God can do anything. He is God. We have to stop thinking of Him as a man, because it’s so far from truth that it’s almost laughable. He doesn’t think like we do and He doesn’t act like we do. He’s much nicer for one thing.

God has you covered. Just believe.

The only reason we experience the difficulties that we live with is because we don’t ask God for help. He is more than able to fix our problems, but He won’t until we ask. And just because He waits to be asked, doesn’t mean that He can’t answer completely.

God is really, really big and really, really powerful. He can do what no man can do. There is no problem too tough. No problem too complicated. He sees what we cannot. He can be where we can’t go. He can do it all. All we have to do is ask.

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, Says the Lord of hosts. (Zech 4:6) Give it to God. Let Him take care of it. It’s what He’s waiting for. It’s what living in the kingdom is all about. If you don’t allow God to take care of you, then you don’t live in His kingdom. And that’s a scary place to be.

It takes an ability to multitask to live in the kingdom. You can’t be focused on one area and neglect everything else. We can’t be so focused on serviced that we forget to do it with love. We can be so focused on love that we forget our authority over the enemy. You see where I’m going here.

Balancing humility, love, and power

Keeping three basic strengths in balance will do you well as you grow spiritually. Those three keys are humility, love, and power.

Humility will keep you out of trouble. Just imagine what the world would have been like if Solomon had as much humility as he had wisdom. He would have remembered where his blessings came from and wouldn’t have turned to other gods. None of us is better than anyone else. And those called to lead are first called to serve. Humility will keep your heart before God in great reverence.

Love should be the source of all actions.        1 Corinthians 13 makes it very clear. It doesn’t matter how much I serve, what I give, or sacrifice, if my heart isn’t filled with love doing it, then it was all wasted effort. This isn’t easy. It takes God to change us and fill us with His Spirit to love through everything we do. It starts with the humility to ask God to change us as we recognize our need. Love will serve with blessing and do far more work in the kingdom than soap box rantings.

Power is where we reach out to protect and defend the lives that God puts in our hands. It’s our responsibility to heal and bless those around us. The power and authority are ours through the blood of Christ, and it’s our job to be His authority on earth. Too many people are left sick, hurting, and abandoned because we failed to walk out our responsibility as believers. Everything that Jesus did, He did to show us how. Now it’s out job to do it.

You ability to walk in humility, love, and power will change your life and the lives of those around you. All of it comes from your close and intimate relationship with Jesus. He will be everything that you need. All you have to do is step along next to Him. Stay humble, full of love, and let the power flow. It’s going to be awesome!

The kingdom of God is not about argument.

Which do you think is more effective in showing the kingdom — debating abortion or praying for someone’s migraine and seeing them relieved of pain? How about a biblically correct argument against gay marriage, or praying for someone’s lost wallet and seeing it returned with nothing missing?

No one is ever swayed by debate or accusation. Ever. It just makes them mad and convinced that Christians are heartless and mean. That is polar opposite to how we should be viewed. They should know us by our love, not our hate. They should know us for the good that we support, not what we oppose.

But more than anything, people need to see the power of God in action to heal and change lives. That can only happen when you experience it yourself. You have to be praying for healing and seeing miracles in your own life, then you can release in others. Once you get started, it’s fun. Who doesn’t like seeing anyone free of pain or problems suddenly fixed?

The world needs to see the reality of God, not vindictive arguments that only serve to widen the gap. God is good, that’s the message. He wants to save, heal, and deliver. That’s what we should be showing. Get behind that message and people will be interested.

Ask to know the mysteries of God.

It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 13:11)  How cool is that! God has kept back blessing and revelation for us to discover. He’s not hiding them from us, He’s hiding them for us. He wants to give them to those who hunger and thirst for more. He wants to reward those who are willing to go deeper.

What could those mysteries be? I don’t know, it’s a mystery. But I do know that God made the universe and He has all power, creativity, and genius, so His mysteries will knock your socks off. Imagine getting revelation straight from God about some area that you are intensely curious about. It could be a new medical breakthrough, social media concept, or a business decision that changes a company. It doesn’t have to be “spiritual” to be revelation from God.

So how do you get it? What’s the key? Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Mat 7:7) It’s that simple. God promises to give good things to His children. And He delights in those children who want to know more about His mysteries. Go ahead and ask. Somethings will never be discovered, because no one asked.

It’s never too late for God to use you.

Do you ever look at your life and wonder, what happened? We have goals. We have dreams. We were supposed to be something else by now. It can be depressing if you are nowhere near where you wanted to be. But you don’t have to beat yourself up. It’s never too late.

It’s also good to remember that God is more impressed with your journey and how you are living as opposed to where you are. But He will use you anywhere. He can resurrect a field of dry bones and make an army. He can take an old shepherd and make him the leader of a nation. He can take a shy introvert and make him a general.

God takes people from all walks of life and opens doors that they never saw coming. The key is that they put their lives in God’s hands so He could do something with them. He can do the same thing for you. All you have to do is submit to Him. Let Him have your time, your talents, and your dreams. He can make suddenlies happen.

