Several weeks ago, Sis. Dianne who is a member up at Grey, Georgia where Bro. Michael pastors posted a snippet of I believe a Wednesday night sermon (might have been Sunday) where he preached on the Kingdom of God taking it from a little different angle than what I've traditionally heard preached.  Gary and I read it and talked about it, and said we would have liked to have heard that one, to study it some more.  So we were excited that he felt lead to preach on it both last night (What the Kingdom of God Is and Is Not) and again this morning (How We Access the Kingdom of God).  I think he had about the best explanation I've ever heard on the topic.  I've heard for years that sometimes the phrase means heaven, and sometimes it means the Church, and sometimes it means all of his elect family.   It can be very confusing to try to study and discern what is under consideration with so many possibilities.  There's alot that can be said from his sermon, but it was all grounded in one particular verse. Luke 17:21, "...behold, the kingdom of God is within you."  He said this has two applications, that it is within each of us individually, and it is also within you collectively or among us, when we are gathered together.  To me this helps explain all those other applications.  I could say alot more, but instead you should just use the site that Sis. Dianne sent me and listen to the sermon he preached on it at Mt. Zion just as soon as they get it loaded.
Elder Gordon Smith was to be preaching with Bro. Michael, but do to some things that came up at home, he wasn't able to attend. We hated to miss him because we always really enjoy Bro. Gordon, but instead they used Bro. Chris last night and this morning. Last night after Bro. Michael established that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; (aka outward show of religion that we do) but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It's not in word (something we just say) but in power. It's not something we can observe (a physical place that we see with the natural eye and hold up a picture of), but it's in us. After he built this foundation, Bro. Chris continued by telling us that in scripture we are told that when the Lord comes back he's not setting up a kingdom here, but raising the kingdom up to Heaven with him. He went on to speak about how that's not a time of fear, but that the Resurrection is something to look forward to. He also went through the signs that we are told come as we get closer to that time. This morning, Bro. Chris went first and spoke on the qualifications of a deacon, and how if we ordain men to that office that don't fill those qualifications it causes great hardship and problems for the Church. He then said that since those to be ordained to deacon must prove that they meet these standards first, that all of our men should be striving toward this mark, so that if the Church ever has a need they are ready to meet that need. Bro. Michael wrapped up by emphasizing that since the Kingdom is within us, that sometimes we can access it and sometimes we can't, and that requires work. He gave the example that he and Sis. Dana were driving down and had a good spiritual time in the Kingdom of God because they were discussing scripture and dwelling on spiritual things, and then just like that someone cut him off, and he exited the kingdom of God and entered the kingdom of man because he was angry and responded ungodly. This is were we have a work to do, in our daily Christian walk. After lunch Bro. Rob Sumner and Bro. Tommy Green were ordained to the office of a deacon. They were questioned from the articule sof faith, and Gary and I thought they did a great job in presenting scriptures when giving the affirmative. We really think alot of both of these men, and hope and pray that they will be a great blessing to both the Church as deacon and Eld. Tom Green as their pastor.