The Lord's prayer keeps echoing in my ears and my soul, as it is a frequent sermon and devotional topic in my life right now.
During our staff devotional time last week, my Director, Ted, brought up this idea of our "kindgdom's". So much of us want God's kingdom, but are spending more time and effort on our own kingdom with our own hands. As a result, God's Kindgom isn't being established with our help.
Jesus came to set the stage for His Kingdom. I can just imagine Jesus - after the temptation show down in the desert, full of the power of the Spirit, walking in the synagogue, knowing he was going to read about Himself! As people saw Him, they praised Him, but I'm sure there were plenty of people not sure about this guy. Sure, there were rumors about Him and what he was doing, but is this really legit? Never the less, He stands and proclaims,
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the POOR. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the PRISONERS and recovery of sight for the BLIND, to release the OPPRESSED, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Isa. 61:1,2)
How do you react after that? If I were sitting there, I think my mouth would be open. To see a man so humble, and so bold at the same time.
The Kingdom is about the POOR, the PRISONERS, the BLIND, the OPPRESSED. The Kingdom Proclaims freedom for people of these unfortunate and more often than not, uncontrollable circumstances! Through His blood and sacrifice Christ sets the captive free, gives hope to the hopeless.
God's Kingdom is the power of God coming over all who ask.
So why are we so focused on our own kingdoms? Our own kingdoms happen when our really good concerns go bad.
This year I have been so focused on Ish and I's future regarding money, debt, retirement, children, and real estate that I never realized that I was really building my own kingdom. I didn't put down my desires so that I could attain HIS.
We build our "work" kingdom of wanting a promotion after promotion after raise, and then maybe another raise, that we forget that we are here to proclaim freedom and instead we are slaves to excelling by worldly standards. Or maybe you have an "Intelligence/school" kingdom where knowledge is power. But remember that God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the weak to lead the strong (1Cor 1:27). Things that we build by our own hands and think with our own thought will not last.
Period.
Only the Kindgom of Heaven will last. Eternally.
I continually have to shut down construction on my kingdom so that I can put my best effort into building His.
So what would happen if the Kingdom was built in your family? In South Dallas? For you?
Last week I was getting in my car, about to meet a friend so we could drive to our senior ministers home, and the car door hit the back of my ear as I was opening it. I immediately heard a clank clank clank. The back of my diamond earring fell off, causing my diamond earring to go flying into the road. This was my mother's, given to me as an engagement present. I always had hopes to pass it down to my daughter. After searching for a good 30 minutes with the help of my friend and some neighbors, I kept thinking how silly I was. Yes, I was sad because of the history and the value (I dont have many diamonds, you know!) But diamonds aren't eternal. No matter WHAT the commercials say! I could have been there all night if I wanted to. The lack of being able to find it could have put me in a horrible mood. But thank God that I didn't allow earrings to get in the way of what was about to happen that evening.
Later that night I had such an amazing time of community worship, prayer and encouragement. That's the Kingdom.
Doing manual labor with people needing a second or third chance. Just letting them know we appreciate them and they are loved by God.
That's the Kingdom
Praying with broken hearts, not looking for diamonds.
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