Webster’s definition of the word kingdom is a government or country headed by a king. The first kingdom was created and established in heaven, and God was the king over it. It was His plan to extend His invisible kingdom to a visible kingdom by creating the earth and giving man dominion over it. We see this plan unfolded in Genesis 1 & 2. In Genesis 3, a man committed treason and lost his ability to rule the earth; however, dominion was given back to men with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This opportunity is available for all men to take their rightful place on earth once again, but it is a choice that each individual must make. Each one must decide, is it worth the cost?
While in conversation with His disciples, Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-26, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” His words implied that following Him was doable but not easy; it entailed self-denial, a surrendering of personal ambitions and possible fame. Man had to decide what mattered most in his life the pleasures of this world or eternal life. Man had to decide if his salvation was worth the cost.
In Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus shares these two similar parables, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” In both of these parables, the right decision was made. In the first parable, a man unexpectedly finds a valuable treasure that belonged to someone else; however, perceiving its’ worth, he willingly sold his possessions to secure ownership of the treasure. In the second parable, a man was on a quest to find a costly gem, and when he did, he too sold all of his possessions to obtain it. Both of these men realized what they wanted was greater than what they had, for gaining the kingdom of heaven to which these two parables referenced, was their ultimate goal.
As seen above, everyone’s path to salvation and entrance into the kingdom of heaven varies, but all must pay a cost. On today, I pray God will give you the desire and strength to do whatever is necessary to make it in, for it is worth the cost.
Whenever you purchase a product, it usually comes with a leaflet or handbook which contains a warranty and instructions from the manufacturer. These instructions are for you, the consumer to use so that you will have the maximum success. The manufacturer understands if the consumer follows the guidelines, they will be pleased with the product and possibly share their pleasure of the product with others.
The manufacturer does not know you personally, so they are not invested in you; they are invested in their name. It is their name that is on the line; therefore, the product must succeed for its’ namesake. The consumer’s success is vital for the expansion of the company; hence, the manufacturer will go to all lengths to protect their reputation and make the consumer happy. They will give you a warranty and even provide free return shipping if the product is defects.
God, the creator, is our manufacturer, and He made us to succeed. In Genesis 1, we are told the man was made in the image and likeness of God. Men have God’s essence, traits, and character. Men were made to dominate and influence. Men were given the freedom of choice with the ability to make the right one, and if the man needed help with choosing God gave man His Word. God’s Word is man’s instruction manual and following it guaranteed success.
In 2 Samuel 7:21-22, David said, “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears” and Samuel shared this statement with Israel in 1 Samuel 12:22, “For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.” The writer of Psalms 106 is unknown; however, the writer understood the actions of God as stated in verse 8 “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.” All of these writers understood God’s interaction with a man was not predicated on man’s actions but Him. It was God’s Word that would not fail or be altered. His name is the only thing that man can trust, and it is only in Him that man can be guaranteed success.
There are two crucial facts with which I want to start this blog. First, in the Old Testament in keeping with ancient Jewish tradition, showing respect and not violating the Third Commandment the Jews substituted the commonly used Hebrew word “Adonai” for the word Yahweh, and it means master, proprietor, owner or lord. In the New Testament, the Greek word “kuios,” which means lord or one that possesses ultimate authority was used when describing Jesus. In the scriptures, God and Jesus, who was the manifestation of God in the flesh were both called, “Lord.”
Secondly, every king is a “Lord” because to be a king, he must own the territory over which he reigns, and his lordship encompasses that territory. Accordingly, he is what we describe a landlord. As believers (citizens) of the Kingdom of God, we understand that God, who is the creator of the world, owns everything. This world and everything in it is His. David declared this fact in Psalm 24:1, which says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Thus, in the kingdom of God believers (citizens) are His stewards, not owners, and their responsibility is to manage the land for our landlord.
Unfortunately, we often say familiar phrases such as, “Jesus is Lord” and “Jesus is my Lord” without really taking time to understand what we are saying. In Luke 6:46 Jesus said to the people following Him, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” because he knew lordship required obedience and devotion which He was not receiving from them. When we say either one of these phases we are declaring we are obedient to Him and He is responsible for our care and wellbeing because He is our landlord. Listen; when you are living in someone’s home, the homeowner, not the tenant is responsible for maintaining it. Tenants do not have the right to make decisions for they do not have ownership; they can accept the decisions of the landlord or move. Hence, saying either one of these phases which ascribes ownership and lordship to Jesus and questioning His directives is not an option.
