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What is the Kingdom of God?
The kingdom of God is the invisible, divine government that is established on earth when the will of its King has been carried out completely. It is His administration influencing the earth, replacing its mundane operating system and order. The kingdom of God is the lordship and dominion on earth of King Jesus manifested in a visible form.
Jesus spoke of 3 divine realms:
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever ? Matthew 6:13 AMP.
The ?kingdom? is the government of God; the ?power? is the ability found in God; the ?glory? is the presence of God.
The essence of Jesus? teaching is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. In Acts 1, Jesus spent about 40 days teaching His disciples about the kingdom. His goal was to prepare them for the day when they would receive the power, an event that takes place in chapter 2 and is followed in chapter 3 by the manifestation of God?s glory. Today, some ministries teach much about God?s kingdom but with little demonstration of His power. In other ministries, the opposite occurs ? there is a great manifestation of God?s power, but little mention is made of the kingdom. In still other ministries, there is teaching on the glory but no manifestation of the power or God?s kingdom. Jesus taught His disciples about the kingdom because He understood that to be effective witnesses in a hostile world, they would need power. What generates the Revelation of the Kingdom in the Believers? Structure The revelation of the kingdom produces within us a spirit that knows how to use God?s authority and how to submit to it. Without this knowledge, such power may destroy people. Order Order cannot be established in the absence of government and authority. Chaos and disorder can become dangerous when faced with the power of God. Vision Without the kingdom?s vision, power can become futile or destructive. Purpose Knowledge ? or revelation ? of the kingdom must come first in our lives. After revelation comes, power must have a purpose; otherwise, it can destroy. What is the power of God? The Greek word for ?power? is dynamis. This word also means ?powerful force, potency, or inherent power.? Dynamis is the ability to perform miracles. It is the explosive, dynamic, and inherent power of God ? His supernatural ability. When we speak of the reality of God, we cannot separate it from what exists in the natural. His power is intrinsically tied to the message of the gospel, and this is where the difference between Christianity and other religions, which cannot produce a supernatural experience, is rooted. In the book of Acts, the supernatural power of God is present in each of its 28 chapters!
Religion is the result of not having an experience with God. Substitutes for the Power of God The Galatians had started out in the Spirit: they were saved, were filled with the Spirit, and witnessed miracles, signs, and wonders. But witchcraft influenced them to follow rules, norms, and carnal ways, which caused them to lose sight of God?s power.
The spirit of witchcraft is in operation wherever you find carnal habits and legalistic practices. The church today is in a similar situation. Let us recall that man is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. The soul has legitimate functions, but it cannot take the place of the spirit. When people begin to put their trust in their own abilities and strength, they move away from the spirit and toward the soul, which includes intellect and emotions. Then, a substitution takes place in which ?religion? takes over for spiritual reality. Let us look at some of the most common substitutes: Theology, lacking inspiration from the Holy Spirit, replaces revelation. Theology is man studying God with his human mind and reasoning. This is a proper way to study Him, but in order for it to be effective, man needs the revelation of the Holy Spirit. In other words, mankind needs to balance the knowledge he derives from studying God?s Word with the knowledge he gets from the Holy Spirit. This combination of the Spirit and the Word is what transforms lives. Intellectual education replaces character. Education occupies an important place in the life of an individual. Thus, it is important for young people to study, pursue education degrees, and become excellent professionals. However, we must keep in mind that intellectual education does not build or shape their character; it only prepares them to carry out a job. The only thing that can shape character and transform the heart of man is the power of God.
It is very dangerous to train people intellectually without dealing with their character. Psychology and psychiatry replace spiritual discernment. Psychology is part of the philosophy that studies the soul and the mind. Psychiatry is the science that studies the psyche of the human mind and the illnesses connected to it. Psychologists and psychiatrists have the best intentions to help people, but they do not deal with the roots of their problem, which are spiritual. They deal only with the symptoms ? the branches ? which are superficial. Man-made programs replace the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that in order for our works to prosper, God must take the initiative. (See Proverbs 16:3; 16:9) Unfortunately, many churches carry out their services according to their own agendas. Eloquence replaces the demonstration of power. People run after personality-driven churches that are built on human charisma, talents, and gifts instead of on the name of Jesus. Administrators replace apostles and prophets. Apostles and prophets bring the revelation and power that create breakthrough within the church. They are empowered by God with the anointing for spiritual warfare. Reason, logic, and a carnal mind replace living by faith. When we handle divine situations with a carnal mind, we limit God and lose hold of the supernatural. Faith gives us the ability to believe above human reason because it supersedes all reasoning. Motivational speaking replaces the message of the cross. Motivational preaching is good because it inspires people, but when it is done without Jesus Christ as its central figure, it has no power to change hearts. Rigid laws, norms, and regulations replace love. Many churches are more concerned with people keeping the traditions, norms, rules, and regulations of the council and denomination than offering the genuine love of Christ to the lost. Love is the only thing that can loosen God?s power. Entertainment replaces power. Many believers attend church in search of entertainment, and many leaders use entertainment as a means of keeping membership numbers high without fully establishing anyone in the power of God.
When we entertain people, we have lost the power. Human ability replaces God?s grace. Grace is the divine ability given by God for His people to become everything He has called us to be and to achieve that which we are unable to do in our own strength. Christ was the only perfect Man, and His life was a manifestation of God?s supernatural power. He maintained a balance between His power and His character. Traditions replace the Word. Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on - Mark 7:13 AMP. In some Christian circles, it is common to hear preaching that is based on traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. The leaders in these churches fail to realize that their method of preaching nullifies the effect of the Word of God. If you are operating under any of the aforementioned substitutes, repent and return to God I order to manifest His supernatural power to this generation. The following prayer will help you achieve that: My Lord Jesus, I repent of replacing Your power with human substitutions. I ask You to fill me once more with Your supernatural power, which I need to carry out Your purpose here on earth. Ask the Lord to fill you with His power right now!
