Lesson 3
Posted on 29. Jan, 2021 by Don007 in Uncategorized
THE KINGDOM
When we become “born again”, we are born into a new country called The Kingdom of God.
This new country is totally different from the country we came from. It’s Leadership, Constitution, Laws, Keys, it’s Citizenship, Culture and Language are also completely different.
Worship
Worship takes our minds off our problems and focuses them on God. Worship leads us from individual meditation to corporate worship. Worship causes us to consider and appreciate God’s character. Worship lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly.
PRAYER
Holy Spirit to teach ME and lead ME into all truth. give ME insight and understanding about THE kingdom. WHeN I finish THIS lesson, permanently seal the truths YOU haVE revealed TO ME in MY spirit and soul.
I PRAY THIS IN JESUS NAME
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
What Is A Kingdom?
This lesson is about the Kingdom of God. At its most basic here are a couple of truths that one must start with when addressing the topic of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is the full expression of who God is. Read Hebrews 12:28-29. God is a consuming fire. This is a word picture that reveals a truth about God- God consumes whatever is not like Him.
Attributes of the Kingdom
God is love- This is who God is. He is the kind of love that cannot be changed by who you are or what you do. His love consumes all that is not love. That is the Kingdom.
God is complete power. He speaks things into existence. Love and power are two sides of the same coin. Jesus had compassion and then released power. Power and love overwhelm creation.
God is the God of peace- this is the attribute of God that moves in and overwhelms those things that are overwhelming you.
God is joy- He is filled with joy when viewing the totality of all He created.
God is righteous- righteousness. This is the blue print of how God designed things. When things are right (as they were created to be) they are righteous. We think of the law as prescriptive: this is how you should act. But the law is descriptive: here are how things are in a right functioning world. Before Genesis 1, the Kingdom was full of everything that makes things work.
God is life- the Kingdom is defined by life. There were never tears, sadness, sorrow, or fear in the Kingdom. The Kingdom is defined by life. Life existed before living things. God is the Spirit of all life, and He is the one that puts life in us (John 1:4, 10:10). When Jesus told stories about the Kingdom, He was not describing something on earth; He was describing the place ruled by God. The Kingdom is “the place I grew up.”
Back to the Beginning
One of the Kingdom parables is in Matthew 22:1-14. The Kingdom is like a wedding feast for the King’s son. The King has a bride for His son. This is part of the reason for creation. At the end of days, we will be the perfected bride of Christ ruling with Christ in the Kingdom.
Man and woman were created to be stewards of creation. Man represents to earth what God is to the Kingdom. He has dominion over creation. He is created in God’s image. Earth is a replica of the Kingdom. Man is king over the earth. What is true about God and the Kingdom should be true about man and the earth.
Genesis 2:7-9 describes life the way it was meant to be. Man became a living soul. His source was the spirit of life. His foundation was God. Adam and Eve could see in a way we cannot. The fruit on these trees was life and the knowledge of good and evil. They could see life; we cannot. They could see the physical and spiritual realities as one; they were one.
In Genesis 3:6 the Bible says the fruit was “pleasing to the eye.” That is the same phrase as what Moses saw at the burning bush. It is the sight of the material and the spiritual wrapped in one experience.
Genesis 3 reveals the problem Jesus came to solve. When they ate the fruit, they changed their source and their foundation. They exchanged life for knowledge. The life of God was exchanged for knowledge of good and evil. The foundation went from God to self. This changed their perception. They could no longer see the spiritual and material as one.
Because they disconnected from the source of life, they immediately felt profound emptiness and vulnerability. The question became “How do I feel alive?” Their first insight was the need for clothes.
This is the condition of humans today. The knowledge of evil lets me know something is wrong, but the knowledge of good can’t fix it. Satan attacks through good and evil. The knowledge of evil- you should have not done what you did. The knowledge of good- you need to try harder to do better.
Sin is death in us. Disconnected from our source. We try to return to the source through our own knowledge. All world religions do this. The solution is part of the problem. The knowledge of good (what I ought to do) is often the enemy of life.
The Solution.
The solution is Jesus Christ. We must return to our source of life. John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” Jesus is the source of life. Life will not be stopped. It flows through us. It is quantitative- you can have more or less of it. Where that life occurs is the Kingdom. When we are plugged back into the source we are in the Kingdom of God.
