What is the Kingdom? | The Heavenly Realm

by Bob Hamp

I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 
John 3:11–13

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:6

The man on the stage began to direct people to focus their attention on the Lord and worship. He was going to pray for people in the crowd. When the worship band began to play, the atmosphere almost seemed to thicken. It was as if the barometric pressure in the room suddenly shifted. Everyone seemed to feel it at the same time. Expectancy shot upward, and people began to weep. Something was happening.
 
Have you ever been in a place like this? Or, have you been in a place where the opposite happened? Suddenly the air almost grows cooler. Something seems heavy in the air. Are these experiences all molecules or emotions? Are these shifts all in the perceptions of people, or is something really going on?

In John 3, Jesus explains it to Nicodemus this way, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” In other words, we see things with our eyes that may be moved by things we do not see with our eyes. He was explaining to Nicodemus about the heavenly realm.

As bible-believing people, we must recognize that not only does God provide us with important information, He provides us with an important view of reality. To have a truly biblical view of the world, we must realize that we inhabit a material, or physical, realm and we inhabit a spiritual, or heavenly, realm. Though this realm is invisible to the human eye, it is no less real, and in many ways it is more significant. We must learn how to live as citizens of both the natural and the heavenly realm.

1.  Have you ever seen something you can’t logically explain?

2.  Do you ever sense something you can’t provide evidence for?

3.  When you pray, do you think anything changes?

What Is the Kingdom? | The Place Where God’s Will Is Done

by Bob Hamp

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3–4

And Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was. Mark 1:34

Our house flooded in 2002, and my wife, Jackee, had a unique opportunity to decorate our house from top to bottom, front to back, all at one time. We moved walls, changed flooring and textured and painted every room in accordance with her will. Over a period of months, our home became what I refer to as “the kingdom of Jackee.” Everything that was in her heart regarding our home was outwardly expressed in décor and furnishing. The kingdom of God refers to the “place” where the things in God’s heart are outwardly expressed in the world.

The Bible tells us that Jesus preached and taught the gospel of the kingdom everywhere He went. When He did this, He followed His teaching with action. He healed sick people, He cast out demons, and He spoke new views into the minds of people. After He spoke, He left people and places in an outward condition that expressed the inward intentions of His heart. These people’s lives became the place where God’s will was done.

In a man’s body, He did His will, and the man lived differently. In a woman’s heart, He did His will, and she lived differently. In people’s spirits, He did His will, and they lived differently. Too often we think about God’s will being done in terms of our obedience. Often God’s will is His action, which results in changed behavior. Call it obedience if you want, but I would call it the natural reaction to God doing His will in us.

The kingdom of God is not simply about men and women obeying the edicts of a king. It is about God redecorating what has been destroyed by the flood of Satan’s work on earth and restoring on earth His original design in our hearts and lives. When He restores us, we live like restored people. Our hearts and homes become the place where God’s will is done.

1.  What part of you would you like God to “redecorate”?

2.  When have you most sensed God’s will was being done in your life?

3.  Who is/are the person/people that you most see as “the place where God’s will is done?” Why?

What Is the Kingdom? | Jesus Is King

by Bob Hamp

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:1–3

Steven Covey tells the story of two commanders in a power struggle over which one would yield to the other as they negotiated the same waters. Each tried to get the other to change course.  

“I am an admiral; change your course!” the ranking officer declared, assuming his order was the final say. 

The other captain responded saying, “I cannot change my course; you should change course immediately.”

Incensed at the insubordination, the admiral began to threaten the other captain with court martial—finishing his threats with, “I am an admiral on board the lead destroyer in the fleet, turn aside now!”

The other commander, clearly outranked responded, “I am just a lieutenant, but I am on board a lighthouse; I suggest you turn aside, sir.”

Our understanding of power and authority is too often informed by our human understanding and our long-term citizenship of earth. As a result of our human perspective, we think that the decision to follow rules is a part of responding to people in positions of authority. When we think then of submission to Jesus, we think about our willingness to follow His rules. Now consider this story.

Jesus, with His disciples in the middle of a stormy sea, stands up and tells the wind to stop. It does. Do you think the wind had a choice? Was this a negotiation between Jesus, who gave the wind a choice—obey, or pay the price? Or was this the King of the universe, having spoken the wind into existence, speaking reality into existence again?  

Humans are the only member of creation that would even consider it an option to disobey Jesus. Disease and solar systems alike are instantaneous in their responses to His word. To apply the title “king” to Jesus unfortunately does not convey all that this idea really means to modern man. Jesus’ kingship is to creation as fire is dry wood.

We can rest in, and rightly fear, the inarguable, unstoppable, never-ending rule of the King, Jesus Christ.

