To the Law and to the Testimony!
The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
The Testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making wise the simple.
~Psalm 19:7
His words are Spirit and they are Life!
As all things to us His divine power (the things pertaining unto life and piety) hath given, through the acknowledgement of him who did call us through glory and worthiness,
through which to us the most great and precious promises have been given, that through these ye may become partakers of a divine nature, having escaped from the corruption in the world in desires.
And this same also -- all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the knowledge,
and in the knowledge the temperance, and in the temperance the endurance, and in the endurance the piety,
and in the piety the brotherly kindness, and in the brotherly kindness the love;
for these things being to you and abounding, do make [you] neither inert nor unfruitful in regard to the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for he with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins;
wherefore, the rather, brethren, be diligent to make stedfast your calling and choice, for these things doing, ye may never stumble,
for so, richly shall be superadded to you the entrance into the age-during reign of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
~2 Peter 1:3-11 (Young's Literal)
~or read in the more familiar NKJV
On the Lord chuckling, read Psalm 2!
Much agree about His Kingdom being "not of this world" and the rest of your post.
On that score, however . . . it is also clear from Scripture that His Kingdom will--at least for a time--1,000 years? . . .
be setup on this planet and He will overtly rule from here who has no limited 'locality.' Plenty mystery there.
This world and those in it . . . are to be purified, refined, cleansed . . . according to His plan.
All that rebels against Him; rejects Him; refuses to submit to Him will be isolated away from all the rest of Creation. His Kingdom will saturate this world as it does or will all Creation.
It's not as though the political realm of this world will escape His pervue. It will not escape compliance with His every thought--in the political and all other arenas.
And sometimes, I get eager and homesick for that time. Though I recognize He does all things well . . . and The Father has everything timed perfectly.
Yes, Psalm 2 has been off and on . . . extra on my mind lately. And, the near memorization is in KJV but I also like THE MESSAGE version:
I think that's yet another Psalm . . . which . . . though of comfort and direction through the ages . . . was written specifically and expressly for our era.
Psalm 2 (The Message)
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Psalm 2
1-6 Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth-leaders push for position,
Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers:
"Let's get free of God!
Cast loose from Messiah!"
Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing.
At first he's amused at their presumption;
Then he gets good and angry.
Furiously, he shuts them up:
"Don't you know there's a King in Zion? A coronation banquet
Is spread for him on the holy summit."
7-9 Let me tell you what God said next.
He said, "You're my son,
And today is your birthday.
What do you want? Name it:
Nations as a present? continents as a prize?
You can command them all to dance for you,
Or throw them out with tomorrow's trash."
10-12 So, rebel-kings, use your heads;
Upstart-judges, learn your lesson:
Worship God in adoring embrace,
Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah!
Your very lives are in danger, you know;
His anger is about to explode,
But if you make a run for God—you won't regret it!