Introducing ‘The Heaven On Planet Earth’ Project
The HOPE Project is simply a vehicle for INTENTIONALLY and PRO-ACTIVELY representing the culture of Heaven OR the Kingdom of God ‘on Earth as it IS in heaven’.
The Corrimal Community Church family is committed to BEING and DOING as Jesus DID and is DOING by His Spirit; bringing heaven to earth to show us what this would look like in and through our everyday lives.
By living out the good news (gospel) and demonstrating the kingdom of God through our activities, we believe that our family members, our neighbours, our work and or study companions, and those we connect with in our spheres of community involvement and recreational activity, will see and meet Jesus instead of something that sometimes looks like Jesus.
Whether we like it or not, the western church needs to build bridges of re-connection. Australian society desperately needs everyday Australians to accept the call to be missionaries to this country.
As such, ‘The HOPE Project’ is the outworking of our commitment this year to DWELL in the revelation that Christ brought AND all that we’ve been learning together as a community these past few years; seeking more of the culture of heaven by restoring God’s (Kingdom) rule in our hearts individually and collectively.
What is this ‘Rising HOPE’ Journal About?
This journal is designed to tell the developing story of how Jesus is and will build his church in and through us. We will use the ‘Rising HOPE’ Journal as a tool to: –
- Present testimonies of how God is moving as we grow in our intimacy with Jesus Christ and LIVE and ACT more out of that relationship than out of our own resources.
- Inform our prayers so we can pray more effectively and more strategically
- Ensure we can clearly see how we can engage with the journey by indicating things that God opens up for us to have a go at on a daily, weekly, monthly etc. basis
- Link with as much of what is going on at the HUB in Augusta Street and beyond as teams of us serve the kingdom across our local, national and global communities
- Resource our family with new and accessible ways to share the kingdom gospel with anyone and everyone we come in contact with. E.g. Providing key summaries from our weekly key message presentations that we can use for personal development, group study, kingdom conversations in places where we hang out with people and more.
Here’s the Link to What’s Happening at the HUB this week
http://corrimalcommunitychurch.com.au/blog/9-uncategorised/7-click-here
What DID Jesus actually DO?
Each week between now and Christmas we will explore a Chapter of Mark’s gospel together for the sole purpose of discovering what Jesus DID (not what we think He did) so we can take what we learn and put it into ACTION; demonstrating the Kingdom of God in our everyday circumstances and relationships – just like Jesus did.
At the weekly meeting, we will highlight a couple of standout examples but Graeme will still provide a summary of what God initially reveals to him on first reading through each chapter as a supplement to this.
The idea is that we will all read the chapter during the week and look for God to reveal something practical to us about how Jesus demonstrated the Kingdom of heaven on earth. As we record what we receive and put that learning into practice, stories will start to emerge that will encourage and challenge us about how Jesus is building His church.
See how you go. Here is Graeme’s summary from Mark Chapter ONE. Don’t forget to find someone to share YOUR discoveries with and pray together with for outcomes that represent something ‘ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN’.
Mark Chapter One (What did Jesus actually DO? Just what Graeme received from God)
- Jesus went out of His way (from Galilee to Judea) to be obedient to His Father and allowed himself to be humiliated in public just so He could show us what the requirements of an intimate relationship can look like. NOT an axe wielding bad news but a dove alighting with good news. (vs 9-11)
- Jesus DID His Father’s will by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead Him (vs 12)
- Jesus declared God’s good news and proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven was in the midst of people and the only response He sought from His listeners was to turn towards the Father God and receive this truth. (vs 14-15)
- Jesus went looking for some people to journey with, to share the intimacy of a relationship with Father God with, and to equip for the task of continuing this relationship and journey on the earth. He chose simple, everyday working people that would re-prioritize their lives for this cause. Their first love was Jesus and to follow Him their life’s calling. (vs 16-18)
- Jesus went to the existing institutions and with the Father’s authority focused on the good news of the kingdom with the purpose of re-aligning people with God’s heaven. (vs 21-22)
- Jesus demonstrated the kingdom’s victory over evil with power and authority AND over disease with compassion. He quietly and forthrightly healed and delivered many (vs 23-34)
- Jesus prioritized intimacy with His Father EVEN when he was inundated with others’ needs. He DWELT in the revelation he was sent with and knowing the human condition so well (that humans can and will manufacture revelation in desperate impatience), he didn’t succumb to human expectations nor was He drawn into the human adulation assigned stardom . The revealed task he was sent to bring was so ALL could see what God’s rule looks like. (vs 34-38)
- Jesus was WILLING to heal. This is a massive shift in heart attitude. Whether we are known as kingdom empowered healers or not, the visible heart attitude will change as many people who engage with us as the demonstration of power itself. (vs 40-41)
- Jesus acted wisely so that people wouldn’t just race to conclusions and spread the surface stuff. He acted in a way that would allow people to be cut to the heart by the Spirit and not by some manner of proof or convincing alone, nor by prescription. (vs 43-44)
- Jesus never flaunted his power arrogantly. He was true to His task and waited patiently to be invited beyond the first engagement. (vs 45)
More next week ….