May Your Kingdom Come...
“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be find by you... “ (1 Chron. 28:8b-9a).
The Kingdom of God Must Be Sought With Ones Whole Heart
Dallas Willard writes that one day, the “kingdom will be completely fulfilled here on earth, where, in fact it is already present (see Luke 17:21) and available to those who seek it with all their heart (see Matthew 6:33; 11:12, Luke 16:16). For those who seek it, it is true even now that all things work together for good and nothing can cut them off from God's inseparable love and effective care (see Romans 8:28, 35-39).1
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” As Commentary notes, “To seek … the kingdom of God and His righteousness means to desire God’s righteous rule on this earth.”2
Dallas notes that the vision that underlies spiritual transformation into Christlikeness is one of partaking in the divine nature and “participating by our actions in what God is doing now in our lifetime on earth (2 Peter 1:4, 1 John 3:1-2).”
One must be willing to lay down their own interests and desire only the will of God. We enter into the Kingdom through brokenness over our own sin and realizing our need for the kingdom of God in our lives. Jesus says in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” As Dave Johnson notes about this passage, “The only ones who will be able to enter and enjoy God's kingdom will be those who understand their inability to save themselves and their great need for grace.”3
I often pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).” But sometimes, what I really mean by it is that God would make his kingdom look like what I would have it to be and bring it forth. What I would really like is everything to go in a way that seems best for me. Sometimes, what I am really saying in my heart is 'Let MY kingdom come and MY will be done.' Then I miss seeing the Kingdom of God in my midst because I am too busy looking for what will benefit me.
The Pharisees had expected the kingdom to come in their own way. They expected that when the kingdom of God came, they would overthrow the Romans. Instead, Jesus told them if anyone asks you to go one mile with him, walk with him two (Matthew 5:41). Because the Pharisees were intent on their own will and their own kingdom, they could not see the kingdom of God that was right in front of them.
The Kingdom of God is Growing from Within
Luke 17:20-21, “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.'”
The kingdom of God cannot be achieved by our own self effort. So many times, I try to accomplish the will of God in my own strength. It is only when we give up on self effort, realizing we cannot fulfill the kingdom by our own strength and that our only hope is in the Lord that we are ready for kingdom life.4
“But a certain sign of grace is this, from the broken earth flowers come up pushing through the dirt... And so this might could be the most impossible thing your grandness in me making me clean, Glory, hallelujah!” sings in the background.
The kingdom of God comes within (in power) and not by external actions of self-effort. It is like a small seed that grows, ever expanding outwards. Jesus says in Luke 13:18-19, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that man took and sowed in his garden and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nest in its branches.”
It continually is growing inside of us and bearing fruit in our lives, demonstrating its power. Jesus says in Mark 4:26-27, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.”
The Kingdom of God Bears Fruit In Our Lives
“You are my joy, You are my joy, You are my JOY sings in the background.
The kingdom of God brings righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit into our lives (Romans 14:17).
When a teacher of the Law told Jesus in Mark 12:33-34, “"You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Jesus responded to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
The kingdom of God is demonstrated in love. As one article notes, “It exists wherever God's will is at work. And God's will is at work wherever people are faithful to the command that we love one another as God first loved us.
As I wrote a few weeks ago: Filled with the knowledge of the passionate love of Jesus and loving Him deeply in return, we are called to come to know Him through walking as He walked. Jesus was always about His Father's business (Luke 2:49). We walk as He walked when we bring the Kingdom of God to every situation –i.e. loving others.
“He gave us all that He had to give, so that we could truly live, Let's give all that we have to Him, so that we can be completely Free”
As Dave Johnson writes, one characteristic of life in the kingdom is a new desire. He notes, "We are no longer content to just have the life of God in us -we long for that life to flow through us in power to others. We want to be and behave like Jesus."6 As I have came to realize more and more, truly loving others like Jesus can only come through the the Power of the Holy Spirit.
The Kingdom of God Comes in Power
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. The word 'power' here is dunamis, According to the “Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words” it means (a) “power, ability,” physical or moral, as residing in a person or thing; and, (b) “power in action,” as, e.g., when put forth in performing miracles. It is rendered “meaning”; “force” would be more accurate.
Time and time again, Jesus displayed the kingdom of God through works of power among the people. He performed many miracles, signs and wonders.
In John 14:11-14, Jesus tells the disciples, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
As Dave Johnson writes, “Only one thing can make miracles like this happen: service rendered for Christ by the power of of His Spirit.” Service to Christ only happens as we realize we cannot do it in our own strength and “come up hungry for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.”7
The Kingdom of God is Received by Faith
The kingdom of God can only be received by faith in Jesus. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit...whoever believes in him [the Son of Man] may have eternal life.” (John 3:3,6,15).
Here is our king, here is our love. Here is our God who’s come to bring us back to him. He is the one, he is Jesus, Jesus.”
