The Kingdom Within

I was looking over the passage from Luke 17 where Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God. He most noticeably says in many versions that the Kingdom of God is within you. However, over the years many of the translators have made the change to the Kingdom of God being in their midst. Which, quite possibly, is the original meaning. With all of that being said, I do not believe that it is wrong to say that the Kingdom of God is within YOU. Wherever Jesus is, His Kingdom is present.

When Jesus spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit He said, "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in Me, and I am in you." The gift of the Holy Spirit is the clearest confirmation of who we are in Christ. Secure in relationship. Endowed with the same power. Flowing in the same life. The greatest problem I see with experiencing this reality is that we struggle to believe that this is true. Most of us are so aware of ourselves, at least how we perceive ourselves, that it is quite difficult to see anything else. Our faults are quite evident. Our shortcomings loom large over the way we think. More and more we find ourselves living like beggars in the Kingdom of God rather than enjoying the benefits of sonship. How can we possibly think that we would ever see the Kingdom of God?

Part of the problem, in my estimation, is that we have made our faith largely about getting out. Our view of the world, our eschatology, our lack of experience in the spiritual nature of our faith, and even much of our hymnology espouse a greater life than the one we are going through right now. How many times have we heard someone say that they can't wait to get to Heaven. Which isn't a bad statement in and of itself, but when it's coming from the mouth of a twenty year old I have to question what they understand about the nature of our faith. The Gospel isn't about escaping. It's not about avoiding life with all of its ups and downs. The Gospel is the Good News about what Jesus has accomplished along with the announcement of the Kingdom of God. There is so much that we are missing out on. So much that we have yet to experience.

If your gospel is more about evacuation later rather than transformation now then you have missed what is essential to the message and prayers of Jesus. Go back and read through the narratives yourself. Hear the words of Jesus for that generation and even to ours now. Listen to His prayers not only for the disciples, but for those who would come to believe on Him because of their work. The Kingdom of God that was "at hand" and "here" in Jesus' day is alive and well even today. In fact, if He is in me then His Kingdom is in me. There is no reason for us to evacuate the Earth. We are mean to go forward, multiply, and to fill the Earth. God does tell us in the Scriptures that the WHOLE EARTH will be filled with His glory. Why would we want to stop now?

I'm not against having security for eternity, but I desperately want people to have security for right here and now.

So...the Kingdom of God is within. What now? How can we possibly access what is available to us?
Let me say that I didn't write this out to give you some sort of spiritual checklist. I'm writing this out today to stir up the Kingdom of God within you. There is so much about God's Kingdom that is experienced as we believe, as we meditate, as we pray, and as we contemplate. Holding onto this reality above any other perception is crucial to your experience. You have to fight through the darkness of your own thinking. Work through the allusions that you have carried about God. Remove yourself from a servant mindset into a son mindset. Determine that you are going to live in your inheritance. Jesus died so that you could have something greater than religion could give. Don't you think it's worth the time to figure that out? I do.

Your life and mine is a journey where we begin to see the Kingdom more clearly each and every day. Where we establish His rule and reign in our lives first and then pass it on to others. Where His love, His peace, His joy, and the rest become more than just fleeting moments in our lives. Where we eat from the Tree of Life freely. This is the hope that we carry. The experience that He is bringing us into this very moment. Where His salvation is more than a moment in our history but a true part of our present reality. It is the life that you and I were meant to live all along. In intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, through Jesus, in communion with the Holy Spirit. Life, even with all of its difficulties, is to be a beautiful dance of relationship. Don't miss it. Renew your mind today. Enjoy the transformation. His Kingdom is within you.