The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Psalm 103:9
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17
The new, good heart God has given you and the life he intends for you come together and find their purpose in God’s Kingdom. So in order to understand your heart and Life, you need to know what that Kingdom is about. Jesus majors on the subject; it is mentioned 119 times in ninety chapters of the redemption story recorded by four separate gospel writers.
God’s Kingdom is not a democracy. We do not get a vote. Not in how it all works, anyway. We do get a vote when it comes to whether or not we believe how it works, who we are in it, and who God truly is. Our wills matter - they matter a heck of a lot. But his will matters most, and he created the whole thing with the reference point of Kingdom.
Jesus talked about how the kingdom works more than any other component in the Larger Story. And why wouldn’t he? He’s the King of kings. The more your spiritual eyes grow, the more Jesus will show you the kingdom way. It’s what He does; it’s what He did. One of his favorite phrases in the Gospels is, “The Kingdom of heaven is like. . . .”
In Matthew, Jesus compares the Kingdom of heaven to . . .
- a man who sowed good seed in his field (13:34).
- a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field (v. 31).
- yeast that a woman took and mixed into flour until it worked all through the dough (v. 31).
- a merchant looking for fine pearls (v. 45).
- the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old (v. 52).
- a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants (18:23).
- a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son (22:2).
When we get hold of this truth trinity of Heart, Life, and Kingdom - or when it gets hold of us - the tide changes. The momentum in our life shifts, and the lost ground of our hearts will certainly be taken back. We become more - because the deepest needs of our heart are met in abundant supply. We find clarity and understanding and an invitation in Proverbs 19:2 says, “Desire without knowledge is not good - how much more will hasty feet miss the way!” And the converse is also true. If we will invest the time to learn, we will see more and hear more. When we begin to see and hear more, we will experience that God is more, the story is more, and we are more. And once we become more, everything changes.
We’re fighting a new war. The Love and the Life are looking for you, and they are God himself. He is the author of Life, He is Love - and he wants you.
How does seeing the Christian life as a battle for the heart invite you to live?
Kingdom is how Jesus talked about this life, a way in which to see, hear and orient our hearts. When do you most often exercise your rights, privileges and responsibilities as a Kingdom citizen?
