Today we are going to continue our venture into the time concept and try to put God’s kingdom into context so we don’t lose the power of what it can, will and does do for us daily.
One of the most common references is that the Kingdom is “near.” This statement is made eight times. The Greek word engiken (“to come up to” or “it’s almost here”) is equivalent to the Hebrew word Karav (“It’s here right now”). Bivins and Blizzard comment (Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus: New Insights from a Hebraic Perspective.) “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.” 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.” Thus, for a believer, the Kingdom arrived when the Spirit moved into his or her heart when the decision was made to believe in Christ.
Many fear the Kingdom is just outside their reach. Since it is not something we can touch, we can have a hard time grasping its essence. In summary, we know from Scriptural repetition that the Kingdom is
- powerful (having unlimited potential),
- eternal (will never go away),
- part of you (based on your position in Christ), and
- accessible now (you must simplify your thoughts to internalize it).
- If you are a believer, you are granted unlimited access to the Kingdom, its Members, and Their power at any given time.
The caveat to living in the Kingdom seems to be that an individual must remain in a simplified state of mind. There must be a childlike awe so we will be able to see the connection between our circumstances and the Kingdom opportunities. By focusing on the relational rather than the visible, our perspective will remain intact and we can continue to walk with God. Otherwise we find ourselves operating outside of the Kingdom based in our own decisions—not God’s.
We choose, through our decisions and therefore our actions, to be close to or distant from God. If we choose to rationalize our sinful behavior, we add distance to our relationships, grieving the Holy Spirit. This distance puts Deity “out of sight,” and “out of mind” or – No longer “near.” So, The Lord, being the gentlemen that He is, steps back and allowing us to distance ourselves and sever communication. In contrast, when we are seeking after Him, we sense His power and security, as a small child who is being tightly held in his mother’s arms. We know in our core that everything is under control.
We must allow ourselves to see God weaving circumstances through our time-space continuum to move people toward their intended purposes. Time helps a believer to learn to integrate Kingdom principles and power into every aspect of daily life!
You will quickly realize that you are never truly alone, never under-equipped for any task, and never unappreciated by the Ones who matter. You can and will “come home again.” The reason you can come home again is because no matter where you are the Kingdom is “near.” It is accessible. Just because you cannot see it does not mean it is not there. Think of time like the visible and invisible. It is real to us, but does not present a challenge to God. Pray, seek and ask for the desires of your heart – not just for now, but for the past and future. Remember time is irrelevant to Him.
Love Dad