“Your kingdom come, Your will be done”

http://forum.philboxing.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=160450

God’s kingdom hasn’t come yet

The model prayer Jesus taught his disciples includes asking the Father for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will done on earth.

Luke 11:1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

Why?

Christians are to pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done”, not necessarily repeating word for word every time but in substance and in thought when they pray, because God’s kingdom has not yet come and God’s will is not yet done on earth even in this our time.

“Joy to the world the Lord is come”

Christmas observers sing and non-observers hear the Christmas carol:

“Joy to the world the Lord is come,

Let earth receive her king.”

Many believe the words in this beautiful song apply to the event when the Word came as flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

While Jesus was to be Lord and King of the earth, he was not yet such but a mere servant.

Philippians 2:⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

When he entered Jerusalem in one of the feast days, he rode on a donkey colt instead of a majestic white horse.

John 12:¹² The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³ took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
      “ Hosanna!
      ‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
      The King of Israel!”
¹⁴ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
       ¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
      Behold, your King is coming,
      Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

And instead of reigning as Lord and King, Jesus was slain.

John 19:¹⁷ And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, ¹⁸ where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. ¹⁹ Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The next time you sing or hear the song, “Joy to the world the Lord is come, Let earth receive her king”, bear in mind that the words don’t, as it didn’t, apply to Jesus’ coming in the flesh. These words are applicable to his return.

The kingdom of God is the government of God

Not all of those who pray or sing, “Your kingdom come”, really understand the import of “kingdom” they are uttering.

The Kingdom of God the bible talks about refers to that kingdom or government being set up where Jesus is King, the territory is the earth and with people to be governed.

Just like any government on earth at present, the head or ruler of a government has people who implement and administer the programs of government. There is a hierarchy of positions in the governing body.

In a sense, Christianity is the filling up of the vacant positions in the still being formed government of God.

The positions in the kingdom of God

Not all positions already filled up are shown in the bible. Some of those shown are:

The King of kings – Jesus Christ

Revelation 19:16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

2. King over the whole of Israel – David

Long after David’s death and talking about the future of Israel, Jeremiah prophesied that David will rule the free Israel of the future.

Jeremiah 30:⁸ ‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’
      Says the LORD of hosts,

      ‘That I will break his yoke from your neck,
      And will burst your bonds;
      Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
       ⁹ But they shall serve the LORD their God,
      And David their king,
      Whom I will raise up for them.

3. Leaders of each of the 12 tribes of Israel reporting to David – the first 12 disciples of Christ

Matthew 19:²⁷ Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The men of faith Hebrews 11 mentions should already have their respective positions determined.

The person who has been saved and is undergoing the Godly image creation process in this age – the Christian – will be ruler over cities the number of which depends on how much ability or competence he has developed through overcoming the series of tests, call it the rigid training program, of the Christian life.

Luke 19:¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ ¹⁹ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

Loyalty assured before assumption of position

After some time spent as big boss on earth, the cherub Lucifer’s loyalty to God was set aside when he coveted God’s position. He wanted to “be like the most high”.

Isaiah 14:13…‘I will ascend into heaven,
      I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
      I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
      On the farthest sides of the north;
       ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
      I will be like the Most High.’

God will have none more like the disqualified cherub who got a following of rebels comprising a third of the population of angels.

Loyalty to God of those who will be allowed to assume positions of authority in the government of God shall have been duly tested. The Christian is under constant loyalty check during his training for the reserved position starting from his commission – the receipt of the Holy Spirit – till his death or Christ’s return whichever comes first.

And Satan, the Lucifer of old who still holds office as boss over the kingdoms of this world, wants the trainee to fail. Hence, aside from one’s egoistic self to overcome, the trainee has to likewise be wary and reject Satan’s pleasurable enticements which are all but ways for the trainee to get off tract.

One way to overcome is for the trainee to keep his sight at the light at the end of the tunnel. The passing pleasures Satan offers in this world are nothing to be compared with the reward – the crown of kingship over cities – of serving under Christ in the kingdom of God.

