BOLD Ministry

ACCESS POINTS
Three gates or activities which give you access to the Kingdom of God are:
Faith: And without faith it is impossible to please {Him,} for he who comes to God must believe that He is and {that} He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hbr 11:6
Obedience: Blessed [are] they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev 22:14. and
Thanksgiving: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving . Ps 100:4.

BLOCKAGES
There are also four blocks to Kingdom Access:
Vision - Bad Aim
Love of Money – Selling vs. Serving
Tradition – Old Tricks don’t create new solutions
Tribulation – Character gives you the horsepower when sweat isn’t enough

These four items point to: who we look to, what we love, what we do and finally what we are willing to endure. It is this fourth one which gets pretty tricky.

There are a lot of people that look to Jesus, they even love Jesus and act upon that love, but when that love doesn’t produce the result or results that they want or need, do they still continue to look, love, and act the same way?

People in tribulation experience a contradiction when doing the right thing and the wrong thing happen. Tribulation often leaves confusion in its wake. One of the ways to cut through the debris is through story. Some may call it testimony, but the world calls it story.

In an article in Knowledge@Wharton, Peter Guber, former head of Columbia Pictures and later head of Sony Pictures. Guber oversaw the making of “The Way We Were”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “A League of Their Own”, “A Few Good Men” and “Sleepless in Seattle,” discussed some of what he learned as a studio chief.

Guber believes that the best leaders lead with story. I actually don’t limit it to leaders, but include parents, teachers, business professionals, and especially Christians.

Everyone has a story. I would even venture to say that people don’t follow people, they follow the story behind the people. The bigger the story, the bigger the following. People are naturally attracted to power and wisdom.

The more uncertain the times, the greater the demand for wisdom and for power: actors need not apply.

The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They asked, "Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles? Mark 6:2

Guber said that “Uncertainty makes for a complicated business environment,” and tribulation represents those extraneous counter-currents that keep pushing us off course.

When technology, theology and theory appear not to work or apply, story is a language that can carry one through the 'high seas of life.' Stories are the universal language and science by which we are able to process the unfamiliar.

Dr. Tim Keller, senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian, defines wisdom as ‘knowing what to do when the rules don’t apply.’

As a child I hung upon the stories of my parents; especially the stories told to me by my mother of Jesus.

The Gospel was never a set of rules and regulations. The gospel is the ultimate story a man whose life transformed history.

Peter Guber quotes Winston Churchill saying that “success can be measured by moving from failure to failure with enthusiasm.” Guber believes that in order to lead and succeed, “you need to manage three inevitable ‘states’: fear, uncertainty and change.” He made a point about fear that everybody has it, but what you do with it determines your success. He asks “Does it catalyze you or paralyze you?” I was surprised he missed a forth state: tribulation.

The hardest part of believing in the storm of tribulation is that God is right there in the middle of it all. This goes back to our inherent subliminal erroneous theology that thinks that if things are going well, God must like what I am doing. Silence is a faulty barometer, especially in matters relating to God.

Tribulation often reveals the cracks in our character’s foundation. When tribulation comes, it will expose the true standards and rules in our lives. Tribulation will expose what we are willing to do, not to do or give up, in order to live on Prosperity Mountain.

In general, our country has been so blessed with success that withdrawal from success is actually exposing our addiction to it.

Dr. Spenser Johnson, author of Peaks and Valleys, believes that what do we do and what we learn in difficult, painful circumstances will determine how long we remain in the grip of the storm or depth of the valley. Here are some best practices to observe when in tribulation:

+ Keep Disciplined: it was when Peter stopped doing what Jesus told him to do, that he began to sink into the water.
+ Keep Focused: it was when Peter’s focus blurred, and looked away from Jesus that he began to drown. Guber said that “Uncertainty makes for a complicated business environment.” Complexity is part of every problem, so seek to streamline and focus. 2Cr 9:8 And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:
+ Keep the storm out of your boat.
+ Rely upon the power of kingdom grace. Romans 5:20b “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
+ God’s Life Preservers are His Promises: promises aren’t there for the good times. 2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We hope to see you at BOLD this Tuesday, 12:45-1:30pm @ St. Barts, Small Chapel, 50th and Park Avenue.