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Kingdom Church

Sorry about Monday Morning Blog ... THIS IS FRIDAY!

Nevertheless, I've been thinking a lot about the Kingdom of God lately. I read the gospels, some exciting verses in the epistles and I see "the Kingdom" mentioned. I mean it hits me right square between the eyes.

In reflection, these readings strike me as different than I saw them in the past. I really thought the "church" was the highlight of the New Testament writings but I see Jesus' statements about the kingdom and the epistle writers statements to be far different than that. This is not minimizing the importance of ecclesia ... within Kingdom thinking and teaching it is enhanced toward God's actual design.

I've pastored the ecclesia for 30 years and for the majority of them, Kingdom and the King of the Kingdom was rarely referred to (unless it just happened to show up in the passage for the sermon that Sunday).

A few years back, though, that began to change. I began reading the Scriptures with full (not half-opened) eyes. How could I have avoided this vital subject so long? I taught a series to some summer people at a nearby Bible Conference about this subject in fact I called it "Misunderstanding the Kingdom". Then, I was asked recently to speak to volunteer servants coming to the same camp facility and immediately I saw from God the passage in Matthew 9 and 10 where Jesus called his 12 disciples to be the verses I was to teach. Jesus simply said to his disciples as He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom. And then He spends chapters and verses to follow explaining what the Kingdom is and it IS NOT what we normally think (or have been taught) it is!

As humans, and within human nature, we tend to "steal" from God what's His and His alone by putting in our two cents. God doesn't need our two cents (and often doesn't want it). Let's catch His message about the realm of the Holy One and let His Spirit build them into our hearts.

Yesterday, I heard this song (#19 on I Heart Radio 'Christian Hits') "Bring Your Kingdom Here". I leave you with the words and the link to hear it.

Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we're made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now

We are Your Church
We need Your power in Us

We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You're our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt; the sick; the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause

WE are Your church
We pray revive
This earth

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here we pray
Unleash Your kingdom's power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom see in us
Fill us with the strenghth and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope
On earth

 http://worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=1894414

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