Tag:

kingdom

God’s Word for Today: The Upside-Down Kingdom

by Lily Benson July 28, 2023

written by Lily Benson

Courageously embrace the beauty of the upside-down kingdom and invite others to experience the freedom and joy found in following Christ.

What Does The Bible Say

In a world filled with striving for power, prestige, and success, the kingdom of God stands out as an extraordinary and counter-cultural reality. As a believer, you are called to be a citizen of this upside-down kingdom, where God’s ways defy the norms of the world. The apostle Paul beautifully articulates this truth in 1 Corinthians 1:27: “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”

The upside-down kingdom places a high value on humility, as opposed to the world’s pursuit of self-exaltation. In Matthew 23:12, Jesus says, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

As a follower of Christ, you are to imitate your Savior, who humbled Himself by taking the form of a servant. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and demonstrated that greatness in His kingdom comes from serving others. When you embrace humility, you align yourself with God’s operating system, and He promises to exalt you in due time.

Contrary to the world’s admiration of strength and power, the upside-down kingdom values the surrendered heart of one who acknowledges their own weakness and insufficiency. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul shares, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

When you recognize your dependency on God and surrender your strengths and weaknesses to Him, His power becomes evident in and through you. In embracing your weaknesses, you find His strength working in miraculous ways to accomplish His purposes.

Align your life with God’s revolutionary operating system, and witness the transforming power of His love, grace, and redemption. Courageously embrace the beauty of the upside-down kingdom and invite others to experience the freedom and joy found in following Christ.

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God’s Kingdom Is WithIn You

by John Mathai April 15, 2023

written by John Mathai

God’s kingdom is not a physical entity but a spiritual kingdom that was established when he came to live in us. Jesus is King and He came to claim us for His own. Many looked for an external Kingdom but God planned to build His Kingdom within us Luke 17:21. We are the body of Christ and as we come to unity in His Spirit we become His Kingdom on earth. His Kingdom grows as we grow in Him. This is an organic union where we become a community of people who serve Jesus as Lord. When we grow in maturity we become strong and resilient. All our needs will be met from within. God established this way from the beginning. However, we tend to still look for things from the outside.

His Will

Jesus looked to His Father to fulfill all His needs. He only did and said what he saw His Father doing. We too need to walk in His Spirit and be led by Him in every area of our life. There is no other way to walk in the kingdom. We lose our way because we try and walk in the flesh to meet our needs. This is not the way Jesus came to establish. He said His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. He has already decided the plan for each one of us to fulfill. Now it is our turn to fit into His plan in heaven.

His Plan

Our books have already been written in heaven. We miss His plan only because of delays or hindrances. We will face many challenges as we choose to walk in His way. However, when we choose daily to do His will, we will fit into His plan. God is calling each one of us to begin to tap into His resources within us and bring heaven down to earth. There is no other plan.

Dr. John Mathai

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Satan Doesn’t Want You To Know This: What Does ‘Seeking the Kingdom’ Actually Mean?

by GOD TV October 8, 2022

written by GOD TV

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6: 33)

Seeking the Kingdom is prioritizing God

The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life with wrong priorities. The biggest problem with today’s society is that the world has taught us to seek our needs first, and forget about God. This is happening even to Christians today. Every Christian should know how to set their priorities and that means staying in line with God’s will and not just what we want. God should be our first priority and everything else will follow.

Seeking the Kingdom is a lifestyle

Seeking the Kingdom of God is not just a one-time event. It should be a lifestyle for every Christian. This is not a short-lived feeling, but a lifetime commitment.

Seeking the Kingdom is walking with power

God wants you to have dominion over the earth by living life filled with His power. By carrying the power of God, you are welcoming the Kingdom of God to come to earth. Don’t let the power God has given you be hidden in the darkness.

Seeking the Kingdom is knowing Your self-worth

Our self-worth is more important than our basic needs and should never be sacrificed for those needs. Your self-worth is being a child of God. You are a child of the living God. The only begotten Son of God died for you because He loves you so much! His love for you is so big! Seeking the kingdom is knowing your worth.

