The King And The Kingdom Series

For 13 years he was one of the greatest rulers Russia ever had. In 1547, when he took

the throne, he sought for a Queen, and found one he loved so dearly that together they

made their kingdom a kingdom of love. The king became a friend of the poor and

suffering, and he built churches, and encouraged godliness. But then the fairy tale of

living happily ever after came to an end. The Queen became ill and died. In his grief the

king became a drunken sadistic beast. He began to abuse his power. He tortured people,

and buried them alive. Freedoms were taken away, and the kingdom which was the best

they ever had, was now the worst they ever had. The king, who for 13 years was called

Ivan the Wonderful, was now called the name history remembers him by, Ivan the

Terrible.

As the king goes, so goes the name of the king. When the kingdom is one of peace, joy,

and justice, the ruler is respected, and his name is honored. When the kingdom is one of

conflict, cruelty, and injustice, the name of the ruler is despised. The nature of the

kingdom, and the name of the king are linked together as one, and they rise or fall as one.

The king and the kingdom are one. That is why we see in the Lord's Prayer that the

name of God and the kingdom of God are side by side, as desire number 1 and 2. It is

first the king, and then the kingdom.

The kingdom of God is that realm over which God is king. This makes it a very

unique and different kingdom from the kingdoms of men. The king of England ruled

over England, and everyone in England was in the realm over which he ruled. The

kingdoms of men are national and geographical. Not so the kingdom of God, for it is

spiritual and universal. Part of the citizens of England are in the kingdom of God, and

part of them are not. So it is for America, Europe, Africa, and the rest of the nations.

None of the land of any of these nations is in the kingdom of God, for the kingdom of God

is not a matter of land, but a matter of lives. People in all of these lands are submissive to

God, and because God rules in their lives, they are part of the kingdom of God. All

Christians have a dual citizenship, for they are citizens of their earthly kingdom, and of

the kingdom of God.

This makes the kingdom of God very unlike all other kingdoms. It is fluid, and not

static like other kingdoms. England has always been just where it is now, and so has

France, Spain, and America. They are locked in kingdoms. Not so the kingdom of God,

for it is very fluid, and can come or go anywhere in the world, and become stronger or

weaker depending on the subjects of the kingdom. During a revival, when people opened

their hearts to the spirit of God, the kingdom can come in great power, and the will of

God is done on earth as it is in heaven. God rule is evident in lives, and the society, for

people obey the will of God as revealed in His Word.

On the other hand, when people neglect God's Word and forsake their loyalty to it,

and become cold and indifferent to His guidance, the kingdom of God grows weaker.

God's authority is undermined by some other authority, and the result is God's rule can

even depart completely. North Africa is a good historical example. The kingdom of God

thrived there in the early centuries of the Christian era, but for many centuries now, the

kingdom of God has been weaker there than in almost anywhere in the world. So the

point is, when we pray, Thy kingdom come, we really mean just that. May your rule

come into our lives, our community, our nation, and our world, that we might be guided

by your authority, and not lose the power and light it brings.

The first step in salvation is to respond to God's call-come. Jesus said, "Come unto me

all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." The second step is to

develop the desire to call unto God-come. Thy kingdom come. God wants us to come to

Him, and then He wants us to want Him to come to us. Coming to Him is the experience

of salvation. When we come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ, we enter the kingdom of

God, that realm in which He reigns. But as we mature, and desire Him to come to us,