Finally, I will close this blog with these words of Pastor Myles Munroe, “The word “Lord” can never be used with the word “but.” Those two words are impossible together. We cannot say, “I love you Lord, but….” or else He is not Lord. We cannot claim Him as Lord and then make excuses for not obeying Him. The only appropriate word to go with “Lord” is “Yes!” Either He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.”
Today, my question for you, “Is Jesus truly your Lord?”
In Matthew 15, Jesus continues to share his kingdom message with his disciples. First He shared with them the blessings (beatitudes) of heaven, and then in verses 13-16, He told them how they should function on earth. He said to them, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
In the ancient culture, salt was used as a seasoning, a preservative that stopped decay and a purifier. It was recognized as a highly used commodity needed for the healthy existence of the people. Jesus informed the disciples if the salt loses its qualities and its effectiveness, it is no longer viable and can be thrown away. So, the mere presence of the disciples was to bring about change, prevented some calamities from taking place, and influence people to make the right decisions.
The importance of light in the earth can be seen in Genesis 1:2-3 for the first thing that God called forth in the dark earth was light. Jesus understood that in life, the absence of proper lighting results in wrong decisions, accidents, and the loss of life. Therefore, in the corrupt, sinful world He expected the disciples to bring forth the truth with revelation knowledge providing an alternative way of life for dying humanity. Like light, the disciples were to stand out, be prominent, dispel darkness, and bring clarity, answers, and direction. Also knowing the end results, Jesus encouraged them to shine brightly in the world for the world would reciprocate by praising God.
Nothing has changed; God still expects believers to make a difference in the earth. We are to evangelize the world by being impactful and influential witnesses. We are to be salt and light. Are you up for the challenge? Are you fulfilling this kingdom mandate?
Presently in America there is a considerable controversy going on about aliens that have entered into this country illegally. A large percentage of them came here in pursuit of a better life for themselves and their family. Their hope is eventual citizenship; however, citizenship is not easily obtained.
Citizenship is a legal position, and it entitles an individual to the rights and privileges of a nation or country. It is a citizen’s responsibility to represent their country, align themselves with the government, speak the language of the country, embrace the ideals and values of the country, and to follow the governmental laws. Citizenship is to be valued and respected.
For a citizen to know their rights, they must know what is in the constitution of their country. Unfortunately, most citizens are ignorant of their rights because they have not read the constitution. Thus, when confronted with problems many suffer due to their ignorance and unreasonable sums of monies are paid to lawyers who supposedly know the law to defend innocent, ignorant persons in a court of law. However, for citizens of the kingdom of God, our citizenship gives us the ability to approach the King with His constitution and claim our rights, and since the King wrote the constitution, we can be assured He will honor His word.
Believers have dual citizenship. They are a citizen of their birth country and the kingdom of God. When we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we became a citizen of the kingdom of God, and we obtained all the heavenly citizenship benefits.
Unlike earthly nations and countries, acceptance into the kingdom of God is easy. Fortunately for believers, God awaits us with open arms of love. Immediately we are accepted and given all the rights and privileges without speculation or hesitation.
In closing I encourage you to read, study, and learn your rights, which are found in the constitution (Bible). Avail yourself to the many citizen benefits which are offered to you, and don’t forget the words of Paul in Ephesians 2:19 which inform believers of their status, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”
Many believers do not understand that they belong to the kingdom of God and that they are responsible for influencing, dominate, and manage the affairs of the earth. God gave us this mandate in Genesis 1:26-28 and it states, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” He placed us in charge He will not intervene unless we request Him to do so, and this is where kingdom praying avails.
Prayer is directly talking to God; it is sharing thoughts and concerns. Many of us have been intimidated by the prayer styles of others, but there is no need to be because God listens to all of us.
Jesus disciples observed His prayer habits, and they requested Him to teach them how to pray. Please note that this is the only teaching request recorded that the disciples made of Jesus (Luke 11:1). In response, Jesus taught them the prayer that can be found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. Some of the things this prayer reveals are what our attitude should be when we pray and the relationship between the participant and God. Relationship and attitude are essential in getting a favorable response from God, so let me share some vital information with you.
