The Kingdom Way: Remember, Obey, Love

Weekday Posts
Written By Dean Collins

By Dean Collins

Review, remember, and relentlessly follow. That is the essence of much of the final instructions of Moses before the Israelites would enter the long-awaited promised land.  

Review all the things God has done over the last 40 years. Remember the ways God has provided and all of the ways they failed to follow, yet God still kept his promises. And now as they move into their new land, they are to relentlessly keep God’s commands and watch how God blesses, protects, and provides! As Israel follows God, then everyone will see and know that God is truly the Lord of all.

Matthew is a wonderful gospel to read while reading Deuteronomy. There are many comparisons to Moses and Jesus. Matthew wrote to and for a primarily Jewish audience, so there are many hints in his gospel that his listener would pick up on that may not be apparent to a Gentile audience.

In Matthew 5 we read the Sermon on the Mount, which describes how God is bringing about his new kingdom. This kingdom introduces a counterculture to how earthly kingdoms function. In the Beatitudes we see the character of God’s new kingdom and how its impact will reveal the light of God amidst the darkness of earthly kingdoms.

 What Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount is counter to the culture of the world but not counter to God’s grand plan nor counter to what he has always told his children. All the way back to Deuteronomy, Moses spoke these words:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”

When you read the Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, you see that in the kingdom of God we are called to love in the same way that Moses taught the Israelites. Jesus said that we should love everyone, even our enemies. We live in a time of great division in our country and around the world. Now more than ever we must love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and all our might, and we must love others the very way that Jesus loves us. 

Father, your word is clear that we are to love everyone. Forgive us when we have intentionally and unintentionally shunned others. Forgive us when we have failed to love. We ask that your Holy Spirit correct us and fill us that we might love others fully and sacrificially. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 5:3-16, 43-48 ESV

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Dean Collins

Pastor, campus minister, counselor, corporate employee, Fortune 500 consultant, college president—Dean brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives to his daily walk with God’s Word. 

In 1979 he founded Auburn Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational campus ministry that still thrives today. In 1989 he founded and became executive director for New Directions Counseling Center, a service that grew to include several locations and counselors. In 1996 he became vice president of human resources for the CheckFree Corporation (3,000 employees) till founding DC Consulting in 1999. He continues part-time service with that company, offering executive leadership coaching, organizational effectiveness advice, and help with optimizing business relationships.

His latest pursuit, president of Point University since 2006 (interim president 2006-2009), has seen the college grow in enrollment, curriculum, physical campus, and athletic offerings. He led the school’s 2012 name change and relocation from Atlanta Christian College, East Point, Georgia, to Point University in West Point, Georgia. Meanwhile, he serves as board member or active volunteer with several nonprofits addressing issues ranging from global immunization to local government and education. 

He lives in Lanett, Alabama, with his wife, Penny. He has four children (two married) and five grandchildren. He plays the guitar, likes to cook, and enjoys getting outdoors, often on a nearby golf course. 

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Blessing Follows Obedience