Posted on 03/18/2023 3:54:03 AM PDT by metmom
"Thy kingdom come" (Matt. 6:10).
When you pray, “Thy kingdom come,” you are praying for Christ to reign on earth as He already does in Heaven.
When we hear the word kingdom we tend to think of medieval castles, kings, knights, and the like. But "kingdom" in Matthew 6:10 translates a Greek word that means "rule" or "reign." We could translate the phrase, "Thy reign come." That gives a clearer sense of what Christ meant. He prayed that God's rule would be as apparent on earth as it is in heaven.
God's kingdom was the central issue in Christ's ministry. He proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23) and instructed His followers to make the kingdom a priority in their own lives (Matt. 6:33). He told parables about its character and value (Matt. 13) and indicted the scribes and Pharisees for hindering those who sought to enter it (Matt. 23:13). After His death and resurrection, He appeared for forty days giving the disciples further instruction about the kingdom (Acts 1:2-3).
When we pray "Thy kingdom come," we are praying for Christ's sovereign rule to be as established on earth as it is in heaven. In one sense the kingdom is already here—in the hearts of believers. It consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). But in another sense the kingdom is yet future. In Luke 17:21 Jesus says, "Behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst" (cf. John 18:36). Their King was present but they rejected Him. Someday He will return again to establish His kingdom on earth and personally reign over it. That's the aspect of the kingdom we pray for in Matthew 6:10.
Sin and rebellion are now rampant, but when Christ's kingdom comes, they will be done away with (Rev. 20:7-9). In the meantime, the work of the kingdom continues and you have the privilege of promoting it through your prayers and faithful ministry. Take every opportunity to do so today and rejoice in the assurance that Christ will someday reign in victory and will be glorified for all eternity.
Suggestions for Prayer
Praise God for the glorious future that awaits you and all believers. Pray with anticipation for the coming of Christ's eternal kingdom.
For Further Study
Read Matthew 13:1-52. What parables did Jesus use to instruct His disciples about the kingdom of heaven?
From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
Yes!!!!
Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.
The sooner, the better.
Matthew 13:44-46
New English Translation
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Second, I had a question - this is a Caucus and this is NOT a flame primer.
In the meantime,
Over the years, and as I age, I noticed many Christians focus A LOT on His return, and prepping for it. The preparations SEEM to take on a project management dimension..."I'll work on this today, this tomorrow, and that next week."
And yet, using historical data, it's more likely we will die before His return. Further, in the zeal to prep for His return, it SEEMS like people forget the "In the meantime" part. That End Times GAANT chart seems to miss the "stay clean and sober today in case I'm hit by a bus."
Again, He will come back on His timeline, not mine. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. Prepping the soul isn't bad.
But it's more likely (based on historical data) that we will tap out before His return.
In reality, we want to be ready for Judgement CONTINUOUSLY. That way, we are covered if He returns today or if I'm hit by a bus today.
So, my question is...why is there a Final Judgement Day playbook and a separate Business as Usual playbook? Or am I just seeing things?
Thank you.
So good to see you back!
It’s good to be back.
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