The Effects Your Lifestyle Has on Establishing the Kingdom of God
The bible warns us in Galatians 1:6-10 NLT to watch for any other gospel being preached - let the person who would do that be cursed. Salvation, prosperity, healing, and the likes are by-products, not the gospel itself. The Good News (gospel) is that Jesus came to restore what humanity lost in the Garden of Eden. What the first Adam failed to do, the second Adam has done perfectly. Now through Him, we once again have the opportunity to co-labor with Him in establishing His kingdom in the earth as His emissaries (ambassadors).
Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of God.
In his book, Kingdom Principles, Myles Munroe defines a kingdom this way: “A kingdom is the governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his personal will, purpose, intent; producing a culture, values, morals, and lifestyle that reflect the king’s desires and nature for his citizens."Jesus did not give His life to establish a religion or Christian organizations that focus on buildings, meetings, and programs. It is a lifestyle built on a relationship with the King and fellow-subjects who happen to be sons and daughters.
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We have obviously missed the mark by a long shot, evidenced in the fact that most of the community of faith doesn’t live any differently than the world around them. Premarital sex, adultery, unwed pregnancies, divorce, entertainment, language, dishonesty, gossip, pride, greed, and the list goes on are the same in the assemblies as they are outside of them. This has had an adverse effect on us individually, as a faith community, and as a nation.
Sin is never isolated.
We have failed to be the salt and the light. The accumulation of our individual sins has resulted in the breakdown of the community as a whole. Consequently, all of society has suffered. The results can be seen in the state of our nation. We are to blame for the ungodly administration we are currently under. Our apathy, poor judgment, and self-centeredness have taken their toll.
Where are the true disciples?
We have a creation/ kingdom mandate to subdue (Terminate from a place of strength and with moral certitude; reverse a situation with conviction) and take dominion (Rule by going down and walking among the subjects as an equal). Yet, pollsters say 52% of the faith community doesn’t even vote! And many of those that do have actually voted for representatives that don’t uphold our biblical values! Shame on us! Don’t complain if you’re not willing to even participate properly in the process.God has given us a game plan with promises in 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT. If My people, who bear My name, will humble themselves, pray, seek My face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.
Let’s break it down;
1. Bear His name/ nature. We are to be His ambassadors representing Him on the earth. This means our feelings, thoughts, opinions, words, and actions are to reflect His as He has revealed Himself in His Word. This obviously is an ongoing process.2. Humility is a condition of the heart. It means to “bow down.” It is our willingness to trust, follow and obey.3. Pray. The essence of prayer is communication with the Father through the Son. It is being “naked and unashamed” as “we walk in the garden in the cool of the evening,” sort to speak. All things are laid bare before the One in whom we must give an account. Get real and get right.4. Seek His face. There are two words commonly used in Hebrew, meaning to seek. Darash (inquire or search after) and bakash (request something desired). The former ought to come before the latter. Psalm 27:8 NLT My heart said of you, “Seek My face.” Your face, Adonai, I will seek.5. Turn from evil. This doesn’t mean what we think it does. There isn’t an equivalent Hebrew word for evil. To the original writers of our Scriptures, it means to destroy its original purpose; dysfunction, contrary to God’s nature.
If we surrender to these instructions, the results will be as God has stated.
He will hear from heaven, forgive us and heal our land. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to do our part. Each one of us will, one day, give an account before our God and Father. Let’s get to it!