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Session 1: Introduction to a study on Living in God’s Dominion here on Earth

May 5, 2016 Merlin Gonzales a Study on God's Dominion, blog, KIOM Study

Two nights before the first session, we were blessed by IHOPE ministry through leading a prophetic and intercessory worship.

Prophetic and Intercessory worship

Wonderful worship led by Tree of Life Ministries

Then, Tree of Life Ministries blessed us with their worship at the start of our first session!

For our Second session, Lirios de los Valles (Lilies of the Valleys church) will lead the worship. Worship is a part of this class.

Psalm 22:3, “Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.”

All the class participants had the opportunity to introduce themselves and to get to know each other. The class is designed to be relational, interactive and conversational. It will also include group discussions, contemplation, assignments and practical/experiential application of the Biblical principles and values.

What would our neighborhoods look like if we could say, “The Kingdom of God is here”

“We will challenge ourselves to be in situations where our only option is to rely on God.”

Our main Scripture for Session 1 was Luke 17:20-21, “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, ²¹nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Assignment for Session 2

Session Two

Read pages 1-22 of “The Kingdom In Our Midst”
If you were given a chance of a lifetime, what would you do for your community? __________________________
What would our communities look like if we could say, “The Kingdom of God is here”

Contemplation: How does your awareness limit your experience of the Kingdom? ____________________________

Experiential: Begin a journal titled “My Spiritual Journey”

Listen to Session 1

Part 1:

Part 1

Part 2:

Part 2

God bless you!

Merlin

Change the Spiritual Climate

April 27, 2016 Selena Design Blessings blog, Ministry

Read the full article here

The captives are the answer.

April 6, 2016 Selena Design Blessings blog

The prophecies of Isaiah and Jesus Christ: The captives are the answer. We read Isaiah 61:1-7. Then look again at the end of verse 3:

They will be called oaks of righteousness, They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities… foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

So who is Isaiah and Jesus (see Luke 4:17-19) talking about in these verses? We just have to look back on the previous verses…

Who were the poor, who were the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, those who mourn, and those who grieve? You and me! Look at the transition on Isaiah 61 verse 3. Before we knew Christ, we were poor, we were broken-hearted, we were captives, we were prisoners, and we were the mourners. God wants to restore us. And when we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, we become the key to the restoration of the world.

“We will be called oaks of righteousness, We will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities… foreigners will work our fields and vineyards. And we will be called priests of the Lord, we will be named ministers of our God. we will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches we will boast. Instead of our shame we will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace we will rejoice in your inheritance. And so we will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be ours.”

The prophecy in Isaiah 61 and in Luke 4 is for us…now! Do not believe to the lies of the enemy that you cannot make a difference in someone’s life. Do not lose your confidence that you have nothing to offer to humanity. You are a threat to the kingdom of darkness and the enemy! If we are followers of Jesus Christ, we will be contributors to the restoration of our neighborhoods; we will be a part of the resurrection of the society, we will be a part of reformation of our government and we are a part of bringing heaven here on earth! We are called to bring transformation to our cities! This is because we received healing from Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus your Lord? In other words, are you a follower of Christ? Does your lifestyle reflect the values of the Kingdom of God? Does Jesus have authority over you? Does He influence your actions and emotions? Is He your King, and your Lord – not just your Savior?

Now, do you view your salvation merely as a means to being rescued from sin? In other words, do you just wait until Jesus comes back so you can go to heaven when you die? No! We are like the Jews who were in exile to Babylon. We are in exile to earth. We are aliens here on earth. God has bigger plan for us while we are here on earth. Jesus has assignments for us while we are here on earth – to heal the sick, to bring comfort to those who mourn and to free the captives. Our final destination is heaven. So do not lose sight while we are in exile here on earth.

Our salvation is not meant only for us to be saved but for us to be a part of the fulfillment of the promises of God. As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, we have the most important privilege to work with the Holy Spirit to change the world. We are called to be history makers.

The next time you see the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, those who mourn, and those who grieve, you are looking at your potential team members of restoration. Do not forget them. They, (the broken people), are the keys to restoration of our world as you and I! The broken are part of our team in the future! That’s why Jesus said in the Sermon at the mount in Matthew 5:3-6,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

image source: Captives of the Assyrians. From the palace of Sennacherib, approx. 680 b.c.e. (ref. 2kings 18:13-14)

Spiritual Journey

April 4, 2016 Merlin Gonzales blog, KIOM

A Confusing Spiritual Journey

Back in the late 1990’s, my lifestyle was a confusing spiritual journey.