In Matthew 3:2, John says “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.” Repentance is the Greek word “metanoeo.” It means to “think differently afterwards.” This does not mean to change the content of what you are thinking; it means to change the process of the way you think. We change from thinking with knowledge of good and evil to think with our spirit and heart. The fruit of the new way of thinking is turning my life around (how we view repentance today).
The Kingdom of heaven is near- This is not a reference to time, it is a geographical reference. The Kingdom is within your reach. Jesus repeats the message in 4:17.
One example is in John 4. The questions we ask: What knowledge of good should I follow? What knowledge of evil should I avoid? These are the questions she asks Jesus. His response: I can give you living water. In other words, It is not about your ability to follow; it is about Jesus’ power to give life. Her knowledge told her life was found in a relationship with a man. So Jesus tells her to go get her source. Jesus is not condemning her. Jesus wants to show her where her real source comes from.
Humans look for source of life in all sorts of things. Jesus came to reveal those things as false and give us real life. It is not good enough to have knowledge of the source. We must plug into the source. Satan has a short time on this earth where he rules this earth. He tries to keep everyone in bondage to the knowledge of good and evil. The earth was in decline until the coming of Jesus. He introduced life into a world of knowledge. This is the source of spiritual warfare.
Jesus restores what has always been there. He restores us to what we were created to be. We receive life and He gives life. This is the Kingdom. Plug into the source instead of knowledge about the source. Repent- change the way you see. Jesus came to do for you what you can’t do for yourself. He changes you from the inside out. He is the power of God to you, in you, and through you. He changes the way you see.
Two Parables
The Kingdom of heaven is like a radio station. A radio station is everywhere it is broadcast. For you to hear it, you must be plugged into the power source, tuned into the frequency, and turned up to hear. This is like the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of heaven is like an oven. An oven has an atmosphere- heat. Cookie dough does not decide to become a cookie. It happens as a result of the atmosphere of the oven. The Kingdom has an atmosphere. Our job is to get into the oven (seek first His Kingdom). He transforms what is in His presence. We all cook at different rates.
SOURCE: Brad Small, EMBARK Ministries
KEY LESSONS LEARNED IN LESSON 3
1. A kingdom is the sovereign rulership and governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his intent, and his purpose.
2. In the fullness of time, Jesus came to the earth and reestablished the Kingdom. Because only a king can establish a kingdom, this act alone reveals that Jesus Christ is the King.
3. Jesus said that His Kingdom was not of this world; He never said that it was not in this world.
4. Inside each of us is a latent kingdom consciousness striving for expression.
5. We all seek power over things and over circumstances, and that is what the Kingdom of Heaven promises.
6. A king is the central component of his kingdom.
7. A king is the ultimate and only source of authority in his kingdom.
8. The sovereignty of a king is inherent in his royal authority.
9. God’s sovereignty is absolute. He is completely self-determining.
SOURCE: the book “Kingdom Principles” by Myles Munroe
The Kingdom is the Full Expression of Who God Is:
GOD IS LOVE
GOD IS POWER
GOD IS PEACE
GOD IS JOY
GOD IS RIGHTEOUS
GOD IS LIFE
God consumes what ever is not like Him. Heb. 10:27
God is the King. He reigns over His Kingdom with all authority and power. The Kingdom of God by definition is where God reigns. This is not a place; it is an atmosphere or a condition. Luke 17:20-21 says the Kingdom of God is within us.
The Kingdom is not bound by space or time. John 1:1-5. Jesus has always existed. He is a part of the creation team and He is life. He defines what life is. Before the earth was formed the Kingdom of God existed. Before creation everything that is true about God simply is. The phrase “I AM” helps understand this truth.
The Kingdom Of God and Heaven
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” Genesis 1:26 NKJV
This statement documents the most important declaration ever made regarding mankind. It declares the motivation, nature, purpose, and mandate behind mankind’s creation. As this statement makes clear, dominion is the purpose for man’s creation and existence. The word “dominion” here translates the Hebrew word mamlakah, which can also be translated as “kingdom:’ “sovereign rule,” or “royal power:‘ In essence, mankind was created to have rulership over the earth.
The first thing man was given by his Creator was a “kingdom. This initial assignment and mandate of “kingdom” is the Creator’s primary purpose and motivation for His human creatures. Dominion sets the framework for all the desires, passions, and activities of mankind and is the key to his fulfillment and personal and corporate peace. It is also the foundation and source of his need to control and rule his environment and circumstances. It is this kingdom mandate that validates man’s desire for power. Power is natural to the human spirit.
