Picture this, the Kingdom of God has been given to us.  In it contains unfathomable riches of the divine nature – all that we could ever need is contained in this land; 2 Peter 1:3-4.  This land is so self-sufficient that to attempt to bring anything in from the outside is an act of insult! 2 Cor 6:16-18.  It is a land that has been granted to all who have faith to believe in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection – for it is He who is the door into this land.  It is by faith that we may enter, faith not in a work and not in a religion.  Most assuredly we are not granted access by having faith in faith!  Our access is upon Faith in the Person of Jesus Christ alone.

But what is faith?  Faith is widely misunderstood and so we see the disconnect between the things of the Kingdom of God among many.  For what many have is nothing more than Self-Entitlement; ‘I believe therefore I get.’  Where Faith has a different fragrance if you will, altogether.

Faith sets out and embraces Truth and along the path of Truth will increase enabling one to embark upon greater tasks in the Kingdom of God.  Faith will always move us to explore the hidden nooks and crannies in the Kingdom of God.  It is in these places where we find treasures.  It is through pressing through, contending, or standing that everything in the natural world tells us otherwise.  Our trust in who Christ our Savior is becomes our reality above what we are being subjected to or must go through.  We are a people who will press on for the prize!

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Phil 3:12-14

The Self-entitled remain in the foyer of the Kingdom, claiming they have all the promises of Christ – and may even have memorized them, but are unwilling to step out to exercise what they mean.  This type of faith is dead because it is not practiced and remains only a theory.

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:20

To the degree of faith we exercise in the Kingdom of God is the degree we will apprehend its fullness and riches.  Faith comes by our hearing the Word of God; Rom 10: 17.  It comes as we resolve to renew our minds to no longer live conformed to the world’s view or our former life’s pattern; Rom 12:2.

In faith, we journey now and look at each facet of our life with the understanding that we live in the Kingdom and we operate in it using the resources that God provides us.

Our Resources are the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and Prayer.

The Holy Spirit is our guide, our teacher, and who comforts us in our sojourn in the Kingdom.  We will not be able to navigate in the Kingdom to understand its principles nor recognize its resources if we do not first have the Holy Spirit in us; see this post for more on the subject.

• However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-15

His Word is contained in the pages of the Bible and is our Manual and whoever casts the Manual aside, will not be able to go very far in the Kingdom.  The Word is not mere letters but is God’s own Son and is alive and powerful;

• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5
• For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12
• All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 16:16-17

Prayer is our connection to the Master and how we communicate with Him.  Prayer is a gift given to us by Jesus – that we may connect to God; John 14:6. If we remain silent we will most certainly fail when facing hard things.  Though we have access to the throne of grace; Heb 4:16, and can petition God for our needs, prayer is more than a request line to God, it is our link to Him that we may be one with Him in Spirit!  When we give to God our time, share our heart with Him, and desire to hear His heart we put ourselves in the place where we may hear Him when He speaks to us.

• Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving Col 4:2
• Blessed are the pure in heart,
  For they shall see God Matt 5:8

Our life in the Kingdom of God is vibrant and always moving forward and upward.  As we live according to its principles we will be led by the unction of the Holy Spirit to continue further.

If reading the bible and prayer are more of a chore this may indicate that the Holy Spirit has been grieved or may even be missing.  As with a flat tire on our car, we must stop and first address this before attempting to go further on our journey.

The good news is that we always can seek God today, while it is called today for His grace and mercy to set us on His path if we have strayed.

Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. Lam 3:22-23