Kingdom Culture: Part Six
There’s a slogan from AA ringing in my ears as I think about living in God’s Kingdom Culture: “It works if you work it.” Christ-followers have been working the program with great success for over 2,000 years. This type of culture doesn’t change because God’s Word never changes; it may look different from century to century and from nation to nation but the principles never change.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33
When you become fully committed to following Jesus it’s beneficial to find out His opinion on how you’re living your life; are you walking in victory? If there are hidden places of unforgiveness, rejection, spiritual warfare, immaturity, you know what I’m talking about, then His desire is to help you reject the kingdom of the world and live in the Kingdom of God. You are assured He’ll show you the way:
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
It delights the Father when you seek Him but how does that look in your life? First of all, you’re not in this alone, in your own power, you can operate in the power of the Holy Spirit beginning with your thinking. He’ll help you reject thoughts that are contrary to His ways and change your perspective to reflect victorious living; He’ll give you everything you need if you’ll ask.
Jesus was brilliant; He knew that every generation of believers would need the same principles so He began to teach His followers by telling them stories. These were illustrations with a truth thrown alongside, usually at the end, to teach victorious kingdom living. The parables are simply lower and upper stories, however, you have to search them for that hidden truth.
The purpose of parables, according to Jesus, was to reveal and conceal, in other words, those who desire to follow Christ will understand and others won’t. In fact, the Parable of the Sower was told and explained by Jesus as a pattern on how to understand His stories.
Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? Mark 4:13
Begin in Mark 4 and compare it to Luke 8, different authors always give added information and Luke records Jesus’ own explanation! It shouldn’t take long for the Spirit to reveal where your heart is and where He wants it.
With many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to His own disciples He explained everything. Mark 4:33-34
Ask the Spirit to show you the truths you need from this parable to live a triumphant life: it works if you work it.
… fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Colossians 4:11
We’re working this together.
Comments are closed.