By Ron McGatlin
Urgent is the word to describe the season in which we now abide. Like a building in an increasingly potent earthquake swaying and cracking, the world is threatening to come apart at the seams. The economies, governments, and every aspect of human existence is stretched beyond its capacity to continue in the same form and direction of the past. The values, morals, and priorities that have structured past life are no longer sustaining the movement of mankind on the planet toward abiding in productive growth and well being.
Despair and despondency will become familiar realities among much of the population of the world. Driven to desperation man’s extreme solutions for sustaining meaningful life will greatly affect the social and political structure and endeavors of peoples and nations. Dramatic changes and extreme actions will alter life on the planet, first in the ruling cities and outward to the small towns and villages of the world.
Why is most of the world rushing toward this abyss of darkness? This is an individual and personal crisis as well as a national and worldwide disaster. First the people and their families are being shaken and coming apart at the seams then cities, nations, and the world soon follows. I hear from people almost every day that are at the end of themselves and the church as they have known it. They are worn down and tired from trying to get enough money to provide for a house, car, food, education, their personal wants, and for their children to have the "good life" so they can grow up to do the same for the next generation. The church routines and rituals have left them dry and without power and wisdom to find and fulfill the purpose and meaning of their lives. Self indulgence and pleasure seeking becomes a popular escape from the empty reality of life.
The following is a portion of a confession from a very private moment someone recently shared publically. This is typical of many Christians coming to an end of life as they have known it.
"What am I here for? I’m sick of the world, I’m sick of the Church, I’m sick of paying the bills and having an education and a career and a mortgage. I’m tired of feeling fat and old and ugly and dumb. I’m tired of hearing about the wonderful things that people with money are doing for the less fortunate. Why do they need attention? I’m sick of hearing about the starving kids and the widows who have nobody. Why are they still in need, when Your church is on this earth? I’m tired of worrying about the next terrorist attack. And I’m really sick and tired every time I hear of a new million dollar mega-ministry being built in this country while there are people being martyred in other countries for having a Bible. I’m tired of feeling like I am alone and I don’t have a heart and at the same time, I cry and grieve all the time about everything I just wrote. I’m sick of hearing about any of it, but won’t do anything? Why am I not doing anything? What can I do? I am learning that I will never do anything about it. Because I have to die, so You (Jesus) can. I want to feel love for mankind and I don’t. I’m almost numb. But I ask this question all the time: Why was Jesus here? Why was your son here?"
And another person writes: "I went through all of the "hoops" and the never ending "classes to equip" to be made ready for service.
I have read just about every book and taken every class there is to "add to my portfolio" that the system has dictated I should have to be relevant. I think I will be sick if I see one more program concerning being ‘seeker sensitive’ while being totally impotent to the needs around us." And these comments are some of the lighter ones from God-loving Christians. Others deal with families spliting up, children going astray into everything from immorality to suicide. Church leaders are giving up everyday, unable to cope with their own problems much less that of a congregation. What is going on? What is wrong? Can you feel Him weeping? Is your heart weeping? Mine is.What happened? Where is the church that He said He would build to bring forth His ways on the earth? Christ Jesus came from heaven to earth and provided all that mankind will ever need to live in such a way that there could be peace on earth and good will toward men. The obvious thing is that we, for the most part, have not got it yet. We have not found and carried out His way, His plan, and His purpose for His people on earth. Is it now time to turn back to God with our whole hearts and lay down what is not working to pick up what Christ Jesus said to do? Is it time to reconsider our lives in light of the reality of the words of Jesus and change our priorties of life to what He said? Yes, I believe it is that time. I believe there is no other way. Obviously this will involve changing what we have believed was the way and what we have been taught were the priorities of life and finding His way and His priorities.Much could be said and many points covered in a search for the way. Yet, I believe God is revealing the core issue or predominant initial error that has led us into the grevious state the world has come to. We (the church) have not known that we were supposed to be the bearers of the way of life into the world, the light and the life of Christ Jesus to rule and reign in every area of life in the world. Here it is in one verse:"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Mat 6:33).
