God’s kingdom Essay

John Ortberg’s The Life You’ve Always Wanted book talks of how one can be transformed and live with Jesus inside their life. One should lead a deep spiritual life wherever they are and in all aspects of their life. A proper relationship with one’s God can transform one so that they lead a spiritual life which is very important to a Christian. When one lives with Jesus in their hearts, there are fruits of Holy spirit that they can acquire which include peace, kindness, and joy. When one leads a spiritual life, they cannot have disappointments in their life because disappointments come when they ignore to live the way God wants them to live. One should thus not disappoint the God who created them and Who guides them in everything they do every day. One should understand that they were created by God. Rather, man was made by God to subdue the earth and fill it and also to have dominion on other creatures on the earth. There is a need to know that death is not the end of our lives but that there is another life which will be eternal in heaven. One should understand that the gospel is true and is not like any other tales which are being told here in the world. Consequently, God’s kingdom is open to anyone who can accept Jesus to be their savior and lead his life as the Jesus did by not following and fulfilling earthly needs. One should understand that Jesus came in the world and died for our sins in order to have eternal or everlasting splendor. One should understand that God can transform them at any time regardless of their age. This happened to Moses at a time that he was thinking he had become a person who had been forgotten. God however transformed him and made him the person who rescued the Israelites from the powerful Pharaoh. One should also understand that God hears prayers and answers them as He did to the Israelites in the hands of pharaoh. God heard their groans and sent Moses to bring them out of Pharaoh’s slavery. One should also understand that the desire to be transformed lies in everyone’s heart. Moreover, once they are transformed, they acquire hope in their life and are assured of eternal life in the next world. One needs to understand that Christians should not conform to the world around them. Paul advocated for transformation by renewal of minds. People should also understand that we are on a morphing time and that any ordinary person can receive power anytime and have extraordinary changes. Above everything, one should not forget that Jesus died for mankind’s sins and that Christ brought joy to humanity and that we should follow His teachings. One should have patience and endurance whenever they are suffering, be attending prayer fellowships, and have solitude and meditation on the Scriptures (Ortberg, 2002). I remember one day asking myself many questions after my expectations had failed to come true. I had finished my secondary level education. Moreover, since I thought that I had done my examinations well, I was thus sure that I had excelled and that I will be able to join a higher learning institution to do my bachelors degree. When the results were announced and after hearing that in our school, around five students had passed to join university level, I knew I must have passed because I used to be number one in our class since I was in form one. When I went to pick my results, I was surprised to find that my name did not appear among the first top ten students. I was shocked to an extent that I could not even talk to anybody whom I came across as I was going home. I went home and I did not even talk to any of my family members. I could not even participate in doing any household chores no matter how easy it was. I could not even talk to my friends who used to come visiting me. I stayed indoors for more than two weeks enduring a lot of stress asking myself why God had done that for me. I used to ask myself whether it was because I was not attending morning prayers and church devotions that God had decided to discipline me. My parents, having seen how I was depressed, organized that I go to another school where I would redo my exams. When the results were out, I had passed very well. What surprises me in Ortberg’s book is how and why one gets disappointed with themselves. Another question I would like to ask is what made Moses to ask God who He (God) was as Moses was being sent to pharaoh. Further, is human transformation genuinely possible? Another question which I may ask is how people understand or view this issue of transforming or morphing? Is it that people turn to God or remember the Lord when they are faced with problems? Do people understand that there is life after this one we are living in and that Jesus died so that we can have eternal majesty? Moreover, Ortberg should have asked the old woman how she knew Jesus and how her life was in Jesus. He could also have asked her how she knew about Jesus Christ; was it because she was blind and old or did she know Him when she was still young. What steps can one take to make sure that he or she has transformed as many people as possible? Can Ortberg – the author of this book, be associated with any influence in transforming the faith of many pagan people and bring them to Christianity? At what age or state can one be transformed and accept Jesus as their personal savior? From Ortberg’ book, I have learnt that transforming people is a very important thing since one can change the life of a person completely from a bad one to a good one. I have also learnt that mankind’s wish is not the wish of God. I have also known that when one leads a spiritual life, they can always much happiness and be joyous. Another lesson I have learnt is that material things are not important for they are earthly things. Rather, what is important is God’s kingdom since in it, there is eternal splendor. I have also learnt that the life one wants to live is not always easy to live because God has plans for everyone and that we are not the determinants of our lives. Instead, God created humanity and has the plans for everybody. Another lesson I have learnt from this book is that God is the giver of life and can change one’s lifestyle at any stage or at any age. I have also learnt that God hears the prayers and cries of His children and answers them. Time is not significant in this case since God has explicit plans for everyone. References Ortberg, John. (2002). The life you’ve always wanted. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.