Just recently we sent out a ministry update with this same title “Come Kingdom of God” – this is our passionate prayer! After all isn’t this what Jesus taught His disciples when they asked Him what and how to pray? So clearly this is our part – He will do His part but we must do our’s. I think about the early disciples in Acts 4 when they prayed passionately for boldness to declare the message of Jesus Christ as the risen Lord:
“….Grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.
I hope those who read this blog would agree with me that clearly the power is in His hands! However, we are told to speak His word as we represent Him to those around us, and believe that He will release His power in signs and wonders and miracles. Hopefully you are with me in believing for the ‘much more’ of God’s love and power to be released in these days and to the people we meet in our every day lives. After all we know from Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever – He has not changed, and He hasn’t changed His mind regarding the commission He has given His disciples – that’s you and me!
John the Baptist came preaching “repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” and Jesus began His ministry with the same words. We see what the kingdom actually looks like when we read Matthew 11:2-5:
And when John (the Baptist) had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ”Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
That is what the kingdom of God looks like!
So…according to Luke 12:32 Jesus has chosen gladly to give us the kingdom, He says it belongs to us (Luke 18:16), the kingdom is near (Luke 21:31) but also that we should seek the kingdom (Luke 12:31).
People speak of the kingdom of God in terms of “now and not yet”. That means there can be a manifestation of the reality of the kingdom in signs and wonders in the here and now, as well as the future fulfilment when Jesus returns. Clearly the fullness of the kingdom of God has yet to be seen – however what I am praying for is “Lord, please can we have some of the “kingdom now” now!! My attention was caught by a slogan on a truck on the motorway a few days ago – “Bringing your tomorrow today”! Yes Lord, may Holy Spirit bring that manifestation of the reality of the kingdom more and more in these days!
We thank the Lord for what we are seeing today, but let’s join together even more urgently in asking, seeking and knocking with our prayer “Come Kingdom of God”!
