Jesus said,
Pray then in this way ...
Your kingdom come.
Matthew 6:10
Jesus' very first sermon had four quick themes. In addition to “the time is fulfilled, ... repent, and believe ...," Jesus also revealed that "the kingdom of God [had] come here."
What does that mean?
This world is filled with sin and death. Heaven is filled with perfection and joy. Sin separates us from God… and heaven. When we pray, "thy kingdom come," what we are really saying is that we want more heaven on earth!
And Jesus is saying that that is possible!
The kingdom of heaven has come near. How? In the person of Jesus Christ!
In and through Jesus, our Triune God literally touched earth. God himself came in human flesh.
Suddenly in one person, in one little corner of the world, the perfection of heaven prevailed on earth:
· The love of heaven trumped the sin of earth.
· In a world of confusion and chaos, truth showed it's light.
· For a moment, forgiveness was possible… and profound.
· And evil was conquered by self sacrifice.
If we want Thy kingdom to come, what must we do?
First, we must understand that we cannot manufacture it ourselves. Sinful human beings cannot manufacture a sinless world.
Therefore, what must we do? We must understand that the only path to a little more heaven on earth is by linking ourselves more fully to Jesus himself.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus was – in flesh -- "Thy kingdom come." Two thousand years later, Jesus is still "Thy kingdom come." He is this world's only real path to peace, hope, love, forgiveness, and true joy.
Therefore, if you want God's kingdom to come more fully in your life, spend a moment today drawing closer to Jesus, and asking him to help you follow his ways.
In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to build
a kingdom on earth
My plan: To rename my cockatiel "King" and
declare her birdcage sovereign territory.
(Is that substantially more or less permanent
than any other temporary kingdoms on earth?)
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