Jesus Came to Earth Re-establish the Kingdom
THEME SCRIPTURE
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” Matt 4:17. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matt 5:3.
Jesus’ first announcement was the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. His solution to the malnourished and bankrupt human spirit was not a religion but the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, if you are spiritually poor, only the Kingdom will satisfy and fulfill your hunger. The Kingdom is God’s priority and must become our priority if we are to overcome the confusion of religions and the threat of self destruction.
Jesus’ message, assignment, passion, and purpose were not to establish a religion of rituals and rules but rather to reintroduce a kingdom.
Everything Jesus said and did, His prayers, teachings, healings, and miracles were focused on a kingdom, not a religion. Jesus was preoccupied with the Kingdom; it was His top priority, His heavenly mandate.
The Message Of the Bible
A careful and honest look at the biblical Script will reveal that the fundamental message of this greatly misunderstood Book is about a King and a Kingdom. The Bible is not primarily about a religion or rituals, but about the establishment of a kingdom rulership on this planet from the heavenly realm. It is about a divine project of governing earth from Heaven through mankind. In practical terms, the Bible is about a royal family mandated to colonize earth from Heaven.
The Kingdom Is the Government Of A King
What exactly is a kingdom” Very simply, a kingdom is the government of a king. More specifically, a kingdom is the sovereign rulership and governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his intent, and his purpose, manifesting a culture and society reflecting the king’s nature, values, and morals. A kingdom is the governing impact of a king’s will over a territory or domain, his influence over a people, and a government led by a king.
Therefore, the very heart of any kingdom is its king. This definition perfectly describes the relationship of God to the heavenly realm. Heaven exists because of the creative activity of God. Throughout its entire expanse, it is infused with His presence, character, and authority. There is no corner of heaven where His will is not accomplished. In every way God is the unrivaled and unequalled King of Heaven.
The same was true in the natural realm when God extended His Kingdom authority to the earth through the man and woman He created in His image and released to rule in His name. They rebelled against the King’s authority, however, and lost their rulership. Control of the earthly realm then passed temporarily to a demonic usurper until the day in the King’s sovereign plan when it would be restored to its rightful ruler.
The Kingdom Is Not A Christian Religion
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:20
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” Matt. 15:13
It seems clear from these words of Jesus that religion is one of the greatest obstacles to the Kingdom. Perhaps this may be cause for us all to take another look at the power of religion over our lives, culture, and society.
Christianity as a religion is well known, well established, well-studied, well researched, well recorded, and well distributed; but little or nothing is known about the Kingdom. This perpetuation of the Christian religion and its rituals, customs, and rites has left a great vacuum in the world that must and can be filled only by understanding the Kingdom.
RELIGION VERSUS KINGDOM
The power of religion lies in its ability to serve as a substitute for the Kingdom and thus hinder mankind from pursuing the genuine answer to his dilemma. My study of the nature of religion and how it impacts the process of man’s search for the Kingdom uncovered several significant truths:
Religion preoccupies man until he finds the Kingdom. Religion is what man choses until he finds the Kingdom.
Religion prepares man to leave earth; the Kingdom empowers man to dominate earth.
Religion focuses on Heaven; the Kingdom focuses on earth.
Religion is reaching up to God; the Kingdom is God coming down to man.
Religion wants to escape earth; the Kingdom impacts, influences and changes earth.
Religion seeks to take earth to Heaven; the Kingdom seeks to bring Heaven to earth.
Perhaps this is why Jesus addressed the religious leaders of His day so strongly when He said:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to …. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Matthew 23:13,15).
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:13).
Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition (Matthew 15:6b).
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31b).
It seems clear from these words that religion is one of the greatest obstacles to the Kingdom. Perhaps this may be cause for us all to take another look at the power of religion over our lives, culture, and society.
BACK TO THE KINGDOM
Christianity as a religion is well known, well established, well-studied, well researched, well recorded, and well distributed; but little or nothing is known about the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, most of those trained in official institutions to understand the Christian faith and propagate its purported message graduate without ever taking a single course in Kingdom studies. Often, no such course is available. The result is that few so called ordained ministers and priests have any formal instruction at all in any Kingdom concept. Their priority is in propagating the Christian religion rather than the message and concepts of the Kingdom of God.
This perpetuation of the Christian religion and its rituals, customs, and rites has left a great vacuum in the world that must and can be filled only by understanding the Kingdom.
