361-The Lord's Prayer Series 3 - Your Kingdom Come#
361-The Lord's Prayer Series 3 - Your Kingdom Come
(JP Text Group - shalom organized)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival. Next, we will share the Lord's Prayer series.
The topic of the sharing is: Your Kingdom Come
Let's read the Bible together from Matthew 6:9-13:
9 Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you, thank you for calling us righteous and willingly listening to our prayers. In your kingdom, you are the provider we need, as well as our caretaker and guardian. When we have matters and needs in our hearts, we can pray to you, and through prayer, you will fulfill what we need and let us see your glory on earth and in our lives. Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing us during this time, allowing us to know you more through the truth. We are people of hope on earth, and at any time, you will listen to our prayers. Bless all brothers and sisters who seek you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
The topic we are sharing is: Your Kingdom Come
The kingdom refers to the realm of rule. The kingdom of God is the place ruled by God. When a person accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior, they are willing to let Jesus dwell in their hearts and put God first; then the kingdom of God is in their hearts. When a person is willing to let Jesus take the lead in their home and desires to glorify Jesus in everything, the kingdom of God is in that person's home; in the workplace, when they are willing to let Jesus take the lead and allow God's wisdom to guide their work, that is the kingdom of God in their work.
When you are willing to let Jesus take the lead in everything and pray to God, you are expecting God to grant you wisdom, strength, and ability, and you believe He will surely give it to you, Amen. Jesus teaches us that prayer is to give us faith, allowing us to have faith before we pray, believing that our God will surely grant us.
Hebrews 11:6: Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
This tells us about faith. If you do not believe you are pleasing to God, when you pray, you will doubt whether God is willing to fulfill your requests. There are many people in the Bible who came to seek Jesus, and they were not sure whether Jesus was willing to heal or help them. Why is there doubt? Because of uncertainty.
Jesus tells us how to pray to give us a certain heart. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists; this is the first step. If you do not believe in God, you will not pray to Him.
The second step is to believe that He rewards those who seek Him. Before you pray to God, you must believe that He is willing to bless you, not because of your good behavior, not because of your greater achievements, but because He is a God who is willing to bless. He is willing to give to you, so you are willing to come before Him because there is abundant provision with Him.
This is the faith that everyone should have before praying to God. Achieving this faith is not difficult; you just need to believe that God loves you, that He is your Father, that you know His name is holy, and that you are a person of His kingdom, His people. He is willing to provide for you, not because you have worked hard, but because He is willing to bless you. Pray to our Heavenly Father with this heart.
If a person does not know these things, it is easy to turn prayer into a condition for obtaining God's mercy. Many people will say: I have prayed for an hour, have mercy on me; I have fasted for seven days, heal me; I have prayed for twenty-one days, I have persisted for so long, you should fulfill my requests... These are all exchanges; let go of this mindset.
God blesses you because of Jesus, because Jesus achieved peace for you on the cross, because Jesus solved your sin problem on the cross. God is now unobstructed with you; He loves you and is willing to bless you. Pray to our Heavenly Father with this heart, and He will surely give to you, Amen.
The first point we share is: Acknowledge that God is our King
Ancient kings made laws and decrees for their people, making them aware of the norms of life, and they themselves also followed the laws they issued. The king could also decide life and death. In the kingdom of God, He is our King, our Lord. When we are willing to accept Jesus as our Savior, our God becomes our Lord, and we become His people; we are citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Amen. Although we live on earth, we should live according to the ways of the heavenly kingdom, according to the words of the Bible. This does not contradict the laws and regulations of the world; in fact, it is even higher than the laws and regulations of the world.
God is willing for us to live according to His guidance. In the Old Testament, particularly in the five books of Moses, there are many laws and regulations recorded. After our God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He issued laws and regulations that were related to their lives. These laws and regulations are still relevant today; they teach you how to live a holy life on earth, how to live better on earth, and how to be distinct from other foreign peoples.
If you read Leviticus and Exodus carefully, you will find many detailed instructions: What to do when conflicts arise between people? What to do when someone has malice? All of these are recorded in great detail. God wrote these down to give His people guidance for living.
