Our mission: Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done …..on earth as it is in heaven

The Kingdom of God is at the heart of Christianity; the goal and mission of Christians. The question “What is the Kingdom” is central to seekers for God’s highest purpose and pleasure. 

“Seek first his kingdom and righteousness”
Matt 6:33 

God compares his treasure to a pearl, a full net, and a harvest at the end of this age.  The King’s dominion (Kingdom) is when God’s rule, or sovereignty is established. Where is the Kingdom?  George Ladd explores this question with passion in “The Gospel of the Kingdom”.  What follows is a summary of insights of the book that show the Kingdom of heaven is coming, AND has come already.  The bible is used to explain it may not be what you think. 

I expect most people to stop reading before they get here. 

Life is too busy, and they are doing pretty good with God right now.  I don’t write this for you.  I write this to remind me of who I am, where I am going, and how we can get there. 
 
The Age to come
Once we thought heaven was simply a “place” far away in spiritual realms, in the sky.  And honestly, don’t most believers look to a future time; an inheritance when Christ Returns? The scriptures say “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:24).  “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father” (Matt 13:43). In fact, Jesus told us “many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”  Matt 8:11

Early in the book, the end times are laid out simply as “The age to come”  (described most completely in the book of Revelation),  the time ushered in by the first resurrection of the dead, only to be consummated by a 2nd resurrection after the millennial Kingdom. So, despite the rule of Christ and the saints during this 1000-year Kingdom, the power of death and sin will not be completely destroyed until after the millennial Kingdom is over.



Unfortunately, here is where most of the rest of you readers drop out...thinking all this Kingdom stuff is so far out that we just drop back, do the best we can, and wait.  Too bad!  Bear with us just a moment.  Let's lower unbiblical expectations about the “perfect” Christian Life. Not all problems we face will be resolved in this age (or even the millennial Kingdom).

Yet there is comfort in knowing that there is a kingdom on the way, and more importantly, that God has not abandoned us.  God is on a different schedule, and a different plan.  Don’t get caught waiting, for something that is already here.

Get ready to ride!   

The Kingdom is Today:
Christ gave himself that he might deliver us from this present evil age. (Gal 1:4)  This age is a time before that final deliverance, sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, envying murder, drunkenness etc. Those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  (Gal 1:19-21)  Gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were objects of wrath Eph. 2:3. But we will move into the kingdom “entering it violently” Luke 11:52,   “driving out demons” Matt 12:28.

Now we see the Kingdom as within, the personal “inner man”: The kingdom of God is a matter of ....

1. righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 12:17). 
2. We have been  “ delivered from the kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of His beloved son” Col 1:13.
3. Look neither here nor there for the Kingdom of God is within you  Luke 17:20-21.
4. Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.  (Mark 10:13)
5. "My Kingdom is not of this world."  Jn 18:36.

The Mystery of the Kingdom
“Blessed is he who takes no offense at me”. How could the Kingdom of God be here while sin and sinful institutions still existed?  Instead of destroying the human will, he attacked the sovereignty of satan.  The Kingdom does come with power, but only to those who receive it from a willing heart and a submissive will.  That is why there is nothing we can due to add to the potency of the seed, though we can soften our hearts, and choke it out with the pleasures of life.

The Life of the Kingdom:
The key idea here is that the future has already begun…, the Holy Spirit is in us as a down payment. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you" Jn 17:3.  Knowing God involves responding to him, not just intellectually knowing about Him.  The Kingdom of God has come unto you, as he has placed his seal upon you, the seal of ownership , his Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor 1:22, the first-fruits of the Spirit (Rom 8:22-23).  Ladd reminds us this is more that a bible promise, it is an experience, a reality, a possession. 

The Righteousness of the Kingdom
Forgiveness is the ultimate act of love.  You know that, right?  It is a reflection of a man’s heart, because  it is not really the outward behavior that God is most concerned with, but the innermost thoughts and disposition of a man. What you are is more important than what you do. There is an imperative for a pure heart, free from the  motive of personal vindication, revenge, legitimate rights and selfish concerns.  Love is not merely an emotion; it is a concern in action.  Forgiveness can only be an act of love, and we can only really forgive in response to being forgiven by God, and we are called to it (Matt 6:12).  This is HUGE!!

The Demand of the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God will come in power, though it has already come to do its work in secret.  Having tasted the powers of the age to come, how do we enter in?  Here is the "ouch" part for me personally…we must repent.  Some people go through life vacillating, wavering, unsure of themselves,  never able to say a distinct Yes or No.  These are people who never accomplish anything worthwhile for themselves or their fellow men, but who dissipate life and energy in inner conflict and indecision.   The Kingdom of God demands immediate urgent decision, like the rich young ruler, sell all you have and follow me.  David found his strength in “Him who strengthens me”.  We have to take up our cross, and crucify our desires for Christ to be Lord, for power and victory in LIFE. 

