The Kingdom of God, here and now

I read a comment on the internet the other day regarding Jesus and Christianity. The comment was rather caustic so I’ll not repeat it verbatim but part of it is worth repeating.

The person making the comment said, in a nutshell, that all Jesus wants us to do is go to church and hang around, and that being a Christian is boring.

His comment got me thinking about what I believe are common misconception by non-Christians AND Christians of what it means to be a Christian. I have been dwelling on this for a couple weeks now and late Sunday night a light came on.

As I was preparing myself mentally for the jump from weekend mode to work week mode when that “small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-13) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2019:11-13;&version=31 inside reminded me that I would still be in “The Kingdom” while at work during the week. This got me thinking about all the things people do during the course of a day, work or recreation, and how they lined up with being in The Kingdom. A very simple truth became clear to me. We ARE in the Kingdom of God. Regardless of what we are doing, regardless of our relationship to God, regardless of whether or not you are a believer, we are all IN the KINGDOM OF GOD.

God created it.
John 1:1-3
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

The Kingdom of God exists today.
Hebrews 12:28
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."

Man clouded it up with sin giving man’s right to rule it away to the enemy (Satan)
Genesis 1:28
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Matthew 4:8-10
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. [** notice Jesus does not argue with Satan’s authority to offer the world, vs. 9, inferring that Satan actually “had” that authority]


Christ Jesus took back man’s authority to rule from Satan
Revelations 1:17-18
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

In Jesus Name, under his authority, man has been given back the authority to again rule in The Kingdom of God.
Hebrews 2:5-8
5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 7You made him a little] lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet."

Matthew 16:19
19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."


Stay tuned, next stop, Living in The Kingdom
Hint, Luke 18:16 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=18&verse=16&version=31&context=verse