Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Considering the Kingdom of God in This Age

Considering the Kingdom of God in This Age
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Biblical prophecies usually have at least three occurrences of fulfillment:  the first for the time in which it was given, the second in the Church age and the third in the end times.  Such is true when considering the prophecies about the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom does not always refer to the Millennial Reign of Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Jesus preached about the Kingdom in His time which includes the Church Age.   Mark 1:14-15: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." 

Our Lord taught His disciples to pray for the Kingdom.  Matthew 6:10: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Our prayer is to be for the Kingdom of God to come so that His desires will be accomplished on earth as they are in heaven.  

The prayer continues as we agree that blessings will come when we walk in His will:  our daily needs will be provided; we will be forgiving and forgiven; we will be led away from temptation and evil.  In the Kingdom today, that is the reign of Christ in our individual hearts and lives, we acknowledge that He is King, that He is omnipotent and glorious.

The Kingdom of God during the Church Age is all about our relationship with our King.

In Romans 14:17, Paul wrote: “for the Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Therefore, the Kingdom of God is not about material, finite things.  The Kingdom of God is about spiritual, eternal truths that we are blessed to walk in every day and throughout all of eternity.

The Kingdom of God allows us to be more than overcomers in this life.  Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit transcend the trials and tribulations of this world and lift us above the commonplace and into His glory. 

However, when we choose to continue in sin, when we refuse to follow Jesus as our King, we cannot experience the righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit while we are in  this world nor will we be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God in the End Times when the Lamb opens the Book of Life.

Choose, today, to walk out of sin with its despair and fear and into His Kingdom.


Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Helen H. Lemmel

O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free:

Turn you eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

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