Many Christians, after believing in Jesus, still live according to worldly ways or according to their own desires, leading to failure. After failing, they complain to God about why He does not bless them. But in reality, God has already written the way to victory in the Bible; as long as we are willing to live according to His way, we will surely be victorious. Moreover, we have the Holy Spirit to help us and give us strength! When you pray, you acknowledge that He is your God, your King, your protector, and your provider.
Luke 17:20-21
20 The Pharisees asked, "When will the kingdom of God come?" Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
Many people think that the kingdom of God is a specific existence. In fact, the kingdom of God refers to the place ruled by God, where His words take precedence. In this sense, today the kingdom of God is not yet filled throughout the earth; many people have not yet believed in Jesus and have not placed God's words in the first place. That is why we need to preach the gospel and bring good testimonies to others. We want to share the parts of our lives that have been changed and renewed by God so that others can see the benefits of putting Jesus first. Amen.
Mark 12:28-34:
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." 32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him. 33 To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on, no one dared ask Him any more questions.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees in the Bible always act as self-righteous people who like to debate, believing they are correct and thus enjoy overpowering others in debates to prove that others are wrong and they are right. That is why I often tell everyone not to debate with others; the truth we hold does not need to be debated. God gives us the truth not for us to debate but for us to believe. Can you believe this word? If you believe, it will benefit you; if you do not believe, then that is it.
Jesus does not debate with people. Perhaps the disciples also had such doubts in their hearts. When these people were debating, the hearts of the disciples were also influenced. Therefore, Jesus answered to clarify these doubts for the disciples. At this time, a teacher of the law asked Jesus, "Which commandment is the most important?" In fact, from our perspective today, there is no commandment that is more important or less important; they are all important.
The commandments given by God have no superfluous words and no unimportant ones; they are all important. The teacher of the law may think that one of them is the most important, while the others are not as important. Jesus saw their hearts, so He summarized the commandments and answered, "The most important one is this: You must listen!" Amen.
Do you see? Jesus did not let them debate; it is not about you saying the first commandment is important while I say the second is important... He did not debate with them; Jesus said you must listen! The meaning of Jesus is very simple; this is the truth. The most important thing you need to do is to learn to listen first. If you want to receive God's healing, God's power, and God's provision, it is not about doing important things; it is about learning to listen first.
A person who cannot even listen will not have the strength to do greater things, so you must first learn to listen to the truth before God. Too many people have restless hearts and cannot sit still. Forcing them to sit and listen to a sermon for an hour is simply too torturous. Jesus tells us to listen! The Lord, our God, is the one and only Lord. Amen. What should we listen to? We should listen to the truth! This is the one and only Lord; He is our God!
What should we do? We should love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength! The commandments are not meant to kill people; they provide a standard for how we should love God. The second part is to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus divides the commandments into two parts: the first part is to use all your strength to love God! The second part is to use all your strength to love others! There is no greater commandment than these two. In one word, the commandment is actually love! How does God love us? He gives us so many laws and regulations because He loves us.
We do not understand how to live, so He gives us the way to victory to prove that He loves us. When we pray to God, He answers our prayers because He loves us, not because we are handsome or have done more work, so God loves us more; it is not because of these things. It is simply because you have a correct understanding of Him, Amen.
The teacher of the law said to Jesus, "Teacher, you are right in saying that God is one." I have shared with you before about the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They exist simultaneously and have never been separated. When they work, they work together, except for the time when Jesus was on the cross for our sins, when the Father left Jesus, but after that, He has never left Him!
While on earth, Jesus existed as the Son of Man. In other words, He came to let us see this God in the form of the Son of Man, but in reality, He is still God. Although there are three different persons, there is still one God, Amen. From a human perspective, Jesus is the Son of God; from God's perspective, He is God. So the teacher of the law also said that God is one, which is indeed correct. Besides Him, there is no other God, and we must do our utmost to love Him and love our neighbor as ourselves. This is better than all burnt offerings and sacrifices, which shows that this teacher of the law has indeed studied the truth.
