Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
3/29/2022
The Kingdom doesn’t come by Observation
The Pharisees were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. But he was there. They were observing when Jesus called them to be intentional and PARTICIPATE.
I know we spread the Good News one person, one heart at a time but then it is time we join the Kingdom. I am reminded of Tony Evan’s series on Kingdom Men. Jesus called us out to be part of the kingdom's corporate body (collectively), not simply as individuals.
That often begins by having a friend to walk with, just like Jesus sent his disciples out by two. Those two were a Kingdom Small Group or Cell. Our Courageous men meet at tables of 5 to 10 guys getting to know each other…learning how to open up and be transparent. In today's society, men have shut down their feelings. Shut down their willingness to open up to other people about their failings and insecurities. They have shut down emotionally and over time this shell grows so thick that it keeps the few away from even trying to get in and they stand alone…and lonely to the bone.
Our Kingdom Cells allow the men to learn about Jesus and how he has been there for others who are struggling with the same situations and circumstances. They learn they are not alone and that there are others who will stand with them… Be patient with them and have their back all the while establishing new relationships…new friendships that they are sorely lacking. This is not just happening – it takes real courage and initiative to open up. Before long you find yourself telling them your story and how much you have grown through this Kingdom Man Group
To see a real breakaway from the loneliness of the past is to commit to a Kingdom Group and start taking back the ground that Satan has stolen from us. From our marriages, our families, and our lives overall. For the willing, God supplies all you need. It's called Grace. Unmerited Favor.
We have compromised a lot of things in our falling away from God and standing alone. We have stopped fighting for the high ground…for the holy ground God has called us to. The demands that the Gospel places on us are as radical as it was in the first-century church. They gave it all to be part of the Kingdom. Many of them their lives.
Look at Matthew 10:34-39
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
We are in a war. Don’t think for a second that love doesn’t carry a sword of righteousness because it does. Just like the civil war between the states, this Kingdom war is right within our own families, our neighborhoods, and our workplace and government.
Luke 14:25 The Cost of Being a Disciple
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
There is a cost to being a disciple of Christ and we can’t do it without the Holy Spirit giving us the strength and wisdom to lead us, our families, and those we love. The strength to not compromise the foundation of our faith for the pleasures and the easier road the world has to offer. Because in the end, it is an illusion. It is not easier it leads to compromise, depravity, aloneness, half-truths, and ultimately destruction and eternal separation from God. Our job as Kingdom men is to be the priest God has called us to so we can help our families and friends not make the same mistakes we have made. To be part of a community of believers who can help when we fail or have lost our way.
This is about putting God first. When we do, we are transformed into the man our spouse always believed we could be. With the Holy Spirits' help, we will succeed. We are accomplishing that more and more every week. There are men and families praying for you every day to hold the course so you can take your place as the warrior and priest God has called you to be.
Kingdom Men!
