The Kingdom Not of This World

Written By: Kirk Peterson

Intro

Recently God has put on my heart to study about His heavenly kingdom and what His truth tells us is to come….

My prayer, as a humble follower of Christ, is to write about The Kingdom of God in such a way, that those who are lost, blind and trapped in the ways of the world can come to know the good news of Jesus, of God’s spirit, His heavenly kingdom and that of Christ.  Also, to those who are feeling far away from God, to let my words help turn them back to God in such a way that they can feel the power of the living God once again in their life. Amen!

Kingdom Not of This World

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36Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36, NLT)

[John The Baptist speaking about The Messiah] Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. (John 3:33, 34 NLT)

Jesus tells us that His Kingdom and The Kingdom of God are not of this world.  The world we live in now is not only filled with Faith, Hope & Love but is also filled with darkness, greed, anger & hate.  Our life here in flesh is bound by good & evil and these are spiritual forces that are alive and well in the life we live here on earth.  I believe the Kingdom of Christ and of Our Heavenly Father God are of spirit.  John the Baptist, who was called to prepare the way for The Messiah, tell us that we can accept Jesus’s testimony as True and from God.  Jesus’s power comes from the Father and He has the “spirit without limit”, and that is something that we all can take heart in knowing about the one who is our way, truth and life to God and His eternal Kingdom.

Born of the Spirit

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Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5, NLT)

27I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

28About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. 32Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 34But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them. 35Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” 36When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen. (Luke 9:27-36, NLT)

Recently our church did something amazing.  22 believers were baptized and what a reason to celebrate!  Each and every person pronouncing their faith publicly through baptism shared their personal story of salvation that was videotaped and played it back to the entire church.  So many of them where lost and trapped in the cold and dark places we all can find ourselves in…and I can't tell you how amazing it was to see those people's hearts changed and see what only God ‘The Shaper of the Universe’ could do in their lives…well, all I can say to that is HALLEUJAH!

The Messiah tells us in Luke that some of those standing there with Him right then would not die before they see the Kingdom of God.  The scripture then immediately goes on to tell us of The Transfiguration.  Interesting….I believe that Jesus was speaking about Peter, John and James who would get the awesome privilege of seeing Jesus’s majestic power shown to them there on top of the mountain.  Can you imagine what that would do to your own faith seeing the glorious power of God revealed to you in such a way?  I believe it was all part of God’s perfect plan to help build an unshakeable foundation in the faith of the disciples to encourage and strengthen them for the work that God would call them to do in spreading the good news of Jesus to the world.

The Law & the Good News

16“Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. 17But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned. (Luke 16:16-17, NLT)

I am certainly not a bible scholar, but everything I have studied in the Old Testament about the Law of Moses and the messages of the prophets only works together for everything that was to be revealed to all of us later with the birth of Jesus and in the good news of Christ and of the Kingdom of God.  In what I’ve studied, the Old Testament did speak of the Kingdom of God, but referred to it as the Kingdom of the Lord.

[David speaking] 4“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom. …7And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever. (1 Chronicles 28:4-5; 7. NLT)

Kingdom of Heaven is Spirit

20One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” 22Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. (Luke 17:20-22, NLT)

I believe that the Kingdom of God is of spirit and when Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God as “already among them” that he was speaking of Himself, the son of God in flesh.  So maybe Jesus, though He was God in flesh and subjected to all the hardships of life as a mortal man, was also endowed with all the glory & power of the spirit without limit and was of the Kingdom of God as well. 

The disciple Paul tells us of Jesus being the life-giving spirit and of His origins from heaven in 1 Corinthians.

45The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit….47Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven.(1 Corinthians 15:45; 47. NLT)

The Coming of the Kingdom of Christ & of God

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At the end of the Age, when the Son of Man returns and the Day of Judgment is upon us, Christ will return in all his glory from the clouds of heaven and His Kingdom will come.  The book of revelation tells us of those times but I think Paul does a great job of simplifying it for us.  Christ, having fulfilled the prophesy and all that God has promised us, will turn over the Kingdom to God where He will live among His people in a new heaven and new earth that he creates. 

…Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. 24After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.(1 Corinthians 15:23-28, NLT)

Ephesians 5:5 (NLT) You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Revelation 11:15 (NLT) Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

Seek the Kingdom of the Living God

Faith is something that defines Christians.  Though God may seem to be invisible and far away, his power has been shown to us time and time again throughout the ages.  I tell people that I am a believer in miracles for I know that Our God can do anything.  Seek out His Kingdom with everything you do and I pray that you keep the unfailing, innocent hope of children in your heart as you turn toward God.

20For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. (1 Corinthians 4:20, NLT)

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:33, NLT)

[Jesus speaking] 31Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. 32“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. (Luke 12:31-32, NLT)

My 4 year old son Brody just went through hurting his knee from playing too hard.  We had plans to go to the waterpark that we set up a week before and now would not be able to go because of his hurt knee.  My heart was broken and I felt saddened to not share the fun of the waterpark with my two young children…and that is when Brody said, “Oh, It’s okay Dad, you can just carry me like a baby and we can still have fun”.

Oh how amazing is the innocent hope of Children!

1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:1-3, NLT)

See Video Here [Sidewalk Prophets – Help me find it]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsjZ94K7UQs

Simple & Humble Beginnings

Written By: Kirk Peterson

Simple & Humble Beginnings

I am a strong believer in making things simple.  Our world is defined by making order out of chaos.  The systems we put in place can be as complex and the details as daunting as you want to make it… However, I believe the catalyst for change and the hope for the possibilities of a greater tomorrow all lie in simple & humble beginnings. 

System of Power

Recently, in talking with one of my close friends, he opened my eyes to alternative thinking on the system of power that controls the world we live in.  I find it very interesting that I was so close minded to it at first, but now looking back on it I truly feel that this is how the world is controlled today:

The money supply is controlled by the central banks.  The system, by definition, is a central bank that loans the money to the government for the money supply.  There are profits on every single dollar that is in circulation, where the infinite amount of wealth that is created makes the rich even richer.  So, these central banks in turn control the biggest and most influential corporations in our world today.  Those corporations through policies and lobbyists, in turn impact our elected political leaders.  Those politicians make the laws that control our government and in turn the everyday average citizens like you & me.

Shining light on what an alternative way of thinking shows us could be the system of power for the world is not enough.  Perhaps a greater question is what is at the heart of the current system of power?

I believe the heart of the current system of power is Greed & Control.  Do we really want a system that’s foundation is built on the dark and sinful nature of the human heart.  These emotions are from the Enemy.  Though the bible tells us that Satan is in control of our world today, I believe and my hope lies in a better way.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT)

Faith, Hope & Love

I believe if you were to define Christianity and simplify it down to three words, those words would be: Faith, Hope & Love.  Imagine a world built on Faith, Hope & Love?  What would that system of power look like?

12And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. (Titus 2:12-13, NLT)

2The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine....6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His government and its peace will never end.He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. (Isaiah 9:2; 6-7. NLT)

The current system of power is in place for a reason….because it works.  I don’t know what the specifics would look like for a greater tomorrow, but what I do know is that if we built a new system on Faith, Hope & Love…well, that would be something pretty incredible!

God’s Unfailing Love & Hope’s Victory over Satan’s Arrows

Written By: Heidi Peterson

The Calm Before the Storm

“There’s blood in his mouth!” A chill ran down my spine; I could barely look as my husband, Kirk, inspected the damage. My son, Brody, had fallen flat on his face, and had knocked out a tooth, I just knew it. “He bit the inside of his lip!” Kirk proclaimed. I sighed with relief; his tooth was ok. I jumped into action, nursing poor Brody’s trembling lip with a tissue. Thank goodness his tooth was safe, this time.

