If God is King of everything, and his kingdom will endure forever, then that changes the way that we live our lives. If God is King, then we are not king. If we need to make God's kingdom the priority, then our earthly kingdoms are not the priority. God's kingship changes everything. For the rest of the series, we'll be focusing on how God's kingdom changes the way we live and view our lives. Jesus shared parables throughout his ministry that challenged the way that the crowds and disciples viewed their lives and God's kingdom. We'll be looking at Jesus' parables and his teachings. I'll be sharing ways that I'm learning to make God the King of my life and to live under his Lordship. I'll also be sharing what it has looked like to make God's kingdom the priority and ways that God has called me to give up my own crumbling kingdom for the sake of his kingdom. I hope that you continue joining me on this journey, and feel free to comment and share the ways that this series is impacting you or even the things you've learned as you've sought God's kingdom and placed him as the King in your life. For those of you that have never viewed God as your King before, how is this series impacting you? Feel free to comment below, and I'm looking forward to digging deeper over these next twenty three days. This post is part of a 31 day series called Seeking the Kingdom.
You can view the rest of the posts from the series here.
0 Comments
I've been writing about seeking God's kingdom for a week now, and I'm sure a question you might have is, "What and where is God's kingdom?' If it's mentioned a number of times in the Bible, what exactly is the kingdom? Does it refer to heaven? Is it a place on earth? Or is it something else entirely? As I shared in yesterday's post, Seek First God's Kingdom, Jesus never explicitly defined the concept of God's kingdom in any of the gospels. However, he focused on it in the majority of his teachings. The first thing he preached when he began his earthly ministry was "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." So why didn't Jesus define the concept of God's kingdom? We can't be sure, because Jesus didn't tell us that either. But what Jesus did want people to know is that the importance of God's kingdom is linked to the kingship of God. If God is King of the earth, the world and the universe, and his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom will endure forever, then everywhere and everything is a part of his kingdom. Eternity is a part of his kingdom, heaven is a part of his kingdom, and the world is a part of his kingdom. What Jesus wanted the disciples and crowds to focus on (and wants us to focus on as well) is that if there is a kingdom, and it's important, then there is a King that is even more important. If the kingdom of God is at hand, then the King is near. There's a song that I was listening to recently by Tim Timmons called "Awake Our Souls." Tim sings a line in that song and says, "Everywhere the King is, there is the kingdom." Jesus talked about God's kingdom to point people towards the King. He shared about God's kingdom so that others would know that God's reign and his kingdom are very different from the crumbling kingdoms and kings of the world. God is the ultimate king of everything. Every kingdom belongs to him. Every earthly dominion ultimately belongs to him as well. Jesus came to proclaim these things, and he lived the perfect life in submission to his Heavenly Father and to his King. Jesus perfectly served the sovereign God, and we rebel from God's dominion over our lives. Jesus died so that we, the rebels of the kingdom, could be made right with the King. We deserved death for our treason, but Jesus went willingly to the cross. He died so that the King would forgive our rebellion, so that we could be made clean, forgiven, and enter into the joy of our King, being welcomed into his enduring kingdom and becoming a part of the royal family. That is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. The reality then is that the Son of the King, the Most High, went willing to the cross to die for rebels of the kingdom. Not just the Son, but Jesus was also the very King himself. The King of Glory took the form of flesh as Jesus, the Son of God, and went to the cross willingly. The King gave up his life for his rebel subjects to welcome them into his kingdom with open arms. Knowing the King is more important than knowing the precise details about the kingdom. Everywhere the King is, there is the kingdom. God owns everything, and is everywhere, therefore there is not an atom that escapes the sovereignty and dominion of God. If God is everywhere, and the kingdom is everywhere, how does that impact the way that we live our lives? Join me tomorrow as we focus on how the reality of God's kingship and his kingdom affect our lives. This post is part of a 31 day series called Seeking the Kingdom.
