Guiding Light!
The Kingdom of God!
What is the Kingdom of God?
The kingdom of God is not a visible, earthly kingdom. The disciples, like most Jews of that day, had the wrong idea of the Messiah's kingdom as predicted by the Old Testament prophets. They thought Jesus would establish an earthly kingdom that would free Israel from Rome's oppression. But Jesus' kingdom is not of this world; it is centered not in palaces and thrones, but in the hearts and lives of his followers. The disciples did not understand this until after Jesus' resurrection.
The kingdom of God is a reality now. The phrase "May your Kingdom come" is a reference to God's spiritual reign. God's kingdom was announced in the covenant with Abraham, is present in Christ's reign in believers' hearts, and will be complete when all evil is destroyed and God establishes the new heaven and earth.
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, `Here it is,' or `There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21
Citizenship in God's kingdom is our most valuable possession. The kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything else we can have, and a person must be willing to give up everything to obtain it. We can live as citizens of the kingdom of heaven today.
But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:31-32
The kingdom of God is the kingship of Christ. Seeking the kingdom of God means making Jesus the Lord and King of your life. He must control every area, your work, play, plans, and relationships. Is the kingdom only one of your many concerns, or is it central to all you do? Are you holding back any areas of your life from God's control? As Lord and Creator, he wants to help provide what you need as well as guide how you use what he provides.
Eternal life will be completely different from this life. Eternal life is God's life embodied in Christ given to all believers now as a guarantee that they will live forever. In eternal life there is no death, sickness, enemy, evil, or sin. When we don't know Christ, we make choices as though this life is all we have. In reality, this life is just the introduction to eternity. Receive this new life by faith and begin to evaluate all that happens from an eternal perspective.
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
With this in mind let all of us make it our goal to please God and to aspire earnestly to do His will. Let your ambition be an eternal one always trying your very best to please God and our Savior Jesus Christ. This is why God gave us the Holy Spirit until Jesus returns, to guide us, to teach us, to comfort us, and to intercede for us in groans and mumblings before God Himself. Always keep the big picture "Eternity" in mind as we walk through this life, striving to do the will of God.
Heavenly Father, we glorify your magnificent name and we will proclaim it in all the corners of the earth. We bow down before you in humble adoration for all you have and will do in our life. We praise you for the promised gift of eternal life for all that have accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We stand in awe of you Father not being able to comprehend a fraction of your greatness, but we accept it as you have given it to us and we look forward to the day we will see you face to face. Thank you Father for your gift of your son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as we seek to please you in all that we do. We love you Daddy!....in Jesus name we pray..amen
In Christ's Service,
Kenny Millhouse
kenny@guidinglightministry.com
http://guidinglightminstry.com
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