Over the next few days, we will celebrate Easter and meditate on what Jesus has accomplished through His suffering on the cross, death, burial and resurrection.

Today I would like to share some basic but powerful truths about God’s Kingdom, and the price paid to restore it to us.

ABC’s of the Kingdom

In Mark 10:15, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

We know that Bible scholars have yet to fully explore the extent of the riches of God’s Kingdom as revealed in His Word.

And yet, according to Jesus, a child can grasp its truth and reality. Here are some simple, foundational Kingdom truths we can meditate on:

A. The Kingdom Exists Because there is a King

‘O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.’ (Isaiah 37:16)

In the beginning…there is a King.

God created everything that exists, and He rules as King over everything that He created.

The Bible has a great deal to say about the throne and sovereignty of God. We are exhorted to keep our focus on Jesus, seated at the right hand of God on the throne. (Col 3:1-2)

The throne of God is the source and focus of events in the book of Revelation.

B. God Assigned Rulership of the Earth to Humanity

‘The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.’ (Ps 115:16)

In Genesis, we read that God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth. (Gen 1:28)

Effectively, He said, “You are King and Queen of this planet. I fully assign it to you”

C. Satan used Deception to Acquire Dominion over the Earth.

Adam and Eve gave leadership of the earth away when they disobeyed God. Instead, they submitted to the wiles of the serpent. (Gen 3)

Paul describes a hierarchy of demonic rulership in Ephesians: ‘the rulers… authorities… powers of this dark world and… the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Eph 6:12)

In the temptation of Christ, the devil offered the kingdoms of the earth back to Jesus in exchange for worship. (Luke 4:5-6)

D. Jesus paid the Price to Restore our Relationship with God, and to Regain Authority over the Earth

God had a plan to restore the earth’s dominion to its rightful order—and He executed that plan in sending His Son Jesus Christ to take the penalty for the sin of humanity.

After He rose from the dead, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt 28:18) [1]

Jesus is now described as ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’ (Rev 19:6)

E. Jesus Shares His Kingdom Authority with us

In the Gospels, Jesus assigned authority to His disciples to do His work of ministry. (Luke 9:1)

But God had a master plan, made possible through Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

We can become part of God’s Kingdom by simply believing in and receiving Jesus.

Now, we are not merely assigned authority as agents or representatives. We are members of God’s royal family. [2]

John 1:12-13 says,

‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.’

Our authority is not an independent authority—we do not ‘rule,’ or exercise authority, in our own name, but in Jesus’ Name. We are co-heirs with Him. (Rom 8:17, John 14:13)

F. Complete Restoration of God’s Kingdom is in the future.

God has appointed a future time when all of heaven and earth will again be completely subject to Him.

We look forward to this future age when evil, sickness and suffering no longer exist and to the ultimate Kingdom established on earth at His return. (Rev 21:1-5)

We know that Jesus has paid the price in full for this—so why the wait?

2 Peter 3:9 tells us, ‘The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’

G. The Kingdom is a Present Reality for us Today

As Christians, we live in the world, but we are citizens of God’s Kingdom. (Phil 3:20) [3]

The Kingdom of God is present and active now for those of us who acknowledge and submit to His rule. (Matt 6:10)

We are called to live a Kingdom lifestyle.

Jesus demonstrated in the Gospels how we can:

• Live under Divine command—having an intimate relationship with the Father (John 5:19)
• Exercise our God-given authority and
• Present the reality of His Kingdom to the world.

The Kingdom is manifested by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. [4]

Announcing the Kingdom

In the Gospels, an event took place that caused Jesus to overflow with joy and praise in the Holy Spirit.

It occurred after Jesus appointed a large group of 70 disciples to go ahead of Him to places He was about to visit.

Their mandate was to heal the sick and to announce that the Kingdom was close at hand.

The disciples returned with joy, having seen first hand that they had spiritual authority over demons in Jesus’ Name.