You can view the rest of the posts from the series here. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33 When a friend first shared this verse with me, I wasn't sure what it meant to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. I was struggling to trust God to provide and take care of me in the midst of uncertain circumstances, so seeking first his kingdom felt like new territory. The above verse is a promise. As people seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, God will provide and meet our needs. You can read more about this promise in yesterday's post, Do Not Be Anxious About Your Life. Today, we're discussing what it means to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Every word that Jesus spoke was important, and Jesus told the crowd to seek God's kingdom. To seek something is to pursue, desire, and chase after. It is active. Seeking goes above and beyond to find and acquire something. We seek lost keys, phones, and jewelry, or we might seek the perfect birthday gift for a friend. Jesus told the crowd and thereby tells us to seek after God's kingdom, to pursue it and acquire it. But he also said to do this first. When Jesus told the crowd to seek the kingdom of God, there's a reason he used the word "first". He called the crowds to make God's kingdom their priority, to make it the first thing in their lives. When we make God's kingdom first, all other things fall into their rightful place. As we read two days ago, when King Nebuchadnezzar sought his own kingdom first, God humbled him and took away his kingdom. When King Nebuchadnezzar was brought back to his senses, he glorified God and honored God's kingdom as first. After doing so all of the good things God gave him, such as Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, were returned to him. God calls us to put his kingdom and his kingship in our lives as first too. He calls us to put his kingdom before our own crumbling kingdoms. What might this look like? It might look like choosing to love a neighbor and sacrifice your "me" time to help that neighbor rake some leaves. It might look like turning down a job opportunity that would prevent you from being a part of a local church. It might even look like giving God the glory in the gifts and talents he has given you. For me, it looks like giving up my time to love and serve others instead of using my time to build myself up or accomplish things that are geared towards making me look good. Ultimately, God's dominion is the only dominion that will last into eternity. Therefore, it is imperative to put God's kingdom first in our lives. It's the only kingdom that matters anyway. But what exactly is God's kingdom? I'm sure some of you might be wondering that while reading this series. In all of the gospels, Jesus never defined what he means when he refers to the concept of "the kingdom of God". Does he mean heaven or an earthly kingdom or something different entirely? Join me tomorrow as we look at this question. This post is part of a 31 day series called Seeking the Kingdom.
You can view the rest of the posts from the series here. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33 This verse is one that is quoted often. I wouldn't be surprised if you've heard, read, or had someone share it with you before. It's a verse that tends to come up in seasons when you are struggling to trust God with a life circumstance. I remember the first time a friend shared this verse with me. I was knee deep raising financial support to go to Poland for a ministry opportunity, and getting fully funded felt near impossible. My feelings actually revealed that I did not trust God to provide. In fact, I wrote a post about the struggle to trust God to provide in Promises of Provision. In the midst of the struggle, a friend shared the verse from Matthew with me, and we looked at the passage of the Bible where this verse originates. Let's look at it together: Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34 This passage is part of Jesus' sermon on the mount - when he spoke to a crowd on a mountain about God's kingdom. Do you notice what Jesus tells them? He tells them and tells us not to be anxious about our life and the daily provision of food and clothing. He used the birds, lilies, and grass as examples to show how God cares for his creation, and he values mankind even more than the birds. Jesus wanted the crowd to put off anxiety, and he gave them the means to do so. Jesus told them to seek first God's Kingdom and His righteousness, and that all the things they were anxious about would be provided. Jesus gave them and gives us this promise. When people seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all the things that we're tempted to be anxious about will be added to us. But what does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? We'll take a deeper look at what this means tomorrow. This post is part of a 31 day series called Seeking the Kingdom.
You can view the rest of the posts from the series here. My husband loves playing strategic board games, and I love playing them with him, particularly games that I have a fair chance of winning. One such game is Ticket To Ride. We played this game with my family a few weeks ago, and I was in it to win it. For an hour of game play, my brain was focused on thinking through ways to strategically earn more points to win. At the end of the game, we tallied up the points, and I was delighted to find that I earned the most points. As I surveyed the game board and the visible evidence of my victory, I couldn't help but find happiness in my own glory. My happiness didn't last for long; my husband defeated me in another game later that night. Yesterday we looked at Daniel 4 and what happened when King Nebuchadnezzar took all of the glory for becoming king of Babylon. God humbled him by driving him mad and making him like a wild beast. It wasn't until King Nebuchadnezzar was sufficiently humbled that God reinstated him as king of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar then praised and honored God for "his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation (Dan 4:34)." I'm just like King Nebuchadnezzar. I often look at my life, like Nebuchadnezzar, and declare, "Is not this great _________, which I have built by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" I could fill that blank with a number of things: game win, blog, marriage, relationship, life, reputation, or accomplishment. When I do this, I pridefully elevate my own crumbling kingdom above God's kingdom, and I view myself as king. Ultimately, I refuse to give God the glory He is due. The Lord humbles me when I elevate my own crumbling kingdom, whether it's losing a game to my husband, seeing an area of sin in my heart, having conflict in a relationship, or when my reputation fails me. In those circumstances, God reminds me that my crumbling kingdom will not last, but His kingdom and His glory endure forever. God's kingdom is far greater than my crumbling kingdom. God's dominion is far better than my prideful dominion. Humility is valued in God's kingdom, and pride destroys my mine. The more I learn about God, the more I desire to put aside my crumbling kingdom to serve God and help grow His kingdom. What about you? Here are some questions to ponder:
Take some time to think about these questions, and join me tomorrow as we take a look at what Jesus reveals to the disciples about the kingdom of God. This post is part of a 31 day series called Seeking the Kingdom. You can view the rest of the posts from the series here. Note: The Amazon link to Ticket to Ride above is an affiliate link. If you click on the link and purchase the game, this blog is supported at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting She Laughs Without Fear!