The kingdom of God operates through faith. In Matthew 17:18, Jesus rebuked a demon and called it out of a boy who was epileptic. The disciples had previously tried to cast the demon out and could not so they asked him privately why they could not cast out the demon (verse 19). His response was, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
Despite a lack of sharing God's heart for the people of Nineveh, Jonah had great faith for the kingdom of God to come for them. When Jonah received a word from the Lord to go, warn, and call the people of Nineveh to repent for their evil, he ran away, knowing the people of Nineveh would turn from evil and God would relent of disaster.
The Kingdom is Coming, Has Been, and Is Among Us
“I am waiting for the perfect day” sings in the background.
The kingdom has existed since the foundation of the world, is among us, and is also to come (Matthew 25:34-35). As one article notes,
Even as we yearn for the day of His kingdom to come in full measure, we have the kingdom available to us today. As Dallas Willard writes, "The idea that the kingdom of God is within us, that it is present and available to all who seek it, is one of the most exciting truths of Scripture. Life in this kingdom is possible today as I do mundane things that could bore me, as I work on projects that seem beyond my skills, as I deal with people whose presence reveals my pride or impatience. With this vision of the kingdom, I am released form the earthly shackles and freed to live another kind of life."9
Lord, I long for the day when Your kingdom comes in full measure. I long to see Your glory fully displayed on the earth. But for now, I long to have open eyes to see your kingdom around me in my every day activities and for the freedom and power to live the kingdom life. Please help me to die to every way I desire my own kingdom “So use my life for the glory of your Son” as it sings in the background.
1.Willard, Dallas and Johnson, Jan. Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. NavPress. 2006
2.Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Mt 6:33-34). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
3.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
4.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
5.http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0980.asp
6.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
7.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
7.http://www.wcg.org/lit/gospel/kingdom.htm
8.Willard, Dallas and Johnson, Jan. Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. NavPress. 2006
The Kingdom of God Must Be Sought With Ones Whole Heart
Dallas Willard writes that one day, the “kingdom will be completely fulfilled here on earth, where, in fact it is already present (see Luke 17:21) and available to those who seek it with all their heart (see Matthew 6:33; 11:12, Luke 16:16). For those who seek it, it is true even now that all things work together for good and nothing can cut them off from God's inseparable love and effective care (see Romans 8:28, 35-39).1
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” As Commentary notes, “To seek … the kingdom of God and His righteousness means to desire God’s righteous rule on this earth.”2
Dallas notes that the vision that underlies spiritual transformation into Christlikeness is one of partaking in the divine nature and “participating by our actions in what God is doing now in our lifetime on earth (2 Peter 1:4, 1 John 3:1-2).”
One must be willing to lay down their own interests and desire only the will of God. We enter into the Kingdom through brokenness over our own sin and realizing our need for the kingdom of God in our lives. Jesus says in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” As Dave Johnson notes about this passage, “The only ones who will be able to enter and enjoy God's kingdom will be those who understand their inability to save themselves and their great need for grace.”3
I often pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).” But sometimes, what I really mean by it is that God would make his kingdom look like what I would have it to be and bring it forth. What I would really like is everything to go in a way that seems best for me. Sometimes, what I am really saying in my heart is 'Let MY kingdom come and MY will be done.' Then I miss seeing the Kingdom of God in my midst because I am too busy looking for what will benefit me.
The Pharisees had expected the kingdom to come in their own way. They expected that when the kingdom of God came, they would overthrow the Romans. Instead, Jesus told them if anyone asks you to go one mile with him, walk with him two (Matthew 5:41). Because the Pharisees were intent on their own will and their own kingdom, they could not see the kingdom of God that was right in front of them.
The Kingdom of God is Growing from Within
Luke 17:20-21, “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.'”
The kingdom of God cannot be achieved by our own self effort. So many times, I try to accomplish the will of God in my own strength. It is only when we give up on self effort, realizing we cannot fulfill the kingdom by our own strength and that our only hope is in the Lord that we are ready for kingdom life.4
“But a certain sign of grace is this, from the broken earth flowers come up pushing through the dirt... And so this might could be the most impossible thing your grandness in me making me clean, Glory, hallelujah!” sings in the background.
The kingdom of God comes within (in power) and not by external actions of self-effort. It is like a small seed that grows, ever expanding outwards. Jesus says in Luke 13:18-19, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that man took and sowed in his garden and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nest in its branches.”
It continually is growing inside of us and bearing fruit in our lives, demonstrating its power. Jesus says in Mark 4:26-27, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.”
The Kingdom of God Bears Fruit In Our Lives
“You are my joy, You are my joy, You are my JOY sings in the background.
The kingdom of God brings righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit into our lives (Romans 14:17).
When a teacher of the Law told Jesus in Mark 12:33-34, “"You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Jesus responded to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
The kingdom of God is demonstrated in love. As one article notes, “It exists wherever God's will is at work. And God's will is at work wherever people are faithful to the command that we love one another as God first loved us.
