The Kingdom part 1
This is not everything there is to say about the Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Love). Obviously. When I first starting writing this daily blog over four years ago I was a little bit worried about having something to say every day. But the truth of the matter is... the deeper you go, the deeper you find you CAN go. God is limitless. Love is unlimited. We test the height, and depth, and breadth, and length of His love (by loving each other bigger than we ever thought we could) but we need reach the end. It's eternal. Everlasting. Abundant. So when I title a Rant series, "The Kingdom" that's really just to let you know where my focus will be for the next few days. My key verse is Romans 14:17, "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." And my main point is, "We don't just live IN the Kingdom... we ARE the Kingdom!" Because the Kingdom is not external, it is internal. It's not just what we do, it's who we are. Now watch this: The word "kingdom" is number 932 in Strong's Greek Concordance. It means, "royalty, that is, rule, or a realm." The Kingdom is the realm in which the King rules and reigns. The realm in which LOVE rules and reigns. Ruling with righteousness, peace, and joy. In the Holy Ghost. And, again, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, right? So, again, it's internal. The King Jesus--God in the flesh, love in a body--rules and reigns in us! We live in Him and He lives in us. There is no separation between God and man because God lives IN man. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. In us He lives, and moves, and has His being. So when we think about the Kingdom we need to stop thinking about a literal place that we can go. It's like the understanding that we GO to church... but at the same time we ARE the chuch. Wherever we go. It's like the old saying, "Wherever you go... there you are." Wherever you go, you're in the Kingdom. Because the Kingdom is in you. Because the Kingdom IS you. Righteousness, peace, and joy. Those are different aspects of love that live inside you. I've heard it said if you ask God for something He will give you an opportunity to exercise that very thing. Like in Wizard of Oz where at the end of the yellow brick road (highway of holiness) you find that you had what you were looking for all along. Like, if you pray for patience God will give you opportunities to be patient. Opportunities to find out what's inside by letting it out. Not "getting" anything, but giving what you've got. Seeking the Kingdom not in the sense of "I don't have it but I want it," but seeking the Kingdom in the sense of EXPLORING the Kingdom. Enjoying what you have been given by sharing it with others. Because we are blessed... to be a blessing, right? Not a hoarder. Whatever benefits we enjoy from the knowing and believing the truth that we ARE loved by our heavenly Father are made ABUNDANT when we receive it and release it. When we share what we've got. And, since the Kingdom is who we are and not just what we do, or just what we have... we share what we've got by being who we are. By letting what's inside come out. Naturally. The righteousness, peace, and joy that's found in the Holy Ghost fills us to overflowing with God's love. It's in there, and when we know and believe it's in there... it comes out. We experience it by sharing it!