How can you be kingdom minded in a world that does not teach kingdom principles. What is the Kingdom of God and how do we approach and enter into it? The answers to these questions are essential for every person aspiring to eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are used interchangeably in the New Testament. The one major difference being the Kingdom of Heaven is used only in the Gospel of Matthew and nowhere else in the New Testament. Matthew was written to the Jewish community in Palestine and therefore relied heavily on Jewish terms. However the term Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Theos was a term Greeks or Gentiles could better understand.

Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of Uranus in the Greek. Uranus was the sky/heaven god. To prevent the Gentiles from confusing the idolatrous form of worship from true worship the other writers in the New Testament used the term Theos when writing about the Kingdom. It is the same confusion that is in the Ecclessia/church today. There has not been a proper distinction from the things of idolatry when compared to the things of God. The Jewish believers understood the differences but the Gentiles coming into the faith had problems distancing themselves from their sinful past.

1 Corinthians 6:9,10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of Heaven is the promise that God gives to every believer. Daniel 7:14 gave a glimpse of the future Kingdom to the Jews. The Son of Man in this Book was given dominion and a Kingdom that shall be everlasting. Anticipation of the future Kingdom established hope in the heart of the Jews no matter what problems befell them – and there were many. Because of their hope for a New Kingdom they were able to persevere. How could they maintain hope in a Kingdom when life as they knew it offered oppression, grief, heartache and even death.

If we want the same hope that does not wither with the pressures of time we need to understand the message of the Kingdom of God. One of the first messages that our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus preached along with the apostles was the message of the Kingdom.

Mark 1:14,15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

He preached the Kingdom because it should be the desire of every believer. The prayer, that we often call the Lord’s Prayer, states “thy kingdom come”. We should look for and desire the Kingdom to manifest on earth. The Kingdom is God’s will being done on earth. The Kingdom is being subjected to a righteous leader. The Kingdom is joy and peace in the Holy Spirt (Romans 14:17). It is not based on man’s reputation before other men, but it is based on a person’s ability to submit to the will of God. That is why publicans and harlots (Matthew 21:31) will be a part of the Kingdom. They will have acknowledged their transgressions and also allowed the healing power of Christ Jesus to not only transform their lives but place them in a Kingdom that is reserved for only the best of God’s creation.

Christ Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). Behold what love the Heavenly Father has for us that He would deposit His Kingdom within us. Healings, miracles and whatever else we need, He has already given it to us. To be Kingdom minded is not only to think on God’s presence here on earth, it is also to receive what He has for us to make it into His Kingdom.

Luke 18:29,30 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

However, the one condition that goes with the Kingdom is repentance. Without repentance we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. It is the righteousness of God that propels us into His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Not only does repentance produce righteousness, but it also adds unto us the things we need. Therefore the incentive to receive good things from God should lead us unto righteousness. God wants to give us the Kingdom ( Luke 12:32) but we must be willing to receive the Kingdom by changing our lives.

We know that the Kingdom of God is nigh by the miracles the Lord Jesus performed.

Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

The Jews were also witnesses to the miracles of God, but because they refused to repent, Matthew 21:43 states the Kingdom was taken from them “and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof”.

Let us not be misled by looking to the god of this world and have the Kingdom taken from us. Instead let us look unto the one that is able to keep us from falling and present us faultless in the Kingdom of His dear Son.

Stop looking for answers in the world’s system when God has already given us answers in Him.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

by Pastor Sylvester Williams

Church:
The Assembly at Durham Christian Center
P.O. Box 11361
Durham, NC 27703

E-Mail:
sylbar@hotmail.com