I was unsure about my purpose in life. I studied different religions (and practiced some of them). I had a lot of baggage and I was broken spiritually. Maybe you can relate with me. I wanted to change the course of my life but could not find the right path. I prayed, I ask people to pray for me, I read self-help books and listened to books on tape (yes, there was no iPod then), I went to conferences and seminars but they did not have a long-term impact on me.

Getting Involved In Serving Others

Then God gave me grace to hear His voice clearly in 2000. Strange things happened when I started to get my hands dirty and got involved in serving others. I volunteered at my home church and attended Bible studies. I participated in different outreaches to the poor, the prisoners, the sick, the elderly and the orphans. After more than 2 years into this spiritual journey, God showed me some cool stuff and my experiences changed my perspective. Before, I only knew of Jesus but did not have a relationship with Him. Jesus became my confidant, my best friend and Lord of my life. I got to know Him deeper.

1 Thessalonians 1:5, “…because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.”

I found out that inviting the Holy Spirit to walk with me and to work with me made all the difference. Whenever I am in tune with His presence, things seem to just happen! And, they just don’t happen, they happen with power and miracles become more frequent!

Consequently, my Bible studies become more meaningful through my life experiences. I learned that the teachings of the Bible have everything to do with my life. I hear more from God through my life experiences and through the people who suddenly pop up into my life. My thirst for God increases. The more I feast on His Word, the more I get hungry with the Word of God. I also experience more of His involvement in my life. I came to know more about Jesus.

Your Challenge – A 7-Week Experiential Study

If you long to hear more from God, to co-labor with Him and to see more miracles, signs and wonders, He is ready for you! He is ready to bring you to a place where the supernatural happens. It’s a matter of the condition of your heart and your resolve to take the big steps to experience God’s involvement in your life. I believe that God wants to reveal more of His nature to us. As much as we want to know Him, is nothing compared to His longing to reveal more of Himself to us!

On April 28th, we will start the Spring classes on “Living in God’s Dominion Here on Earth”, a 7-week EXPERIENTIAL study based on my book, “The Kingdom In Our Midst.”

We will take this spiritual journey together as we learn with and from each other. We will get our hands dirty and go out in the streets to see more of what God is doing in our midst. You will be challenged by thought provoking questions. You will discover the supernatural world within you. Together, we will tap into the unlimited heavenly resources available to us as we experience living out our faith.

It’s really working!

March 18, 2016 Merlin Gonzales blog, KIOM

Getting Involved

When I experienced the blessing in serving, I can’t stop getting involved!

I volunteered at my church. I volunteered at a hospital, I volunteered at an orphanage. I volunteered at nursing homes. I volunteered in prisons. I went outside the US to do short-term mission trips! I cleaned toilets, picked up trash, served in soup kitchens, washed feet of homeless, and shoveled snow for an elderly who was stuck in her house. I did street evangelism, I preached at elderly homes, I organized Easter egg hunt, Christmas gifts deliveries, Christian concerts at a Coliseum, closed the main streets in downtown Indy for prayer rally, mobilized thousands of volunteers and spoke at different churches.

As I look back, I have learned in the streets, in classrooms, in board rooms, in seminars and in conferences. I lost money from scams, gave resources to con artists and helped many people in need.

Teaching Others

Throughout the years, I learned and I applied what I learned. I started teaching others what I learned as well. I spoke at any place where people let me and I give my testimonial whenever I can. I teach, consult and coach pastors, community leaders and employees. I speak and preach in front of congregation, government officials, school systems and the general public.

I started companies, organizations and publications! I created manuals, procedures and teaching materials. I migrated from Asia to North America. I lived in Indiana, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi and back to Indianapolis. I visited several countries in Europe, Central and South America.

Preaching

Teaching

Serving

Through my exploration, I learned early in my career that experience is a great teacher. Conceptualizing a notion is good but you do not know for sure if it would work until you try it! You have to prove it by actually experiencing it. I have experienced a lot of ups and downs, successes and failures.

My journey to learn and to teach others started in early 2000’s. My ignorance and my enthusiasm got me quickly to places where many experienced people were not able to. I didn’t know any better so I was not afraid to try something new! Some worked, some not, but in the process I was accelerating my learning curve.

Now, I am passionate to reach out to others who are willing to invest their time, talent and treasure to make a difference and to leave a legacy for future generations. I love seeing people progressed because they start to believe in themselves. I like encouraging others because I normally see their potential even though they doubt themselves.

Your Challenge

I like to challenge my clients to reach out to others because in the process of helping others, they actually help themselves. They experience the teachings of the Bible that it is better to give than to receive. They come to see that in the process of healing is serving, that simple things can make a big impact in others. These things really work!

To benefit from my years of educations and experience, please contact me at [email protected] and receive a complimentary assessment. Or sign up for KIOM class registration here. Begins April 28!