God's 3-Step Blueprint for Kingdom Advancement

You can impact your town for Christ right now. Here’s how.

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In the days when God’s people lived in Babylon, Jeremiah wrote a letter to the exiles, urging them to live as kingdom people even as they lived far from home. The prophet’s words hold relevance for Christians living in “exile” today.

Believe

The first step in God’s blueprint for advancing the kingdom, per Jeremiah 29, is believing.

Belief bolsters behavior. Attitude inspires action.

But note not just any belief. Not just any attitude.

Before we can take necessary action for God’s kingdom, we must believe the right realities about God.

What shall we believe about God?

A trio of treasured truths will transform your kingdom-building efforts.

God is all-powerful.

During your days of difficulty especially, you need to settle in your mind and heart who is truly in charge. Are your circumstances in charge, or is God?

On the one hand, there are real human factors (whether you or others) responsible for your current conditions.

“To the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon” (29:1).

The king of Babylon certainly played a pivotal part in the exiles’ present predicament.

Yet on the other hand, let’s never forget who is supremely sovereign over all situations—namely, God.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon” (29:4).

God is all-wise.

In the midst of your mayhem (aka life here on this messy terrestrial ball), you need to settle in your mind and heart that God knows what he is doing.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord” (Jer. 29:11).

God is not caught off guard. He is not in the dark. He is not out of the loop. He is not lost due to a malfunctioning or ever-recalculating GPS.

On the contrary, God’s ways are above your ways. His thoughts are so much more comprehensively grander than your thoughts. His wide, 360-degree times infinity field of vision dwarfs your narrow, tunnel view.

God is all-good.

In the chaos of your crisis-filled pilgrimage, you need to settle in your mind and heart that God is good—truly good and loving.

God describes his plans as "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).

It’s not enough to believe that God is all-powerful and all-wise. Hitler was powerful and strategic (wise by some human standards). But the leader of the Third Reich was not good or loving—HItler was a monster.

Likewise, Joseph’s brothers were strong and cunning—but they were horrible in the way they treated their younger brother.

God is not like Hitler. God is not like Joseph’s jealous brothers.

Rather, the God of the Bible is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good. God lovingly, wisely, and sovereignly rules and reigns over the universe. And he rules and reigns over every aspect of your life.

Let these realities root themselves in your heart and mind as you seek to advance God’s kingdom here on earth.

This is the first post of a three-part series. Did you miss an article?

Two Tips for Kingdom Building (Part II)

Blessing Your Zip Code for Jesus (Part III)