Plain and simple the church for the most part does NOT know what the kingdom of God and His righteousness really is. We have not even known what the first priority of life is about. Oh, yes, I know each denomination or group has given some interpretation to defining the kingdom, but almost none have known the reality of the kingdom of God. Therefore, the church and the world have sought after many things. However, we have not sought the real kingdom of God as our top priority. We do not even really know what Jesus was talking about. Therefore, discovering what the kingdom is and seeking it first is the answer for our world an mankind.Praise God, there is hope.
There are those among us receiving the revelation of the real kingdom of God, the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus really taught and preached as the top number one priority of life. When we get it, we can move into the reality of the power and love of God to redeem and change the world.Not everyone is ready to hear the word of the kingdom. Only those who are given ears to hear can hear the word of the kingdom. Jesus said that those with hardened hearts and rock-hard religious convictions or cares of this life cannot hear "the word of the kingdom" (Mat 13:19).WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD?The phrases "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" mean exactly the same thing and are used interchangeably in Scripture. People have different thoughts about the kingdom of God. Some see it as a generic term for anything relating to God. Much the same as one might say "the animal kingdom" when referring to everything about animals. Some think the church and the kingdom are one and the same. Others relate kingdom to heaven someday. Some think of the kingdom negatively as a human attempt to impose religious rule over other people. Others think of it as a means for men to gain personal wealth and self-gratification. Some think it is only within believers and has nothing to do with governing in the world. Some others think of cults or false extremist sects when they hear the words "kingdom of God." The enemy desires that doubts and confusion would enter our minds when we hear the word "kingdom," because he greatly fears the kingdom of God coming forth in God’’s people. The enemy knows that when the kingdom matures in God's people, his inordinate rule on earth is completely over.So what was the kingdom Jesus taught so much about? The Greek word "basileia" is translated "kingdom" in English. Jesus spoke of the kingdom (basileia) over one hundred times in the Gospels.
One wonderful man of God who began to hear the gospel of the kingdom in the 1980s, said he had trouble with the word "kingdom." He asked God for another word to replace kingdom and heard the word, "government." A kingdom is a government ruled by a sovereign. Perhaps it will help us to think of the kingdom of God as "the government of God." Most of Jesus’ teachings were aimed at explaining the kingdom (government) of God, how it works, and how to enter it. The thread or general theme of the kingdom of God runs through all the teachings of Jesus and much of the rest of the Bible. But the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul in Romans 14:17, gives us perhaps the most clear, concise, spiritual definition of the kingdom of God. Romans 14-17: ... for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The word translated "kingdom" in the New Testament is the Greek word "basileia" which comes from the root word "basis." "Basileia" means "foundation of power, realm, rule, or royalty." "Basis" has almost the same meaning in English or Greek. It means to walk, to pace, or foot in Greek.KING / DOM "King" means "ruler or sovereign." "Dom" is the root from which we get words like "dominion, dominant, domain, and dome." Thus, the kingdom of God means the sovereign ruler/dominion walk of God, the ruler/dom of God.The kingdom of God is a realm or walk. It is a lifestyle, sovereignly ruled by the basic foundational power of God through which God’’s ruler/dominion is established on earth. The kingdom walk or lifestyle is produced by the appearing or manifesting of Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit within God’s people. When the character and nature of Christ is developed in the hearts of God’s people, they become the purified Bride of Christ. God’s love flowing in and through His bride produces obedience and righteousness prevails. Righteousness always leads to peace and joy. The bride or wife of Christ carries out her part as pictured in Proverbs 31:10-31, and the ruler/dominion of God is functioning in the world. The secrets of how to rule our planet God’s way are locked up in the revelation and understanding of the kingdom of God. They are extremely potent and can produce the overcoming of any negative force in the world. There is nothing impossible to those who possess the reality of the practical working of God’s government on Planet Earth.
The kingdom is only revealed to those with a pure heart. Most people are not in a position to hear even what was just written here, and there is much more that is vitally important to moving into the kingdom of God/Kingdom of heaven lifestyle. The Kingdom Growth Guides are filled with the revelation of the kingdom and begin with practical reality of getting into position to hear the gospel of the kingdom and empowering us to truly seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
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