The promised positions for Christians are “kings”, or rulers, over cities and “priests”, or teachers, of the physical people in the millennium that follows this age.

Revelation 5:9…For You were slain,
      And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
      Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
       ¹⁰ And have made us kings and priests to our God;
      And we shall reign on the earth.”

The Christian has the men of faith to also emulate.

When he realized he was not Egyptian, Moses valued highly the future reward more than his high position and privileges in Pharaoh’s domain.

Hebrews 11:²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Paul endured undergoing his very rigid training by looking forward to the crown – that symbol of authority over cities – that he will receive “on that day” from the King of kings at the latter’s return.

2 Timothy 4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

The Christian life is not to prepare to play the harp somewhere above the clouds for eternity as pictured and taught by the many.

Acquiring the image of God includes the equipping of the Christian of the needed competence to rule and teach people on earth beginning at Christ’s return. And the Christian’s loyalty shall have been proven by then to be allowed to assume his rightful place in the government or kingdom of God.

Satan owns the kingdoms in this age

Satan’s hold on mankind which started with Eve in the Garden of Eden continues to this day. Having rejected God’s reign, man unknowingly follows Satan as his king. It was man’s choice to not have God as his king and Satan presently owns the kingdoms of this world.

Knowing Jesus was to someday take over the helm, Satan tried to thwart God’s plan by enticing the “Man” Jesus to immediately assume reign over the kingdoms instead of waiting for the future. But Jesus could not be enticed to disobey God.

Matthew 4:⁸ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

A Christian is one who has been freed from Satan’s reign. The Christian awaits that moment when the future King of kings hands over to him that symbol of authority of being, himself, a king.

Revelation 2:10…Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Isaiah 9:6-7 prophecy

Many believe and teach that Christ’s coming in the flesh some 2,000+ years ago fulfilled the Isaiah 9:6-7 prophecy which states:

Isaiah 9:⁶ For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
       ⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace
      There will be no end,

Of this prophecy, only the portion “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given” has been fulfilled.

This world’s government is not yet upon Jesus’ shoulder. And Jesus is not yet called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.

There will be a worldwide coverage of the announcement and actual assumption by Christ of his office after Satan has been deposed.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

Only by then would the prophecy “And the government will be upon His shoulder” be fulfilled. And this government will expand no end.

Isaiah 9:⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,

Until that time, the Christian is daily emboldened by having always in mind that glorious future as he prays,

“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.”

FORUM

insoyuz72: i guess it will be the whole kingdom that will be coming here when he comes back.
http://www.daniken.com/e/index.html

Sab: Because he owns everything. His WILL is powerful than my mother-in-law.

aljas: Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

Not all of those who pray or sing, “Your kingdom come”, really understand the import of “kingdom” they are uttering.

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that’s what happen when people never saw what they’re singing about.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

The Kingdom of God the bible talks about refers to that kingdom or government being set up where Jesus is King, the territory is the earth and people to be governed.

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thousands of years had passed and we’re still governed by some corrupt greedy people. church leaders are no exceptions.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

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Based on what you wrote above,it’s funny how the kingdom of God is patterned on any government on Earth..

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

In a sense, Christianity is the filling up the vacant positions in the still being formed government of God.

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do you have a position Eps? who’s telling you whether you got the position or not? you get to know my e-mail,text, phone? just asking.

EMA: Aljs, if you know anything about Constitutional Law, try to explain it to a 4-year old pre-schooler. I will have the same predicament making a God mocker understand the bible message. And I won’t bother doing so.

aljas: don’t be offended Eps especially if you feel secure with your faith.. It’s my honest question not meant to mock you but rather trying to understand on what’s in religion that many people of good stature or intellect still clings to to it. a 4 year old would never question what’s being fed to them . I never questioned religion when I was 4.

EMA: I’m not offended aljs. I’m just being practical. It would be futile to explain to one who is born blind how the color red is different from the color blue or yellow or green.