Jesus reminded them that He had given them authority and urged them to rejoice in their personal salvation —not in the fact that spirits were subject to them. Then we read:

 ‘At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”’ Luke 10:21

Let us be a people who bring that kind of joy to the heart of God—children who comprehend and share His Kingdom and the King’s salvation.

Don’t just Anticipate the Kingdom; Live it!

Do you have any more ideas or thoughts to share on the topic of the Kingdom? Leave a comment in the box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Related Posts:

An Open Heaven Is Your Inheritance

The Secret Of Living An Undivided Christian Life

The Supernatural Christian And The Throne Of God

Notes:
[1] Daniel foretold the Sovereignty of Christ in Daniel 7:13-14 and dominion handed over to God’s people in Daniel 7:27.

[2] David McCracken has recently been preaching prophetically on the topic, ‘We Are Kings.’ His message is available for a short time on the DMM podcast.

See, Breakthrough Night Pt 1 – We Are Kings on the podcast page here:http://dmm.podcast1.s3.amazonaws.com/david-mccracken-ministries—audio-podcast.xml

[3] According to Vines, the Greek word translated ‘Kingdom’ in the New Testament, ‘basilea,’ is a noun ‘denoting “sovereignty, royal power, dominion,” or as David McCracken puts it: ‘royal authority to rule over.’ The ‘Kingdom of God’ effectively means, ‘the sphere of God’s rule.’ The Kingdom of God is not limited to a time or place and is eternal.

[4] My thanks go to Dr David Strickland who contributed some priceless thoughts included in this article.

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

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The journey being longer than the day, he lay down on the hard ground with a stone for a pillow.

There was nothing in Jacob’s life that indicated what would happen next. His past was a mess—his future seemed uncertain. His hope was that a relative in a distant place would give him refuge.

But that night, he dreamed of a stairway reaching from earth into heaven, upon which angels were ascending and descending.

Above the staircase stood Almighty God. He spoke to Jacob of the covenantal promises given to Abraham and Isaac, and now passed on to Jacob.

Jacob’s life was changed by the revelation of an open heaven above his life. [1] There was nothing he had done to deserve it. God’s favour towards Jacob was based on covenant, not on personal merit.

Jacob was an heir to the promises. And like Jacob, we are heirs of a covenant; not through anything we could achieve ourselves, but by grace, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

An Open Heaven: Our Inheritance

When Jesus was baptised, Mark tells us that the heavens were ‘torn open’ as the Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. (Mark 1:10) [2]

Jesus lived and ministered under this open heaven. He was in touch with the Father at all times. Nothing was impossible. Demons fled, diseases were healed; even death could not stand in His way.

Heaven’s supernatural resources were made available to Jesus as He prayed and did what He saw the Father doing. (John 5:19)

When the veil tore open at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 27:51), the heavens were opened permanently for all who would believe in Him and become children of God—for Jesus Himself is the stairway to heaven. (John 1:51, John 14:6)

Then, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God baptised the waiting believers. (Acts 2)

Everything that was available to Jesus to accomplish the Father’s will is also available to us today. Jesus would not say, ‘Follow Me,’ if that were not the case. Living under an open heaven is our inheritance, and it should be our expectation.

What is Available to us Through an Open Heaven?

An open heaven is a state where there are no barriers between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm—the throne of God, and all the resources of heaven.

As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we can live in the constant awareness that nothing separates us from our Father and His resources.

Here are some things that the Bible reveals are available to us through an open heaven. I encourage you to look up and meditate on the following scripture verses.

1. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit

(Matt 3:16, Acts 2)

2. Provision and blessing

(Deut 28:12, Mal 3:10)

3. Salvation—Ourselves and Others

(Isaiah 45:8)

4. Prophetic Revelation and God’s Throne

(Exodus 24:9-11, Ezek 1:1)

5. Angelic activity in Response to God’s Command, bringing Supernatural Answers to Prayer

(Ps 103:129-21)

The House of God

Many Christians associate an open heaven primarily with angelic activity, however as we can see from above, that is just one aspect.