Seeking the Kingdom is enjoying God’s presence

Everything is about His presence. If you want the Christ-like character, soak yourself in His presence. We should all be a presence-seeking church! When you seek God first, all these things shall be added unto you. If Jesus is your King, He will influence your life as you acknowledge that He is the owner of your life. Prioritize God in your life and see how joyful it is to be in His presence!

Conclusion

God is the owner of your life, of your body and of your future. God is holding you in His hands so you don’t have to worry about your future. You just have to seek first the Kingdom of God and everything in His Kingdom shall be added unto you! Cheer up God’s child and run the good race, chasing the Kingdom of the Lord! You are not alone!

October 8, 2022 1 comment

Faith

Seven Contrasts Between God’s Kingdom And Most Contemporary Churches

by Joseph Mattera April 28, 2022

written by Joseph Mattera

The kingdom of God is the rule of God that emanates from His throne. God’s kingdom encompasses all universes, including every sphere of life on earth. Those stuck in typical church structures only understand the kingdom as it relates to going to heaven. The following points are contrasts based on the implications of understanding that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof and that His kingdom rules over all, not just the church (Psalm 24, Psalm 103:19).

1. The Kingdom encompasses all of life. Most contemporary churches depend upon a “church” building as their sacred space.

In the kingdom, Christ-followers are called to fill everyone else’s building and their concomitant spheres of influence (Ephesians 4:10). Unlike the perspective of many contemporary churches, they are not merely called to create and inhabit church buildings for religious use on Sundays.

2. The kingdom releases all saints as ministers. Most contemporary church systems separate clergy and laity.

In the New Testament, we see that believers are called to function as a royal priesthood and a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:8-9, Revelation 1:6). Hence, all Christians are priests called to be set apart for God’s purposes as ministers. Contemporary church systems recognize only a small percentage of its ecclesial body as clergy (priests). Hence, they disempower the rest of their congregation regarding their sacred calling and relegate them to being spectators and pew sitters.

3. The kingdom releases people to serve in the marketplace. Most contemporary churches only release and equip people to serve in the church space.

In the kingdom, it doesn’t matter how many people attend your church service on Sunday. How many are discipled and equipped as ministers to serve their community on Monday is what matters most. Contra wise, in the contemporary church space, people often separate their Sunday church attendance from their Monday vocation.

4. The kingdom applies scripture to all of life. Many contemporary churches apply scripture merely to the individual soul.

In the kingdom, we turn the world upside down, not just church structures (Acts 17:6). The gospel should positively impact both individuals and communities (Isaiah 61:1-4, Matthew 28:19). Jesus told us to pray for His kingdom and will to come on earth. Thus, gospel impact

should impact societal systems (Luke 11:2-4). In a typical contemporary church, the focus is solely on the implications of redemption for an individual soul.

5. In the kingdom, all believers participate in Jesus‘s ministry DNA. In contemporary churches, only a few are encouraged to participate in His ministry DNA.

Paul said that each one of us in the church has received grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7). In this context, the gift of Christ is His ministry DNA, as seen in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher). These five basic expressions demonstrate Jesus’ five-fold ministry gifts as illustrated in the four gospels. In the typical contemporary church, only a few of these five ministry gifts (pastors and teachers) are recognized in the church and only among the clergy, who tend to be full-time church ministers. Consequently, every person in the church functions in at least one of these five ministry gifts of Jesus, whether in the church place or marketplace. For example, in the marketplace, the apostles are the entrepreneurs, the prophets are the futurists who predict macro trends, pastors are the caregivers and counselors, teachers are the instructors, and evangelists are those in public relations and sales.