When we say, “Our Father which art in heaven,” we display a father/child relationship who realizes unselfishly we are not God’s only child. Isn’t it wonderful to know God can hear millions of prayers at the same time?
When we say, “Hallowed be thy name,” we reverently display a deity/worshipper relationship knowing the name of God is precious and should be respected.
When we say, “Thy kingdom come,” we are displaying a sovereign/subject relationship which is loyal to their king.
When we say, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” we are displaying a master/servant relationship who submits to the dictates of their King knowing that heaven contains the best and God desires the same for the earth.
When we say, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are displaying a benefactor/beneficiary relationship who knows that God is our only source and we are not to worry about tomorrow.
When we say,” And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we are displaying a savior/sinner relationship for we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Plus, just as we desire God to forgive us, we must willingly do the same to those that offended us.
When we say, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we are displaying a guide/follower relationship. We are not successful on our own merits; therefore, we must humble ourselves and seek the help and strength of God, for we will go astray and become easy prey for the enemy without divine intervention.
When we say, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever,” we are displaying a king/citizen relationship who confidently acknowledges as we did at the beginning of this prayer the sovereignty and omnipotence of our Father God.
There is coming a day when believers will no longer need to pray to God because we will be with Him. However, until that time comes, I encourage you with the right attitude and relationship to pray without ceasing; remembering your prayers gives God access to earth.
Over the last several days, I have experienced the aftermath of the water heater in my house cracking causing 50 gallons of water to flood my basement. My husband was out of town, so I was left to clean up the mini-flood by myself. While I was cleaning, I reflected on the scripture that told believers, “In all things give thanks,” and I thanked God for His help and endurance to do the cleanup. I also thought about the flooding that took place this week in Houston, Texas, where people were escaping out of their homes because of the severe rainstorm that resulted in the flooding of that city. I was grateful that my experience could not in any way compare to what I had seen on the news.
Also, my personal experience made me reflect on the story of Job, and here are some of my thoughts. If you carefully read Job 1-2 you will see that the horrible afflictions and tragedy that Job experienced was not because Job was being tested but because he was highly recommended by God to Satan. God wanted Satan to know that there was someone that would not waver in their devotion and worship of Him.
Let’s review the conversation between God, who is omniscient and Satan, whose knowledge is limited. It reads, “And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.” (Job 1: 7-12)
Satan thought he knew why Job served God, but he was wrong, and his attack failed to produce the actions that he expected. So, in his next interaction with God, this is what transpired, “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.” (Job 2:1-7)
God told Satan, despite what he did to Job, Job would remain consistent in his character. Satan, in his traveling throughout the earth, probably saw many individuals collapse under the pressures of life and turn from worshipping and serving God; therefore, he assumed all individual would follow suit. God knew better, and He allowed Satan to afflict Job again, knowing Job would be able to handle the painful encounter. My question to you, “Do you know that you are capable of handling whatever situation comes your way?”
As citizens of the kingdom of God in all things, we must remember that God our King, takes care of His citizens. In His Word which is the believer’s constitution He tells us not to worry or be fearful but to cast all of our cares upon Him (Psalms 34:4, Isaiah 41:10, 2 Timothy 1:7, Matthew 6:34; 12:28). He tells us He is our healer and able to deliver us out of all our afflictions (Psalms 34:19; 103:3, Isaiah 53:5). Hence, like Job, we can show Satan that with the help of God, our devotion to Him will not diminish when we are under attack for we have been highly recommended.
The bible declares these things concerning God’s word:
Matthew 24: 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Psalms 119:89 Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Numbers 23: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Isaiah 55: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Simply put the above scriptures mean to me: God’s word (laws) is eternal. God’s word is set and established in His kingdom, and He created man to be ruled by the laws (natural and spiritual) of His kingdom. He is not changing His word to suit man’s whims or desires, and His word will perform whatever He said, be it good or bad, blessings or curses. Additionally, humans need to understand because God’s word is the law He will never violate what He has spoken for He is holy, righteous, trustworthy, and dependable.
For believers, obedience to God’s word is vital for our survival and prosperity. Many persons have experienced failure not because God did not want to bless them, but due to their lack of obedience, which hindered the flow of favor and blessings in their life.
