Sunday, December 2, 2007

The Kingdom of God

Why is the Kingdom of God so far away? Why is it that we must wait for eternity? When did God ever give us the impression that we must wait, with our teeth ground to nubs for his Kingdom to arrive? Many times Jesus himself refers to the Kingdom of God in the present. Many of the authors view it the same way. Did Abraham believe Gods Kingdom was anywhere other then Israel? Did Noah believe the land left after the flood, to be given to man forever, was anything other then the Kingdom of God? Was Gods Creation in the begining anything other then his Kingdom? Too many men and women have spent to much time looking for gratification in the after life, looking beyond the here and now for an escape. The Kingdom of God is no pleasure cruise and he never said it would be when he cast Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Gods Kingdom, his original creation, is as much his gift to us as heaven is. Was man turned loose on earth just to wait for heaven, or the second coming? Is it really that bland, is that all we can hope for? Or is it more, can it be more? Can it be that man was put here to look after one another and all Gods creation with equal care and respect? Do we trip over peace and salvation,trying to pickup words and versus hoping for the next step to salvation? Do we want to corner the market so bad on salvation that we are willing to look over the simplest and most basic of the things God has given us?
In a rush to hope the Rapture is the next blockbuster hit we miss the fact that Jesus the Son of man, Gods own Son told us to see God in everyone, see hope in the littlist of children to the oldest of men and women. Jesus wants us to know this because we are living in the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom and glory are all around us. These versus from Deuteronomy 30:11-14 explain it best
Now what I am commanding you today is not too dificult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who wil cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.