The Coming of the Kingdom - Part I
Part 1: The Purpose
What is life all about, anyway? What is God doing, and what are we supposed to be doing?
Jesus made it clear that the purpose of life was the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth as it already was in heaven. In the Model Prayer Jesus told us to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:9-10 NKJV
In the Lord’s prayer in John 17:
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:20-22 NKJV
Jesus spend a lot of time explaining this Kingdom to those that followed, often start a story “The Kingdom of heaven is like…..”.
We see this Kingdom in the Garden of Eden, and then again in Revelation. The Model Prayer contains a plea for this Kingdom on earth now.
Many church leaders see our objective is the growth of the Church. The Church, however, as the Body of Christ actually may sacrifice itself so that the Kingdom may come. The objective is the growth of the Kingdom, and this is done by glorifying Christ at the personal level, as well as through the Church.
And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
John 17:10 NKJV
God is glorified in the coming of this Kingdom.
Has this happened today? When the early pilgrims came to America, they were looking for religious freedom, but beyond this they were looking for that Garden of Eden – the Kingdom. As men and women moved west, again the move was on to find that Garden. Eden as we begin traveling into space, the search is still on for that Kingdom that was lost in the Garden when Man first sinned.
George Otis, Jr. has spent much of his time the last decade looking for places where the Kingdom has come. His video tape, Transformations, describes what happened in four cities with the coming of the Kingdom. His next video, Transformations II, describes the coming of the Kingdom in three regions. In each case, his criterion is a total transformation of the area – political, economic, spiritual, and sociological. His book Informed Intercession describes in more detail what was common in each story. It’s not just a dream. It can happen, it has happened today. The spiritual gifts that enable it didn’t disappear after that first century. They are here today.
The transformations are never perfect. There is a war going on and at times a battle is lost. We know, however, who wins the war.
Coming: Part II The Coming of the Kingdom: The Strategy