Jesus said,
"Thy kingdom come"
Matthew 6:10
Where is the kingdom of heaven?
Duh ... it's in heaven, right?!
Well… yes ... and no.
Yes, the kingdom of God is absolutely in heaven.
But there's a better definition for where the kingdom of God is: The kingdom of God is wherever God it is!
And where is God? Everywhere! He is sovereign over every molecule in the universe.
And yet, our Almighty God allows free will. He allows us to kick him out and ignore him. He allows us to pretend to be sovereign -- large and in charge. He intentionally limits himself and invites us to welcome him in.
When we do, his kingdom has come! When we don't, we miss his blessings.
Near the very beginning of human history, humankind kicked God out. In the Garden of Eden, we said that we wanted our eyes to be opened and be like God. From that moment on, the Sovereign Lord allowed sin, death, and rebellion to rule the earth. Thus, if the kingdom of God is wherever God is, we – even in our daily Christian lives – don't always invite him in.
When Jesus came to this earth, he planted his flag, much like an explorer plants his flag on a new land. In Jesus' first sermon, he proclaimed that through him, "the kingdom of God had come near."
· When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," we are overthrowing darkness and sin.
· When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," we are proclaiming that we want God to reign - not just in the world, but in our own hearts.
· When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," we are taking new territory, proclaiming that this space belongs to God and that he is welcome here. And sin, death, and the devil no longer have any claim to the space.
· When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," it is a declaration of war.
· And when we pray, "Thy kingdom come," it is the beginning of victory!
The world calls today Halloween. Some use that to celebrate the kingdom of darkness.
· Pray today for the light of Christ to overcome the darkness of this world.
· Ask God to help the kingdom come nearer to you today.
· And ask God for ways to help those around see and celebrate the kingdom of light.
In Christ's Love,
a jack-o-lantern
(Jesus picked me from the field.
Washed me off.
Clean out all the gunk inside me.
Carved a smile on my face.
And put his light in me.)
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