I'm sitting here after church at a local Burger King restaurant, a place my family visits every other week after church mostly because our kids enjoy the playground. I'd much rather be at Applebee’s or Friday's right about now, but it will be "our" turn (the adults) next week.
While the kids are wondering around playing and having fun, I'm reviewing my church notes and even rearranging them a bit considering this entry, because today's message is something near and dear to my heart. The title of the message is the same as the title of this entry, "Thy Kingdom Come...” After looking at the length of this, I’m going to post in four to five consecutive entries over the next few days. So, please stay tuned!
The message today started off and is based mostly on scripture that I shared with a friend this week. He would say it's coincidental. I would say it's God's confirming Word, and I still believe that. Unfortunately, I have too many collisions with coincidences like this to call them accidental. The probability of the frequency of something like this happening alone would be rare, but with God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26) and I celebrate His attention to us and I celebrate His words!
This is also one of those times where God has taken something He's put on my heart to share with someone, and has turned it around, given it back with me, and taught me a little something to. I love it when He does that! :O)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
For those of you that have a Bible handy, it may be a good idea to pick it up, back up and read some of the text around this verse, because it’s important to understand when Jesus said “all these things” exactly what it is that he is talking about. In general, he is referring to many things in life that we may pursue (food, money, clothing, love, etc…), and pursuing these things isn’t necessarily wrong. In fact, we should pursue them. The point is that the focal point of all our pursuits should be through “his kingdom and his righteousness”.
I. Kingdom Points: There are a couple important and obvious things to note about every kingdom that has ever existed:
1. Every Kingdom has a King
2. Every King only has jurisdiction over his Kingdom.
Now these may seem obvious, and I’m sure we are all aware of the King of England, the rulers of other nations, rulers of the past, as well as, the leaders of our own countries...all having jurisdiction to rule over the peoples living in those lands at the time of their reign. But consider what God’s Word has to say about the jurisdiction of Jesus:
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19:16 (NIV)I once had a guy say to me that he was going to “rule” me. Being the independent, strong willed girl I am, I jokingly scoffed and laughed at the thought, “No one is going to rule or Lord over me! HA!” But he immediately afterward said something incredibly profound… “Yes, I am. I am going to rule in your heart. When you look at me, your heart will melt, and you will just want to please me because of the love that reigns in your heart for me.” (Maybe not an exact quote but the gist of what he said.)
WOW! All I know was the thought of what he meant by that statement silenced me. This person understood something most of us will barely ever get, but when it comes to serving God, this is exactly it! He rules in our hearts because we love Him, we want to please Him, and want to follow His ways. More importantly we understand that His ways our in our best interest and not necessarily His.
But even with all of this said, what I find most people struggle with is what it really means to “be in his Kingdom”. Just what is pleasing to God? Just what is His Righteousness? And how do I walk in it?
These are all good questions, things that are important to explore in His Word, as well as, to pray and ask God about. Romans 12:1 says that we are no longer conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Only then will we be able to test and approve what God's will is: his good, pleasing and perfect will. Follow that with this scripture and we know one of the primary tools available to us for renewing our minds is the Bible:
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)Tomorrow we will dive into an explore a few kingdom commands, but after all this let’s end with a prayer and a few questions to consider. Feel free to post response or to share anything that’s on your heart.
Prayer: One thing you will learn about me quickly is that I like to pray God’s Word, and I do this for a couple of reasons: 1. I want to know that I am praying God’s will for you, and His Word is His will written and black and white for all of us to understand. 2. The Bible says His Word will not come back void (Isaiah 55:11) and I really believe that with all my heart, and I stand on the promises written there. I also believe God’s Word holds tremendous authority and power. Do you believe it? If so, then let’s pray…
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. Those words you have written down for us to plainly see and for those words you speak directly into our hearts. Father, we thank You for confirming Your Word and for revealing your kingdom, and your righteousness to us.
Father, help us to understand your words, burn them on our hearts and let them reign and rule there forever. Help us to no longer conform to the pattern of this World but to conform only to your ways, your good perfect and pleasing ways.
Teach us Lord, how to do this through your Word. Breathe Life into your words before our eyes. Open our ears to hear, our eyes to see, and our hearts to understand. May we store up your words that we will be able to stand through the storms of life, knowing you are with us always and a working every detail out for our good and for your glory. Through good times and bad…You are there…Help us abide only in you.
Thank You Lord for the power of your words! We believe in you! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Questions to Consider:
=What Jurisdiction has Christ been given?
=Who does this make Him?
=What are some other tools God has provided us for the “renewing of our minds”?
Things to Ponder:
=What are some things you are pursuing?
=What does walking in His kingdom mean to you?
=What are some of the things the Lord has taught you?
=Do you still stand on the things he has taught you?
=Who is the ruler of your heart today?
