√ Reality Check

There is something I do want you to notice on this blog site that is brand new. (Actually, it has been here awhile I just hadn’t noticed it and I haven’t been writing any new post lately so I couldn’t say anything.) Now you can subscribe to this blog and receive the post like an email if you wish. Maybe that can help you as a devotional, a thought provoker or just an opportunity to read something from a silly middle age man. Whatever the reasons, if you are interested, just subscribe today and when there is a post it will be automatically sent to your email. Your email address will never be used for anything else and you can unsubscribe any time you want.

I am sorry for disappearing for the last two weeks. With Thanksgiving week I was in and out of town and then my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and I was away for that as well. Last week I was in New York and I did not have time to sit down and blog. I never meant to miss this much time without a single post and I really miss doing this and staying in touch with all of you. Hopefully I can get back on track. I will pick up the reading and posting today with the scheduled book of Matthew already in progress. (Ha, ha, ha; sorry poor television humor!)

Matthew Chapter 6
Scripture= Matthew chapter 6:10
"your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven."

Observations and Applications=
Our scripture passage for today is from a section of the Lord’s Prayer. I have always thought of this passage as simply relating to Jesus and his mission to save mankind. My thoughts centered around, “okay Father God do your thing and save us through Jesus so everything will be all right on earth like they are in heaven.”

Lately I have seen this prayer in a totally different way. I recently finished reading a book entitled Velvet Elvis ‘Repainting The Christian Faith, by Rob Bell (Zondervan Press, 2005). What an incredible read! I am seeing that the kingdom of God is not just about Jesus coming to earth and the crucifixion happening. The kingdom of God can be established by the followers of Jesus because Jesus came to earth, died, rose from the dead and ascended to glory. We are required to faithfully reveal and establish the Kingdom of God here until he comes.

I have to know what the kingdom of God is all about and make it happen here on earth as it is in heaven. If I look at this verse again I could understand it to say, “When I do God’s will, His kingdom will be seen here on earth as it has been established in heaven.

Jesus died to re-establish the kingdom of God here on this earth which will ultimately be consummated when he returns to restore and create a new heaven and earth. How are we establishing his kingdom? What does this look like? Reading the Gospels will take on a whole new meaning when you are looking for Jesus’ teaching and life examples concerning the kingdom. The body of Christ should be revealing the dynamics of the kingdom in our words and our actions. Our churches should be examples, models if you will, of God’s heavenly kingdom. The way we treat one another and our purpose to reach those who are lost reveal the kingdom.

Are there actions that you should do today to reveal the kingdom of God? The way I live should not be based on the dynamics or economics of an earthly kingdom but instead they should represent a kingdom that Jesus died to restore and establish right here, right now!

Don’t wait for heaven to someday bring the revealed kingdom of God to you, reveal heaven by bringing the kingdom of God to earth today.

Prayer= Lord Jesus, May I bring about your kingdom today by the way I represent you. I desire to reveal you and your kingdom by word and deed. Thank you for the redemption of mankind and I long for the redemption of all of your creation. Your kingdom come and your will be done here, through us on earth, in the same way that your will is proclaimed by heaven.