6. In the kingdom, the church shepherds the community. The typical contemporary church shepherds only the flock.

Pastors who understand the implications of the kingdom often get their church involved in caring for the practical needs of their surrounding community. The lead pastors are also known by many of the gatekeepers of their region as key spiritual leaders to whom they can go for help. In the typical contemporary church, Christians are often only encouraged to serve in their church, and the lead pastor limits their gifts, abilities, and calling to their congregation.

7. In the kingdom we understand creation grace. In the contemporary church, we only understand saving grace.

Lead pastors who understand the kingdom of God realize that God’s temporal blessings come upon the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). Through His creation (or common) grace, He calls unsaved civic leaders, His anointed ones, and servants to enact His purposes in society (Isaiah 45, Isaiah 1-4, Romans 13:1-7). This gives kingdom-minded pastors the theological permission to serve alongside unsaved magistrates and civic leaders for the common good of their city. In the typical contemporary church, many lead pastors and congregations only collaborate with other like-minded Christians, thus limiting their gospel witness and their capacity to utilize their collective gifts to impact their communities.

For more information regarding this theme, purchase Joseph Mattera’s book, Understanding the Wineskin of the Kingdom.

To order his other books or to join the many thousands who subscribe to his newsletter, go to josephmattera.org.

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Experiencing Heaven On Earth

by Rhoda Gayle September 17, 2021

written by Rhoda Gayle

Argentinian revivalist Andres Bisonni shares a message about experiencing heaven on earth.

Good news

Amidst the trials we are facing right now, the Lord wants us to know that there is hope. And He has good news for us. The good news is that we can experience heaven here on earth!

“If Jesus would be speaking to you today, He would look at you with eyes full of love and He will say, ‘The time is fulfilled, your time has come, the Kingdom of heaven has come near to you.’ He would say, ‘I have good news for you, the Kingdom of heaven, the reality, the presence, the power, the very essence of heaven has come near to you,’” Andres said.

Heaven on earth

In the presence of the Holy Spirit, there are things that we can never find in this world. In His presence, there is righteousness, joy beyond compare, and peace that is beyond our understanding. Only His presence can satisfy our soul.

“The Scripture tells us that the Kingdom of heaven is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. Three things that we can not find in this world that are only found in the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

Everyone can experience heaven here on earth if we accept Jesus Christ in our lives as our Lord and Savior. As a child of God, you are called to bring the lost into His Kingdom. So go into the world and see the fullness of heaven being manifested on earth!

“These are the best news we would ever hear in all of our life. Jesus came to bring heaven to earth. Jesus came to bring heaven to you. Let us go from Galilee to the nations of the earth and see how the Kingdom of heaven is being manifested on earth.”

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Reference: GOD TV

September 17, 2021 0 comments

Articles

The Kingdom Of God Is Within You

by John Mathai July 4, 2021

written by John Mathai

Most of us are dependent on seeking external stimulation to keep us entertained. However during this period of lockdown when my electricity was cut I needed to look within myself to keep me stimulated. Of course it is here where all the stimulation we need exists. The Kingdom of God is within us so all His gifts and fruits are within us. Do you need love, tap into it. Do you need joy, there is plenty of it in the Kingdom. However it is only in times of desperation that we seek for these fruits from within us. We would rather go to meetings and another conference to get another boost from God. God is saying I am in you. Seek me within you for I abide in you.

Counterfeit

How easy it is for us to be distracted from without. Our senses yearn for stimulation. The lust of the eyes yearn to see something new. We will waste time listening to and watching what is the counterfeit of the real. When we watch the counterfeit we will receive counterfeit love and joy. How foolish we are to waste our time in seeking the counterfeit that the world offers rather than the real that the Kingdom of God offers. God renewed our spirit and put His Holy Spirit within us. Now we are complete in Him. It is like the treasure is within us but we must dig to find it.

