We choose who to follow based on who we think will best get us to where we want to go. This is true with both earthly aspirations and spiritual destinations. Christians usually have both, but the ultimate destination would be heaven.

I used to think that the kingdom of heaven was just another way of saying heaven. Or it’s the time when Jesus reigns for a thousand years on earth or when the New Jerusalem comes down to a new earth. There are scriptures that can support each of those ideas. They are all in the future making the kingdom of God something we could look forward to but didn’t impact us in our day to day lives here and now. But Jesus also talked about the kingdom of heaven as being here now.

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will t hey say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Luke 17:20-21

When the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelebub, part of Jesus’ response was “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28

So the kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future promise. It can be described as “already, but not yet” – active right now in the hearts of believers but will achieve its full manifestation in the future.

Believers can be likened to athletes. Everyone acknowledges and appreciates athletes as they compete, but few consider that the same people are athletes outside their competitions. They live in the now the same way they will at the time of their competitions. They practice the same skills. They have the same mind set. They live with the same self-control. Their eyes are focused on the future, yet they live in the present as if it were the future. No serious athlete would live a life of self-gratification, conform to the lifestyle of those around them, and follow what sounds reasonable and good to them. They don’t wait until their competition to get in shape. They find a professional trainer and follow what they are told to do, trusting in their expertise.

Believers have their eyes set on the future kingdom in which they will reign with Christ, but they live as if they are living in the kingdom now. Same rules, same mind set, same self-control. They find and follow a professional trainer – the Word – and do what it says, trusting God to know what He’s talking about. So the kingdom of God is already here, in our hearts and lives, but not yet because the full manifestation has not happened yet.

Knowing this, we can begin to discern who we are following. Are we following the Trainer who demands what is best for us no matter how hard? Do we follow someone who says things we want to hear? Do we follow our own ideas of how things should be? Or do we follow the suggestions of the devil who wants nothing more than to destroy us?

(to be continued)

The Bible speaks a lot about the kingdom of heaven; here are a few facts.

Christians know a little about the kingdom of heaven because He reveals secrets about His kingdom to His people, not to the whole world. The world as a whole cannot understand spiritual things so they are not going to understand our behavior, beliefs, and decisions at times.

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Matthew 13:10-11

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

Not everyone who appears to be part of God’s kingdom are children of the kingdom. Many are there for reasons other than belonging to God. Some who call themselves Christians do so because they were born into families that attended church and so they attend church. Some think that believing that Jesus existed is enough to belong. Some are truly deceived into believing their ideas are as much truth as the words of God. Some really do love God, but choose to be their own king instead of accepting the kingship of Jesus. Some make up their own versions of the Jesus they want to follow. And some use the label ‘Christian’ to further their selfish goals – they do Christian things to feel good, make money, or gain prestige. They love healing but not holiness; they love power but not purity; they love wonders but not the will of God.

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds^[c] among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants^[d] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Matthew 13:24-30

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23

We must be born of the Spirit to see and enter the kingdom of heaven. We can’t enter on the backs of other people.  We can’t earn our way in. We can’t buy our way in. We can’t bully our way in. We can’t deceive our way in. We can’t even pray our way in. We must be born again, which means we must accept Jesus as both Savior and King. We pledge ourselves to Him. We obey His commands over what we want and over what others say. We no longer exist for ourselves but we exist to love and serve Him.

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 1 John 3:23

God’s kingdom will overcome all other kingdoms and will never be destroyed.

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:44

Other Scriptures:

Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in my suffering as a good soldier in Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Timothy 1-5

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps^[a] and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Matthew 25:1-13