SOURCE: the book “Kingdom Principles” by Myles Munroe
Two Domains
Kingdom Principles
THE VISIBLE WORLD
The fear has become widespread that our society-and the world’s-is beyond repair. There is confusion everywhere. At times the confusion approaches chaos. It seems clear that we will slide further into chaos, the jungle of anarchy-“I’ve got mine; to heck with you”-“do unto others before they can do unto you”-“every man for himself.” Or we in desperation will yield to dictatorship. Which will it be?
It matters not that both of the prevailing philosophies of materialism have been proven corrupt and ineffective. Communism says materialism is the goal but that the state should control it. Capitalism strives for materialism , but the strong control it. Both move toward dictatorship, oligarchical or individual.
Eventually a strong man must be chosen as both systems fail unless we turn to the third choice that is available to us. What will we do?
THE INVISIBLE WORLD
Fortunately a Voice speaks steadily and clearly into the turmoil and dread of the day, a Voice that contradicts our finitude and limitation and restriction. It says, ” ‘But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”
Obviously the words are those of Jesus, climaxing a teaching about food, clothing, shelter, and all the “things” needed for life. God, His heavenly Father, was able and eager to provide the necessities for happy, successful living on the planet Earth if the people merely turned to the right place, His kingdom.
His point immediately established a fact that the world has in large measure refused to consider the fact that an invisible world undergirds, surrounds, and interpenetrates the visible world in which we live. Indeed, it controls the visible world, for it is unrestricted, unlimited, infinite.
The problem of the world, and of many Christians, has not been simply refusing to acknowledge the possibility of such a kingdom, but failing to perceive that it exists right now, not in some far-off time or far-off place called heaven. This is so strange because Jesus spent virtually all of His earthly ministry telling people that the kingdom of God had come and then explaining its workings.
For reasons that are beyond our comprehension, even we Christians missed it as we soaked up the good news of salvation, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of the church, and the future millenium. In fact, it is embarrassing today, as we begin to glimpse the core of what Jesus was doing, to note that practically everything He said pertained to the “kingdom.” For example, His first utterance in His public ministry, according to Matthew, was: ” ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand .’ “
Each of the gospel writers said it similarly. “The time has come,” Jesus declared , in essence. “The kingdom is here, and I’ve come to open it to you and to show you how it works.”
His pattern recalls the days following the anointing of Saul as Israel’s first king when it became necessary for the prophet Samuel to teach how things should work: “Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD . . . .” Jesus did much the same, teaching His followers “the manner of the kingdom,“ but leaving it to others to put it in writing.
Many of us are now discovering this central purpose of our Lord, perceiving that the kingdom of God, though invisible, is right now nonetheless real, nonetheless powerful. We are much like the servant of Elisha who went outside the tent one morning and saw Syrian troops ready to close in on them from every side.
“We’re surrounded!” he yelled.
But Elisha calmly asked the Lord to open the young man’s eyes. Then he saw into the invisible world. Chariots of fire, the heavenly host, were everywhere about them, protecting Elisha. As the prophet had said, ” ‘. . . those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ “
Yes, the kingdom of God is here-now. And the message of the Bible is that we can and should look from this visible world, which is finite, into the invisible world, which is infinite. We should look from a world filled with impossibilities into one filled with possibilities.
We should do more than look, however, if we believe the Scriptures. We should enter. We should reach from the visible into the invisible and bring that secret kingdom into the visible through its principles-principles that can be adopted at this moment.
“The kingdom of God is like this . . . ,”Jesus said, in effect. “It operates this way. . . .” “If you want this, then do this . . . .” Over and over.
So real is this invisible world, that when Jesus comes to earth the second time things will be turned inside out-through a sort of skinning process, you might say-and the invisible will be come visible. The kingdom of God and its subjects will be manifested-unveiled. In the language of Paul’s letter to the Romans: “. . . the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” It “groans and suffers, “standing on tiptoe,” according to J. B. Phillips’ translation-as it yearns for that unveiling .
The apostles had a foretaste of the inside-out effect during their days with Jesus. First came a statement by the Lord that has puzzled many Bible readers through the centuries: ” ‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.’ “
A most marvelous event occurred six days later. We refer to it as the Transfiguration. Taking Peter, James, and John with Him, Jesus went to a high mountain.
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus Himself alone. Matthew 17:2-6,8
The Lord became like lightning, shining white, and what had been invisible within Him became visible. The inside became the outside. The Law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) were fulfilled, and the Son of Man (Jesus) came visibly in His kingdom, in power and glory.
