statue of saint peter
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Foundation Stones of The Gospel of Peter

Every Christian leader has his or her take on the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. I’ve been studying the life and the gospel and the ministry of the Apostle Simon Peter and his two letters in the New Testament (1 Peter & 2 Peter).

In these two letters I’ve found what I think are about Five Foundational Stones upon which those letters are founded. Peter would make these spiritual points and then elaborate at great length on the implications to these points. He would assume knowledge of these points about the Lord in his readers, and then based on a good portion of new teachings on these points for his followers.

1. The Suffering and Glory of Jesus Christ.

2. Jesus Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world, (God still has his Eternal Purpose, and Jesus Christ is still central to it, that should give us great joy and hope.)

3. Increasing in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian life.

4. Jesus Christ is currently an approachable, good and reliable shepherd for the Christian.

5. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ enables us to be born again. And his delay in returning is enabling more children into his kingdom through the preaching of his followers. The born again members of his kingdom on earth are the new Spiritual Israel.

The apostle Peter was an amazing man. I hope to teach in detail on the Apostle Peter soon and his gospel. And to elaborate on these five pillars and all there remarkable implications for the Christian today.

Here is another great resource, a book on the apostle Peter (by T. Austin Sparks).

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Telling Jesus’ Thoughts on God?

The band Dishwalla released a song entitled “Counting Blue Cars”, it’s main chorus is “Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God“. This song is one of the most heavily played song on the radio over the past 28 years.

When this released in 1995 I immediately was struck about the phrase, first because it seems like a call to evangelize. But later because a Christian’s thoughts about God determines so much. They define us in most every way.

Are our thoughts on God, small? Is God distant and impersonal?, is he strict and exacting? Is he carefree like a hippy?

Are they shallow self-centered thoughts, just there to get us rich and “blessed”? Are they even accurate to reality? Do they track closely with Jesus Christ? … All this matters greatly.

Christian’s collective thoughts about God determines their lives, and then that determines the church…and then that determines largely the society that they affect …or neglect.

But before those thoughts can exist …the particular gospel that individuals and groups of Christians have embraced and teach, form those thoughts. Our thoughts on God reflect the foundation of our Christian lives.

We should always reconsider and be willing to re-look at the foundations of our Christian lives, which determines most everything about us. And we can always be corrected and updated by the Lord.

It is good that we reconsider and focus on our gospel dear Christian, if it does not explain why we all exist, if it does not explain Gods purpose. If it does not walk us through ALL of the Bible with a clear light of understanding. Interpreting it as we go in the light of Jesus Christ. If it does not predict the future. If it does not create the ecclesia/ church that we read about in the New Testament. If it has nothing for the majority of Christians beyond a padded church pew bench and an offering plate.

THEN there is MUCH improvement yet to be had. And that gospel has much room to be corrected and its centuries-long traditional blanks filled in. Filled in to be more accurate to that gospel of King Jesus, aka the Gospel of the kingdom. The one preached by John the Baptist, by Jesus Christ himself, and by the apostles.

One of my current goals and the season that I believe the Lord has me in, is to compile that gospel into a series of teaching notes and videos, as best as I am able. I am about 15% (April 2023) through this process but it is an undertaking that is massive. At least 70 hours of teaching are required for this, it will become “all my thoughts on God.” What matters supremely, above and before all things is all Jesus’ thoughts on God. IF we can adopt all his thoughts on God then, we’ve accomplished something and all of humantiy will be better off for it, and will be ministered to.

But, it may cause us trouble, it may cause us great turmoil, it may even cost us our lives, but that is ok.

It is one thing to have many and varied and disconnected thoughts about God, random facts and truths. But its another thing to have them complied into one gospel that Jesus Christ himself interprets for us. A gospel which produces churches and is itself the discipleship “program” for new Christians. That gospel which also produced the early church, must be recovered for today’s generations. I beleive this is one of my assignments from the Lord. To “interpret” this gospel to my world, to my neck of the woods, to my friends and family and whomever will listen. This gospel begins in eternity past with the glory of God (see John 17 and Ephesians 1), and ends in the future as taught in the apostle John’s book of Revelations.

If you are reading this PLEASE pray for me and for this undertaking!

And then tell me some of your thoughts on God in the comments below.

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coffee and clipboard with pen in therapist office
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What is My Gospel? Important Survey

The following are survey questions that I have put together which helps a Christian to identify their particular gospel message. Every Christian has a gospel, even those who never preach or teach. If you are a Christian you have or are embracing a particular gospel.

Answer the following 17 questions as thoroughly and as succinctly as you possibly can. But if you do not have an confident answer for a question simply skip or say “I don’t know”, it is better to say “I don’t know” or ignore a question that than to try to come up with something that just sounds good but is not really part of what you believe. If the question seems foreign to you then that is ok to ignore, there are no wrong answers and don’t feel obligated to answer all 17.

With this survey e are trying to get at what is your currently embraced gospel. When you are done then cut and paste your responses into one to three paragraphs and that is a summary of your gospel. If you are willing then post these paragraph as a comment in this post below or email them to me. A Christian’s gospel is much more than a summary of how one gets into heaven. Much more!

Why did God create?

How did God create?

What happened in the garden of Eden between God, humanity and Satan?

Who is Satan? where is he? and what is he doing now?

Who was Abraham and the nation of Israel?

Who was Jesus of Nazareth? who is Jesus Christ now?

Why did Jesus Christ suffer and die? What did he accomplish?

Why did Jesus Christ rise again? (if you believe he did)

How does one become a Christian?

What is Jesus doing now?

What is the purpose of human governments today?

What is the church exactly?

What is the primary ministry of the church on earth today?

What is the purpose of gathering together for church?

What is the role of money in the church and in the Christian’s life?

What does the future hold long term for humanity and for God?

Why is our Gospel so Important?

Answering these questions thoroughly will help us to pinpoint the overall gospel which we have embraced or are currently embracing. The gospel which we have embraced or are embracing will have lasting impact on our Christian lives.

If our gospel is shallow and partial then so will our Christian walk be. If it is preoccupied with pet doctrines and theologies then so will our Christian walk be. If it is legalistic then so will we be. When our gospel is permissive and libertine, then so will we likely be permissive and morally loose in almost every aspect of our lives as Christians. When our gospel lacks understanding of the church then that will be our experience and expectations with church, and with its leadership.

“Tell me all your thoughts on God…and tell me am I very far?”

Dishwalla (1990s band)

Our Gospel – Our Life

Our particular gospel is probably one of the single most important things in our Christian walk. Yet few talk about this. We accept what we are taught or we backslide from it. Many of us expect to hear it over and over again throughout our lives as if that accomplishes something for us. But my experience is that Christians rarely move on and reconsider their gospel. Few press in and experience real and lasting discipleship and maturity. In my experiences most Christians view their own gospel as the answer to the “How do you get to heaven question?” And it is that, but it is also much more than that.

When we start to see and to summarize our specific gospel then we can begin to recognize holes in our gospel and our Christian foundation. And then God can (and maybe will), begin to help us to fill in those holes through study of scripture, through teachings from the Holy Spirit, and through the ministries of other Christians.

If you want to read more about the gospel of the kingdom click here: The Irresistible Glory of Jesus Christ or HERE: The Fruit Of Your Gospel

or watch one of my videos here:

Gospel of the Kingdom – before creation.

If you want to hear more about the gospel of the kingdom from a gifted teacher, I highly suggest that you buy and read this book by my favorite living author and Christian teacher Frank Viola: Insurgencebook.com

Please comment below your gospel summary paragraph, or email it to me at collierak@me.com

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