The Kingdom

When Jesus began his ministry, he proclaimed that the Kingdom onf God was near.

God took a family, multiplied them, and established them as a nation. God told the family, if they followed him, he would bless them, Then, they would take what he blessed them with, and pass it onto the world. The world would receive God's blessing through them.

Then, the world would learn what it is like to choose allegiance to the God of Israel. Then, the world would give him their allegiance too.

Israel gave allegiance to God in words. And there were times they followed him in deeds, and practice, also. But, overall, they chose to follow something other than the God of the universe.

So, God chose another way to inject his Kingdom into the world. He became a man, a part of Israel, and began the process of building a family … a spiritual family.

When, a person gives his allegiance to Jesus, God's spirit makes his home in the inner core of that person. God's family is not linked by a common physical DNA. It is linked by a common spiritual DNA.

And God will use his family to expand his Kingdom.

A kingdom is anything the king reigns over. In human terms, it is a territory that a human king controls. In God's Kingdom, it is the people, who give him their allegiance.

To look at it another way, God is the Lord, the Master, the King, of all life. He is not just Lord of Sunday morning. He is not just the Master of the church. He is the King of all. All people, all plants and animals, are in his Kingdom. All countries, all peoples, and all institutions, are in his domain.

Sometimes, it does not look like he has dominion. Probably, every living person is disturbed by the lack of love, peace, and order — both as individuals, and internationally. But I think the reason for God's restraint is multi-layered. Meaning, there is no single "this is why."

One layer is: God has decided, it is better for people to choose their allegiances. He wants us to give our allegiance to him. But he wants it to be voluntary, wholehearted, and fully aware.

Another layer is: There are many now, and many yet to be born, who have not given their allegiance to the Lord of the universe, but who will. So, he is patient with everyone, to provide a chance for everyone, and an opportunity for some. And he has given his family the opportunity to demonstrate to the world, that he is the Lord of life, what that means, and how that works.

Many of God's children have drawn a box around what that means. Some act as though God is only Lord of Sunday morning, inside a special building. Some act as though God's only concern is individual salvation, and personal morals. Some act as though God only reveals himself through particular supernatural acts, and practices.

The Kingdom of God should look more like William Carey.

Carey left England, for India, in 1792. He shared the gospel, and saw thousands come to Christ. He taught himself Greek, Hebrew, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Hindi, Bengali, and Sanskrit. He translated the Scriptures into several Indian languages. And he translated several works of Indian literature in English. He built schools, hospitals, and at least, one university. He combated many cruel social practices. and saw the death of some of them. He engaged life on almost every front, and left it better for his engagement.

Not bad for a guy, whose only formal training was in the manufacture, and repair, of shoes.