Third Lesson: Know That You Are Heir To God's Abundant Kingdom
Where is God’s abundant kingdom? Is it somewhere up there? Teachers of Christian doctrine are telling us of the “coming of the Kingdom” at the second coming of Christ. Sign of this second coming, they say, is the destruction of the present civilization and the ushering of a new heaven. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth ... Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:1, 5)
Since the early times of religious history, men have rationalized the hardships and sufferings of this life by dreaming of a future life where all will be perfect. In other words, we have to accept the sufferings and the inequities of this life hoping for our coming to God’s kingdom in the afterlife. We make reference to this place as the Kingdom of God, Heaven, or Kingdom of Heaven. No matter how we may reference it, however, it is still a kingdom somewhere, sometime in the future, reachable only after we die.
Jesus of Nazareth, however, was quite specific when he talked about the kingdom. He said that the kingdom of Heaven is ‘at hand.’ The phrase “at hand” means “here and now.”
“The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20 NIV)
Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God is not here or there. The Kingdom of God is within you. The abundant Kingdom of God, of which you are an heir, is within you. Like the prodigal son’s father, God says to you: “... my son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31)
The Kingdom of God is inside you. You don’t have to wait until after you die in order to experience the abundance of God’s Kingdom. You can experience the abundance of God’s Kingdom now. Would the Father give it to you? Jesus said: “... your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
God will give you His Kingdom because He is your Father and you are heir to His abundant Kingdom. It is His pleasure to give you the Kingdom NOW. It pleases Him to make you rich, healthy, and happy NOW.
If it is God’s pleasure to give you the Kingdom, why are you poor, sick, and unhappy?
Your answer will be in the next posting: How To Be Wealthy, Healthy, and Happy.
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