WHY YOU MUST SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD MORE THAN EVER TODAY

5/1/2019

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE ONE PLACE THAT I CAN LIVE AND EXIST IN TRUTH AND FREEDOM. IT IS THE DECISION IN MY LIFE TO SEEK GOD, AND BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. WHEN I GAVE MYSELF TO JESUS AS MY LORD AND SAVIOR, IT SET ME FREE FROM MY INNER DESIRE FOR SELF CONTROL. IT SET ME FREE FROM CHASING THE THINGS THAT WOULD HARM ME AND SEPARATE ME FROM GOD, AND IT HELPED ME TO BUILD A FOUNDATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT HAS PUT ME IN A PLACE WHERE I CAN GAIN WISDOM ABOUT THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE AND BECOME THE PERSON THAT GOD HAD ALWAYS CREATED ME TO BE. I AM GROWING UP INTO A ROYAL SON OF GOD IN HIS KINGDOM.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I SPOKE LIKE A CHILD, I THOUGHT LIKE A CHILD, I REASONED LIKE A CHILD. WHEN I BECAME A MAN, I PUT AWAY CHILDISH THINGS. 1 Corinthians 13:11

WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY ? ARE YOU SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD, OR ARE YOU SPENDING MORE TIME CHASING THE THINGS THAT THE WORLD DEEMS IMPORTANT ? DO YOU SPEND TIME WITH GOD BEYOND A SUNDAY IN THE CHURCH PEW, OR IS THAT ALL YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO DO ? I UNDERSTAND THAT TIME IS SUCH A PRECIOUS COMMODITY THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUT YOUR EFFORTS WHERE THEY MATTER THE MOST. I PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO WORK, MAKING MONEY, HAVING FUN, ENJOYING FAMILY AND FRIENDS, EATING WELL, IMPROVING MY GOLF GAME, ….I COULD GO ON FOREVER. WHAT I WASN’T DOING WAS SEEKING GOD THE WAY HE WANTED ME TO, SO, HE SOLVED THINGS FOR ME. HE GAVE ME THE GIFT OF AN INSATIABLE THIRST TO BE CLOSER TO HIM, AND TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HIM. BUT FIRST, I HAD TO SEE THE WORLD FOR WHAT IT WAS, AND WHAT IT IS BECOMING…

ONE DAY I STARTED LOOKING AROUND ME, AND THINGS JUST DIDN’T QUITE FEEL RIGHT. IT WAS LIKE A SUBTLE CRAZINESS WAS STARTING TO SEEP THROUGH THE CRACKS IN OUR POLITICAL AND JUDICIAL SYSTEMS, AND OUR CULTURE AND VALUES WERE BEING ATTACKED. THE TRADITIONAL WAYS THAT THINGS LIKE MARRIAGE, GENDER, AND SEX HAD BEEN DEFINED WERE BEING CHALLENGED AND DOWNRIGHT ATTACKED. THE FINANCIAL SYSTEMS AND RULES WERE BEING OPENLY MANIPULATED, AND CRISIS AFTER CRISIS SEEMED TO BE READY TO CRASH EVERYTHING. LEADERSHIP SEEMED TO BE UNABASHEDLY CORRUPT, AND TRUTH WAS SURRENDERING TO LIES…..IF YOU SAY IT ENOUGH TIMES, IT MUST BE TRUE….RIGHT? THERE SEEMED TO BE A PUSH TOWARD BUILDING WALLS OF HATRED BETWEEN US. WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO CIVIL DISCOURSE AND GOOD DEBATE ? SO I JUMPED INTO MAKING SURE MY WORLD WAS SAFE. I WAS GOING TO BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST…..AND SO, I BECAME PREPARED FOR ANYTHING. THAT WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND IF ANYTHING, THE WORLD TODAY SEEMS TO BE EVEN WORSE. “WHERE ARE THINGS HEADED”, I ASKED MYSELF ? THEN I HEARD GOD’S VOICE.

JIM, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON ? WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF ? “ I AM BUSY GETTING PREPARED TO PROTECT AND DEFEND MY FAMILY GOD”. “WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING” ? AND HE ANSWERED. “SEEK MY KINGDOM, AND ALL WILL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU”. “FEED MY SHEEP”. “ I TAKE CARE OF THE BIRDS AND THE EARTH, WILL I NOT TAKE CARE OF YOU”? “ THIS WORLD WILL SOME DAY PASS AWAY, BUT I AM FOREVER. PLACE YOUR TRUST AND EFFORT IN ME”. AND SUDDENLY, I FELT THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ROLL OFF OF ME. HE HAD ALLOWED ME TO BE PREPARED WELL, AND THEN HE PUT MY FOCUS WHERE IT SHOULD BE. ON HIM, AND ON HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND ON THE THINGS OF IMPORTANCE IN AND FOR HIS KINGDOM.

TODAY, WHEN I HEAR COMMENTS ABOUT WHERE THIS WORLD IS HEADED, I HAVE A SIMPLE ANSWER. IT IS HEADED RIGHT WHERE GOD HAS ALWAYS SAID IT WOULD. SCRIPTURE IS VERY CLEAR ON THAT. OUR CHOICE IS ABOUT WHERE WE WILL BE IN THAT FINAL PICTURE….WITH GOD IN HIS KINGDOM ETERNALLY, OR ALONE WITHOUT HIM….FOREVER. I LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH EXCITEMENT AND JOY. MY PLACE WILL BE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, IN HIS KINGDOM. I WOULD PRAY THAT YOU TOO WOULD HAVE THAT SAME FEELING. MAY YOU SEEK HIM AND FIND HIM. TODAY IS A REALLY GREAT TIME TO GET STARTED ! MAY YOU SEE HIM AND HEAR HIM CLEARLY. PEACE / JA

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH Psalm 46:10

AND THOSE WHO KNOW YOUR NAME PUT THEIR TRUST IN YOU, FOR YOU, O LORD, HAVE NOT FORSAKEN THOSE WHO SEEK YOU. Psalm 9:10