Some important people asked Jesus when the kingdom of God will come and He said, \”The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.\” (Luke 17:20-21).
That is, this kingdom is not an external kingdom, or to put it more appropriately, this kingdom begins from within. It doesn\’t start as a sudden cataclysmic occurrence. It is not something so frightening or interesting that people will suddenly gather around.
Although the time for that will come but the coming of the kingdom itself, its very beginnings, is not by observation. It begins as a seed within man. Like the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32, which is the smallest of all seeds but when planted, it grows to become so great that birds can lodge in it.
This shows seasons and a process of time. God invades the heart of a man first before he will invade territories. Although the kingdom of God will be eventually observed by men, it begins quietly in the hearts of men.
The concept of the kingdom coming brings to mind the idea of a \”take-over\”. This taking over does not begin with the outside world. The first realm of domination is the spirit realm, and by that I mean the spirit of man. God\’s taking over begins from the man within.
Scriptures to note:
\”And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.\” Luke 11:2\”But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.\” Matthew 6:33\”…and the government shall be upon his shoulder:… Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end…\” Isaiah 9:6-7\”And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.\” Daniel 2:44
Before Luke 21 or Matthew 24 when Jesus began to talk about the signs of the end of the age, which are things that amounts to observation, there has to be a taking over of men\’s lives, a harvest of God\’s faithfuls, who will leave all to follow Jesus and will not love their lives unto the death.
This is the Kingdom of God. When there is a collision between God and man. When the spirit of disobedience gives way to the Spirit of adoption. When the evil heart of unbelief is exchanged with the heart of flesh that seeks to do the will of God.
When all ambitions, decisions and traditions are swallowed up by \”…the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding\” (Colossians 1:9). May you be counted worthy to be an overcomer who follows the Lamb wherever He goes because you have made a decision to be with Him always (Revelation 2:11, 14:4, 17:14).
