Kingdom of God versus World Governments

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , ,
“…neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21 ASV.

religion and government 2

Have you ever notice the natural conflict between the governments of this world and religions? Don’t both institutions operate from the same perspective? They seek power over the same masses to bring about peace, law, and order. They make promises feeding on the hopes and carnal desires of their members. When they fail to deliver, they blame others. In fact, like two political opponents, they use whatever means at their disposal to bring about their ambitions at the expense of their citizens.

This is what makes God’s Kingdom far above the governments and religions of this world. Governments and many religions build their foundation through a platform of fear. Through manipulation, punishment,  or collusion, those in power decide what is best for the masses. Freedom may be promised for all, but reserved for a minority. The majority are led by a minority who set themselves up through power, intimidation, and fear.

However God’s Kingdom is unlike anything man has developed. Everything designed by humanity is based on using power from the outside-in. It seeks to manipulate you into agreement through outside means. Like the rat chasing his cheese through a maze, mankind follows the same principles. External rewards, punishment, and social manipulation are some of the tools used. Throw in lying, stealing, killing, and destruction, and you have the general means employed by the majority of groups in search of a better world for themselves.

So what makes God’s Kingdom so much more effective? First it is a government operating from the inside-out. It already has an established, proven leader in Jesus Christ. He is the uniting factor for all people; there is no more room at the top. He sets the standards and demonstrates the methods and techniques used to serve and lead others. And most of his ways are just the opposite of mankind’s failed approaches.

He operates from the inside of a person. He motivates, encourages, and equips his citizens with the necessary tools and methods to live a life that unleashes the human potential as originally designed by the Creator. Via the Holy Spirit, he restores the relationship between all parties by making the Triune God the central core of one’s life. From the love of God, through the hearts of each citizen, the government of God operates in an orderly and abundant fashion. The goal is to minister and serve others for the glory of God. Politics, selfish ambition, and carnal desires are removed from the scene. In their place, service toward others in love becomes the standard of all Peoples.

When one captures the real vision of God’s Kingdom on earth, one quickly understands the Book of Revelations 21 – 22 and the merging of heaven with earth.  With God making his Kingly home on earth, His kingdom will cover the entire planet. Isn’t that the new heaven and new earth we all wait for? When the Kingdom of God will be fully operating on this planet.

Meanwhile, those of us who have already surrendered to Lord Jesus have the privilege and honor to learn today how to live under the King’s domain. We have the opportunity to experience his abundant grace, mercy, and trust with our everyday lives. As His faith grows in us, and as we see the fruit of His ways, we can only lift up our arms in praise to Him and share His story with others who truly want to experience real freedom and joy and love and peace in this life while we await the physical return of our King.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Who Is Stealing From You Today?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms ,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” JN 10:10 ESV.

steal1

 

We all need God’s Grace.

When you stop for a moment and realize that people are sinning against you today, it can be paralyzing. Just like a deer in the headlights of a car, or a bicyclist facing an on-coming vehicle, we can easily freeze and be harmfully impacted by the event.

Yet because we have a loving heavenly Dad who cares for us more than  we accept, we can faithfully face any situation knowing he will provide and protect us in his own time and way.

Take stealing as an example. Think of the many ways people are stealing from you today. Most of the ways are hidden from our view. For example, the government is robbing from you every day by allowing inflation to eat away at your hard earn dollar. They rob you of your future purchasing power by spending more than they take in and paying interest on it.  Being the third largest item in the budget, imagine how many other ways that money could have been spent.

When we thankfully accept a helping hand through the tough times of life and then greedily turn it into a long term lifestyle, don’t we blindly think we are getting the better side of the deal? However, over time one learns how entitlements slowly destroy Godly character. These handouts rob us of the opportunity to grow through our walk with God in the pursuit of what He has prepared for us. Instead we settle for the assured crumbs instead of the rich blessing God wants to give us as we learn to trust Him in our walk. Aren’t we then stealing from our eternal inheritance?

Don’t the media and advertisers steal from you when they package lifestyles and products as a poor substitute for the Triune God? For example, happiness is found in a drink, joy in dishwater detergent, and tasteful (unhealthy)food through the convenient drive-thru window.

Or in business, owners find ways to hide money from the government through off shore companies and therefore not pay their share of taxes.

Than we have employees who find ways to enrich themselves outside their agreed compensation. Whether it is taking office supplies home or only giving 50% of themselves toward their work, isn’t that taking away something that belongs to another?

Husbands and wives steal from each other when they are not faithful in their relationship.  Parents steal from their children when they spend their free time pursuing their dreams rather than investing time with their offspring.

This is my short list for the moment. I am sure you can add many other situations where you are being robbed financially, emotionally, or socially. But be brave. God knows. He showers his grace on all. Whenever someone steals from you, ask God to correct the situation. Let him lead you to show good to those who rob you. Haven’t we at one time or another robbed from others? Or more specifically, haven’t we at times stolen from God? How does He treat us? Doesn’t he pour out more of his abundant grace and mercy upon us when we finally acknowledge His authority in our life? Maybe we need to do the same with others.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend Need Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Stealing From God?

Dr. Mike Bible Life Questions, Kingdom Paradigms
“You shall not steal. Exodus 20:15 ESV.

steal 1

When Sin is only the breaking of a principle or rule, it makes the transaction non-personal. However, when Sin breaks into the life of another person, than it becomes a relational issue.  It wasn’t until I saw Sin as doing damage between God and people that I made the firm commitment to stop hurting others in my world.

More so, when I realized that Sin is stealing from God’s goodness, I shuttered in horror.

In addition, when I realized that Sin is also stealing from my mate and daughter and brothers and parents and friends, I quickly repented and cried out for help.

We do not want to hurt the ones we love. In fact, we want to honor them and bless them with everything good within our means. So when we “break” one of the commandments of God it is no longer me just trying to manage another item. Instead, I now realize we are hurting others who may not even know of the situation but are simply the victim of my poor choices.

How long do you think we can go on stealing from God and succeed in life?

How long do you think we can go on stealing from our love ones and succeed in life?

How long do you think we can go on stealing from others and succeed in life?

You may see Stealing as a short-term solution to your current problem. However the long term impact is always more costly. Instead, do the more honorable thing. Do what is right before God. The consequences of not respecting God’s will is more painful in the long term than the short term inconvenience you may have to suffer. Sin is never a good thing.  It always negatively impacts your life and the lives of others.  You may not see it immediately, but in hindsight, you will only wish you could replay the event over again. Therefore why not choose the more honorable path today?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend Need Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!