He writes, “But we know that we can only love when God, who is Love, is present to us. One "who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him" (1 John 4:16). The God of Love empowers us to love. Therefore, the Kingdom of God is present whenever God's power is making love, reconciliation and healing possible.”...
Whenever people love one another, forgive one another, bear one another's burdens, work to build up a just and peaceful community—wherever people are of humble heart, open to their Creator and serving their neighbor—God's redemptive and liberating presence is being manifested. God's Kingdom and loving rule is in operation there.5
As I wrote a few weeks ago: Filled with the knowledge of the passionate love of Jesus and loving Him deeply in return, we are called to come to know Him through walking as He walked. Jesus was always about His Father's business (Luke 2:49). We walk as He walked when we bring the Kingdom of God to every situation –i.e. loving others.
“He gave us all that He had to give, so that we could truly live, Let's give all that we have to Him, so that we can be completely Free”
As Dave Johnson writes, one characteristic of life in the kingdom is a new desire. He notes, "We are no longer content to just have the life of God in us -we long for that life to flow through us in power to others. We want to be and behave like Jesus."6 As I have came to realize more and more, truly loving others like Jesus can only come through the the Power of the Holy Spirit.
The Kingdom of God Comes in Power
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. The word 'power' here is dunamis, According to the “Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words” it means (a) “power, ability,” physical or moral, as residing in a person or thing; and, (b) “power in action,” as, e.g., when put forth in performing miracles. It is rendered “meaning”; “force” would be more accurate.
Time and time again, Jesus displayed the kingdom of God through works of power among the people. He performed many miracles, signs and wonders.
In John 14:11-14, Jesus tells the disciples, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
As Dave Johnson writes, “Only one thing can make miracles like this happen: service rendered for Christ by the power of of His Spirit.” Service to Christ only happens as we realize we cannot do it in our own strength and “come up hungry for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.”7
The Kingdom of God is Received by Faith
The kingdom of God can only be received by faith in Jesus. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit...whoever believes in him [the Son of Man] may have eternal life.” (John 3:3,6,15).
Here is our king, here is our love. Here is our God who’s come to bring us back to him. He is the one, he is Jesus, Jesus.”
The kingdom of God operates through faith. In Matthew 17:18, Jesus rebuked a demon and called it out of a boy who was epileptic. The disciples had previously tried to cast the demon out and could not so they asked him privately why they could not cast out the demon (verse 19). His response was, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
Despite a lack of sharing God's heart for the people of Nineveh, Jonah had great faith for the kingdom of God to come for them. When Jonah received a word from the Lord to go, warn, and call the people of Nineveh to repent for their evil, he ran away, knowing the people of Nineveh would turn from evil and God would relent of disaster.
The Kingdom is Coming, Has Been, and Is Among Us
“I am waiting for the perfect day” sings in the background.
The kingdom has existed since the foundation of the world, is among us, and is also to come (Matthew 25:34-35). As one article notes,
“No matter how much we try to live in a way that reflects God and his kingdom, we cannot transform this world into God’s kingdom. It must come through dramatic intervention. Apocalyptic events are needed to usher in the new age. Satan must be completely restrained.
Numerous verses tell us that the kingdom of God will be a glorious future reality. We know that Christ is a King, and we yearn for the day he will exercise his power in a great and dramatic way to stop human suffering. The book of Daniel predicts a kingdom of God that will rule the earth (Daniel 2:44, 7:13-14, 22); the New Testament Apocalypse describes its arrival (Revelation 11:15, 19:11-16).”8
Even as we yearn for the day of His kingdom to come in full measure, we have the kingdom available to us today. As Dallas Willard writes, "The idea that the kingdom of God is within us, that it is present and available to all who seek it, is one of the most exciting truths of Scripture. Life in this kingdom is possible today as I do mundane things that could bore me, as I work on projects that seem beyond my skills, as I deal with people whose presence reveals my pride or impatience. With this vision of the kingdom, I am released form the earthly shackles and freed to live another kind of life."9
Lord, I long for the day when Your kingdom comes in full measure. I long to see Your glory fully displayed on the earth. But for now, I long to have open eyes to see your kingdom around me in my every day activities and for the freedom and power to live the kingdom life. Please help me to die to every way I desire my own kingdom “So use my life for the glory of your Son” as it sings in the background.
1.Willard, Dallas and Johnson, Jan. Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. NavPress. 2006
2.Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Mt 6:33-34). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
3.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
4.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
5.http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0980.asp
6.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
7.Johnson, David with Allen, Tom. Joy Comes In the Mourning ...and other blessing in disguise. Christian Publications, Inc. Camp Hill, PA. 1998.
7.http://www.wcg.org/lit/gospel/kingdom.htm
8.Willard, Dallas and Johnson, Jan. Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. NavPress. 2006
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