The Unchanging Kingdom
🔶THE UNCHANGING KINGDOM🔶
➖DAILY WORD ➖ March.30.2019 ➖Pastor Sheliah➖
”Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt.6:33)
Jesus made the Kingdom of God the center of His message and taught us to seek the Kingdom first, we must thus assume that the GREATEST NEED OF MAN … is to discover the Kingdom of God.
“Man needs an absolute! He knows everything about life – except how to live it! We need nothing so desperately as we need something to bring Life into … Meaning and Purpose. We are ripe for a rediscovery of the Kingdom of God!” ~ E.Stanley Jones.
The Nature and Meaning of the Kingdom
In Jesus, the Kingdom became not an intimation – but an Incarnation – the Word of the Kingdom became flesh in a Person.
Even the Old Testament gave us only some limited “intimations.” The Kingdom has been paralleled to a nation – Israel; others compare the Kingdom in relationship to humanity – a “universal kingdom.” The Kingdom was not given to Israel – because Israel refused to put it into operation – and they operated in their man-made traditions, rather than what Jesus revealed in His own Person. The Kingdom of God is in a Person – Jesus Christ!
“I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.” (Matt.21:43) – [Read Matt.21:33-46 – The Parable of the Landowner.]
The real test of possessing the Kingdom is the fruit that comes forth! The real fruit of the Kingdom does not identify any one “nation” – or any one “church” or movement – but places it in the hands of those who bring forth the fruit of the Kingdom! It is offered to all, and yet identified with none – except those who bring forth the fruit of the Kingdom.
The “fruit” are the extension of His Life – His Kingdom! He used interchangeably – “for My sake” – and “the Kingdom’s sake.” Jesus IS THE KINGDOM – not merely expounded upon – but EXPOSED! Men saw it and did not merely hear it! He is IT!
“The Kingdom of God is the most radical proposal ever proposed to the mind and allegiance of man! This is radicalism! Nobody and nothing is beyond its scope and redemption!”
Jesus is the desire of the ages – if only mankind could comprehend it! All life is on tiptoe of expectancy for the Kingdom of God – if men only knew it!
“The creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the Sons of God.” (Rom.8:19)
Jesus Made the Kingdom of God His Message
Jesus called it the Good News – the Gospel - and “He went out preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom!” (Matt.4:23)
Scriptures record more than 100x that He used the phrase “The Kingdom of God.” He was never misled by the marginal, the unimportant – He made the Kingdom of God the Center – the Heartbeat of His Message!
Jesus summed up His Life Purpose in these words: “Don’t you know there are other places I must go to and offer them the hope found in God’s kingdom realm? This is what I have been sent to do.” (Luke.4:43)
If it is true that “As He is – so are we in this World” — (1John.4:17) – then it must also be true that my “life purpose” is to offer the Good News of the Kingdom of God - in “other places!”
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Matt.13:52 – Jesus then asked His disciples – “Can you not yet understand these things?” ~ Shelia Hart Artt
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