The things of God are spiritually discerned and to an atheist, not only are these foolishness, it is impossible for him to grasp these as the different colors are to the one born blind even if he tries to.

aljas: not believing in religion doesn’t I mean not believing in God. I simply have doubts on the kind of God we’re made to believe so I don’t consider myself an atheist. nobody knows for sure whether there’s God or not. unless time will come that man will be able to create life based on what they learned in science over the years, then I probably could say God is all made up story. practicality and religion don’t mix Eps otherwise you’re only working for your own self, not for God. just my take.

EMA: Your concept of religion and mine are different alj. Mine’s even different with the other bible believers’. The religion I believe in is practical actual work or action and not some form of ritual.

Your “doubts on the kind of God” you’re “made to believe” do not come from the bible God who does not reveal himself to anybody but only to those who he calls to salvation in this age.

You can take your time and wait aljs when “man will be able to create life based on what they learned in science over the years”. I think doc red dog’s experiments in Korea are in line with what you are saying.

aljas: i respect your belief. I’m taking my time Eps. I kept myself open to see what you see. regards to red dog’s experiemnt, you mean the cloning? that’s not even close to the creation of life I’m talking about. I’m talking about creating life from scratch.

EMA: As what I read from the bible, only God can create “life from scratch”. Not man as a physical being.

But the same bible says that man will be like God as his potential (1 John 3:2). Spirit and immortal. Being then like God, the changed man might be granted the power to create “life from scratch”.

This is my hunch based on:
1. spirits don’t procreate as physical man now does (Matthew 22:30); and
2. the increase of Christ’s government has no end (Isaiah 9:6)

Believe it or not.

aljas: Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

As what I read from the bible, only God can create “life from scratch”. Not man as a physical being.

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that’s a very convenient assumption. as of today, man has no means to replicate the process of creating life. less than a hundred years ago, man is not capable to bio engineer plants and animals at a cellular level and look what humans can do today.imagine what we might be capable of hundered years later. the God concept had been around for over 2 thousand years and yet, human understanding on reproduction did not take off until only in the last 200 years or so.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

But the same bible says that man will be like God as his potential (1 John 3:2). Spirit and immortal. Being then like God, the changed man might be granted the power to create “life from scratch”.

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I’m not surprised with this statement. how else do you expect a man thinks what God looks like other than the man himself.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

This is my hunch based on:
1. spirits don’t procreate as physical man now does (Matthew 22:30); and

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I don’t even think the kind of spirit we’re made to believe exist. other than in our creative imagination.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

2. the increase of Christ’s government has no end (Isaiah 9:6)

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I haven’t seen one yet Eps. the bible people wrote about this for over a thousand years. how long do we have to wait, much less increasing Christ’s government.

Believe it or not

EMA: aljas wrote:

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I did not assume. I read it. Besides, you need to recheck your post. You seem not to support your position on the issue.

The upsurge in knowledge in these later days – the time of the end – is part fulfillment of the prophecy in Daniel 12.

Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

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aljas wrote:

I’m not surprised with this statement. how else do you expect a man thinks what God looks like other than the man himself.

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In his physical state and stage of the creation process, man does not look like God. It will be when man is finally changed to spirit when man will be like God. That’s according to the bible which you don’t believe anyway.

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aljas wrote:

I don’t even think the kind of spirit we’re made to believe exist. other than in our creative imagination.

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I for one am not asking you to believe it. And you might have in mind what the many believe as “the kind of spirit” where my concept differs from the many’s belief. Mine is that except for Jesus Christ, no man has since become a spirit yet.

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aljas wrote:

I haven’t seen one yet Eps. the bible people wrote about this for over a thousand years. how long do we have to wait, much less increasing Christ’s government.

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The government of God is not yet installed on the earth in this age where Satan is still god. Isaiah 9:6 is a prophecy only the part where a Child has been born in reference to Christ has been fulfilled.

aljas: empty promises Eps. that’s all there is in the bible.

