Your Kingdom Come

We all live to promote one of two kingdoms: the kingdom of God or the kingdom of self. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray that the Father's kingdom come to earth.

Your Kingdom Come

"Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven."

(Matthew 6:10)

God has blessed Damon and Kendall West, and I am thrilled to see them enjoy the favor of God. Damon is the author of the bestselling book, The Change Agent, and it is excellent. (He is also the author of The Coffee Bean, and his latest book is Six Dimes and a Nickel.) With Father's Day coming up on June 21, I recommend Damon's books for your dad or husband.

Damon was convicted of "drug- related property crimes" (damonwest.org) and sentenced to 65 years in prison. He served seven of those years but, miraculously, was able to get out on parole in 2016. God has worked wonderfully in his life, and he will tell you it is because of Christ that he is alive today. While at dinner with the Wests and some others, I was asked to give the blessing for the food. That is not uncommon as a pastor. I joked with them and said I am often the person called upon to pray. But I got choked up as I prayed just thinking about how wonderful God's grace has been shown in Damon's life, and I again realized in my own life too!

Damon will tell you that before he was incarcerated and came to Christ, he was a man consumed with his own kingdom, his own way of living. We all live to promote one of two kingdoms: the kingdom of God or the kingdom of self. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught the disciples to pray that the Father's kingdom come to earth. It is reminiscent of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." The kingdom of God is many things, but I think primarily it is the reign and rule of God. As a king reigns and rules his kingdom, so the kingdom of God is where God reigns and rules. Of course, God is sovereign and ruler of all, but for this time He has granted us the ability to choose if we will obey Him and His will or pursue our own will. We make this choice every day.

God's kingdom has not yet come to earth in its totality or consummation. When Jesus came, He ushered in the kingdom of God, and He demonstrated clearly in His life and teachings what citizens of the kingdom of God should look like. The kingdom of God is a complex and multifaceted doctrine, no doubt. Jesus commanded us to pray that God's kingdom come to earth and His will be done. One day that will indeed happen in the millennial kingdom, when Jesus reigns on earth from Jerusalem. But until that day, we should pray that the kingdoms of this world become transformed by the kingdom of God.

Will you pray with me now and ask God for His kingdom, His reign and rule, to be manifested in your life today?