{"id":9083,"date":"2020-05-05T20:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-05-06T03:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=9083"},"modified":"2020-05-03T16:46:44","modified_gmt":"2020-05-03T23:46:44","slug":"micah_4_1-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/micah_4_1-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus\u2019 AEIOU Kingdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Micah 4:1-13\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

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Today\u2019s passage is Micah 4:1-13.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Micah 4:1 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0In the last days the mountain of the\u00a0LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0 In verses 1-8 Micah is describing what will happen \u201cin the last days\u201d (v1), meaning the time when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom.\u00a0 Here in verse 1 Micah prophesies about the day that \u201cthe mountain of the Lord\u2019s temple will be established as chief among the mountains\u2026raised above the hills, and people will stream to it.\u201d (v1)\u00a0 In other words, Micah is prophesying of the day when the worship of the Lord takes first place and centre stage in people\u2019s hearts.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Right now you may be facing a mountain in your life, or maybe even multiple mountains, but no matter what always give first place and centre stage to the Lord.\u00a0 Let your worship of God and your intimacy with Him always be your number priority.\u00a0 For\u00a0when you fix your eyes on Jesus, when you remember that His greatness no one can match, then you can say to whatever other mountain you may be facing, \u201cYou\u2019re not so big after all.\u00a0 For my God is greater.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Micah 4:2-5 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the\u00a0LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0from Jerusalem.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the\u00a0LORD\u00a0Almighty has spoken.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0our God for ever and ever.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 2-5:\u00a0 Many years ago when I was visiting my girlfriend Sharleen in New York, I went to the United Nations Building in New York.\u00a0 There on the wall is inscribed the second part of verse 3: \u201cThey will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.\u201d (v3b) \u00a0Notice that they left out the first part, which, as Pastor Jon Courson mentions, is the key to the entire verse: \u201cHe will judge between many peoples and settle disputes for strong nations far and wide\u201d (v3a).\u00a0 In other words, it is only when people submit to the Lord and let Him settle disputes among them that there will truly be peace.\u00a0\u00a0Peace without Jesus is only superficial and short-lived.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Peace with and through Jesus is deep and lasting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, in verses 1 to 5 Micah writes about what the kingdom of God will look like on earth one day.\u00a0 Imagine:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • A place that is ALIVE, where people from every nation\u00a0want\u00a0<\/em>to go and worship the Lord at His temple (v1-2a)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • A place that is OUTLOUD, where people lead others to go along with them to worship the Lord (\u201cCome, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob\u201d – v2a)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • A place that is EXPECTANT, where the Lord is present and the word of the Lord goes forth to teach people His ways so that we may grow more like Him (\u201cHe will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths\u201d) (v2b)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • A place that is UNITED, where people are not divided and fighting each other, but where people are united and loving one another (v3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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          • A place where each person is a LEADER, secure and free from fear (v4)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • A place that is INVOLVED, where God\u2019s people walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and serve Him (v5)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Praise God!\u00a0\u00a0When we seek to be an AEIOU church of leaders (alive, expectant, involved, out loud, united), we\u2019re running in the direction of what God\u2019s kingdom was always meant to be like.<\/strong><\/p>\n

              Micah 4:6-13 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
              \n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“In that day,” declares the\u00a0LORD, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief.
              \n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The\u00a0LORD\u00a0will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.
              \n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”
              \n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Why do you now cry aloud– have you no king? Has your counselor perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?
              \n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the\u00a0LORD\u00a0will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.
              \n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, “Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!”
              \n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But they do not know the thoughts of the\u00a0LORD; they do not understand his plan, he who gathers them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
              \n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hoofs of bronze and you will break to pieces many nations.” You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the\u00a0LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.<\/em><\/p>\n

              On verses 6-13:\u00a0 Though for a time Israel will be exiled to Babylon, the Lord promises to rescue and restore Israel (v10).\u00a0 Similarly, though the church will go through a time of great difficulty and persecution, the church will rise up victorious in the end by God\u2019s power.\u00a0 It reminds me of 1 Peter 5:10 where Peter writes, \u201cAnd the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

              Praise God!\u00a0\u00a0Though God disciplines us, He will also restore us, such that after we have a suffered a little while, by His grace we will rise up stronger than ever before.<\/strong><\/p>\n

              Lord Jesus, thank You that You are coming soon and that when You establish Your kingdom we\u2019ll get to see the church alive, expectant, involved, out loud and united like never before.\u00a0 While we wait for You, may we live for You and walk in Your name in all that we do.\u00a0 Thank You for being not just our discipliner but our great Restorer as well.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

              <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
              <\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

              Today\u2019s passage is Micah 4:1-13.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

              Micah 4:1 (NIV)\u00a0
              \n1\u00a0\u00a0In the last days the mountain of the\u00a0LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.
              \n\u00a0
              \nOn verse 1:\u00a0 In verses 1-8 Micah is describing what will happen \u201cin the last days\u201d (v1), meaning the time when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom.\u00a0 Here in verse 1 Micah prophesies about the day that \u201cthe mountain of the Lord\u2019s temple will be established as chief among the mountains\u2026raised above the hills, and people will stream to it.\u201d (v1)\u00a0 In other words, Micah is prophesying of the day when the worship of the Lord takes first place and centre stage in people\u2019s hearts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

              What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Right now you may be facing a mountain in your life, or maybe even multiple mountains, but no matter what always give first place and centre stage to the Lord.\u00a0 Let your worship of God and your intimacy with Him always be your number priority.\u00a0 For\u00a0when you fix your eyes on Jesus, when you remember that His greatness no one can match, then you can say to whatever other mountain you may be facing, \u201cYou\u2019re not so big after all.\u00a0 For my God is greater.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9083"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9086,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9083\/revisions\/9086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}