Thinking back to what my thoughts were of God, in a not so distant past. An experience this last week brought back to the forefront of my mind exactly what it means to be Kingdom minded. My views on God and heaven are so diabolically different today. I recall that God was this powerful being that lived above the world. He was the creator of the universe, and like the old adage, "He brought us into the world, He can take us out". Fear was the number one motivator, and longing for an end to this miserable world was the key note. Our praise and worship, or better known as somber hymns, reflected our exact attitude of rapture desire. Songs were lifted up in desperation waiting for the "BOOM" and its over. While heaven is the destination, I have come to renew my mind to what our purpose and experience on earth should look like.
We were born to worship!!!
Worship is to give honor and glory to the Most High. Worship is to be laid down lovers to the one who gives us the blessing of life, and the grace to live it to its fullest. Worship is not lamenting of how horrible this life is, and how the trials are bringing us to the pinnacle of justification. God has given us the will and way to change our current atmosphere. By praise and worship we can release the Glory of God. We have the access to heavenly realms, and can bring that here to earth. By focusing on God's goodness and love, we now give him the opportunity to be who He is by nature. He is LOVE, and His love endures forever.
Don't wait for heaven, bring heaven to earth!!
We do not live from earth longing for heaven to come. As Christians we are seated in Heaven at the right hand of the Father with King Jesus...Hallelujah. (Eph. 2:6) We live from heaven to earth. Therefore, we are not waiting on Heaven. It is waiting on us to come to the revelation that we hold the answer to this fallen world's problems. We, you and I, hold the manifestation of the Father within us. What Jesus was for the populous of the middle east during his time here, we are for the very atmospheres we inhabit. People will get healed, set free, delivered for evil just by being around us. That is "IF" we realize who we are in Christ, and own up to the fullness of the Holy Spirit in us...that brings me to my third point.
Accept your Kingly standing!!!
We claim that Jesus is our King. He is in fact the Lord over us. The word calls Jesus the "King of Kings" and a the "Lord of Lords". Ever wonder who the other kings are that He's King over? You, and I are those kings. The Father has adopted us into son-ship (daughter-ship) of his family. You are in essence, the brother of Jesus. You're in the royal family. Do you think that if you were rightly put into the royal family of England that you wouldn't carry an authority that others were not part of. What you would say goes. Stand tall and accept your kingly standing in the Kingdom of God. No devil has power over you. They have no authority over your life that you do not allow. What you bless will be blessed, what you curse will be cursed..Jesus won the war, we can win the battles, because we are Kings...
The glory of the end times Church!!!
Like I said in the intro, my belief system of the Bride of Christ was skewed slightly in the past. I was sure that we must strive and trudge trough this life, fighting off the trials and barely eking by to make it (crawl through) the finish line. I was convinced that very few were going to make it to the end, and the final few would be a frazzled crew of beaten down remnant of faithful waiting for Jesus to return. Since marrying my beautiful bride of 15yrs. I have looked at the description of the body, the bride, a little differently. When our big day finally came, and the pressures of courting coupled with all that goes with growing up. My bride didn't come hobbling down the isle in a torn tattered dress, missing the heal off her right shoe, hair soiled and nasty, makeup bleeding onto her off white pajama top. No way, she was dazzling. She spent the extra time to make sure every hair was in place, and her dress was glamorous. She was in such form it took my breath away (yes and a tear to my eye). She pulled all the stops to prove that I was getting a prize, that she was a treasure. So much emphasis has been put on the trials that we must face, that the Glory of the bride has been muted in our minds eye. Solomons temple, the law, the children of Israel all were glorious. I think if we were able to see the beauty of the temple of that day we would be amazed. Haggai 2:9 talks about how when Jesus comes the Glory of the latter house will be greater than the former. Jesus brought the church to manifest in us, and He said it's more glorious than the first temple. You are far more than a struggling downtrodden bride. You are a prize. The body of Christ (the bride) should and will be a dazzling gift to the King of Kings. We the church must own up to the honor we bestow. We need to bring the bride into a renewal of mind so she becomes the beauty He's expecting to walk down that Isle..
Closing thoughts:
I believe that although God is sovereign and all knowing. He has given us free will. The days of this earth are numbered, however we have a play in the amount of days. Christ will return for His bride, but only when it's ready. I believe that the reason we still exist is that bride hasn't become what it should for that return. Too many are preaching poverty, judgment, and negativeness for the bride to be adorned. God wants us to prosper and be well (Jer. 29:11). Kingdom mindset says we are going to rule. Orphan mindset says hurry Jesus come get us, destroy the world, and take us to heaven. Renew your minds to Kingdom principles, and summon the bridegroom.