EMA: Coming from a non-bible believer, I’ll be surprised if you could see otherwise aljs.

aljas: believing the bible is like buying a land with no title. sorry Eps, my point is not on you personally but my objective view on the bible. how nice would it be if all these wonderful bible stories are indisputably true, but I can’t lie to myself. I can’t rely on something that’s not there. I’ve got to steer my destiny with my own hands.it’s just human to use all my senses and make that judgement to do what’s right it’s just hard for me to understand why a person of your stature who spends years in college learning the art of gathering facts and evidence would stick to a book that’s unverifiable.it seemed to me you are living in 2 different world.

EMA: I hope by “title” what you have in mind is ownership. Then you will be right. “Title” in legal parlance is ownership. But if what you have in mind by “title” is certificate of title, then you are amiss. There are still tracts of land in RP used for agricultural and residential purposes (though the classification may not be so) which are not yet under the Torens system but are being bought and sold. These lands have “no title”.

Don’t be sorry for me aljs. I have no problem how a non-bible believer views one who does. There are many in this forum who don’t see the bible as I do. And you have a point in saying that I am “living in 2 different worlds”. There is a physical world and a spiritual world. I have a realization of the spiritual world which you don’t. This is because I believe in the bible which says there is a spiritual world. God is spirit, the angels and demons are likewise. Of course, the physically minded man can never appreciate “the things of the spirit”.

aljas: Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

hope by “title” what you have in mind is ownership. Then you will be right. “Title” in legal parlance is ownership. But if what you have in mind by “title” is certificate of title, then you are amiss. There are still tracts of land in RP used for agricultural and residential purposes (though the classification may not be so) which are not yet under the Torens system but are being bought and sold. These lands have “no title”.

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it’s just a comparative description Eps …buying on something that’s not there.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

Don’t be sorry for me aljs. I have no problem how a non-bible believer views one who does. There are many in this forum who don’t see the bible as I do.

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I’m not sorry for you at all Eps. You seemed doing well for yourself. I’m just mystified by you.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

And you have a point in saying that I am “living in 2 different worlds”. There is a physical world and a spiritual world. I have a realization of the spiritual world which you don’t.

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I admire your spiritual passion .but I don’t think you have any special powers to see what I can’t see Eps. When my mom died when I was a teen, I missed her so much I longed to see her even in spiritual form. it never happened.

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Epifanio M. Almeda wrote:

This is because I believe in the bible which says there is a spiritual world. God is spirit, the angels and demons are likewise. Of course, the physically minded man can never appreciate “the things of the spirit”.

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how do you separate your physical and spiritual mind when you argue a case?

EMA: aljas wrote:

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Your concept of spirit is not what the bible teaches. You have in mind the common but erroneous teaching where your mother is now a living spirit having escaped or moved out from the body which died.

The bible teaching is that your mother is now dead and buried. Unconscious and decomposing or have already turned back to dust as she was. The spirit which left her at death is her breath which returned to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). That spirit is merely her breath which caused her to become a living being or living soul (Genesis 2:7).

During the great white throne judgment period, which is the period which follows after the 1,000-year reign of Jesus and the saints on earth, your mother will rise up physically to undergo the processes of salvation and creation. And I think you will also at that time, after your death in this age, and see each other again not “in spiritual form” but as flesh and blood.

Believe it or not and I’m sure you couldn’t even if you try to.

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aljas wrote:

how do you separate your physical and spiritual mind when you argue a case?

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Your mind is limited to the physical aljs. There is a physical case (crime) and a spiritual case (sin).

To the bible believing Christian, of course this is not for you aljs, Jesus Christ is now in law practice arguing the accused Christian’s case before God in heaven pleading God for pardon of the Christian’s sin. The accuser is Satan the devil who accuses Christians day and night before God who sits as Judge. The bible term for lawyer is advocate. This is what other countries call their lawyers.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

John’s statement shows that Satan has sound bases in his accusations in some cases.

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.