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Kingdom People

 

There is a very interesting exchange during the conversation between Jesus and Pilate on whether Jesus is really a King. Jesus answers in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, and receive Him as Lord and Savior, we too, become a part of that Kingdom that is “not of this world.” Philippians 3:10, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

If we are Christians and we now know that we are citizens of Heaven, then it is a logical conclusion to not only say that we are citizens, but to live and show proof that we are such citizens. We should not only talk and act like heavenly citizens, but promote the Good News of this “coming Kingdom” so that others may become aware so that they can give their lives to Jesus as well.

The day will soon come that God’s Kingdom will appear. Yes, for centuries, many have hoped and have longed for His kingdom. Many have shouted, endlessly, “Maranatha” which comes from 1 Corinthians 16:22 and is an Aramaic word that means “The Lord is Coming,” or even “Come quickly Lord” and “Our Lord, Come!”

We should long for the arrival of Jesus the Prince of Peace to return to usher in God’s Kingdom. However, in the climate of the world today, we wonder as evil seems to prevail, will the Kingdom ever come? We are justified in asking such a question. I liked what Philip Ryken had to say on this issue. As the President of Wheaton College, he wrote in an Advent devotional “Thy Kingdom Come” the following:

Sometimes it is hard to believe that God’s kingdom will ever come. The world is troubled by poverty, racial and social injustice, war, and illness. The gospel seems to make little progress from one day to the next. The wicked triumph while the righteous go about in chains.

To understand the slow coming of God’s kingdom, it helps to remember that from almost the very beginning, there have really been two kingdoms.

Augustine wrote about them in his great work The City of God—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man. Each of these two kingdoms has its own ruler, its own people, its own desire, and its own destiny.

The line “Your kingdom come” from the Lord’s Prayer reminds us that God’s kingdom is not here yet, at least not in all its fullness. Otherwise, why would we still be praying for it to come?

In one sense, of course, the kingdom has already come because Jesus has come, and he is the King. But his rule has yet to achieve its widest extent. The kingdom of God is a once and future kingdom. It is “already” and “not yet.” It is a kingdom of present grace and future glory.

We are not praying for the kingdom to come into existence, therefore, but to come into dominance.”

We desperately need Christians to awaken to their responsibility to take serious the call to become “Kingdom People.” If the Kingdom of God will come into dominance in this world for the present moment, then its citizens must stand and speak up more boldly in action, love, discipleship and stewardship so they can become aware of such a place.

Many of us here in Minnesota are proud citizens of this State. How do I know? By just looking around at the many banners, flags, stickers, and various styles of apparel that promote Twins baseball, Vikings football, The Wild hockey, the Loons soccer, Minnesota “Gophers” University sports, as well as wildlife and waterways protection license plates and many other “from Minnesota” merchandise. We are proud to let everyone know that we are “Minnesotans.”

How much more should we, as Christians, be at promoting our love for our Savior, our God, and where we will spend eternity (Kingdom of God)? We have a world begging for an answer to all the evil around the globe today. We have the answer because we are Kingdom people!

Let us be spending our days being Kingdom people by heeding God’s call to holiness. Let us seek after justice and discipleship while standing unwavering to our convictions that the Bile is the inspired Word of God. We do so knowing that the Kingdom is for every single person.

We await the promise of God, that we, along with many from around the world, will be a part of fulfilling Revelation 7:9, “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”

Let us represent the Light of Christ to this world. Let us shower our communities with the Love of God. Let us proclaim the Good News and make disciples. Let us vow to, once again, live like we really are citizens of Heaven….that we are Kingdom People.

 

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