It’s The Kingdom

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It’s The Kingdom

At the core of Jesus’ teaching was the concept of God’s Kingdom. In fact, His call to His disciples was not about salvation but about the Kingdom.

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15)

Jesus never directed people to ask Him into their hearts to avoid Hell. He never talked about “Four Spiritual Laws” or “Two Ways To Live.” The program of Jesus was very different to our modern religious industrial preaching.

So what does it mean to believe that the Kingdom of God is here?

Since the original sin of Adam and Eve, men and women have been under the reign of satan. We are born in sin and we live and die in sin, unless we turn to Jesus.

Satan has been in control of human beings for our entire history. Yet he is a fake ruler, an intruder, an impostor.

Jesus has come into the world as the true ruler, the real king. He is calling us to follow Him.

When I became an Australian citizen, I was required to swear allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who is Queen of Australia as well as of the U.K.

To become a citizen of heaven, you must swear allegiance to Jesus Christ.

To swear allegiance means that no other ruler will direct your loyalty. You promise to obey and to serve faithfully the Sovereign.

To be a citizen of God’s kingdom means that I will be faithful to Jesus, that I will obey Him and not allow any other person to direct my affections.

The word repent means to change our thinking so that we bring our thoughts and actions into alignment with God’s thoughts and actions. It means that I don’t live for myself any more but for Jesus.

To be a christian is much more than a religious experience, although it is that. It is more than a promise of eternal life, although it is that.

To be a christian means nothing less than complete surrender to King Jesus. He directs my thoughts, actions, and emotions. He has it all.

In 1 Corinthians 7, we read where Paul tells the Corinthians that they should not marry, although it’s not a sin if they do. Following Jesus means that I am prepared to let Him lead my relationships.

Everything has to be given over to Jesus, for the sake of a higher reward.

Jesus must be King over all my life, or else He is not King at all.

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 7:32-40

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Scripture

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

Observation

Paul advises the Corinthians with the aim of helping them to be free of the concerns of this life. Unmarried people are free to serve the Lord, but those who are married have to think about earthly concerns and how to please their partner.

If a man thinks that he is unable to control his passions, or that calling off a marriage would be unfair to his fiancee, then he should marry. This is not a sin.

Overall, though, it is better to remain single.

Application

The lordship of Christ affects every part of our life on earth. If Jesus really is Lord, then my life must be completely surrendered to the goal of serving Him.

Even the most intimate, most basic, of human desires has to be surrendered to Christ.

Paul does not lay down binding rules in this passage. He is realistic about the way we are created.

For some people, it will make sense to remain single so that we can devote ourselves entirely to serving the Lord. A single person can be flexible to go anywhere and do anything the Lord requires, without having to worry about their children or their spouse.

Others of us are called to marriage and the sacred vocation of parenting. This has its burdens as well as its joys. There are opportunities for ministry in being a parent that single people may not easily access.

In all things, we must seek God’s kingdom first and trust Him to supply what is needed.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for calling me to be a husband and father. Help me to walk through each day with the awareness that this is your mission for me. Amen.

From The Babylon Bee

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Convicted Killer Sentenced To Life In Australia

NEW YORK, NY—After being found guilty of a series of grisly murders in the upstate New York area, convicted killer Simon Davis, a.k.a. “Stabbin’ Simon”, has been sentenced to life in Australia without the possibility of parole. 

Davis collapsed in the courtroom as the sentence was passed down. “NOOOOOOOO! Anything but that, please! Send me to Sing Sing! Alcatraz! Azkaban! Anywhere! But PLEASE! Not Australia!” 

Formerly a prosperous Western nation and beautiful vacation destination, Australia has more recently been transformed into a massive prison colony reserved for the worst of the worst, such as rapists, murderers, and people who go outside for some fresh air without permission.

“In this case, the punishment certainly fits the crime,” said Judge Stephanie Anders, who passed the sentence. “In Austalia, Davis will be forced to reflect on his horrific crime as he wanders through the bush, avoiding spiders, snakes, and coppers who want to bash his skull in for not wearing his mask over his nose.” 

The ACLU has filed suit, saying exile to Australia is unconstitutional as it is cruel and unusual punishment. 

Quote for the Day

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God is autonomous. He will do whatever He pleases. He alone possesses the right of self-government and has complete freedom in His actions. God is self-ruling and self-determining. He is independent of the will of His creatures, both sovereign and free in His actions. Steven Lawson

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 7:20-31

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Scripture

Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. for this world as we know it will soon pass away.

Observation

We should remain as we were when God called us. If a slave gets a chance to be free they should take it, but they should focus on the fact that they are already free in Christ.

Young women who are not married should not marry because of the present crisis. He does not say this as a command but as wisdom.

The time is short, and we should not focus on the things of this world. if we use the things of the world, we should not be too attached to them as they will soon pass away.

Application

Our age has many exciting goods and distractions to consume us and divert us from God’s purposes.

Phones, computers, cars, and so on are nice and make our lives comfortable, but they will not draw us closer to God.

We become used to our possessions and cannot imagine life without them. When we do that, they become like idols that stand between us and God.

We can likewise turn our career into an idol. The sense of worth and importance that we gain from our work can become more important to us than God’s assessment of our importance.

It is possible that the Lord may call us to give up some of these things that we value in order that we can serve Him better. It may be difficult to let go, but I have discovered Jesus always gives us more than we surrender to Him.

Prayer

Lord, my flesh nature wants to hold onto everything the world offers. Please help me to surrender all things to you. Amen.