Within Us

Saturday, ‎April ‎23, ‎2022

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Luke 6:27-28

Memory of the Month: Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Today's reading: 2 SAMUEL 16-18 LUKE 17:20-37

Within Us

Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God in Luke 17:21. The traditional King James version of the Bible says this:

King James Bible

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Most of the new translations which try to stay as close to the original texts as possible are a little different.

New American Standard Bible

"nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

The traditional implies the Kingdom in our hearts, the newer implies among us as in community.

A child of God in Christ adrift in a lifeboat on the sea would still be in the Kingdom of God because the Divine, personal presence of God is in the heart-so the Kingdom is within.

What Jesus was saying was to the Jewish leaders who were expecting the messiah to lead them in world domination. Jesus was telling them that the Kingdom of God was out of their control which they could not stand.

The fruit of the spirit(Galatians 5:22-23) cannot be seen in all the fine church buildings in the world. On one hand, the Kingdom of God cannot be physically seen.The Kingdom of God can be 'seen' in how those who belong to Him move and have their lives affect people around them.

All believers are connected in the Kingdom of God but that connection starts with the Holy Spirit in our hearts. So the Kingdom of God is the community of believers worldwide that starts in each individual heart.

No believer should ever feel as though they are adrift on the sea, alone. But-it does happen. When it does, it is time for that heart to get in front of God. Humbled under God's hand-face to face with Him-we are never alone.

The sin of others? We must forgive-from inside-the place where the Holy Spirit lives. No 'unforgiveness' can stay in the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is 'totally involving'(consuming)- in us and around us if we are where He wants us to be. Jesus wanted the Jewish leaders to know this but He also knew that few would ever come to Him in love.

The enemy has one job-to keep the world from knowing the King of the Kingdom and part of that is to keep the world from seeing the Kingdom in us by convincing us to let sin get in the way.

The 'self-control' fruit of the Spirit-the last in the list of the nine-this is the one that allows the world to see the other eight fruits in us-to see Jesus in us. The self control it takes to surrender to God's complete Lordship-taking up our cross-this is self control.

In God's Kingdom is pure peace. The kingdom is within us and the peace is ours to share with the world in turmoil. We must seek God's kingdom and learn and...

...bring them in. Let them 'see'.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for letting sin get in the way of the world's seeing Your Kingdom in me. Help me to cherish Your real peace. My heart is Yours.

Great God of peace!

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen