For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15
The Kingdom of God starts in the heart of a believer. The heart, the bible tells us is the first place the law of God is written. I believe that every time we obey God with our hearts He smiles. Because we cast aside our lofty idea's about what we should or should not want to do, and we do it His way.
When I have been taught the Word by someone who has "heart" knowledge of the Lord it resonates with my Spirit, and inspires me that I can also overcome as that person teaching has overcome.
I have been taught the bible by some of the best bible teachers. But I know, and you know, that it takes more then just head knowledge of the Word. It takes heart knowledge. In the Kingdom we should make love our number one goal. We should never forget that love covers a multitude of sins.
In John 13: 34-35 we read the following;
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I have had to spend the last year examining my love walk. With all the political stuff we have had thrown at us, it is easy to have a bit of "hate" for those whom we perceive as taking away our liberties. I have caught myself more than once saying some really ugly things about some of these career politicians. One day I stopped in my tracks and thought, "God made this person and He made me, somehow I am going to have to find some love in my heart for them." It was then I remembered a quote from The Fiddler on The Roof. So now I pray it and I inject the politician's name. The prayer is "May God bless and keep the Czar, far away from us."
I know though, that God has said we are not to hate. We have to love as God loves, unconditionally. I used to be quite involved in politics. I no longer get involved. I have learned that in doesn't matter in the Kingdom of God who gets elected or who doesn't. God has it all under control. There are those who think we can still change things. To them I say, "Malza Tov" "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:2, 15).
The Kingdom of Heaven is to dwell where God dwells. If God dwells within us, then our hearts dwell in Him. We then can live in peace regardless of what political party is in charge.
There are life long patterns that have to be broken in order to fully experience Kingdom living. When we get into the Word, and learn about the love walk, we have to give up any old patterns of living that had anything to do with "getting even." God has told us that he will avenge us and go out against those who have not been fair in dealing with us. We must forgive them, and let God handle the revenge side of things. Then we have to be wise enough to have as little to do with them as possible, until they too have a "heart" change.
Have you ever seen some metal filings when you try and pick them up with a magnet? Notice how they all align. That is how our human hearts align with God through faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts and minds flow, like filings, to God as if He were a magnet.
Thoughts and actions do not change without some action on our parts. That's the main thing God showed me about living in Kingdom principals. I had to stop thinking as I had always thought about people, things and situations. I now needed to stop and think as God thinks.
I have always had a sharp tongue. I bet some of you reading this have too. I was always great at the sarcastic comebacks. If someone said something the least bit sarcastic to me I could assassinate him or her with my tongue.
So as I began to crucify the flesh in that area, with the help of the Holy Spirit, God began to nudge me to "keep quiet." When I first starting doing that people seemed shocked that I said nothing. But God didn't want me reacting in the flesh anymore. He wanted that flesh crucified. There were days when I actually had to ask the Lord to "cover my tongue with the blood of Jesus." But slowly and surely God is taking control over my tongue. I no longer have to get in the last word. I no longer have to always make sure the other person knows that I am right. I give it to Jesus. Because God said, "that prideful tongue needs to come under submission."
There was one woman I used to work with that thought she knew it all. She and I clashed because at that time I too was a "know it all." When God started working that out of me He said, "Cathie, you are going to have to let it go, let her be right. It isn't important." I had spoken to the woman about God many times, but because of my attitude she wouldn't listen.
When God indwelt in my heart, and I stopped my self-righteous attitude, she came to me after several months and said, "Something in you is different, I want what you have." I was then able to effectively minister to her. IN LOVE.
If we don't walk in love, no one will ever want Jesus. God is love. Until we can crucify our flesh, because doing what God wants is more important then what we want, we won't lead anyone to the cross. Our walk has to match our talk, or it's useless. In our flesh no good thing dwells, but our hearts dwell in Christ.
Don't be hard on yourself. Take one step in the right direction. You will fall; you will have days you fail. We all do. Just pick yourself right up and start again. Evidentially the love habit begins to overcome the habits we picked up in worldly living.
So the first principal we have to grasp in Kingdom Living is the heart walk, and the heart talk of love. We need to have hearts that are committed to loving one another the way that Christ loves us, "from the heart."
The world we live in is a hateful, spiteful place where people will knife their own mothers in the back, to gain what they want. We have taken on that custom ourselves to a certain extent as we live and work in the world. We have forgotten the Kingdom is built on love, unconditional love.
Do you know that God is the rewarder of those who do what is right from the heart? I have had God work in some supernatural ways when I was able to turn the other cheek, hold my tongue and forgive. Let it go. Let our pride go. In the long run, no hateful thing is going to dwell in heaven. We can enjoy a piece of heaven on earth, when we walk in love, no matter how many others around us are not doing so.
Father, We thank you that you have unconditional love for
us. We don't do anything to deserve it, you give it to us anyway. Thank you for
an example of how to walk humbly in a world filled with pride. In Your Name,
The Name above all names we pray. Amen and Amen.