As the months passed and first Brody, then my second son, Cole, learned to walk, then run, then do all sorts of acrobatic stunts around the house and outside, my adrenaline would continue to rush and my blood run cold every time I heard a hurt scream pierce the air. I was just sure a tooth had been knocked out. Was it because I worked in a dental office as a hygienist and always seemed to notice a person’s teeth first before anything else? Did I truly believe losing a tooth was worse than breaking a limb or suffering a concussion, or worse? I do not know, but I know Satan knew right where to attack me a couple years later, when Brody turned four.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” -1 Peter 5:8  NIV 

The Storms of Life

I was feeling pretty good about life after returning home from Bible study with my boys that afternoon. We made our typical peanut butter and honey sandwiches and strawberries, and then it was naptime for Cole. Today instead of watching a cartoon while Cole napped, Kirk was taking Brody to the dental office I worked at for a cleaning and checkup. There were a couple discolored teeth I was worried about, but I was sure they were ok.  Brody bounced happily into his car-seat to go visit my hygienist co-worker.  I had prepped him with the exciting news that if he were a good boy and had no cavities, he would get a treat and a pack of gum. When he came back, he did have these things in his hand, but Kirk told me about the cavity on one tooth, and the possible three others, and my heart plummeted down to the depths of my stomach. What?!  I knew about teeth. I knew how to prevent decay. My son had 4 cavities. Impossible! What would people think? I was the worst hygienist and mom in the world!

We took him to the pediatric dentist, where more x-rays revealed a tooth that needed a pulpotomy and a crown (no!) and three others that needed fillings. Brody would have to be sedated, and we’d have to wait a month to get it done. On top of that, it would cost a lot of money, and we had just decided to drop Brody from our dental insurance, because we thought he could get any work he needed done at the office I worked in for free. I found out too late that he was too small; my office didn’t have the right monitoring equipment to safely treat him. We would have to pay out of pocket.

After finding out the devastating news, I did not skip a night flossing Brody’s teeth with fluoride-coated floss, brushing morning and night, and rinsing with fluoride rinse before bed. In the back of my mind, I was dreading the day of his appointment. I was usually calm and collected; what was I so uneasy about? I hadn’t heard any horror stories about kids’ dental visits gone horribly wrong…or had I just not been paying attention?

A Slice of Paradise & the Enemy’s  Arrows

We went to Arizona the week before Brody’s appointment. My brother-in-law, a musician, had made a neat song that reminded me of outer space. He asked if he could film Brody to be in his music video, and shot some footage in a beautiful desert park one evening. I watched Cole while they filmed Brody so he wouldn’t run in front of the camera. The sun was setting among the cacti and dunes, illuminating the sand and desert plants. I could feel God’s presence, standing there among his creation, but there was a cold hint of dread. What if this footage my brother-in-law was taping would be played at his funeral after his death from having a reaction to the sedative at his appointment? What if this was our last family vacation together? I tried to shake the feeling, but the sickness was still in my gut the whole trip and the next week leading up to his appointment. I tried to remember verses of comfort, like Isaiah 41:13 “For I am holding you by your right hand, I the Lord your God, and I say to you, do not fear. I am here to help you.” The verse helped me while I recalled it, but the dread would come back, hanging over me like the dark Arizona sky when the sun finally fell below the horizon. The moon was full that night. I remembered what we had just studied in Genesis, “3When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” –Psalm 8:3-4 NIV.  His power was vast; He would take care of us; my eyes welled up at the thought of His glory.

Satan bombarded our family with his fear tactics the week of the appointment. A couple nights prior to it, I had a nightmare: a package came in the mail. Inside was a stuffed walrus, Brody’s favorite animal. Its tusks had been chopped off and shoved down the walrus’s throat. I woke up in a cold sweat. Later that day, I told Kirk about the dream. He told me he had a nightmare too. He had taken some medication and became trapped in his own mind; he gasped for breath and woke up because he couldn’t breathe.   I remembered him waking up that night. Our black cat seemed perturbed and wanted out. I wondered if he knew his owners were wrestling with darkness, and he wanted to go to his safe and warm bed in the garage.

I worked the two days leading up to the appointment. One of the last patients I saw arrived early. She was supposed to be my co-worker's patient, but I was able to see her last minute since I was running early too. She was a Christian, and I had several good talks with her in the past. I told her about my fears and she told me, “You need to pray against those strongholds and give your son to God. He’ll be ok.” I was comforted by her wisdom. That night I researched conscious sedation on the Internet. The first story to come up was how 15 kids had died during sedation procedures due to negligence and dentists pushing the limits on doses. I felt nauseous; was God warning us, or was Satan shooting arrows of fear at our hearts? How would I know before it was too late? I called my mom for advice, and Kirk and I got everyone we knew to pray. We needed God’s peace and protection in many more ways than just keeping Brody safe during the procedure. Satan was trying his hardest to kick us while we were down.

