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93 pages

English

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Kevin West faces himself and the consequences of drifting from his faith. Knowing that his misdeed at work will ultimately lead to imprisonment, he can only cry out to God. Adjusting in his shift from bank vice president to managing a grocery store, he awaits the consequences; he meets a stranger who begins to unlock the mystery of Christ's words: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	First Edition Design Publishing
Date de parution	23 avril 2012
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781937520946
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0480€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Living A
Transformed Life

Kevin West
With J. F. Edwards
What Readers are Saying About Living a Transformed Life

Pastor Kevin West’s ministry is replete with revelation knowledge. Revelation knowledge is divine thought translated to the finite mind; a knowledge that confronts and exceeds conventional wisdom. So as you read his book, the revelatory words will stir you, energize you and motivate you beyond the mundane to the meaningful; a life worth living.

Chuck Lawrence
Senior Pastor
Christ Temple Church

Pastor Kevin West, in this easy to read volume, powerfully and practically presents the essence of God’s mission in history, i. e., transformation! The love and the purpose of God are expressed when transformation is realized in your life, your family, your church, and in our contemporary culture. This metamorphosis (as seen in the caterpillar becoming a butterfly) pictures God’s desire to bring a beauty and quality of life that is more glorious than anyone can imagine. This book will change your life and transform your world.

Jim Hodges
Founder and President
Federation of Ministers and Churches, International

Pastor Kevin West is a gifted, insightful man of God with a unique anointing to see past the surface of an issue, deep into the heart of the thing. His grasp of the concepts of Kingdom living, radical grace and his love of people make him a treasure to the Body of Christ. I’m proud to say he’s my pastor, my confidant and my friend.

Rod Davis
Founder and Director
Kingdom Business Network
Copyright © 2012 by Kevin West

ISBN 978-1-937520-94-6
Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design eBook Publishing
April 2012
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form whatsoever — including electronic, photocopy, recording — without prior written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. KJV. Public Domain.

First Edition (PRINT)

Published by
New Book Publishing, a division of Reliance Media, Inc.
2395 Apopka Blvd., #200, Apopka, FL 32703
NewBookPublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America
Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to my wonderful wife, Leesa, and to my precious children, Lauren, Lindsey, Lakyn, Kaiden, and granddaughter, Braylie. Also, a special thank you to my parents Paul and Pat West, and my sister and brother-n-law Karen and Rob Arthur.
Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

-PART I
What Did Jesus Mean?
Meeting a Mysterious Stranger Named Don
-1 It’s Here, It’s Now
-2 Mind-set Matters
-3 God Wants You to Live in Victory

-PART II
Who Am I Really?
Discovering Don’s Past
-4 Understand You Are a Child in God’s Family
-5 God Inspires and Initiates

-PART III
What Do I Choose?
Watching Don Change
-6 Growing Up and Maturing Is a Personal Choice
-7 Select Friends Wisely

-PART IV
What Is My Purpose?
Watching Me Change
-8 Know that You Are Given Authority
-9 Change Happens
-10 Know the Purpose of God’s Anointing Upon Your Life

Hearing from My Friend
Selected Scripture References
About the Author
Acknowledgments

The crafting of this book has been a five-year journey in the making. I originally began writing this book in July 2006; however, all the pieces didn’t come together until March 2011.
I want to especially thank my precious wife, Leesa, for her love and steadfastness. She, along with our daughters, Lauren, Lindsey, Lakyn, and son, Kaiden, have stood with me, sacrificed, and sown me into the ministry.
I wish to thank my parents, Paul and Pat West, and my sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Robin Arthur, for their loving support and encouragement.
I am thankful to Pastor Chuck and Jamie Lawrence for their dedication to our Lord and for embracing my family when we first came to Christ Temple Church.
A special thanks to J.F. Edwards for helping me capture the essence of the revelation and story line.
Introduction