The Kingdom, Israel and the Church
Eclessia…the Body of the Church of Christ; "A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" 1 Pet 2:9.  Here is where the work of Christ is done, “violently” overthrowing demonic strongholds.  This is the purpose of the church, (Rev. 5:9-10), to reign on earth.  Men cannot build the kingdom, but God works in the world through the church to proclaim the kingdom, those who hear can chose to accept or reject it.  The redeemed are part of a kingdom because they will reign on earth.  The church is the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Mat 5:13-16). 

When will the Kingdom Come?
Our mission, the mission of the Gospel of the Kingdom,  is to hasten the coming of the Day of God (Pet 3:12)  The gospel of the Kingdom is the announcement of what God HAS done and WILL do: 

1. He has broken the power of death
2. He has defeated satan, and as a result,
3. He has overthrown the rule of sin. 

God has a reason for you and me, a purpose; to tell the message and so accomplish the mission, to set the captives free. Is our purpose merely to progress; or to run in cycles of advance and retreat?  Let us set aside our petty vision of insignificance and accept the bold purpose for which we were made: The Kingdom.

Is there a different way?

Turkey Run: Band of Brothers

Do you have questions?

Much of my life is a response to questions.  This past weekend, a few brothers and I tried to answer some questions, and get to learn each other's story along the way. Where are you?  Where are you going, and what stands in the way?

One of the questions that go the biggest response was around "How do you keep score?  And should you?"  One famous study from Yale in 1953 said that the 3% of Yale graduates
who had written goals had more wealth years later than the other 97% of
the class combined. As we looked at this from a spiritual perspective, the response was a delightful picture by Micheal Dean and a discussion around how critical that the real measure of success is only about being pointed toward, and moving toward God, and his desire for us.

          

Danger, battle, fellowship. It's all part of our journey, and we share it together as we learn each other stories.  We talked about our shame, about the lies we are prone to believe, about the hope we have been given, and not being the "weak link in the chain".  We read from Daniel 2 about the statue of gold, silver and clay, and about how the "treasure" of human design will be and should be completely destroyed by a rock that becomes a mountain, an everlasting Kingdom.  We saw a huge pile of nicely split firewood at the bottom of a creek, clearly a huge effort totally washed away by the water.  What a reminder.
 

I heard my own story, listening to others; deceived by pride I cannot diagnose, by loneliness, fear of man, reliance on the intellect, substance abuse.  We heard how we have allowed the heart to grow cold for lack of response to God, not turning to him and seeing suffering as a training program, and a failure to invest in real treasure so to lead the heart.   During the short time together, we learned to trust each other, as each one served in a special way; providing a plan, bringing the food, clearing the trash, or bringing a song.  The guitar music played into the night as we told our stories, each man careful to listen as if it was his own, because in a sense, it was.

As we were hiking John reminded me of his job as a roofer, "be careful where you place your foot, it could be your last step".  We saw the trees bend toward the light in most un-natural ways, and a tree that refused to  die, even though it had been uprooted.  Once in the water, we worked as teams to navigate the river.  Though the tiny kayak was faster, and easier to navigate, somehow the company of being in a canoe was more memorable, and rewarding.

Listen to the Songs
http://www.divshare.com/playlist/561627-b56

See the Pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/bluebird1996/TurkeyRunBandOfBrosSummer2009?feat=directlink

Read the Questions
http://www.divshare.com/direct/7657180-043.pdf


"You awake to find yourself in the midst of a great and terrible war. It is, in fact, our most desperate
hour. Your King and dearest Friend calls you forth. Awake, come fully alive, your good heart set free and blazing for him and for those yet to be rescued. You have a glory that is needed. You are given a quest, a mission that will take you deep into the heart of the kingdom of darkness, to break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron so that your people might be set free from their bleak prisons. He asks that you heal them. Of course, you will face many dangers; you will be hunted.

Would you try and do this alone?

Something stronger than fate has chosen you. Evil will hunt you. And so a fellowship must protect you. Honestly, though he is a very brave and true hobbit, Frodo hasn’t a chance without Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. He has no real idea what dangers and trials lie ahead."
                                            Waking the Dead, John Elderidge

Wisdom: Save the Living Baby

[Solomon] The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.' "

Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."

1 Kings 3:23-24

I nearly cried as I read this morning, because in the passage above we see a woman surrender her child TO AN ENEMY, because she loved her baby.  She knew in her "heart-of-hearts" that demanding her right would only result in the death of the one she loved most.  Surrender was the only way.

This story, above all others, is the one that God uses to demonstrate the wisdom of Solomon, wisdom he requested so that he could rule God's people.  This wisdom divides between soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12), a old testament picture of the active, living Word of God. The soul said "my right", while the spirit inside said "save the baby".  This was wisdom that pleased God then, and pleases God now. Specific, painful at times....necessary. Today I saw the truth, and the truth set me free.

This one is personal. What are YOU protecting, that God is asking you to surrender?