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“The kingdom of God has come. The kingdom of God has come near.” (Mark 1:14-15)
Have you ever thought of what the Lord meant when He said, “The kingdom of God has come?” Simply put, the kingdom of God is where God is and He is with us, He is where we are doing His work, and He is where glory is being brought to His name and He is in our praises and He is in our faith and trust.
“But You are holy. Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)
So what is kingdom living and what does the above verse mean?
I. What is Kingdom Living
II. What Leads to Kingdom Living
III. The Results of Kingdom Living
I. What is Kingdom Living
When you are living in His presence, knowing He is there and you believe and take Him at His Word, you will do as He said you could do for the glory of His name. And as you praise and worship Him, you feel His presence, known by an overwhelming sense of peace and love envelops you.
You live in complete trust free of worry and fear, even when bad happens; you live above it. You are totally content in all circumstances, you know He will help, He will come through for you and turn things around; this is kingdom living.
“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
(Philippians 4:10-13)
When you pray and pray according to His will, you know that He hears you and that He WILL answer your prayers.
“And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (I John 5:15)
When you pray like this and allow His love to flow through you to others, and some non-deserving just as ourselves, you become a vessel for Him to work through. He will work through you, by your complete faith, and devotion to encourage, heal, pray for, lead to salvation, and minister to whatever the needs of others may be.
“He answered, “’ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)
As the Holy Spirit leads you, you will do:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do.” (John 14:12)
II. What Leads to Kingdom Living
It is hard when life hits in all directions, and tears at your heart, but as we grow spiritually and learn to rely on the Holy Spirit, we can do anything and we receive strength, love, direction, hope, joy, and peace to endure. Becoming intimate with Him, helps you to grow in your faith and confidence.
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” (Ephesians 3:16)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
You also need to remind yourself of the promises found in His Word.
“The Lord is faithful to all of His promises and loving towards all He has made. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:13-14)
Intimacy comes with:
1. Staying close to Him—"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) – Know here means to know by personal experience, it is not just to know of Him, it is truly knowing Him and His character.
2. Obedience—"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.” (Isaiah 1:19)
3. Read the Word—"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
4. Praying—your needs, but in talking to Him as you would a friend, trusting in what you are praying for will be answered and thank Him in advance and continued, ask questions, guidance, and LISTEN! Conversation is two-way; Give Him time to speak to you. He doesn’t rush so you may need to patiently and in trust, wait for Him. – “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
5. Thankfulness & Gratefulness—"Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)
6. Praise & Worship—"But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (II Corinthians 3:17)
7. Faith—“And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
(Hebrews 11:6)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) FAITH MAKES WHAT YOU BELIEVE FOR A REALITY
8. Confidence in your Identity—"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in Him. He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes,
and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
III. The Results of Kingdom Living
When you live intimately with the Lord daily, you get to know HIM. This is not just knowing of and about Him, this is knowing HIM; His character, who He is, and His love for you and mankind. When you truly KNOW Him then you trust Him completely regardless of your circumstances. You know that you know that you know that He will ALWAYS back you up and come through for you and answer your prayers.
This kind of living gives you authority and is how as the verse John 14:12 says that you will do greater things than these.
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
The result of Kingdom living is walking in the authority as a child of God and being the true disciple and ambassador of Christ you were called to be. This produces fruit for the kingdom and you are making a difference by being the hands, feet, voice, and heart of God to those who are lost in the world.
Kingdom living is living close to God, abiding in Him, trusting Him completely without doubt or fear, and allowing Him to work through you; producing fruit which is saving souls and ministering to their needs. And it is continually giving Him the glory and praise for it.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
(John 15:4-5)