The Kingdom of God
Luke 17:20-21
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."
So I read a book a few months ago called This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley. He described that Jesus is the KING of the kingdom (see above verse for clue as to where the kingdom might be). The problem is – we don’t want a freakin’ king. Seriously. What part of loving your enemies, feeding the poor or helping an orphan is confusing? So we create rules and standards to keep us from having to do them, usually in the name of not being unequally yoked, or in keeping yourself separate from the world. I know I’m guilty of it (and convicted). I do it in the name of “safety”. What a cop out. It’s because I don’t truly trust him with this verse:
Matt 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
We think we need a little more defense of our doctrine and a little more time to clean up our messes. Then we’re confused as to why things don’t get better.
Matt 13:44-46
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The kingdom is already here – it’s not “somewhere beyond the blue”. It is marching forward with or without our consent, it exists in the dirt of our everyday lives and it’s worth selling everything you have to find.
Rick tells the story in his book of how he started on this journey. He said he and just a few people met in a borrowed basement and prayed honest prayers like this:
“God, I’m not sure I love you”
“God, I don’t love my neighbor. I don’t even like him”
“God, I don’t know if I really care about orphans or others that are suffering”
They weren’t trying to fake anything, just asking God if He would change their hearts because they didn’t give a crap about kingdom stuff. They wanted to care – but were honest enough to admit that they did not.
These are the Christians I never meet. Real people not pretending they’re something they’re not. If you know who they are, please give them my contact information.
By the way…the prayers worked.
Maybe it's because people don't REALLY believe. I mean, come on, if people REALLY believed what the Bible said American churches and the "christians" that attend would be turned upside down on their heads...lets just look at a few instances...
Matthew 5:28
But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
1 John 3:15
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Rom. 7:1-3
1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
And...i apologize in advance for The Message version, but it really just puts it out there so well :)
....continued in next post.
Romans 14
Cultivating Good Relationships
1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.
2-4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
...continued in next post.
5Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
6-9What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
10-12So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:
"As I live and breathe," God says,
"every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
13-14Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I'm convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.
15-16If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don't eat, you're no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don't you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!
17-18God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
19-21So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.
22-23Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.
Larry, don't be discouraged when you don't find them...man will ALWAYS let you down.
Ohh Craig.....Craig....where are you Craig? Aren't you going to blast me for saying the kingdom of God is already here?
Chuck I try not to get discouraged about it. I just know God wanted us to make a difference (thru Him) in this life - right now - this earth - and not wait for the life to come.
Sorry Larry, to wraped up in Walgreens right now.
The real problem continues to be sin, it always was sin and it will always be sin. And some of Christianity is adding to the problem by saying that certain things are OK when they are clearly wrong.
It is true, however, that we are supposed to focus on what is coming and not be wrapped up in this world and all of its cares, etc. 80 years compared to eternity is really small...i.e. 0 - it doesn't really exists, yet it does.
The call is to Deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow Jesus. The warning is that is we are ashamed of Him in this evil life then He will be not be pleased with us in the life to come, and that is a bad thing. Thinking and acting on that should keep us busy until we die.
I try not to worry about those that call themselves Christians and really aren't. There are many of them but that usually takes my focus off of the problems in my life, I will look for opportunities to share the real Gospel with them and see what God sovereignly does though me.
Sure Craig - rub it in. You're buying dinner in Vegas!
Jim - good post about denying yourself and not worrying about those other "Christians". Do you think the Kingdom of God is breaking through now or that it will only come when Christ returns?
To answer the question from 1/2 month ago, I would say that I really don't know. The kingdom of God is within us and the Holy Spirit's work in our life gives us the conviction to follow after God and his commands. This doesn't stop us from sinning but gives us the conviction needed when we do fall. I would tend to believe that this world is all messed up and that the Kingdom of God will come later. Even if that theology is a bit off the commands that we should live by don't change, our attitude should be of Christ, for Christ and with Christ. I think Paul had the best outlook on it when he said, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Do we want to live our lives to the fullest and get as much stuff as possible and use wealth and health to determine our spiritual fitness as some Christians do OR do we side with Job who was very clear who he served after it was all taken away?
Jim - I agree the current state is "all messed up" as you put it but I think that's what Jesus is saying with the yeast working all through the dough. His kingdom is advancing - and it's beautiful but it's not fully "worked through the dough" yet.