Thursday, February 10, 2011

Where is the Kingdom of God?


Is it in Heaven?

“Nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'there it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21

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The kingdom of God is not something that would come in the future in heaven. The kingdom is active right here, right now on earth. Let’s look at some verses that indicate the kingdom is already actively functioning. In Mark 1:15, John proclaimed, "The time has come. The kingdom of God is near." Both these verbs are in the past perfect tense, which indicates that something has happened and its results continue. The time had come not just for the proclamation but also for the kingdom.

We have already been brought into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13). We are already receiving a kingdom, (Hebrews 12:28). Christ "has made us to be a kingdom" (Revelation 1:6). We are a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9) already and currently a holy kingdom. The kingdom of God is here, Jesus said. His audience did not need to wait for a conquering Messiah. God is already ruling, and we should be living his way now. We don’t yet possess a territory, but we do come under the reign of God. The kingdom is relevant because it is our future reward, but also because it affects how we live and think in this age. We prepare for the future kingdom by living in it now.

Friend, don’t wait for the return of Christ to claim the kingdom. Start living today. You can live forever in paradise on earth in the name of Jesus, while waiting for His "glorious and imminent return"

Praise the Lord!

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