K of G

A few years back I read The Gospel of the Kingdom by George Eldon Ladd as part of the VLI curriculum. I remember when I finished reading it that I thought "I should read this book every six months." Well, I didn't do that. However, I am just about done rereading it for the second time, as Timmy and I prepare for an upcoming series on the Kingdom of God. And again I'm thinking, "I should read this book every six months or at least once a year." I love this book. I find it so motivating. It reminds me of the bigger picture and how incredibly exciting that big picture is. And even more so, how exciting it is that I am part of it.

The first time I read the chapter entitled "The Kindgom is Today," I wrote in the margins, "I feel like I have been missing out on something." And I did. Months before I started VLI, Patrick lead our small group in a series on the Kingdom of God, and I was really confused. I didn't get it. It made no sense to me, but Ladd made sense of it. Although I had been a Christian for years, I felt like I was just beginning to really understand something that my heart longed for.

I want to see his kingdom. I want to see his power. I want to see the lame walk, the blind see. I want to see the dead people rise. I hate that Satan continues to have influence; he continues to bind people in sin and pain. I know that Christ defeated him, but I also know that Satan continues to wreck havoc on this earth until his final destruction. But we can be a part of knocking down Satan's kingdom. Bit by bit. One healing at a time. One soul at a time. The kingdom of God is here. Now. It moves in power and in glory. It is changing lives. It is setting people free. And God has called us, called me, to be a part of his kingdom and do this work.

I'm not sure how much sense that made. I find that no matter how much this topic excites me, it can still be a bit much to wrap my mind around it. It's hard to put into words and hard to explain. I'm nervous about the upcoming series with our kinship. There will be no Crawfords and no Stevenses to help answer those difficult questions. They'll be the Kaisers - two people who are just beginning to learn about the kingdom of God. I'm concerned about those questions the group may have. I want to hear them. I don't want them to just nod their head and pretend like it all makes sense to them. I guess that I just don't want them not to be effected. I want them to understand and be empowered and be transformed.


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Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

"When we pray, 'Thy kingdom come,' are we praying for heaven to come to earth? In a sense we are praying for this; but heaven is an object of desire only because the reign of God is to be more perfectly realized then it is now. Apart from the reign of God, heaven is meaningless. Therefore, what we pray for is, 'Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' This prayer is a petition for God to reign, to manifest His kingly sovereignty and power, to put to flight every enemy of righteousness and of His divine rule, that God alone may be King over all the world."

Amen.