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Kingdom Living
Calling out the good in you
When God looks down.
Planet Earth consists of several continents, numerous oceans and lakes, billions of people consisting of various races, cultures, and modes of governance.
But whenever Father God looks down to earth from heaven, what He sees are two kingdoms. He calls one the ‘kingdom of light’, that one belongs to Him. He calls the other the ‘kingdom of darkness’, that one is controlled and manipulated by His ‘self proclaimed’ enemy.
These two kingdoms are reflective of our very nature as humans. We are by nature a dichotomous species, knowing both good and evil. We are capable of doing great and wonderful things, nobility at its best. We are also capable of despicable acts against each other, all coming from the same mind and heart. This battle between right and wrong is the daily experience of every living human being.
Being born on this planet means being born into the kingdom of darkness. Our natural state of being is our dichotomous nature of good and evil. We came by this honestly, it’s the inheritance that Adam and Eve left for us.
However, at a point in our history, at a time of His choosing, God stepped into and onto our world, and provided an option. He established on earth a Kingdom of Light. So that the kingdom of darkness no longer have power over us.
When we walk in this light we are able to manage the knowledge of good and evil by discerning good from evil. We can finally become the best selves that God created us to be.
How did He do that?
The Bible tells us that ... In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him. (John 1:1,3 NIRV)
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. The Word was in the world. And the world was made through him. But the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him.
Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God. To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does. (John 1:9-13 NIRV)
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.
Anyone who believes in him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. They have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil. (John 3:16-21 NIRV)
Kingdom Living.
Life in the Kingdom of Light.
Jesus established the Kingdom of God on earth, and called it the ‘Kingdom of Light. This kingdom constitutes every human being across the globe that has accepted and embraced God’s offer of forgivenesses through Jesus His Son.
Kingdom Living is less about church or religion and more about allowing God to call out the good in us as we go about our daily lives 24/7, 365 days per year.
This ‘calling out the good’ is not limited to the transformation work God does in the lives of Christians, but extends to the lives of all others that they interact with.
The Bible teaches that... Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not curse them...
Don’t be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Don’t think that you are better than others. Don’t pay back evil with evil. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. (Romans 12:9,14,16-18 NIRV)
These guidelines for Kingdom Living would have us live at peace with all men... not just our church or religious friends; not just people whom we consider likeminded; not just those of similar ethnicity or socio economic background; not just those with political persuasions that are similar to ours.
Calling out the good
For some time now ‘negativity’ has been trending in our society. It seems to be flavouring just about every aspect of life and social discourse.
We would like to change that.
Kingdom Living is all about promoting and encouraging good.
Good in our thinking ... Good in our feelings... Good in our attitude... Good in our behaviour... Good in our relationships.
Life can sometimes be tough, and coping with our day to day issues often calls out aspects of our personality that are not so becoming... anger.. road rage... resentment... envy... jealousy... selfishness... greed... to mention a few.
But we believe that there is good in all humans, both Christian and non-Christian, and calling out the good in us and those around us can go a long way to improving our personal well being and quality of life on the planet.
The Bible encourages us to call out the good in everyone. It says...
Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it. Let’s try even harder to do good to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:9-10 NIRV)
Define 'Good'
Good; How should we define it?
Our era of fake news, disinformation, false narratives and false reporting can sometimes make it difficult to identify and/ or differentiate between good and evil.
The possibility of becoming misguided or overwhelmed by false advertising is real. Conspiracy theories abound, and some in authority, or others in positions of power and wealth, sometimes manipulate information to promote their own ideas or accomplish their own objectives, with no respect for right and wrong.
God has warned us humans about that. He said...
How terrible it will be for those who say that what is evil is good! How terrible for those who say that what is good is evil! How terrible for those who say that darkness is light and light is darkness! How terrible for those who say that what is bitter is sweet and what is sweet is bitter! How terrible it will be for those who think they are wise! How terrible for those who think they are really clever! (Isaiah 5:20-21 NIRV)
Apparently, God despises this kind of commingling.
God defines Good.
Goodness comes from Him. Good is reflective of God’s nature. The elements of Good are from His character.
The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God. (Micah 6:8 NIRV)
This is a picture of Kingdom Living.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit
The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit of God works in the lives of Christians and calls out Good in them. He plants Godly attributes within them and nurtures these aspects of God’s character to fruition.
It says...
But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIRV)
This is the Good that Kingdom Living calls out.
Let’s be the best that we can be. Let’s motivate those around us to be the best that they can be.
Let’s Call Out The Good in each other.