I'm sitting here after church at a local Burger King restaurant, a place my family visits every other week after church mostly because our kids enjoy the playground. I'd much rather be at Applebee’s or Friday's right about now, but it will be "our" turn (the adults) next week.
While the kids are wondering around playing and having fun, I'm reviewing my church notes and even rearranging them a bit considering this entry, because today's message is something near and dear to my heart. The title of the message is the same as the title of this entry, "Thy Kingdom Come...” After looking at the length of this, I’m going to post in four to five consecutive entries over the next few days. So, please stay tuned!
The message today started off and is based mostly on scripture that I shared with a friend this week. He would say it's coincidental. I would say it's God's confirming Word, and I still believe that. Unfortunately, I have too many collisions with coincidences like this to call them accidental. The probability of the frequency of something like this happening alone would be rare, but with God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26) and I celebrate His attention to us and I celebrate His words!
This is also one of those times where God has taken something He's put on my heart to share with someone, and has turned it around, given it back with me, and taught me a little something to. I love it when He does that! :O)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
For those of you that have a Bible handy, it may be a good idea to pick it up, back up and read some of the text around this verse, because it’s important to understand when Jesus said “all these things” exactly what it is that he is talking about. In general, he is referring to many things in life that we may pursue (food, money, clothing, love, etc…), and pursuing these things isn’t necessarily wrong. In fact, we should pursue them. The point is that the focal point of all our pursuits should be through “his kingdom and his righteousness”.
I. Kingdom Points: There are a couple important and obvious things to note about every kingdom that has ever existed:
1. Every Kingdom has a King
2. Every King only has jurisdiction over his Kingdom.
Now these may seem obvious, and I’m sure we are all aware of the King of England, the rulers of other nations, rulers of the past, as well as, the leaders of our own countries...all having jurisdiction to rule over the peoples living in those lands at the time of their reign. But consider what God’s Word has to say about the jurisdiction of Jesus:
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19:16 (NIV)I once had a guy say to me that he was going to “rule” me. Being the independent, strong willed girl I am, I jokingly scoffed and laughed at the thought, “No one is going to rule or Lord over me! HA!” But he immediately afterward said something incredibly profound… “Yes, I am. I am going to rule in your heart. When you look at me, your heart will melt, and you will just want to please me because of the love that reigns in your heart for me.” (Maybe not an exact quote but the gist of what he said.)
WOW! All I know was the thought of what he meant by that statement silenced me. This person understood something most of us will barely ever get, but when it comes to serving God, this is exactly it! He rules in our hearts because we love Him, we want to please Him, and want to follow His ways. More importantly we understand that His ways our in our best interest and not necessarily His.
But even with all of this said, what I find most people struggle with is what it really means to “be in his Kingdom”. Just what is pleasing to God? Just what is His Righteousness? And how do I walk in it?
These are all good questions, things that are important to explore in His Word, as well as, to pray and ask God about. Romans 12:1 says that we are no longer conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Only then will we be able to test and approve what God's will is: his good, pleasing and perfect will. Follow that with this scripture and we know one of the primary tools available to us for renewing our minds is the Bible:
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)Tomorrow we will dive into an explore a few kingdom commands, but after all this let’s end with a prayer and a few questions to consider. Feel free to post response or to share anything that’s on your heart.
Prayer: One thing you will learn about me quickly is that I like to pray God’s Word, and I do this for a couple of reasons: 1. I want to know that I am praying God’s will for you, and His Word is His will written and black and white for all of us to understand. 2. The Bible says His Word will not come back void (Isaiah 55:11) and I really believe that with all my heart, and I stand on the promises written there. I also believe God’s Word holds tremendous authority and power. Do you believe it? If so, then let’s pray…
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. Those words you have written down for us to plainly see and for those words you speak directly into our hearts. Father, we thank You for confirming Your Word and for revealing your kingdom, and your righteousness to us.
Father, help us to understand your words, burn them on our hearts and let them reign and rule there forever. Help us to no longer conform to the pattern of this World but to conform only to your ways, your good perfect and pleasing ways.
Teach us Lord, how to do this through your Word. Breathe Life into your words before our eyes. Open our ears to hear, our eyes to see, and our hearts to understand. May we store up your words that we will be able to stand through the storms of life, knowing you are with us always and a working every detail out for our good and for your glory. Through good times and bad…You are there…Help us abide only in you.
Thank You Lord for the power of your words! We believe in you! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Questions to Consider:
=What Jurisdiction has Christ been given?
=Who does this make Him?
=What are some other tools God has provided us for the “renewing of our minds”?
Things to Ponder:
=What are some things you are pursuing?
=What does walking in His kingdom mean to you?
=What are some of the things the Lord has taught you?
=Do you still stand on the things he has taught you?
=Who is the ruler of your heart today?
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