Posts tagged ‘Kingdom’

Jesus, in Matthew 6:10, has told us to pray for the Father’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in earth just as it is done in heaven.

I believe that we should do this.  I also think that we must know that, in praying for these two things to be brought to pass, that there is a price that we will pay in participating in these two things.

For Father’s kingdom to come in this earth is not just about the physical earth. I believe that the “earth” that is first meant is us. We individually and corporately are earth. Adam was made of the dust of the earth and so are we.

The kingdom or the “rule of God” must first be established in our lives. We must choose to be under the rule of God and partake of all that this means.

When we were born-again we were,

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: ¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:12-13)

We are in the kingdom by the “new birth” but we must begin to live by kingdom principles. Jesus was speaking of this when HE said,

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)

Another word or term for LORD is king.

So it seems to me that if we call Him our Lord we are also calling Him our king. Since He is King then His word is law. My question is:  Do we live like this? Are we doing the things He says to do? We may be in the kingdom but we must live by kingdom principles and precepts or, in other words, do what He says.

There is a cost or a price to pay to live according to His Word in our daily lives. We have to determine that whatever that price is we are willing to pay it. Listen to what Apostle Paul has to say in regard to this:

and when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, ²² Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21-22)

He knew of which he spoke for in verse 19 of this same chapter we read that Paul was stoned and left for dead for what he had said and done. Is this something that we might expect? This, at this time, may seem to be extreme. However it is possible for this to happen today if you, on purpose, are placing His word above everything else in this life.

The price that we are more apt to have to pay at this time would be the loss of friendship with some or perhaps the separation of families.

The word that Apostle Paul uses in Acts 14:22 that is translated “tribulation” means stress, strain, trouble and testing.

So we must realize that to pray for the will of our Father to be done in our lives and to pray that His rule in our lives would be made manifest, we must know that there will be strain, stress and opposition.

Then as we go further into Matthew 6 we see this:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

We see that Our King says to “seek first” His rule, realm, domain and dominion. The first priority of our life is to seek to be under His rule, in His realm and under His authority.

Our problem is we want the things that this will produce in our lives but we in most cases do not know or understand that there is a price to pay in seeking first His kingdom.

There is a picture of all of this in the following verses:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, each one a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1-2)

In the same way we have a similar statement in New Testament by Jesus:

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give (offer-show) you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

There was and is a kingdom given but there is a price to pay; battles to be won.

We find that when the spies went into the land they found that it was a good land; the fruit of it was good but there were giants in the land and there were walled cities. They became fearful and intimidated and, in turn, discouraged the hearts of all the people.

The people of Israel wanted the Promised Land but their thinking was that it would be given to them without any effort on their part. When they saw that there was a price they had to pay by driving out the residents of the land they were fearful and discouraged.

The church has first of all thought that the Promised Land was getting to go to heaven. This is a mistake because there are no giants in heaven; neither are there walled cities there that must be defeated.

The Promised Land is a picture of the Kingdom of God that Jesus told us to seek first.

We must understand that the Kingdom of God is here in the earth and that it is occupied by and controlled by an “alien being” that must be driven out. Apostle Paul said it this way:

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: ⁴ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2Corinthians 4:3-4)

The “god of this world” is the same being that lied to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He deceived them into giving to him the dominion that the LORD GOD had given them.

The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is not about us going to heaven. In reality the “good news” is that the Kingdom has been restored to us in Jesus Christ. The dominion that Almighty God gave to Adam in Genesis 1:26 has been restored.

Where the problem comes in is what Paul told us:

And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, ²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21-22)

Jesus made the way for us to become “sons of God” through the new birth. In the new birth we can see the kingdom and we are made able to enter it.

We, as “born again” sons of God, must be willing to learn His word, His will and His way and begin to occupy the land by driving out the former inhabitants. We do this by listening to Jesus’ voice; allowing Him to renew our minds through His word and by doing His Word in our daily lives; not just at church.

Then, what is Father’s desire will be fully accomplished:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

Father desires a Kingdom of sons who are conformed to the very image of Jesus, our Lord.

If we believe the Kingdom has been given to us, we must know the reality of what it takes to possess the land, not allowing discouragement to get on us or in us lest we negatively affect the lives of those following after us!

We must give a good report of the land and not our opinions. It is a good land. There are giants in the land, but the Lord is with us and we are well able to posses the land.

This is what I think:

If we get caught up in fighting for what is right and for our rights will it be a God thing or a good thing?

We have been told that “right is might” but is it really? Is this speaking of what is the “rights of man” or what we as men perceive to be the right way to live.

Or do we, when we say “right is might,” refer to the “rights of our LORD.”  Are we referring to what HE says is the right way to live?

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

This is speaking of being and doing what the LORD says is right. Even if it means losing my rights as I see them.

Am I willing to deny myself what I call my rights so as to have HIS righteousness working in my life; to allow HIM to have HIS rights and HIS way in me and with me?

Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him

If in fighting for what is right will I expend more energy in that fight than I do in living and preaching the Kingdom?

Having what I perceive to be my rights may be a great thing but is it not greater for the LORD to have HIS rights worked out in my life? Where do I draw the line at fighting for my rights and living in the Kingdom of God, allowing HIM to have HIS rights worked out in my life? The question is, am I abandoned to the LORD?

Where did Jesus fight against evil other than by doing what He saw His Father doing or saying what HE heard His Father say?

1Peter 2:19-23 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God  ²¹ For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps  ²² Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³ Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

1Peter 3:10-15 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: ¹¹ Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. ¹² For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. ¹³ And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? ¹⁴ But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; ¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

1Peter 4:1-2  Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

Jesus had rights that were denied to HIM. The trial and the crucifixion were illegal, even by the Jew’s own law. But HE did not fight against them.

Will we follow the LORD and do what HE says even when we know that it will lead to our being denied what we call our rights?  Will we spend time and effort fighting to make things right or will we spend the time and effort to preach, teach and live the Kingdom and let the chips fall where they may?

Will we be willing and able as Peter and John to stand even when our freedom to live as we see fit is questioned and even possibly taken because of our obedience to the Word of the LORD? Will we fight for our rights or just obey the leading of the Holy Spirit? See the following verses.

Acts 4:1-20  And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, ² Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. ⁴ Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. ⁵ And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, ⁶ And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. ₇ And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?  ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, ⁹ If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; ¹⁰ Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. ¹² Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. ¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶ Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. ¹⁸ And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. ²⁰ For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

I am not afraid of a fight but I am fearful of missing my objective of the Kingdom by climbing the mountain from the wrong side.