I'm lingering over the book None Like Him by Jen Wilkin. I tend to linger over books that I really like, particularly books that teach me so much about the Lord and life. Simply Tuesday was the last book that I lingered over, and None Like Him has taken its place. Both of these books have taught me a lot about the kingdom of God. What I appreciate about None Like Him is that Jen Wilkin takes things that I know about the Lord in an abstract way and clarifies them with words. In one particular chapter, she focuses on God's self-existence, basically how God has always existed by himself. In this particular chapter, she focuses on the story of King Nebuchadnezzar found in Daniel 4: By the hand of the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar rises to great power as King of Babylon. One day as he walks on his palace rooftop looking out over his kingdom, his creator complex is exposed: "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty? (Dan. 4:30)." p. 48-49 Nebuchadnezzar is made King of Babylon by God, but he takes the glory for himself. How does God respond? While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you,until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws. Daniel 4: 31-33 Nebuchadnezzar is humbled, driven to madness and forced to live like an animal with wild hair and long nails. All of this because Nebuchadnezzar glorified himself instead of glorifying "the Most High that rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will." Ouch. There is good news for Nebuchadnezzar though: At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. Daniel 4:34-37 In order to seek the kingdom, we need to know and understand the king of the kingdom that we seek. In seeking God's kingdom, we're seeking a king that is the Most High and rules the kingdom of men. We learn that "his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation (Dan 4:34)." We see what happens when someone thinks he can take the place of this king - humiliation and ruin. What are things that we can take away from Daniel 4:
Knowing and understanding these facts will impact the rest of our time in this series. But as we continue on this journey, we will see that God's kingdom is also being established in the hearts of those that put their faith in His Son, who is "given dominion, glory, and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him (Dan 5:14)." Join me tomorrow as we look at how God's kingdom being the only kingdom that will endure and last forever impacts us. This post is part of a 31 day series called Seeking the Kingdom. You can view the rest of the posts from the series here. Note: The Amazon link to None Like Him above is an affiliate link. If you click on the link and purchase the book, this blog is supported at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting She Laughs Without Fear!
The word "kingdom" is used 51 times in the book of Matthew. It's a major theme in Matthew's gospel. In fact, Matthew wrote that Jesus began his earthly ministry by preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17 Throughout each of the gospels, Jesus preaches a gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins and that the kingdom of heaven is closer than the people realize. He even tells the disciples as he sends them out to "proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal" (Luke 9:2). Jesus came to call sinners to repentance and to forgive sins, but he also came to make Jews and Gentiles aware of the coming of God's kingdom through Jesus Christ. Entrance into this coming kingdom is based solely on repentance from sins. Now you might be asking, "What is repentance?" Theologian and pastor Charles Spurgeon once shared the lyrics of this children's hymn in a sermon to define the term, "Repentance is to leave The sins we loved before, And show that we in earnest grieve By doing so no more." Repentance is the key to God's kingdom, and repentance only comes from understanding the gravity of our sins, turning away from them, and seeking forgiveness from God. The Bible says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 Repentance is the beginning to seeking and being a part of God's kingdom. Therefore, that is where we will start in this series. The first time I repented from my sins was the night I watched The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader in an encounter that I shared about in yesterday's post. Before watching this film, I knew about heaven and I wanted to go to heaven when I died, but I didn't realize that heaven is part of God's Kingdom and those that go there want to be with God and want Him to be their king. I heard about heaven my entire life, but I had never thought about how heaven is part of God's kingdom. For the first time in my life, I desperately wanted to be with God in eternity and I wanted to be a part of His kingdom. At the same time, God showed me the gravity of my sins and how my sins divided me from a holy God. I knew that I couldn't save myself. The only thing that I could do was confess my sins, believe in Christ as my Savior, and repent. Just as the book of Matthew focuses on God's Kingdom being made manifest through Jesus Christ, the book of John focuses on eternal life promised through Christ. Jesus says, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 What more can we say? Repentance of sins leads to becoming a part of God's Kingdom, which leads to eternal life. As we embark on this journey of seeking glimpses of God's Kingdom over the next 29 days and growing in our understanding of the kingdom, this is where we begin. We begin where Jesus began, with repentance. Here are some questions to consider as we begin this series.
Take some time to think about these questions, and if you're feeling particularly brave, feel free to share your answers or thoughts in the comments section below. Community makes this series more fun, and I love hearing from those that are reading! This post is part of a 31 day series.
