Spanish lessons, cultural orientation and vaccinations, the Southpoint mission team is preparing spiritually for the El Salvador build project through prayer and by completing a workbook together.

Since our time is limited, we have decided to read portions of the workbook on our own and then post one question each week with at least one response each.

We also want to open the conversation up to anyone who wishes to contribute. So, read the question and the responses and feel free to ad your own or simply send some encouragement to our hard working team!

Week One – Response Deadline: June 6

“In the midst of a world and a church that are shaken by crises and controversies, the gospel proclaims that ‘we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken’ (Hebrews 12:28) and a hope which is ‘a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul . . . (Heb 6:19-20).

Matthew 6:33 states, ‘seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you’.

How do you define the kingdom of God? Why is an understanding of the kingdom of God important to our work in El Salvador?

3 Comments. Leave new

Kingdom of God: living in obedience to God’s Will and control in my life.
Living as an expression of His Will.

Such an understanding of the Kingdom influences the reason for the trip and the attitude that I take along with me. It will assist in hearing Kingdom activity within our group before we leave as well as while there. Kingdom living will assist me in discovering the Holy Spirit in each interaction.

My youth pastor once said, “A kingdom without a King is dom (dumb)!” I still laugh because I can see him laughing harder that the rest of us at his joke. But it stuck with me! I think that the kingdom of God is simply the realm in which God rules as King – which is everywhere.

The kingdom of God is so much larger than the church. The church is simply an instrument of the kingdom.

When we go into the world, we don’t build God’s kingdom, we proclaim it and call others to the joyful recognition of it.

In El Salvador, we will be witnesses of God’s kingdom – seeing the impact of his rule through the eyes of another culture and people. I am looking forward to learning to recognize that rule in new ways.

The Kingdom of God is where God is present. And not only is He present but He rules. Not a kingdom to be revealed in the future but, thankfully, one that we can dwell in now. If we are to be apart of this kingdom we need to follow the King.

I’m not sure how this all gets played out when much of what happens around us (locally or globally) I don’t understand; however, we need to trust that God sees, knows, and loves so deeply and has given us an opportunity to work with Him – to expand His kingdom.

In El Salvador, we will be given the opportunity to see God’s expanded kingdom. A kingdom embracing people of another language and life experience.

When I was in Zimbabwe in ’93, the realization that these people–who lived a completely different life to what I was used to–worshiped the God that I knew was an amazing experience. To experience first hand that what would defind citizens of God’s kingdom was not sharing similar life stories but rather common heart stories. Believing in God’s for-giveness through the death of His son, Jesus was what connected us as neighbours.

Although we will be miles away from home and encounter different language, food, climate and social circumstances we are there to represent God’s kingdom. We are there to offer, through the power of God’s spirit, an invitation of citizenship.

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