Matthew 6:9-10

"Pray like this:  Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be honored.  May Your Kingdom come soon.  May Your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven."

 The Lord's Prayer, as it is usually referred to, has completely captured my heart in the last few months.  Especially the line,  "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

I can't escape it.  It seems to be in my thoughts and on my lips without me even realizing it at times.  "Come Kingdom of God!   Come!" my spirit cries out, over and over again.

Why?  Why is this such a prevailing plea?

First of all, what exactly is the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven?  Is it some far off place in the heavens where God lives that we go to when we die?  Is it a physical place which exists on earth?  What does it look like and how do we get there?

From the time of King Saul, God's people have longed for a kingdom that looked like other kingdoms on earth.  Man wanted a tangible place of ruling and reigning over his enemies - a place of wealth and success.  But is that what God had in mind?

When the nation of Israel asked Samuel to appoint a king so that they would be like all other nations, God made it clear to Samuel, "they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them." (I Samuel 8:4-7) 

Down through the centuries, while guiding godly kings and judging rebellious rulers, our God had a plan for a Kingdom far superior to man's ideas, "a kingdom of priests, a holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]." (Exodus 19:6)   Although the Israelites chose to look to man for leadership, God had a plan to put a King on the throne Who would unite Him and His people in a new way. 

God the Father began to reveal more of His plan when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to "the Son of the Most High" who would be given the throne of David.(Luke 1:31-33)  Unlike former kings, however, Jesus - God come to earth in a human body - would merge heaven and earth to form a Kingdom over which He would rule for eternity.

From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus spoke constantly about the Kingdom of Heaven, comparing it to seeds, pearls, treasures, leaven, and dragnets.  Unlike most kingdoms, being rich, religious, and influential actually makes it more difficult to enter in.  Jesus said that we must be as little children, humble and poor in spirit, to enter, and that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

In God's Kingdom, the servant is the greatest, the poor are rich, the faithful are rewarded, and those who give away all receive more, but those who try to keep what they have will loose it.  Jesus said that anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God "is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17)   It is also "not just fancy talk; it is living by God's power."  (I Cor. 4:20)

The Kingdom of God is of such importance that Jesus said to seek it first and foremost, above all other things. (Matt. 6:33)  He also made this startling statement: "And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out.  It is better to enter the Kingdom of God half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out." (Mark 9:47-48)

Let's go back to the questions we asked earlier, keeping in mind that God's Kingdom is full of mysteries that can only be understood by the Spirit showing us.

First, what exactly is the Kingdom of God?  More than anything else, it is the dwelling place of God.  It is where His nature and character, His authority and dominion, His will and Word rule and reign - completely.

Is it some place far away where God lives and we go to when we die?  Yes, it is.  The Word says that the heavens are His throne and the earth His footstool, so we know that there is a place where God lives separate from us and this world.  Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place and would come again to take us there, so we know that we will go there someday.  But it is so much more . . .

Is the Kingdom of God a physical place on earth?  No.  Many people over time have thought so and have missed it.  The Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus' time were looking for a king to come who would once again lift the nation of Israel to a physical place of reigning over their earthly enemies.  Today, many people look to God only as a means of trying to overcome earthly trials and problems.  But God's Kingdom is so much more . . .

"One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, 'When will the Kingdom of God come?'  Jesus replied, 'The Kingdom of God isn't ushered in with visible signs.  You won't be able to say, Here it is! or It's over there!  For the Kingdom of God is among you."  The amplified Bible says, "the Kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." (Luke 17: 20-21)

When we submit ourselves to Jesus' authority, believing and trusting that He is the Son of God and that only through Him can we be reunited to our heavenly Father, we are born of the Spirit and He takes up residence within us.  We become righteous because of Jesus and so we inherit eternal life.

But this is only the beginning.  The Spirit within us begins to stir and teach us.  As we allow, He will replace old thoughts and actions with the thoughts and actions of our God.  We will learn to hear and recognize the Spirit's voice as it leads and teaches.  Over and over, day after day, we will have to choose between the old, earthly ways and the new Kingdom ways.

Jesus said, "Not all people who sound religious are really godly.   They may refer to Me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)

Obedience to God's will is vital.  This obedience is not one of regret and hesitation, however.  It is an obedience of love and anticipation!  Jesus was so consumed in obeying the voice of His Father that He would rather obey than stop to eat.  "My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work." (John 4:34)

What does the Kingdom of God look like?  It looks like Jesus, who is the exact image of God.  Where is it?  It is wherever God is reigning, in heaven and on earth.  And if He is in us, and we are obeying His whispers each moment of the day, we are living and moving in the Kingdom of God.

One day God may say to 'give', the next He may say to 'receive'.  One day He may tell you to go out and 'do', the next He may tell you to stay home and be alone with Him.  Every day looks different because it is a continuous walk with a God who knows all that is ahead and directs us to fulfill His perfect plans around us.

When we are doing the will of our Father in heaven, His Kingdom is present and operating through us.  When we become a servant of God and of man, we will see the Kingdom in and around us.

When I pray, "Come, Kingdom of God!  Come, will of God - on earth as it is in heaven!" I am praying that my will and purpose would submit to God's will and purpose.  I am praying that God will rule and reign in me completely - allowing Him to do anything He wants with me.  And not just in me, but in every man, woman, and child alive.  When this happens, all other kingdoms will fall.  The works of the enemy will be destroyed.  The Body of Christ will display the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects to the principalities and powers in the heavenly sphere. (Eph. 3:10)

When the Kingdom of God comes to earth - in us and through us - the blind will see, the lame will walk, the deaf will hear, and the captives will be set free.  When the Kingdom of God is preached and lived, the Bride will be ready for Christ's return.

Amy