Life can be as exciting as you think it should be if you trust Him, no matter where you are or how old you are. God can do anything.

The dangerous part of experiencing the joy of the Spirit, is assuming that everyday should be joyful. I’m all for joy. I think it’s a bad idea to lose it, but I don’t think we’re supposed to expect it everyday, especially when we’re called to mourn with those who mourn.

It’s very easy to get caught up in certain aspects of the kingdom and set  up camp there. For some people, it’s all about power and miracles. For others it’s about compassion and serving. They get offended if they don’t have complete support from everyone around them in the area they’re excited about.

The kingdom of God is about balance.

Don’t get me wrong, power and miracles and compassion and serving are all good. But there are seasons and times in our lives when we are called to one and then the other. We can’t get hung up on experience and demand more of that experience.

The kingdom is about balance and order. Jesus spent a lot of time healing the sick, then He hung out with the kids. There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ecc 3:4) God is multifaceted and so is our life with Him.

Enjoy the season that you are in now, but don’t expect it to be like that forever. There is so much more to learn and experience.

Salvation is a decision that only you can make.

We are each responsible to work out our own salvation. (Phil 2:12) That means that it’s our decision to receive salvation through Christ. We can’t rely on our spouse or parents, or even our church. No wonder the Lord often called us sheep,  because we are so ready to follow anyone with a loud enough voice and let other people tell us what is right and wrong.

Pay attention to who you listen to. Is the message Biblical? Or is it Biblical to a point? Is it a message that includes part of the Bible, but not all of it? The Word is very clear: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2Tim 3:16)

Don’t be a hearer and not a doer. (Jam 1:22) You are responsible for knowing the truth and acting on it. God will send you the help that you need, if you are willing to find it. Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Mat 5:6)

If you sit back like a baby bird and wait for other people to feed you, you are in danger of being fed unhealthy food. Ask God to show you truth. Be hungry for it. Rise up and take hold of your place in the kingdom with both hands, and I promise you, God will meet you there.

I don’t know about you, but when I started getting revelation on what the kingdom of God was all about, it changed how I look at heaven.

The kingdom of God is all about loving each other.

For some reason, I guess I was more influenced by cartoon images of heaven than I thought. I didn’t really think I’d become and angel and sit on a cloud playing a harp, but it wasn’t far off. I did feel as if my experience of heaven would be about me getting my well deserved rewards and being blessed by God. I wasn’t thinking about the other people who would be there. I never thought about how “we” would interact.

But the more I understand about the kingdom, but more I realize that it’s all about community. It’s about loving God and loving people. It’s about showing compassion and kindness and giving where it’s needed. It’s selfless, where I was thinking completely selfish.

Then I realized that the model of the kingdom that Jesus was showing us here is to prepare us for heaven. Heaven is community too. It’s the life that God initially planned for us before the fall in the garden. It’s not about God and me, it’s about God and us. So get used to people. Learn to love than and bless them. We’ll be together for a looonnnnnggg time.

Sometimes familiarity is bad for us. We rattle off the Lord’s Prayer because we know it so well. We barely take time to think about what we’re saying.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Mat 6:10)

What does it mean, Thy kingdom come? Jesus often commented that the kingdom of God has come near. What does that mean?

Thy kingdom come.

The kingdom of God is not a place really, it’s a lifestyle. It’s a way to live. He gave the Lord’s Prayer after giving the Beatitudes. He described how to live in humility, peace, and righteousness. Forgive everyone. Bless those who persecute you. Go the extra mile.

It’s a lifestyle of caring, giving, and selflessness, so opposite of our natural inclinations. Not only does our sinful nature get in the way, the evil one works against us as well. The kingdom becomes a difficult place to live if we try to do it on our own.

But that’s the thing. We can’t do it on our own. We can only live in the kingdom after we’ve received salvation through Christ. Only then do we get the presence of God in us to live as we are called to live. Only then can we have Thy kingdom come.

Forgiveness is not an option, it’s a command.

If you stop and think about anyone one you are mad at or annoyed with, what name(s) come up? How long have you felt this way towards them? Can you forgive them? More importantly, is there anyone you don’t think you could ever forgive? Some hurts go so deep that forgiveness seems to impossible. The pain is too great.

But forgiveness does not mean that you condone what has been done. It just means that you will no longer hold onto it. You will no longer be controlled by that anger and resentment. You will finally let it go and not pick it up again.

Forgiveness is not an option, it is a commandment. What happens when we have unforgiveness in our hearts? It blocks God’s presence so we can’t hear Him. He’s trying to guide us to safety, but until that blockage is cleared out, we’re wandering around blind to danger. And it’s very dangerous out there. There is an enemy wandering around looking for someone to devour. Don’t let it be you.

Not only should you be forgiving anyone who hurts you, you should be blessing them. Ouch! That’s harsh! But true. Unforgivensss is sin. You will feel so much better when you let it go and ask God to forgive you for holding onto it.