We need to guard against becoming preoccupied with angels. Jacob did not name the place where the heavens opened to him, ‘Dwelling of Angels.’ He named it Bethel, ‘House of God.’

The revelation he received of God that day was so profound that later God would re-introduce Himself to Jacob as ‘The God of Bethel.’

In another era and on another journey, Elisha had to pass a test in order to bear the mantle and authority of Elijah. Would he keep his eyes fixed on his spiritual father to the very end? Or would he be distracted by the brilliance of the glorious carriers—the chariots of God?

When the heavens opened to Stephen, Ezekiel and John, they saw the throne of God.

I want to have my focus on the throne—‘where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.’ (Col 3:1)

There is the source of our life, and our authority. There, we seek the Father’s will and directive, knowing that the resources of heaven—including the angelic hosts—are released at His word and by our partnership with Him in prayer.

As Jesus said,

 “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” Matthew 6:9-10

The Glorious Revelation

A revelation of what Jesus has done in opening heaven to us will change the way we pray.

• It will change the way we see
• It will change the way we think and act
• We will be conscious of what Father is doing ‘NOW’ and the resources that are available to us ‘NOW’
• We will have confidence in exercising our authority
• Our faith will be increased
• We will live in constant expectation

We will live centred upon God.

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Notes

[1] You can read this story in Genesis 28.

[2] I recommend Bill Johnson’s message, ‘You Already have an Open Heaven.’  You can find it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RULjmyJbQs8

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

• Roughly packaged treasures from small children,
• Innocuous cards containing expensive surprises,
• The smallest of presents from the largest of hearts

To accept or reject a gift based on its external presentation would be unthinkable.

This week I have been reading the Christmas accounts in Luke and Matthew and wondering again at the priceless treasure hidden in a stable and cradled in a manger—Jesus, Immanuel, God With Us.
The packaging may have been rough and ordinary, but this gift was also gilded with unexpected lashings of heavenly glory.

After 400 years of prophetic silence in the land of Israel, angels burst upon the scene bringing the word of the Lord direct from God’s throne.

And people—not prophets as of old, but ordinary people—are filled with the Holy Spirit and bring prophetic proclamations.

As Luke recounts events surrounding the birth of Jesus, my ‘Spirit Filled Life Bible’ makes the margin note, ‘..the new era is signalled by the renewal of the gift of prophecy, which has been dormant…’
I muse on the angelic and prophetic activity recorded by Luke, in the first two chapters alone:

• The angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias, bringing God’s word and instruction concerning John (Luke 1:11-22)
• The angel Gabriel is sent to Mary (Luke 1:26)
• Elizabeth makes a prophetic proclamation concerning Jesus (Luke 1:41-45)
• Zaharias prophesies (Luke 1:67-79)
• An angelic visitation to shepherds in the fields (Luke 2:8-15)
• Simeon prophesies over the baby Jesus (Luke 2:25-32)
• Anna prophesies concerning Jesus (Luke 2:36-38)

Matthew adds to this, instances of angelic guidance in dreams to Joseph and the wise men (Matt 1:20-23, Matt 2:1-15).

These events are not limited to the occurrences surrounding Jesus’ birth. Throughout the book of Acts prophetic guidance and yes, angelic activity, continue to be a part of the normal early church experience (see Acts 1:10, 5:19, 8:26, 10:3, 12:7, 27:23 for accounts of angels, before we even start on prophecy and signs).

Supernatural is now the new normal, testifying of Jesus and attributing to His saving grace and Divine intervention.

As I meditate upon this, I find it incredibly challenging.

What if the gift of God’s Presence, this year and beyond, was to come in unexpected wrapping? What if I failed to see it because I was looking for something else—or worse, dismissed it out of hand?