1.  What circumstances have you seen Jesus absolutely take control of?

2.  What circumstances in your life do you need Him to establish His control?

3.  Are you aware of an area in your life where you have tried to maintain your control?

What Is Repentance? | Looking to God Alone for Fulfillment

by Angie Wyatt

The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:17–19

My husband broke our diet rules this week when he came home with two boxes of Caramel Delight Girl Scout Cookies. Who has enough self-discipline to eat just one Girl Scout Cookie! An hour later, he had devoured the entire box. It reminded me of my grandmother at Thanksgiving. While going after her second piece of pie, always whines n a southern twang, “I’m full, but I’m just not satisfied.”

How many of us live our lives, full but not satisfied? We’re completely full of food, media, sports and even meaningful relationships. We’re full of all that life seems to offer, yet we’re not fulfilled. So many of us feel full, but we haven’t found a true contentment deep within our hearts. True fulfillment can only be found in God.

In Ephesians 1:23, Jesus is described as the “fullness of [God] who fills everything in everyway.” The only way to true fulfillment is found in Christ. Jesus is the final answer to the deepest longing of our hearts. Only He brings true satisfaction. When we fear God and turn to Him, He fulfills the desires of our hearts. We can live full of God and satisfied in everyway.

The kingdom of this world entices us to try to find fullness in what we can see, hear, taste, touch and smell. But, if we are to find true fulfillment, we must tune in our senses to God’s kingdom. When we seek first the kingdom and look to Him for fulfillment, we find a satisfaction much deeper than anything that’s within our ability to sense. We see what God sees and hear what God hears. He fulfills our greatest desires.

1.  What in life is making you feel “full but just not satisfied”?

2.  How can you prioritize your life to find fulfillment in God?

3.  What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?

What Is Repentance? | Looking to God Alone for Identity

by Angie Wyatt

He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:4–8

My favorite Saturday Night Live character is the insecure self-help guru Stuart Smalley.  In each of his skits, Stuart affectionately gazes at his image in a mirror and confesses, “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And, gosh-darn it, people like me!” This hilarious character epitomizes the universal approach of self-help ideology. 

The world tells us that we ought to have a good self-image, think highly of ourselves and find our inner strength. Yet, as we look in the mirror each day, we realize that looking inward for our true identity fails. Those who don’t look inward, try to find their identity in things, women or activities. Even those outward things can’t answer that deep longing question, “Who am I?”

This question can only be answered as we look to Christ. The Bible tells us that we are God’s children. As such, He loves and accepts us unconditionally. Before creating this world, He chose us because He knew it would make Him happy, and everything He gave to Jesus, He’s given to us. 

If you have children, you understand the love of a father. Is there anything that would keep you from seeing the best in your kids? As God’s kids, we don’t have to convince ourselves that we have what it takes to be strong in this world. We can simply believe that we are the people He declares we are. We must believe Him. Instead of looking to self, we look to God. In His kingdom we find true identity.

1.  In what ways have you tried to find your true identity aside from Christ?

2.  Of all the wonderful things God says about you, what is the most difficult to believe?

3.  Ask the Holy Spirit to tell you in a personal way His answer to the question, “Who am I?”

What is Repentance? | Putting God First, Tearing Down Idols and Laying Aside Wants and Desires

by Angie Wyatt

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
Deuteronomy 5:7–8

“So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:31–33

At the height of the Great Depression, my grandmother was a little girl and the daughter of a small town minister. As such, their family relied on the generosity of the community to meet their basic needs for food, shelter and clothing. My grandmother tells of the time she longed for bananas to put into the Jell-o mix that was given them. She prayed all morning, and in the afternoon, a bag of bananas was left anonymously on her doorstep.  As a child, my grandmother lived by faith in God’s provision, and to this day, my grandmother understands that God is the source of her every need.           

In today’s economy, many of us are tempted to worry about how to provide the most basic needs for our families. We worry about paying the bills, keeping our homes and putting food on the table. Desire for a fast car or a new set of golf clubs has been replaced by a desire to maintain the status quo. We’ve replaced grandiose desires with reasonable expectations, but we still miss the mark. God isn’t asking us to give up that which is extravagant; He’s asking us to give up everything.

In all we seek, we must seek God first. In Matthew 6, Jesus reminds us that even by worrying about the basic needs of life we are placing other gods before Him. He tells us to seek Christ and His kingdom, trusting in His provision. Seeking God’s kingdom must be first in all we do. 

Putting God first means that there are no idols before Him. He asks for the first of our tithes, the first of our Sabbaths and, most importantly, the first of our hearts. Anything placed before God in our hearts is an idol. We replace idols by committing to seek first His kingdom, declaring Him as the king of our hearts. When we seek first the kingdom, we can rest in the assurance of His provision for our lives.

1.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you ways in which you have not put Him first.

2.   How have those areas become an idol in your heart?

3.  How can you begin to daily seek first the kingdom?