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kingdom of God

An unshakable kingdom

March 10, 2023March 9, 2023 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

[Note: I'm on vacation next week so the devotional will go on pause after today and will return on March 20th.] Certain events and experiences can shake and unsettle us. A world war can do that. So can events like September 11, 2001. I still remember the day. When terrorists flew planes into the World … Continue reading An unshakable kingdom

The other-worldly kingdom

March 9, 2023March 7, 2023 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

In John 18:36 when standing before the Roman governor, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Let me note a few things. First, his kingdom isn’t just about heaven. It includes heaven but is not limited to heaven. He teaches us to pray that God’s kingdom comes and his will is done “on … Continue reading The other-worldly kingdom

Making margin

February 7, 2023February 6, 2023 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

I recently had the opportunity to interview the Rev. Dr. Sarah Han. She’s a professor at Tyndale University in Toronto (and also a friend) who is writing a book about “margin.”  Having margin in your life is having mental and emotional space in your life. It’s also having a schedule which isn’t consistently jam-packed. Sarah … Continue reading Making margin

Presently, not just eventually

November 25, 2022November 24, 2022 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

“make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue…” (2 Peter 1:5, ESV) Salvation. It’s a big word. When a lot of people hear that word, they think about heaven. And they should; it’s one of God’s promises. When you believe in who Jesus is and what he has done for you on the cross, … Continue reading Presently, not just eventually

Illness has an end-date

April 5, 2022April 4, 2022 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

There are seven miraculous “signs” in John’s Gospel. One is the healing of a boy with a death-threatening fever. “The royal official said, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ ‘Go,’ Jesus replied, ‘your son will live’” (John 4:49-50). But what purpose do these signs serve? They certainly provide compassionate help! But they also confirm … Continue reading Illness has an end-date

The fresh air of friendship

February 7, 2022February 1, 2022 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). Glenn Peterson is the President and Superintendent of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada. Recently he said, “You can never have enough kingdom friends.” Isn’t that the truth! In a world with a lot of isolation and … Continue reading The fresh air of friendship

When Jesus puts on a BBQ

February 26, 2021February 25, 2021 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

In Luke 14:15 we read: “he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.’” At Westminster Church we’ve started a barbeque in July to celebrate our successful Bible camps.  Picture a couple hundred people, music playing, kids’ in bouncy castles, face-painting, and hamburgers sizzling.  A … Continue reading When Jesus puts on a BBQ

True commitment to the King—AND his Kingdom

March 5, 2020March 3, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Followers of Jesus can rightly be accused of hypocrisy if nothing changes in their lives after they start to believe in and follow him. Your eternal standing with God isn’t based on how morally good you are, of course, or on your ability to meet Jesus’ high ethical standards; it’s based on your faith in … Continue reading True commitment to the King—AND his Kingdom

Use a worry filter

October 1, 2019September 30, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

This week we’re talking about the big W… Worry. Generally speaking, worry isn’t good. But there are actually a few biblical passages where worry is portrayed positively. One of them is 1 Corinthians 12:24-25 where Paul says that the various parts in the body of Christ [the church] “should have equal concern for each other.” The … Continue reading Use a worry filter

Getting in the way of God’s way

June 27, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Here is what Jesus preached in Matthew 4:17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The “kingdom of heaven” refers not only to life after death, but to the quality of our lives before death. In this sense, the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God” are the same. Maybe it’s obvious, … Continue reading Getting in the way of God’s way

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