Thy Kingdom Come Word on the Week 18th May 2019.
It is the first time Jesus was asked by his followers to teach prayer so what he asked for should be of primary importance. Like others they got it wrong. They thought ‘kingdom equals territory’ – and much of our debate is slanted in that direction today. Whether in Ireland or the UK the conflicts comes down to turf. The notion that God owns the land is seldom heard.
The greater mistake however lies in the substitution of the personal pronoun ‘My’ for the original ‘Thy’! It is ‘my kingdom’ that we want to come – and the quicker the better! Selfishness has always afflicted humankind but this generation has raised it to new heights. It is seen in the lack of consideration of the rights of the infant in the womb in favour of the mother in abortion.
There is the deliberate confusion of our God-given identity in same-sex marriage and transgender experimentation. Those who oppose these things are said to have a phobia. There is a systematic move to dismantle Christian values and replace them with what Scripture prohibits (Romans Chapter 1 verses 18 to 32).
So what was Jesus speaking about when he used the word ‘kingdom’ (St Matthew Chapters 3 verse 2 and 4 verse 17)? It is where king Jesus rules. It could be as near you as in your heart, your family, your church, your workplace, your town and on and on into the glories of heaven (St Luke Chapter 17 verse 21 to 22 verse 16).
Jesus the ruler, rules by the word; “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world…Thy word is truth” (St John Chapter 17 verses 14 and 17). It is this truth that sanctifies us, sets us apart for the Lord ‘s business.
To pray that the Kingdom comes is, for the believer, a present possession. The ‘not yet believer’ requires the born-again experience. It involves repentance for past sins and the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith to enter the Kingdom (St John Chapter 3 verses 3 to 5). This will come by a turning away from sin and a simple prayer of faith to Jesus.
Lastly there is future inheritance in the final coming of the Kingdom. “I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation Chapter 12 verses 10 to 11).
May “Thy Kingdom Come” soon.