Sometimes believers read the Bible and use erroneous scriptures to dictate their life; however, in reading the Bible, a distinction must be made about what is God’s mandate for the life of a believer. The Bible was written by men, who were inspired by God to do so, but some of the things that were expressed by men in the Bible were not Godly minded; hence, it is necessary for believers to know which scriptures they should follow. A excellent example of this is found in the life of David. Several Psalms recorded David asking God to destroy his enemies, but Jesus in his teaching admonishes us that we are to pray for, love, and do well to them. When you find these contradictions which should you follow? I suggest finding the scriptures in which God or Jesus is talking to people, and that way, you will know that you are following God’s edict and not man’s adverse actions, request, and responses.
Finally, I admonish you not to take the word of God lightly for the same thing that God said to Moses in Numbers 11:23 pertain to us, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” If we are obedient to the word, we will be successful, if not we will bear the consequences.
Usually, by midweek I know the subject on which I am going to blog on Saturday; however, this was not the case on this week, I woke up this morning (blogging day) without a clue. I started praying and asking God for direction, and almost immediately, I received an answer, write a blog on the prayer mandate.
In the kingdom of heaven in which believers are citizens and ambassadors, God’s word is inviolable and absolute. God’s word is eternal (Psalms 119:16), and whatever He speaks or decrees are laws. Thus, according to scripture in Genesis 1:26, the prayer mandate was given. It states, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” When God said, “let them have dominion,” and not “man and I will have dominion” His words became law. He gave the man the responsibility of the earth realm, and He would only intervene in the affairs of the earth when He was requested to do so. The word dominion means to rule, sovereign authority, or govern territory, and that is our primary task on earth. We are to handle, rule, and govern the affairs of earth.
Many believers do not understand this authority or responsibility that has been given to us. Also, just like the serpent beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden, he continues to deceive us into thinking our prayers are unimportant. Hence, Augustine, an early Christian theologian, addressed this state of prayer apathy when he said this, “Without God, we cannot, without man God will not.”
For many believers, prayer is a struggle; it is boring and secondary until we run into a crisis. I think if we first realized that Satan is the originator of these thoughts, we may respond differently to prayer. So, as the scripture states, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: I am not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11); therefore, I daily safeguard my prayer life by putting into practice these few actions:
- I cast out the Spirit of Prayerlessness and bind the Spirit of Grace, Supplication, Intercession, and Petition to me.
- I pray without ceasing meaning whenever I think about a prayer issue; I pray over it immediately because if I wait, I will probably forget.
- I ask God to reveal to me prayer issues.
- I pray that His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I pray this blog has encouraged you to accept your prayer responsibility if you have not and to continue praying if you already do so because as you can see the world needs Divine intervention and this can only be accomplished with your prayers
In the beginning, God created the heaven first, and then He created the earth. This statement is substantiated by scientists who records the universe which the heaven encompasses as approximately 13.8 billion years old, while the earth’s age is approximately 4.5 billion years old. In heaven, we have the invisible world of God, which is inhabited by spirit beings such as angels, cherubs, seraphims, and living creatures. These spirit beings are residents in the kingdom of heaven, and they function under divine order in the government of God.
In the course of time, God decided to make the earth and place spirit beings housed in bodies of earth’s material called dust. We are these being, and God gave us purpose when He made us in His image and likeness. The Bible records in Genesis 1:26-28 His actions, plans and instructions as follows, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Thus, God gave the man the responsibility to govern the earth like He governed heaven that is why Jesus said in our prayers we should pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
God placed man in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it and commanded man, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:15- 17). Unfortunately, as recorded in Genesis 3, man disobeyed God’s directive and placed himself and mankind under the bondage of sin and the penalty of death.
At that time, God told the serpent who deceived Eve these words, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15). This person who would bruise the serpent was described by Isaiah in Isaiah 9:6-7, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” And Paul said in Galatians 4: 4-5, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
In His love for mankind, God sent His son to redeem us and restore to us His government (the kingdom of heaven) which was lost in the Garden of Eden. This fact was declared to the masses when Jesus began His earthly ministry. He said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). These acts were all accomplished with his death, burial, and resurrection. Due to this personal sacrifice, those individuals that accept Jesus as their Lord become part of God’s royal family and once again have the ability to have dominion on earth. So, we have much to celebrate, praise God and for which to be thankful; Jesus our Savior paid the price for our sins, He redeemed us and restored to us His kingdom on earth.
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