In this Kingdom: We learn to eat 'Omena'.

Written by On Thursday, 03 October 2013 08:25

One of my not so favorite childhood memories is that of my mum pulling my ears and forcing me to eat omena.(an interesting delicacy of tiny little fish that is most enjoyed by those of us from the lakeside) Now, over the years of course I have come to appreciate it as a delicacy, the little things actually taste abit like pringles (said no one...ever) It always felt like I had eaten a mouthful of stinging bitter stuff and I just could not swallow. I kept imagining them alive and swimming around in my mouth.

My mum with hands akimbo and a terrifying look on her face and sometimes pulling my ear right out of its socket would say.

In this house, we always eat what HAS been cooked. Umesikia?’

Over the years I heard my her repeat that sentence a gazillion times varying just slightly on the point she was trying to make.

If you want to live in this house, you must do your chores or you don’t eat. (Never mind that we were having omena for supper)

In this house we don’t fight with each other

In this house you do what I tell you to do... etc.

The thing about going through the book of Mathew is that you find that in many ways Jesus is speaking about how things ought to be done in the fellowship of believers. In Mathew (as with the entire gospels) we find many references to the Kingdom of God.

I am not even going to pretend to go into the theology of The Kingdom of God Vs Kingdom of Heaven, whether scripture is referring to the past kingdom the present kingdom or the soon coming kingdom; because I am not sure I’ve fully grasped it personally. Pastor Calisto when speaking on the bliss of zero defined The Kingdom of God as:

...a place where the reign of God is experienced, its much bigger than just the church and it is here with us today. He further said that once you accept Christ, you become a member of the Kingdom.

Ever been somewhere new and struggled to find out how things operate? What to do and what not to do? Based on Pastor Calisto’s definition and the idea of living Counter culture we will attempt to explore what it means to be a part of this Kingdom. How we ought to live, how we ought not to live. What’s our belief system, our values, our privileges? What about our principles and attitudes? What kind of relationships should we have with each other, with unbelievers? Do we have rights and responsibilities, as members of this Kingdom?

All these, I believe have been answered and will be answered as we go through the book of Mathew and I cannot wait to put down the things that God will teach us through The Saturday PM. So every once in a while in a post tagged In this Kingdom; we will share what it means to be part of this family. Just the way my mum wanted things done is a certain way in our family, we will find out how this family runs. A family of diverse races and walks of life, diverse ages and backgrounds, diverse tribes and skin color.

The difference between my mum and the King is that it always seemed that there was a rule or other to be followed in our house but in this Kingdom, in this family, it’s much much more than just a list of do’s and don’ts.

Many of the disciples were fishermen, this should not come as a surprise.

Lean in and let me fill you in on a little secret. I haven't grown to love eating omena quite yet, sometimes even the smell of it sends me running; But I am learning to love it and soon i will relish it. In the same way, i have not fully grasped the idea of being part of The Kingdom of God, sometimes when I hear what it requires of me i feel like running in the opposite direction; but i am learning and growing and we can do it together.

Dr Myles Munroe is one of those teachers of the word who exposes the Kingdom of God in such mind boggling (yet simple) ways that makes you wonder whether you really are part of this Everlasting Kingdom. However, i know that he didn't always understand it but he grew and immersed himself into it and now he is who he is.

I watched this once and learned quite a bit.

Have you watched? What do you think?

For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking. It is righteousness, peace and joy in the holy ghost. Romans 14:17

Latest Sermons

LIFE’S QUESTIONS, GOD’S ANSWERS

Do you have a question about God, Jesus, the Bible, or theology? Do you have any doubts about the Christian faith or the Bible? Do you need help understanding a Bible verse or passage? Are there any spiritual issues in your life for which you need advice or counsel?

Ask your question