God is in Control

God gave us a glimmer of hope that He was indeed in control. Kirk had put extra money in our flexible spending account that we ended up not needing. The drug company was going to pay the co-pays for a new drug I was on, so we could use that extra money to pay for Brody’s procedure. God indeed was taking care of every detail.

The night before the appointment, I lay with Brody for a few minutes before he fell asleep. The black cloud of fear was back. What if this were the last time I would lay beside my son? How could I live without him? I almost felt like I were saying goodbye to him in my heart. My eyes welled up with tears. What was wrong with me? This was no big deal, right?

God’s Protection

The morning of the appointment, it was misty outside. When I aroused Brody, he was cantankerous and didn’t want to get his clothes on or use the bathroom. Were we going to make it through this day? We made it to the dental office in plenty of time, Brody clutching his beloved kitty in his arms.

The office was kid- friendly and comforting. Brody read a magazine while we waited, then he was called back for the assistant to listen to his heart and take his blood pressure. He did not want anyone to touch him. Last time he went to the dentist, he had some x-rays done that he didn’t enjoy in the least, and he didn’t trust anyone. He had also recently had a cluster of shots at the doctor’s office; he wasn’t in the mood to repeat those memories! He protested loudly when he had to lay back and the dentist gave him the sedative with the syringe. I had promised him the sleepy juice would taste good. I felt horrible. Had I made Mommy out to be a liar? How was he supposed to trust anyone when one of the people he trusted the most let him down?

We were taken to a dark room for Brody to rest and hopefully fall asleep before the procedure. The assistant put on Spiderman at his request, and slowly but surely he fell asleep with his head on my lap. I stroked his blonde wavy locks and a thought came clearly to my mind. My precious son was about to have his teeth repaired by caring hands, with his best interest in mind, and I was barely able to watch his discomfort. Yet, God, Christ’s Father, had to watch his only son be tortured, mocked and killed by us, the people He created. What an absolutely unimaginable thing to do for the very people who killed His precious son, Jesus. How could I ever appreciate His gift enough after experiencing a tiny sliver of the pain that He must have felt?

It was time to go back to the exam room; Brody woke up. They had to strap him down to a papoose board for his and the staff’s protection. He was drowsy but feisty. They stretched his arm out and secured it down. More images of Christ on the cross filled my mind. How could our Heavenly Father bear it. “No doctors!”  Brody yelled. “Nooooo!”

“I miss my Mommy!” he cried feebly. There was nothing I could do to help him. “It’s ok sweetie.  I love you.” My eyes were filled to the brim. They put the nitrous mask on him and rocked him, stroking his hair. He faded into sleep, whimpering quietly. I was able to go sit in the chair in the exam room as the dentist came in to fix my baby son’s teeth. The lights were turned out so the only light shining was the exam lights and the light from the dentist’s instruments. She seemed confident and empathetic, telling Brody he was brave; he was doing a good job. I was so proud of my boy.

It took about an hour and a half to do the procedure. The room was decorated like outer space with planets and stars. I again remembered how God had created the earth and the planets. He was the one in control here. He had created my son who lay strapped to a table in front of me, his mind in dreamland while the dentist drilled and suctioned and repaired his broken teeth. Meanwhile God repaired my broken heart from the arrows Satan had been trying to wound it with. God alone had created and given me my son, and my son’s life was still in his caring hands. Brody’s feet were about all I could see from the chair I sat in. I remembered the first time I had held Brody in my arms, his feet and hands so tiny, so perfect. I had been pouring out my love in him the four precious years he had been ours, and I realized, every moment had been such a gift. I could never take it for granted. God had given His son to us, sacrificing countless years and minutes so we could spend eternity with Him.

Finally, it was over. We had made it! Brody smiled when he saw my face, and I carried his limp and exhausted body to the car. The whole way home he slept, once more clutching his kitty, at complete peace.  God had protected him, and taught me a lesson I never could have learned otherwise. God will always be there when our worst fears crash into our lives, and Satan will never be the winner when we put our hope in the one true sovereign Lord!