July 17, 2018
Good Morning Fellow Travelers,
Read: Isaiah 9:1-7, Luke 16:15-17, 17:20-21
“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”Mark 9:1
There is undeniable scriptural proof that the kingdom of God is right here, right now. While it has eternal implications (Isaiah 9:7), it began to be preached and manifest after the work of John the Baptist. Christ and His disciples preached the Gospel of the kingdom. Acts 28:28-31 records that this was the primary thrust of their message.
Christ taught Nicodemus in John 3 that the entrance to the kingdom of God is the new birth. Repentance was necessary for every one who came believing. Salvation was freely offered by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. From this foundation, man now perceives the kingdom of God.
What does this imply? The kingdom is not about me, but rather it is about us. The kingdom of God is within you, or among you. Our Gospel is not a “me” Gospel. We are a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6). It is a collective “us” Gospel.
Read through the Gospels and Acts. This Gospel was about seeking and finding that which was lost. It was about sowing and harvesting. It was about spiritual profit and loss. It was about growth. It was about expanding the kingdom to the uttermost isles of the sea. It was about the church. It was about now. It is about now.
We must rejoice that we are counted among the sanctified and redeemed. Let us not live below our kingdom privileges. We are subjects of a glorious King, and it is nothing to be ashamed of.
– James Baer