Holy Spirit

Digging for treasure appears like a lot of hard work. However in the Spirit it means spending time with the Lord Jesus. The more time we spend with Him the more we become like Him. The goal of Holy Spirit is to transform us into the image of Jesus. Just like the potter who moulds and remoulds the clay to make the magnificent pot of clay so also Holy Spirit is the potter moulding us into Jesus’ image. Like gold is purified in fire He purifies us through a process which sometimes is painful. All growth involves pain. A child will never walk if he is afraid of falling. Let us spend time with our Maker and see Him mould us into the image of Jesus.

Dr. John Mathai

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Heidi Baker Warns Christians That Many Of Us Are Living In The Garbage

by Rhoda Gayle June 30, 2021

written by Rhoda Gayle

Christian missionary Heidi Baker warns the body of Christ that many of us are living in the garbage and says that “We’re not called to live in the garbage,” but we are called to redeem people living in the garbage.

Heidi Baker

The CEO of Iris Global, a Christian humanitarian organization, shares how they rescued children found in the garbage during their missions. She described how badly their conditions are when they find them and how they rescued them and gave them new life.

“We have children that we picked. We went picked them up, curled up in balls in the garbage, shredded rags. You couldn’t wash their clothes. You just can’t just shine up yourself, we had to burn their clothes. They were irredeemable. You couldn’t wash them.” Heidi shared.

Living in Garbage

Just as how Heidi can’t save those children’s clothes, we as sinners can’t also cleanse and fix ourselves. It’s is only Jesus Christ who can fix and redeem us.

“You can’t fix yourself, Jesus fixes us. Jesus cleanses us by His blood, we can’t fix ourselves,” she emphasized.

However, many of us are still living in the darkness despite the freedom God gave us. If you are a Christian who is still wound up in the cycle of sinning, let the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse you. You are called to save people living in the garbage, not to live in it with them.

“So many of the body of Christ is living in the garbage,” Heidi warned.” We’re not called to live in the garbage, we’re called to go and find the treasures there. There’re treasures in the garbage. They don’t know whose they are. But you can’t let them know whose they are until you know whose you are.”

You are worthy

Before fulfilling your purpose and calling, you should first know your identity as a child of God. God made you worthy to live in His Kingdom!

“Your hearts can soar with joyful gratitude when you think of how God made you worthy. God made you worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to us by living in the light. He rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the Kingdom realm of His beloved Son. For in the Son, all our sins are canceled.”

You Belong to God by Adoption | Heidi Baker

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Reference: YouTube | GOD TV

June 30, 2021 0 comments

Articles

The Most Powerful Prayer On Earth

by John Mathai May 13, 2020

written by John Mathai

This is the most powerful prayer we can pray on earth: “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10) What is it to pray His will? What is God’s will? God’s will is what is written in His word. So when we pray His word we pray His will to be done.

How else can we know His will? God has given us His word so that we may know His will. Will is to do with purpose. His purpose is that His creation is made whole.

Imagine the garden of Eden. Everything was in perfect harmony. There was no shame or disease. Adam and Eve were not aware that they were naked. Everything was transparent. The animals were at peace. There was abundance in everything. This was God’s original will and intent for His creation. Once sin entered, the scene changed dramatically. All creation tuned against itself. Love turned inward is lust. The Spirit of rebellion entered the heart and spoiled everything.

5 Powerful Prayers That Will Super-Charge Your Prayer Life

We see this in every area of life. No one trusts anyone anymore. All is a facade of civility. This is what happens when sin is allowed to rule in our lives. The only hope is in redemption from sin and a return to the original design. How is this possible except through Jesus?

Jesus came to redeem us from our sin trapped souls. In Him we are restored to communion with our Heavenly Father. Jesus came to give us the way to redemption by laying down His life as a sacrifice for sin. This redemption is for all who receive His word. “If you confess with your mouth that He is your Lord and Saviour and believe in your heart that He is risen from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9.

The Most Powerful Prayer

Now it is time to pray that many will join in this prayer for redemption. This is the only way His will, will be done on earth. He is the solution, we are the problem. God will redeem His people. He needs us to cooperate with Him to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. He has given man the authority on earth to establish His will.

