John the Baptist boldly proclaimed, "“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Mt 3:2) and the religious leaders of his day were down with tthe idea of God's kingdom finally being established on earth. They were hopeful of its time drawing close so that the children of Abraham would finally reign over the earth.
But their concept of kingdom was not that of God's, for while they, and even Jesus' own disciples, we're looking for a tangible something coming to a touchable someplace, Jesus spoke of an intangible reality present, existing in the hearts of God's children. The kingdom was not a region on the map but a reign in the heart:
"Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Lk 17:20-21).
The coming near John spoke of was not just a matter of a point on a timeline drawing close, it was a pre-eminence of God's will directing the heart. The kingdom of heaven is as near to you as the desire of your heart or as far away as the dust of a distant shore.
If the kingdom of heaven is what you seek, look no further as the King is right here, right now, inviting you to share in its glory: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me" (Rev 3:20).
The full reality of heaven in a spiritual plane that we enter as we leave time and step into eternity but the kingdom road and the outer gate that leads to the full expression of heayou ven begins here and now. The path we choose to walk now is either kingdom territory or it is not:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Mt 7:13-14).
Jus' Say'n.
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