THE KINGDOM OF GOD

KAREN SANDERS

coming kingdom, “…I will pour out my Spirit on all people Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. And also on My menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days”

words “Thy Kingdom

Co ely think of the 23rd Ps gave as he taught the di e kingdom message is on d hope Old Testament sc orthy summarized the Ki ewer words as:

"G in God's place under God's rule.”

The Kingdom of God is a message that presents, at the same time, a heritage, a lifestyle, and a promise. The very words, “Thy Kingdom Come,” present a challenge of faith for every person Forsaking all and trusting in God involves a sacrifice of self, in which an individual works to follow the teaching of Christ over their personal desires

The heritage of the Kingdom message is found in the actions of patriarchs: the faith of Noah as he obeyed God building the ark of safety from the flood, when there had been no rain; the faith of Moses as he raised the staff to part the Red Sea and provide a way of escape for His people; the faith of Abraham as he lifted the knife to sacrifice Isaac; and the faith of Isaac as he blessed his sons. All men of great faith, living lives exemplary of following God, even before the birth of Christ, His death and ascension and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. These men left for us a heritage of living the kingdom message while preparing for a future kingdom in which God would reign In Joel 2:28 we see Joel’s prophecy as it foreshadows Acts 2:4, and the birth of the Christian Church. Joel shares a vision in which people of all ages play a role in preparing for the

In Acts 2 with the birth of the church and the manifestation spiritual gifts as evidenced with the gift of tongues, we saw people walking in faith, who at Jesus’ direction had been waiting on the promised Holy Spirit that would equip them to have a personal relationship with Jesus and to live lives reflecting the gifts of God in the earth In each area, the primary requirement was a life of faith. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” Acts 2:4

The early church waited, they were filled with His spirit, and the church grew from that very day What, then, is God-inspired faith? I saw an acronym recently that touched by heart:

The challenge to trust God, no matter the circumstance, was exemplified in the patriarchs, who obeyed in faith (“ the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ” Hebrews 11:1) years before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit They obeyed at the command of God Theirs was a walk of faith, described in Hebrews 11:2 as the faith “by which the elders obtained a good testimony.”

The lifestyle demanded by the Kingdom message is one of love, commitment, and faith. Love of our neighbor as Christ loves His church is a daily command Forgiveness, sacrifice of self, and putting the needs of others over our own requires us, as believers to actively show the fruit of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance are attributes of Christ that we must emulate as we live in His kingdom now, anticipating the kingdom that is promised in God’s word

The promise in “Thy Kingdom Come” is a promise that we will, someday, live in a realm where God will reign supreme, with Jesus as King God’s people have the daily assurance of the promised heavenly kingdom in an earth created by a loving God who cares about His people Jesus directed us to pray for the manifestation of that place where God’s Will is done, the daily needs of believers are met, forgiveness is given, temptation is resisted, and followers of Christ are delivered from evil The coming kingdom, manifested in earth according to the example of heaven.

It is our directive to spread this kingdom message throughout the earth Celebrating Teachers teams are working to impact families with the kingdom message of the gospel working through local schools to help change nations by teaching a generation about the love of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through local and international schools, we are able to reach thousands of children and their families Hearts are being touched, and lives are being changed as we work with churches and organizations developing outreach programs We are accepting the challenge to do what we can do to give the world an understanding of their biblical heritage, the promise of the kingdom message now, and a hope for the blessings of God as they pray “Thy Kingdom Come”

The challenge to the believer is simple. Develop a vision of “God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s rule” We must recognize our heritage as a child of God. It is the challenge for every believer, as “God’s Person,” to commit themselves and their surroundings as “God’s Place,” with the ultimate challenge of living a life that is an example to the world of “God’s Rule.” Thy Kingdom Come is a prayer of heritage, commitment, and faith, challenging each of us, every day, to conduct ourselves in a way that tells the world “Forsaking All, I Trust Him.”

Celebrating Teachers Inc is a non-profit missions organization working with local churches and schools as well as international ministries and organizations to equip teachers, students, families and communities with the message of the gospel We are providing curriculum, supplies, equipment, food and material necessities to underprivileged families in our nation and other nations We invite you to join our team and ask for your continued prayer and monthly support as we work to ship the materials to their remote locations. The QR code below will allow you to make a one time or monthly recurring taxdeductible donation. Linking People With Resources to People With Need, we are transforming generations for Christ We appreciate your prayers and need your help in any amount. Checks or money orders may also be made out to Celebrating Teachers, Inc.

P.O. Box 1943 Owasso, Oklahoma, 74055

Continued from Page 2 nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: BUT!!! ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”. Rev 7:13-15, “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them” Purged, cleansed, purified, washed in the blood and word of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world Effort is made, desire is expressed, forgiveness is granted, and white robes are distributed and put on. Entry is made by the bride of Christ into the marriage supper of the Lamb She has a clean heart because she desired to be pleasing unto Him

“Create in me a clean heart, and renew in me a right spirit” A clean heart must have a right spirit or it is of no avail.

More scripture to study:

2 Cor 3:17

Zech 4:6

Rom 8:14-16

Ps 32:1-2

John 13:8-11

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Are we missing God’s presence in our life because we are consumed by what’s going on around us or by what others are doing? Do we lead our families as God leads us? Or do we lead them to be what we think everyone else is trying to be (even if it looks good on social media)? Do we lead our churches based on God’s direction for OUR church or do we trust our networks of other church leaders to tell us where to go (or not to go) next? It may seem easier to go with the majority, but it creates a lot of pressure to keep up God has a better way!

One way to know if you ’ re following the right king is to look around you? God warned the people that earthly kings would be selfish and thrive on power Are you serving people or things that leave you empty? The apostles served in the upside down Kingdom of God. They worked hard, were hungry, imprisoned, and killed, yet they spoke of joy, peace, and rest. It comes down to trust. Sometimes it’s hard to see God in our lives, especially if you want to see him the same way you see other things of this world Trusting in God requires that you give up all control of the outcome and just focus on obedience, even when that obedience doesn’t make any sense

Jesus has a kingdom and He has a place for you in it, but you won’t find it by trying to figure it out or by comparing your place to someone else’s The Israelites had plenty of kings, but they only had one King. That king was born into poverty. He never led anyone into battle He never even required anything of his followers, but he asked for a lot Those who willingly gave it became part of a kingdom without end. Focusing on the wrong king or the wrong kingdom will lead you to inadequacy, unfulfillment, and empty ambition. Choosing Christ and His Kingdom may seem like a lonely choice, but it will be the choice that leads you to true freedom allowing you not only to live well on earth, but also to do the work of your Father which will have blessings both on this earth and for an eternity spent with Jesus!