We just finished with this
year's VBS, Maker Fun Factory! It was a lot of fun, and made me think about
God's creation and kingdom. The Great Commission commands us to lead people to
Christ and teach them of God’s kingdom; “...Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations...” -Matthew 28:19
The
Bible references the word kingdom (347 times), the kingdom of God (97 times),
and the Kingdom Heaven (45 times). There are no direct references to the
"kingdom of God" in the Old Testament.
We
see God’s plan unfold in the New Testament as He unveils the "Kingdom of God"
Mark.
1:15 - "the kingdom of God is at
hand"
Luke.
17:20,21 - "the kingdom of God is
not coming with signs to be observed... behold, the kingdom of God is in your
midst"
John.
3:3 - unless one is born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God
Romans
14:17 - "the kingdom of God is
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"
The Kingdom of Christ is all about being in
relationship with Jesus, and accepting His gift of salvation. When someone
enters in to Christ’s kingdom we need to be there for new believers like Paul
modeled for us in his letters in the New Testament. He showed how much he cared
for them. He says in 2 Corinthians 11:28, Besides
everything else (trials and hardships), I
face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches (new believers).
Thank you Lord for your creation and kingdom!
