I will never forget the day my daughter Elaina called me from Italy to let me know that she and her fiancée had set April 28, 2007, as the date of their marriage. After the initial excitement, an elevated heart rate, the “gushing thing” all parents feel, and just simply wanting to jump up and down, the reality set in that her marriage would mean permanence to the thousands of miles between us.

When the time finally came, we were quickly swept off by Allesandro’s entourage after arriving in Milan. The next few days were like watching a movie as we enjoyed the country and prepared for the big event. To this day I can still close my eyes and see the 800-year-old monastery, its magnificent garden entryway, and the well worn path to the ancient church where she and I were dropped off for the ceremony. Then there was the escorted drive along the countryside to my first jaw dropping glimpse of the 1,400-year-old villa where the reception was to be held. Its gardens, fountains, statues, and landscaping were simply beyond description. Thank goodness for cameras! That day especially and a few others during the trip helped me imagine what it might be like to be royalty or the privileged few.

Each of you has your own memories of those days of special privilege as a member of the family. They came and went so quickly. However, I want to remind you of the days of special privilege you have now and those ahead of you. When the Holy Spirit regenerated you, He took up residence in you. With His presence, came access to the Kingdom’s power (John 14:16–18). That power is given only to believers, not the world in general (John 15:14–16a) and is NOT beyond your reach! I tell you this, not foster an attitude of haughtiness, but a realization of what you access you have as you halak with God. I don’t want you to believe you need more of anything. Everything you need is already available.

David Bivins and Roy Blizzard wrote a book called Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus: New Insights from a Hebraic Perspective. They point out that all the Old Testament and 43% of the New Testament were written in Hebrew, especially Matthew, Mark, and Luke. With that in mind, we should be careful about some Greek translations of Hebraic idioms — especially Christ’s sayings about the Kingdom. One of the most important references, occurring seven times, is that the Kingdom is “near.” The Greek word “engiken” (“to come up to” or “it’s almost here”) is the equivalent to the Hebrew word Karav (“It’s here right now”). On page 64 they say: “In English or Greek, ‘Kingdom’ is never verbal. It is something static, something to do with territory. But, in Hebrew, ‘Kingdom’ is active, it is action. It is God ruling in the lives of men. Those who are ruled by God ARE the Kingdom of God . . . demonstrating His presence and power in their lives” (Page 111). Further, they note: “We must remember that the Kingdom of Heaven . . . is Jesus’ name for His movement, the body of His disciples; and ‘to enter or come into the Kingdom of Heaven’ means to become a disciple or believer.” For believers the Kingdom arrived when The Spirit moved into your heart. When was the last time you accessed Kingdom Power?

Love, Dad