The disciples had a taste of what the kingdom will be at its manifestation. But what they saw at that moment had been resident in Jesus all the time. It had merely been invisible, but no less real and powerful. And that is what the Lord was telling His followers to lay hold of when He instructed them to seek the kingdom first so all of their needs would be met. “Reach into the invisible and apply it to the visible,” He said. ” ‘For all things are possible with God.’ “
The Unlimited World of Jesus
Almighty God has been warning for thousands of years that because of our foolishness we will face crises. We are face to face with nuclear terror, a massive energy shortage, an insoluble economic crisis, debilitating moral bankruptcy, and other impossible difficulties. But Jesus explained that we are limited in our ability to cope with such problems only because we insist on living according to the ways of a world that is limited.
In effect he has said, “That need not remain so. An unlimited world surrounds you.”
“You are finite; it is infinite.” “You are mortal; it is immortal.”
“You are filled with impossibilities; it is filled with possibilities.”
That was the world of Jesus, even when He came as a man to live on this finite earth. He was careful to say : ” ‘. . . the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ‘ “
The invisible world of His Father was Jesus’ world throughout His incarnation. It was a world where everything was beautiful. And He became upset when His disciples failed to follow His example.
Once, when they were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee on a boat journey Jesus had instructed them to make, a storm arose; and their mission was near failure as their little vessel was swamped and showed signs of sinking. They rushed to wake Him from a much-needed nap. He was visibly perplexed. Why hadn’t they been able to cope with the situation? They had failed to see into the invisible world where there were no impediments to the Lord’s mission, and they had allowed themselves to be limited by world conditions.
So Jesus Himself arose and spoke to the storm, calming it. He then asked a rather humbling question: ” ‘Why are you timid, you men of little faith’ “
They had refused to reach into the world of the possible. And Jesus was angry, frustrated by the unwillingness of those He loved to accept the truth of what He had told them. One cannot help but wonder about His frustration as His followers seem so impotent to overcome the visible world today.
SOURCE:” The Secret Kingdom” by Pat Robertson with Bob Slosser
HUMILITY
From the constitution of the kingdom of God, which so clearly reverses normal world thinking , we see that one virtue comes ahead of all others in the invisible realm. It is humility.
How can humility underlie happiness, prosperity, and fulfillment?
In my own case, the deep significance of this virtue unfolded in my constant search for wisdom from God. For, as we will see, wisdom and humility are thoroughly intertwined.
At one point, the following words sprang to life in my spirit: ” ‘. . . God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. The power of those words is devastating if you trace the logic. Not only does God help those with genuine humility, but also He actively opposes those who are proud.
Of course, the definition of humble that is easiest for most of us to grasp is that it is the opposite of proud. Most of us seem to know what pride is. God insists that we be the very opposite if we are to receive His favor and blessing; otherwise He is against us. Thus it became clear to me that if we desire to live in the kingdom of God, to receive God’s favor, we must make humility the number one virtue. It is foundational.
Jesus, the very Son of God, existing in the form of God, took on the likeness of man without diminishing His deity and “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” And His Father favored that humility in this manner. “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and be stowed on Him the name which is above every name . . . .” Phil. 2:8-9
The Old Testament prepares us for such a consequence with words like: “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD. Are riches, honor and life.”
Those humble before God, obedient and reverent toward Him and His will, are the victorious ones, the ones elevated to the rewards that the world scrambles after riches, honor, life. Just consider the competition, the greed, the worry, the abuse, the killing expended in the race for those benefits. People worldwide want (1) enough to live on, (2) recognition and approval of what they do, and (3) good health and long life. To the humble and obedient, these blessings come naturally.
The path of the proud is perfectly clear from Scripture, for without question pride is the greatest sin there is in the eyes of God. It thwarts His goodness toward man.
The proud man says, “I’ll do it my way. I’m sufficient. I can control my destiny. I’m the captain of my soul, the master of my fate.” There is nothing spiritually beggarly about him, nothing regretful about his inner condition, nothing hungering to be Godlike. In short, he lacks humility; and he receives nothing from the Lord, as we saw in discussing God’s nature. His rewards, which are from men, are like vapor; they vanish suddenly, imperceptibly. For the wisdom of the Scripture says, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Where there is pride, there will always be a fall. It is inevitable. We see it all about us, on a large scale and on small. Nations and individuals are slipping. They become arrogant; they cut off advice from old and respected friends; they go alone, and they fall.
