It's Kingdom Building Time -- Part I

 
Are not things astir in the spirit realm?  If so, and I believe so, rightly discerning the (spiritual) seasons has always been critical and Jesus castigated the spiritual leaders of His day for their inability to do so (see Matthew 16:3).  Things are not just now beginning to stir, it’s just that agitation (in the spirit realm) is becoming so intense that even the least sensitive are asking, “What’s up?”  Now we need the same spirit that was upon the sons of Issachar (“who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. . .” (I Chronicles 12:321) to arise.

Let me share with you my sense “of the times”, in a word, it’s kingdom building time.  This is in contrast to view that says, “It’s time for the Lord to come—at any moment—and take us out of the present mess.”  Working against this sense of the Lord’s imminent return are four principles:  (1) there must be the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21); (2) a way must be prepared for the coming of the Lord, even as John was a forerunner to prepare the way for the 1^st coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:4-6); (3) a “Bride” (for the Lord) must be prepared who is “without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27); and (4) the “Gospel of the Kingdom” (Matthew 24:14), as distinguished from the “Gospel of Salvation”, must be preached to all nations—including America.  If this view is correct then let’s “get it on” with kingdom building.

This “kingdom” must be built with “kingdom people”, not just people who are “born again”, “saved”, “converted” or have a “Biblical world view”.  Of this kingdom Jesus is the king and we are to be His co-regents (II Timothy 2:12, Revelation 5:10).  We are to be re-made in His image (Romans 8:29), possessing His character, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:  that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4).

Believe it or not Jesus was trained for the throne He now occupies, “. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).  Jesus became “qualified” for His position, even as one might “qualify” for a home or auto loan.  Similarly, we must become qualified for a “sonship” position.  Perhaps it would be helpful to use the imagery of a “prince” being trained for a “throne”.  In fact, the Bible relates that Jesus Christ “. . . has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father” (Revelation 2:6).

With “sonship” in view the church immediately needs to shift its focus from “getting saved” to “being trained”.  Adopting this perspective, understanding of life immediately moves to another level.  With Romans 8:28 as an initial guide, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” we begin to embrace experiences previously rejected.  This does not say everything that happens is good, quite the contrary, but God can use everything that happens to us for our good and His glory—even to the point of making the wrath of man to praise Him (Psalm 76:10).  In the next segment—“Tests Await Us”.