WHY THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM MATTER TO US

FEBRUARY 11, 2019

YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY I AM SPENDING SO MUCH TIME ON THE DISCUSSION OF KINGDOM, AND TRYING TO PRESENT IT IN SUCH A DEFINED WAY. THE REASON IS PRETTY SIMPLE REALLY. IF YOUR LIFE BECOMES FOCUSED ON RELIGION, I BELIEVE YOU CAN BECOME BOGGED DOWN IN ALL OF THE MANY WAYS EACH SECT OR DENOMINATION LOOKS TO DEFINE THE MEANING OF LIFE, AND THE POWER TO CONTROL IT AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT BRINGS US. RELIGIONS SEEM TO HAVE A CENTRAL CORE OF BELIEF THAT IS THEIR FOUNDATION, BUT THEN SOMETHING CURIOUS BEGINS TO HAPPEN. THEY BEGIN TO EVOLVE AND CHANGE, AND PRETTY SOON WE FIND MAN TRYING TO REDEFINE GOD, AND REDEFINE WHAT HE IS, WHAT HIS WORDS MEAN, WHAT HIS PURPOSE WAS, OR IS, OR MAY BE IN THE FUTURE. WE TRY TO REINVENT GOD SO HE FITS INTO OUR CULTURE AS IT CHANGES. MYLES MUNROE PUTS IT LIKE THIS. “RELIGION IS WHAT PREOCCUPIES MAN UNTIL HE FINDS THE KINGDOM.”

MAKE NO MISTAKE WHO GOD IS…HE IS OUR CREATOR, WHO MADE US IN HIS IMAGE, TO HAVE DOMINION OVER THE EARTH, AND ESTABLISH A KINGDOM RULERSHIP ON THIS PLANET FROM THE HEAVENLY REALM. A KINGDOM THAT IS RIGHTEOUS, AND OPERATES IN THE LAWS, AUTHORITY, POWER, PRIORITIES, PURPOSE AND TRUTH THAT GOD HIMSELF ESTABLISHED FROM THE BEGINNING.

“I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END” Rev 22:13

“KNOW THEREFORE THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GOD, THE FAITHFUL GOD WHO KEEPS COVENANT AND STEADFAST LOVE WITH THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS. Deuteronomy7:9

“IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. John 1:1

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE US HIS ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. John 3:16

WOW. WHEN I SEE GOD IN THIS LIGHT, I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT HE HAS CREATED ME, AND GIVEN ME THE GIFT OF HIS SON. HIS LOVE FOR US IS SO INCREDIBLE, THAT HE TOOK OUR FAILURES AND GAVE US THE ULTIMATE KEY TO ENTER HIS KINGDOM RIGHT NOW!!! JESUS IS OUR PATH TO THE FATHER AND HIS KINGDOM, AND HIS KINGDOM ISN’T SOME FUTURE PLACE WE MIGHT REACH WHEN WE DIE….WE CAN LIVE IN HIS KINGDOM RIGHT NOW!!!

DO YOU WANT THIS INCREDIBLE KINGDOM, OR ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR LIFE AS IT IS? DO YOU WANT TO SURRENDER YOURSELF TO JESUS, AND FOLLOW HIM AS YOUR LORD IN OBEDIENCE, OR DO YOU WANT TO CHASE ALL THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER? IT IS A DIFFICULT CHOICE TO GIVE UP YOUR THRONE AND TURN IT OVER TO HIM….IT ISN’T EASY, AND IT REQUIRES CHANGING YOUR HEART. IT MEANS LETTING GO OF FAITH IN YOURSELF, AND FINDING FAITH IN HIM. WE LIVE IN A HUGE WORLD OF CHOICES AND THINGS TO FOCUS OUR LIVES ON. ONE BIG, MASSIVE PATH THAT HAS SO MANY ROADS WE CAN FOLLOW…..

I MADE THE CHOICE TO FOLLOW THE PATH TO THE NARROW GATE. IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE TO BE ON, AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I CAN SEE THE WIDE PATH AND I WANT TO RUN BACK, JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE…..IT IS SO ENTICING….BUT I CAN’T. I WALK THE NARROW PATH AND I STUMBLE, SOMETIMES I FALL DOWN….BUT I DON’T WALK IT ALONE. I LOOK UP, AND THERE IS JESUS STANDING BESIDE ME. ENCOURAGING ME, HELPING ME, AND JUST LOVING ME FOR WHO I AM. OFTEN I FIND MYSELF SAYING TO HIM, “LORD, I TRY SO HARD TO BE WHO YOU WANT ME TO BE….'“, AND HE ALWAYS SAYS THE SAME THING BACK TO ME. “JIM, I LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE….LETS ENJOY THIS MOMENT, AND KEEP ON WALKING IN MY KINGDOM”.

“ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE. FOR WIDE IS THE GATE AND BROAD IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY ENTER THROUGH IT. BUT SMALL IS THE GATE AND NARROW THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO LIFE, AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT.” Matthew 7:13

LORD, MAY YOU SHOW ALL WHO SEEK YOU THE WAY TO THAT NARROW PATH AND GATE, AND MAY THOSE WHO ARE NOT SEEKING YOU , BE FILLED WITH A HUNGER TO START! JA