You can read more posts from the series Seeking The Kingdom here. I've been on a quest for twenty three years. I didn't realize that I was on a quest until five years ago when I had an experience with the living God that changed my life. It was Thanksgiving break of my freshman year of college, and all I wanted to do was rest from my busy first semester. So what did this film major do to rest? I watched movies. At the end of that break I found myself watching a film called The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader. I was very familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia series. I loved The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and the second film in the series, Prince Caspian. These films are based off of a book series by C.S. Lewis, a renowned Christian author. The central character of this series is Aslan, a beautiful lion that is King of Narnia. Towards the end of The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, Aslan, the three children of the film, King Caspian, as well as a mouse called Reepicheep stand before a giant wave of water. Aslan tells the children and Reepicheep that behind the wall of water is his kingdom. He offers Reepicheep the opportunity to cross the wave of water and enter his kingdom, but he tells the children that their time to enter his kingdom has not yet come. Aslan tells them that they must leave Narnia and go back to their world, our world, and that he has a purpose for them there. This conversation ensues: Lucy Pevensie: Will you come and visit us in our world? Aslan: I shall be watching you always. Lucy Pevensie: How? Aslan: In your world, I have another name. You must learn to know me by it. That was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there. While watching this scene, I realized for the first time that Aslan represented God in the film and book series, and he promised the children that one day they would enter his kingdom. Their time had not come yet, but he was sending them back to their world to know him by his name there and to tell others about him. I realized that just as Aslan has a kingdom, God has a kingdom. Just as Aslan is king of Narnia, God is King of this world. Before watching this film, I read a lot of Bible passages about God's kingdom, but the idea of there actually being a kingdom became a reality in my heart and mind. Then like all things that our eyes are opened to, the reality of God's kingdom started showing up everywhere: in films, music, books, ordinary and everyday moments. I could no longer deny that God's kingdom existed and that I had been given a part in this eternal kingdom. The quest that I shared about above is a quest to seek and find God's kingdom. Like the Pevensie children, I have the promise of being a part of God's eternal kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ. There is a kingdom, and I am an ambassador. Jesus is my King, and his kingdom is growing. What most people don't realize is that there are glimpses of his kingdom everywhere. One must only seek and find them. Finding glimpses of God's kingdom in the ordinary and everyday is the focus of this 31 day series called Seeking The Kingdom. Each day I will be sharing ways that God has shown me His kingdom in the small moments of life, and how you can find His kingdom too. So join me as we seek God's kingdom together. You can subscribe below to receive new posts directly to your inbox, or visit the landing page of Seeking The Kingdom to read each day's posts. Note: The Amazon link above is an affiliate link. If you click on the link and purchase the movie, this blog is supported at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting She Laughs Without Fear!
This is the landing page for the 31 day series Seeking the Kingdom. This series is focused on finding glimpses of God's Kingdom in the ordinary and everyday moments of life. Below are all of the posts from the series.
Day 1: Seeking the Kingdom: Series Introduction Day 2: Repent, For the Kingdom Is At Hand Day 3: His Kingdom Endures Day 4: Our Crumbling Kingdoms Day 5: Do Not Be Anxious About Your Life Day 6: Seek First God's Kingdom Day 7: Everywhere the King Is, There Is the Kingdom Day 8: God's Kingship Changes Everything Day 9: The King Is Not Far From Each of Us Day 10: Like a Grain of Mustard Seed Day 11: Citizens & Ambassadors Day 12: What Ambassadors Do Day 13: Who Are the Citizens of the Kingdom? Day 14: The Character of Citizens Day 15: Glimpses of the Kingdom Day 16: The King of My Life Day 17: The King of My Time Day 18: The King of My Time (Part 2) Day 19: God's Kingdom Come Day 20: A Great Treasure Day 21: A Treasure Worth Everything Day 22: A Treasure Worth Gaining Day 23: Connections Between Jesus and the Kingdom of God Day 24: God's King of the World Day 25: King of Kings and Lord of Lords Day 26: We Need a Real King Day 27: From Rebel to Servant of the King Day 28: Glimpses of the Kingdom Day 29: Enemies of the King Day 30: The Kingdom of Light Day 31: Still Seeking the Kingdom Every October I take part in a 31 day writing challenge with other bloggers called Write 31 Days. Bloggers that participate focus on one topic for the month of October and write everyday for 31 days. This is my third year of doing a series in October. For those of you that are new to this blog, the previous series that I've written are faith > fear and Confessions of a Creative Christian.
I'm delighted to share that for this October, I will be spending 31 days focusing on finding God's kingdom in the ordinary and everyday in a series called Seeking the Kingdom. Join me on October 1 as I begin this new series and to learn more. |
Archives
March 2023
Copyright © 2014 - 2023
She Laughs Without Fear |