Jesus said something very curious when He first began his ministry. After being tempted in the wilderness and then entering Capernaum, He said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). From that point in time until His crucifixion, He said this over and over.
When the people of Capernaum experienced numerous healings and begged Jesus to stay, He told them He had to “preach the kingdom of God to other cities also” (Luke 4:42-44).
He spent many hours conveying the kingdom to people through parables. He compared it to a man sowing good seed in the ground (Matt. 13:24-30). He said the kingdom was like the tiny mustard seed growing large enough to house birds in her branches (Matt. 13:31-32). He also referred to it as being like leaven in bread (Matt. 13:33).
The kingdom of God is mentioned more than a hundred times in the New Testament and it is the central theme of Jesus’ messages recorded in the gospels. What was Christ trying to tell us? Why did He teach more on this subject than even the cross?
Clearly, the Lord didn’t come to earth only to purchase our salvation. His purpose extended far beyond this. God became man to live among us to initiate something greater than our finite minds can comprehend.
Jesus came to restore our relationship with Him and reestablish our dominion on this earth He had given to Adam. This is more than cleansing our sins. It is the returning to each of us all that we are meant to be. From here begins our intimate journey with Christ. This is what God planned long before He spoke the earth and stars and all that is living into existence. As we understand this truth we will not only experience the abundant life but also look with greater anticipation “for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Every Christian desires a meaningful and victorious life. We want to experience what we read in Psalm 1, where it describes the way the Lord intimately knows the way of the righteous and prospers all his pursuits. Moreover, at the end of our life we want to hear Jesus say we were good and faithful servants. Yet, few of us ever understand how to obtain this. We flounder about, unfaithful to our calling and never find contentment.
For some years now I have asked the Lord to show me what it would mean to live in the kingdom of heaven. After all, Jesus said that it was in our midst, and yet most people feel defeated, never living out all that Jesus said was possible. This book represents what God gave me in answer to my prayer. I pray now that God will enlighten this generation to all that He means by the kingdom of heaven being at hand. Then we will understand why Jesus compared the kingdom to a treasure hidden in a field. In this parable, when a man first discovers the treasure, he joyfully sells all that he owns so that he may obtain it (Matt. 13:44).
PART I - What Did Jesus Mean?
Meeting a Mysterious Stranger Named Don

Late one night in January 1997, I was still working at my computer when I was startled by my wife, Leesa, standing in the doorway. With one arm around our oldest daughter and holding our youngest girl on her hip, she stood silently studying me. I could tell she was upset.
“ What is it? I asked.
“ We just came down to give you a good night kiss.”
I waited for her to bring the girls closer but she didn’t move.
“ We don’t even know who you are anymore,” she said. She then turned and left the room with our daughters.
Her words cut right through me. I stood and started to follow after her but stopped myself. What could I say to her? I knew she was right. She didn’t know who I was because I didn’t even know.
I was in deep trouble, and she had no idea. I had drifted far from my faith. My pursuit of success had driven me to illegal practices at the bank where I was vice president. I was now facing the possibility of getting caught and going to prison. I didn’t know what I was going to do.
I sat back down at my computer and tried to work but couldn’t. The truth of my wife’s words forced me to examine myself.
I began pacing back and forth from my office to the living room, agonizing over my predicament. I was cornered with absolutely no chance of escape. I felt as if I were suffocating. I had no friend or family member who could help me.
At one point I stood at our bay window to watch the onset of a rainstorm. Harsh winds bent thin saplings almost to the ground and snapped the rotten limbs of some of the older trees. It was as if God were washing everything clean as an example for me. I looked out for a long time, staring at the rain beating against the window, reflecting upon my life.
My mother had raised me to love the Lord. She didn’t just talk about following Christ, but lived it. Somehow she always found out about families in need and bought extra groceries for them. Early on Saturday mornings while my friends watched cartoons in their pajamas, my father would drive me to a home designated by my mother, and I would secretly leave a bag of food on the doorstep.
I just couldn’t bear the thought of telling such a good mother as this about my wrongdoing. Worst of all, however, was having to tell Leesa. She exemplified all that was tender and right in a wife. She was the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31 whose children rise up and call her blessed, and whose husband safely trusts in her. I deeply loved her and my children and knew they deserved much better than what I had become.
That night I remembered my mother once saying to me, “when your back is up against the wall, don’t run from God but run to Him.”
At 1:30 in the morning, having paced and cried for three hours, I called out to Go