I'm about halfway through my series "Things To Look for in a Church."


But as I was writing that series and came to the ninth item, "Pearl Freaks, a.k.a. Kingdom-Obsessed People," I spun off a series (sub-series?) about "Kingdom-Obsessed People."

I knew since last summer I would want to do some writing about the Kingdom of God....so some of this has been percolating on and off, but is taking a bit of a different spin than I'd expected.

Earlier this spring, I also began to see how much my past was binding me up and holding me back from seeking Christ and His Kingdom as I ought...Yet another thing I knew I'd write on sometime.

As I began to think about what we needed to be to be "Pearl Freaks," I saw that we (I) simply cannot keep looking in that rear view mirror at the past and keep our (my) eyes on that Pearl of great price. Hence the current posts about "Kingdom-Obsessed people don't keep looking in the rear view mirror" (a sub-sub series?).


At this point I plan to have several more posts about looking in the rear view mirror, including (I think):

Looking back at the bad:

Dealing w/ Unfinished work
Dealing w/ Past hurts
Dealing w/ Guilt

And then one or two wrap-up posts on Looking back in the rear view mirror.

After that, a few more posts about "Kingdom-Obsessed People," and finally back to the rest of my list of "Things To Look for in a Church."

You might think of it like this:

Things To Look for in a Church

You math people out there could do this with a series of brackets, braces, parentheses and so on...or even use a Venn Diagram...Anyhow, I think you get the idea.

I have to tell you I have struggled with writing the posts about looking back in the rear view mirror. And I would say that is an understatement. Part of the trouble is that as I write there are a ton of old memories rising up, so along with the memories there is a whole gamut of associated emotions. But I wouldn't say that is even the main problem.

I don't say this lightly, but I have felt much heaviness/oppression/struggle/confusion/stress as I've been preparing these posts on looking back in the past. Perhaps one or two other times since I've been blogging have I felt such heaviness over what I've been writing. I truly believe what I am writing is stirring up the kingdom of darkness. First and foremost in my own life. So long as Satan keeps me bound by his lies, by my bitterness and doubt, so long as I remain absorbed by the past, I can't focus on the Pearl, and I can't fix my eyes on Jesus and the race set before me. As a result, I am rendered impotent and ineffectual in the Kingdom of God.

But as soon as I begin to identify the things that keep me from running the race, it is a victory for the Kingdom of Light for it is at that point that I begin to make inroads and retake territory that was once under the reign of darkness. And Satan doesn't take that sitting down. Whenever we expose Satan and his schemes to keep people bound, we enter into a whole other realm. Where we once were a small blip on Satan's periphery, we now become a major target on his radar screen. I would appreciate your prayers for me to write faithfully what I believe the Lord is laying on my heart to give out to His people so we all might run with perseverance the race marked out for us.


Jesus, keep me focused on You and Your Kingdom. The Pearl is worth my all.
Help me to keep running the race.
But Jesus, You know I'm tired and weary. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
The flesh lusts against the Spirit. The Spirit lusts against the flesh.
I live by Your Spirit. Help me to walk by Your Spirit.
Help me to write by Your Spirit. Train my hands for war; my fingers for battle.
Help to keep wearing Your yoke and keep learning from You.
Jesus, I'm hungry and thirsty.
I can't run the race without eating and drinking of You, Bread of Life and Living Water.
Feed me 'til I want no more. Feed me so I can feed others.
Help me to keep eating the Word with which You feed me, whether it be sweet or bitter.
Pour out Your Spirit on me, fill me to overflowing so the fountain would bubble up and overflow and bring abundant life to those dead and dry places that Satan still claims as his own.
That Your Kingdom might come and Your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.
For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever and ever.
Amen.

~Karen

Why aren't things as good today as they were back then?
Why don't I have the same opportunities I did then?
Why aren't I making as much money as I did back then?
Why has my health failed?
Why did my spouse (child/best friend) die?
Why don't I have a friend like that today?
Why don't I feel the same satisfaction in my work today that I did then?
Why am I on the shelf?
Why haven't I found a church like my last one?
Why isn't this small group as good as the one I had in college?
Why isn't this boss as caring as my last one?

* * *

As believers, we can and should look back to the past and give God thanks and praise for all He has done. First and foremost we ought to thank and praise God for His great salvation shown to us in Jesus Christ. We can also give thanks for His continuing faithfulness, His timely provision, His perfect protection and awesome power, and for the opportunities and blessings He's given us and so forth.

But sometimes as we rehearse God's past goodnesses to us, we become disenchanted with our present circumstances.