Will we pray? Jesus prayed and got the job done. Now it is our turn to pray. Much can be achieved through prayer when we partner with the hosts of heaven. His word spoken through our mouth can achieve much.

May 13, 2020 0 comments

Video

What Does the Phrase ‘on Earth as it is in Heaven’ Really Mean?

by GOD TV October 1, 2018

written by GOD TV

What is Heaven like? What is Heaven’s relationship to the earth? And what do we mean by the phrase “on earth as it is in Heaven”?

This important phrase was uttered by Jesus as He taught us to pray to our Heavenly Father. It is important because the union of Heaven and earth is what the story of the Bible is all about. All this time, God desires for us to experience Heaven the same way Adam and Eve experienced it in the Garden of Eden. The garden itself reflects what Heaven is all about, but because of the Fall of Man, Heaven and earth also fell apart.

However, God still allowed the people in the Old Testament to access Heaven through the Tabernacle, the Temple and through animal sacrifices. But, this didn’t last because God had a better solution. For us to access Heaven, He allowed His only begotten Son to take the blame and be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humankind.

His death became the most effective way for us to access Heaven. His death made it possible for us to live eternally in Heaven.

The ministry of Jesus shows what Heaven is all about. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed those who had leprosy and other such diseases, drove out demons and so on. Everywhere He went, Christ brought little pieces of Heaven with Him. That’s what we are called to do as followers of Christ, to bring Heaven on earth.

Watch the video below from the Bible Project and be amazed by how they profoundly explain Heaven’s relationship to earth.

Learn Where Heaven and Earth Overlap

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Credits: The Bible Project

October 1, 2018 0 comments

Faith

‘My heart is stirred for God’s favor’ – Ward Simpson

by Ward Simpson July 3, 2018

written by Ward Simpson

The Lord wants to anoint you dear friend. This is the year, this is the day, this is the time. This is God’s promise to you…

Read this passage of scripture and change “me” to “you”.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendour.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

God wants to:

comfort all (you) who mourn
and provide for those (you) who grieve in Zion
bestow on them (you) a crown of beauty instead of ashes
the oil of joy (on you) instead of mourning
a garment of praise (on you) instead of a spirit of despair
an oak of righteousness planted by God to be on display for His splendour.

It’s time for God’s people to get on the offensive and play a role in advancing the Kingdom of God. The Lord wants to give you His favor in order to do this. You see, favor is not designed simply for “self”. God wants to bless you so that you will be a blessing.

“Then the King will say to those on His right. Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Take your inheritance… for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we do all of these things to you and for you? Then the King replies, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:34-40)

Proverbs 11:25 tells us, “a generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” My friend, if you want to walk in the favor of God, bless others first.

“Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

God loves you with an everlasting love. His grace has saved you through faith, His blessings are for everyone, but His favor is something else. God wants to plant you as an oak of righteousness to be displayed for His splendour. He wants to show you off (Isaiah 61), to comfort you, to provide for you and to replace the ashes in your life with a crown of beauty.

He wants to take away your sorrow, hurt and mourning and instead pour on you the oil of joy. God wants to take away your despair and instead put on you a garment of praise. This is the year my friend, this is the day, this is the time to receive the favor of the Lord.

One practical thing that you can do today is prayerfully consider supporting GOD TV with a one time gift or a monthly donation. Your dependable support will help take the Gospel message to over 1 billion people across 200 countries, who currently have access to GOD TV.

As you read this, I can guarantee you that right now, tuning into GOD TV, will be people who are completely broken and lost and are in desperate need of the life-changing Gospel message. Some of these people will have recently encountered unimaginable adversity, some will be suicidal, and some will be watching in countries where being a Christian is punishable by death. There will also be many, many more who simply do not know yet that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

Join us as we continue to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. We continue to believe for the favor of God to manifest in all our GOD TV partners, in them and through them. May you find the favor of God today!

Read Ward’s 10 Keys to Obtaining the Favor of God

July 3, 2018 0 comments

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