Dear People Who Keep Company With God,

I had the thought that the kingdom of heaven is sort of like a Club Med style resort. A Club Med style resort is one that provides all services and activities in one single package. This includes lodging, food, facilities, sports activities, games, and shows.

To say the kingdom of heaven is like a Club Med style resort is an imperfect picture, but it enables me to more clearly understand the kingdom. Here are a few thoughts I have put together from that imperfect picture.

1. The kingdom is more like the air than a place. We are in the air and the air is in us. And like the air we are in the kingdom (Col. 1:13) and the kingdom is in us (Luke 17:21), but it is not a place here yet. One day the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdom of God (Rev. 11:15).

2. The kingdom is God’s reign. The word kingdom in the Greek is basileia, which means how God rules or the style of God’s governing. Just imagine what the world will be like when Jesus returns and reigns on earth. There will be no suffering, injustices, poverty, sickness, etc. As God’s reign takes hold of our lives we can expect that now.

3. The Club Med aspect of the kingdom. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). We do not get these things because of seeking the kingdom first, but because within the sphere of God’s rule and reign all of these things exist for us! We are being encouraged to keep our focus on the truly important.

4. The kingdom of God is not just about the intervention of God, but also about our participation with Him. John the Baptist was arrested and eventually executed and God in heaven and Jesus on earth did nothing – no intervention and no prevention (Matt. 11:1-6). Jesus seized the opportunity to reveal that the kingdom is such a precious prize that it will provoke those who see it to action (Matt. 11:12). The Apostle Paul reiterated this when he said the kingdom is not about words but actions (1 Cor. 4:20).

In his book The Greatest Prayer, John Crossnan expanded upon what Jesus was saying that helps sort it out.“You have been waiting for God, he said, while God has been waiting for you. No wonder nothing is happening. You want God’s intervention, he said, while God wants your collaboration. God’s kingdom is here, but only insofar as you accept, enter it, live it, and thereby establish it.” God is looking for us to become co-laborers with Christ in His kingdom so it will more fully come forth (1 Cor. 3:9).

5. Pray Your kingdom come even though it is already present. The kingdom was already present when Jesus told the disciples to pray that way. Understanding the meaning of the word come in the Greek is helpful. It means appear, come before the public, come forth, show itself, find place or influence, be established, and become known. When we pray that way we can expect God to show us something to do since the kingdom is not just about words but actions.

Many Blessings, BW

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