One of the most important truths for us to understand as believers is the message of the Kingdom. Open the Bible almost anywhere and you will find references to the Kingdom of God. Jesus mentions the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ twenty-eight different times in the four gospels and used the expression ‘Kingdom of God’ seventy-three times. These two terms together are used over a hundred times in the gospels! Notice that in Matthew 6:33 Jesus says to seek first the Kingdom of God; so, obviously, there must be something of great importance for us. He taught His disciples to pray, “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done” (Matt. 6:10). The subject of the Kingdom of God was important enough that Jesus said we should seek it first and pray for its coming.
But how does the Kingdom come? At the end of the prayer Jesus says, “For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory” (Matt 6:13). But where is the power in the Church? Why does the glory of God seem so elusive and intangible in daily Christian experience? The coming and the witness of the Kingdom of God is our assignment, as the Church. At a critical time for all people around the world, as darkness cover the earth in political and economic tyranny, God is saying to His Church, “Arise and shine for your light has come” (Isa 60:1). The Church is heading into its finest hour. Unfamiliar, virgin territory beckons those who will be led by the Spirit and walk in the newness of Kingdom life. This visible work of the Spirit will usher a people into a dimension unknown to mankind, and they will experience His person, His presence, and His power. The Lord is taking His Church from the unknown to the newknown. The prayer that Jesus taught us to pray will become a reality—of God’s Kingdom, power, and glory—in ministry and in daily Christian living. Our King Reigns!