As we strive to look into the invisible world to see God, to hear what He is saying, it is essential that we always bear in mind that our knowledge of that world comes primarily through His disclosure. He must reveal. Otherwise, we cannot see. Recollection of that should keep us humble, even though our confidence rests in the fact that He said He would be found by those who diligently seek Him. The proud, however, cannot bring themselves to seek, for that requires coming in from a lower position; and they have been conditioned otherwise.
Holy Paradoxes
I trust it is abundantly clear that the constitution of the kingdom of God (the priorities of anyone who would experience the power and blessings of life there) is riddled with paradox. One can almost hear the Lord chuckle as the world looks in disbelief at what would appear to be anti-principles, in light of the way most people and nations conduct their affairs.
The world says hate your enemies. The kingdom says love your enemies.
The world says hit back. The kingdom says do good to those who mistreat you.
The world says hold onto your life at any cost. The kingdom says lose your life and you will find it.
The world says a young and beautiful body is essential. The kingdom says even a grain of wheat must die if it is to have life.
The world says push yourself to the top. The kingdom says serve if you want to lead.
The world says you are number one. The kingdom says many who are first will be last and the last first.
The world says acquire gold and silver. The kingdom says store up treasure in heaven if you would be rich.
The world says exploit the masses. The kingdom says do good to the poor.
Sadly, the church itself has often been a leader among those blinded to the paradoxes of the kingdom of God. So many times congregations have fled from the inner city, where they are so desperately needed, to comfortable suburbs, where they could luxuriate and not have to face the poor and their problems. Or they have served a political or social movement rather than the needy. Or they have embraced the management techniques of corporations rather than the government techniques of God. In short, they lost the sound of truth.
If we live for this world, if we seek to grasp it, then we will die to the kingdom. But if we lose ourselves in love and service for others, then we will find ourselves in the kingdom.
The temptations of worldly thinking are great, but they must be resisted even at the cost of appearing foolish by embracing truths that are paradoxical to conventional wisdom.
You see, one major paradox that we must accept as we try to change the world is this: The people of God are to live out the Beatitudes and the virtues of humility, wisdom, faith, hope, and love while at the same time becoming leaders.
” ‘You are the light of the world . . . ,”‘ Jesus said. In darkness, a light does not follow; it leads.
Yes, the humble, the disciplined, the wise, the faithful, the hopeful , the loving-they are to lead. That is a holy paradox. And how will it be brought to pass? The laws of the kingdom will show us.
SOURCE:” The Secret Kingdom” by Pat Robertson with Bob Slosser
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN LESSON 3
- What is the Kingdom of God? Explain in detail.
- Where is the Kingdom of God? Explain in detail.
- What is the Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven?
- What were the two modern parables about what the Kingdom is like, that Brad Small spoke about in his video?
- What details makes these modern parables more understandable in todays world?
- What does the word repent mean from Brad Smalls video? Give a detailed explanation.
- The Kingdom of God is the full expression of who God is. What are His character traits? How do they work in His Kingdom?
- Why did Jesus have to come to the earth to reestablish the Kingdom?
- Why is the Kingdom not a Christian Religion?
- What controls the visible world we live in? In what ways does it control the visible world?
- What part does humility play in the Kingdom?
- What are the “Holy Paradoxes” of the world verses the Kingdom?
- How will you put into your daily practice the lessons you learned this week?
PRAYER (speak out loud on my knees)
Thank you Father for sending Jesus to re-establish your Kingdom on the earth. Help me to seek you first in every thing I say and do. Thank you for not establishing a new religion, but sending me your kingdom in the person of Jesus Christ, thru whom I can have an intimate relationship with you our Father who is in heaven. I repent of mistaking your Kingdom as a Christian religion.
I pray this in Jesus name.
CONFESSION (speak out loud on my knees)
I confess that that the Father sent Jesus to re-establish His Kingdom on this earth. I will seek this Kingdom first in all I say or do. Your Kingdom, in the person of Jesus Christ, allows me to have a relationship with you Father God who is in heaven. I repent of mistaking your Kingdom as a Christian religion.
I declare this by faith in Jesus name.
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE FOR YOU TO MEDITATE ON FOR 15 MINUTES
- Jesus is not a person in a religion, but the King of Kings in a Kingdom. How does this change your views on Christianity?
- How do you view the invisible world of God The Father in heaven?
- How is it possible to be strong in the Lord and still be humble before God?
Continue To Lesson 4
