Have you accepted God’s invite?
Where is the Kingdom of God? Wherever Jesus is.
Who is in it? All who yield to Christ and are born again.
In the Word, we read that Nicodemus asked how being born again was possible. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”
So when does that happen?
It happens now!!
However, we get there only through repentance.
You can’t enter the Kingdom by your works or through somebody else.
So, let’s dig in further.
Many people won’t enter the Kingdom of God here on earth because they won’t let go of the old. For example, what we are watching, drinking, eating, engaging in – if we aren’t entrusting it to Jesus, then the devil gets a foothold, or a legal right, in our lives.
That means we do NOT truly trust God in these areas.
We have to walk with humility to get there. For example, we must respond when the altar call comes (and we feel God calling). When we don’t, we may be carrying bitterness and rebellion. A foothold has become a stronghold. We see this happen throughout our communities. And we see darkness even more apparent as we get closer to Halloween. It’s an empowering of the demonic. It can alter our minds.
To be in His Kingdom, we must constantly renew our minds.
There is redemption that comes only through God.
There are consequences to sin and to shutting God off.
In Genesis Chapter 12:1-3, we are taught of God’s promise to Abram,
“Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you.
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you, I will curse.
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
This promise continues today!!!
We should want to transfer into God’s wondrous light, God’s Kingdom – ruled and reigned by Jesus and blessed by Him. He empowers us to rule and reign here on earth as believers. This is where we live our best life – living to the fullest. It’s not about prosperity but about carrying out His purpose for us.
There is an active Kingdom of darkness, too, described in Matthew 4:8 and offered to Jesus just as it’s offered today,
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.”
BUT
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,” ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.'” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Jesus described the Kingdom of God, and it’s at hand and available for us today. We are to be His witnesses empowered throughout the earth.
Matthew 5:20 reminds us,
“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness. shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom.”
If you stay at the level of the Pharisees and Sadducees, you will not enter the Kingdom.
God has invited us to enter into a genuine relationship with Him. There is no preexisting condition that limits us from being able to enter the Kingdom.
Revelation 22:15 reminds us what it’s like outside of His Kingdom,
“Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
God wants us to come out of these ways, not hate people in these bondages. He wants us to call them out lovingly. All people were set apart for God. But, we have to accept the invitation.
We can’t live according to the world, and we must let go of EVERYTHING. If there is bondage in your life – that’s when you reach out to pastors, pray, fast, and worship.
Perversion in our world is dreadful. It’s happening because people have given themselves over to their sinful nature. Our nature is unruly as humans. But when we read these passages, we KNOW that Jesus has the power to transform us, and we can live victoriously.
We are transformed and live differently through the power of Holy Spirit.