I am comfortable with prophecy and have grown to expect the occasional spiritual dream. But angels and signs? Reading Luke, I realise, with dismay, that I tend to rate some types of supernatural activity as acceptable and normal, and others as unexpected and abnormal.

I wouldn’t consider picking and choosing gifts under the tree based on the colour or packaging or size. So why would I do this with the gift of God?

As we enter the New Year, let’s be open to whatever way God chooses to manifest His purposes and His activity in our lives, our churches and in those around us. Let’s look for Him both in the rough and ordinary, and the supernatural, glorious and unforeseen.

Let’s enter the coming year EXPECTANT.

With prayers for a blessed Christmas from my house to yours!

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© Helen Calder 2009 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

‘Who is Jesus, and what does He look like?’

I never used to wonder about the answer to this question, because there were pictures of Him on the walls of our house as I was growing up; the depiction of painters in centuries past. In these portrayals, Jesus was kind, gentle, mysterious and—human. He loved people and animals. One of my favourite pictures of Jesus was of Him dressed as a shepherd and carrying a lamb.

The book of Revelation, in the Bible, paints us a different picture of Jesus—providing a hint of what He looks like now. The Apostle John caught a glimpse of the resurrected Christ and fell at His feet, ‘as one dead’ (Rev 1:17).

‘…someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.’ Rev 1:13-16

Sometimes in worship I, too, catch a glimpse of this Jesus. His eyes that blaze with fire also, amazingly, blaze with love. He is seated on a heavenly throne—a place where the Bible says, because of what Jesus has done on the cross, I can make myself at home.

God’s throne is mentioned frequently throughout the book of Revelation, and referred to in the final chapter as ‘The Throne of God and of the Lamb.’ This throne is the ultimate seat of authority, and God Himself is the source of all authority and power in heaven and earth (Matt 28:18).

God’s throne is not figurative; it is a real place—and we have access to God’ throne by faith (Heb 10:19).

As supernatural Christians, our understanding of where we stand in relation to Jesus Christ and His throne is critical to the release of His power in us and through us.

Here are some key reminders about the throne of God:

1. The throne of God is our destination.

Saved and unsaved alike, we will stand at His throne one day and account for our lives spent on earth (Matt 25:31-46).

Those of us who believe and receive Him as our Lord (leader) and Saviour (forgiver) will live with Him forever. Jesus said He will invite us to sit with Him on His throne:

‘ To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Rev 3:21-22

2. God’s throne is not only our eternal destination; it demands our present attention as we focus upon Jesus

‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’ Col 3:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2, says
‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

What was the joy set before Jesus that enabled Him to endure suffering and death and bear the weight of the world’s sin on the cross?  It was ‘bringing many sons to glory’ (Heb 2:10). You and I are His reward, restored in relationship to God, having free access to Him before His throne.

3. We can come Confidently to God’s Throne

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Heb 10:19,22

When we trust in Jesus for our salvation, we can stand before God’s throne unafraid and unashamed. Sin cannot hold us back from God’s presence. We have free access because Jesus has taken the punishment for our sin and its effects on the cross.

The throne is also where we come in our weakness and need.

‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ Heb 4:15-16

4. The throne is where we bring our prayers and our petitions for God to work on our behalf and in the lives of others around us.

‘Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.’ Rev 8:3

The Bible says that our prayers go up before God’s throne like incense. (Rev 8:3,4)

Real prayer to God is not religious, solemn or word-perfect. A prayer can be as quick as a breath or a silent cry from the heart. God understands an incoherent prayer as well as He does an eloquent one.

Real prayer is YOUR prayer, born out of your own personal relationship with God. Your prayer is powerful. Your prayer can release God’s power, and reinforce His will (Matt 6:9-13).

When we know where we stand, and who we are, in relation to the throne of God, the opinions of people won’t shake us, the past will have no power over us, and sin will lose its grip on us. We will know God, and we will  live empowered lives.

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church