Why do I say he has only studied the truth? Because he theoretically knows these things. Jesus does not want us to know the truth, nor does He want us to study the truth and stop there; He wants us to apply these truths in our hearts and let Jesus take the lead in our hearts. This teacher of the law could say to love others as oneself and to love God with all one's strength, which is much better than burnt offerings; this already shows a significant cognitive improvement, which is indeed a very good understanding. Jesus saw that he answered wisely and said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
Brothers and sisters, many people living in this era do not understand the meaning of this statement. The teacher of the law at that time had already understood everything. This is a good thing! It means that today many people are still holding onto the laws and regulations, saying that this cannot be done, and that cannot be done. They do not realize that those things that cannot be done can be summarized into two: love God and love others. This is much better than burnt offerings! Amen.
Jesus is that offering, so when Jesus offered Himself for our sins, God's love was fully poured out upon us. It is no longer about you having to love God with all your heart and strength; rather, because of Jesus, God wants to love you with all His heart and strength. Only by receiving God's love can you love others as you love yourself.
Some say they do not have this strength now, which is why you need to pray. When you come to God, you draw strength from Him. Every time you come before our Heavenly Father in prayer, you draw strength from Him, knowing that He loves you. Each time you come, you can receive His love, and His expressions of love may take many forms, such as healing, wealth, position, etc. All of these are given to you because God loves you. Hallelujah.
From the two passages we just read, we can see that the kingdom of God has another meaning: before the tangible kingdom descends from heaven, Jesus must first dwell in our hearts as King. Jesus hopes to establish a small kingdom in our hearts first, allowing you to taste the flavor of heavenly grace. While on earth, we can use the authority of the heavenly kingdom. This will surely result in loving others as oneself.
If you use the authority of the heavenly kingdom to attack or belittle others, it is certainly incorrect. What God gives is love! It is provision, it is good, it is beneficial to others. When Jesus takes the lead in our hearts, the kingdom of God is in our hearts, so we can pray, "Your kingdom come."
Jesus, I am willing to let you take the lead in everything; please guide me. This is a kind of prayer.
This will always bring benefits to others, and you can also experience God's power and provision. Every day you can taste the flavor of heavenly grace. Why do I say it is tasting the flavor of heavenly grace? Every day we experience God's grace, which is actually a little bit at a time, but God's grace is indeed vast, and every day there will be different experiences. This is a tremendous blessing from God.
Prayer is a kind of enjoyment; it is definitely not a task or a form of endurance.
When can we adjust? Whenever and wherever we pray in various ways and enjoy it, we can experience the joy of being with God, and you will know the flavor of heavenly grace. God not only allows us to have hope in the future heavenly kingdom, but He also lets you receive that joy while you are on earth, allowing you to live on earth as if you were in heaven.
In the past, many preachers often said that we should live on earth as if we were in heaven, yet they attacked others. This is not the life of the kingdom. Therefore, brothers and sisters, condemning others is not the life of the kingdom. The life of the kingdom is that God loves us completely, and we love one another with this love. This is the life of the kingdom, and we can live such a life on earth.
This shows us that the kingdom of heaven is real and will surely come in the future. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, the kingdom of God is already in our hearts. Are you willing to let the kingdom of God fill your heart? Are you willing to let Jesus take the lead in your heart? That is, in everything, you can first think of Jesus and do it to glorify Jesus. This is to let Jesus take the lead in your heart; it is very simple, right?
Through the Bible, believe that God loves us. Through His words, we can live a victorious life on earth and become an example to those around us. We may not have strength, but our God is powerful! We may have needs, but our God has no lack!
At any time on earth, we can draw on His promises and live, holding onto His promises, not losing heart or despairing in any situation. When problems arise and difficulties come, what should we do? Pray. Prayer is coming before the Father to receive His blessings, Amen. Prayer is a communication with God. In the process of communication, you will be comforted, lifted up, and receive strength to stand up again and continue walking the path ahead. Therefore, when you pray, "Your kingdom come," it is actually acknowledging that Jesus is your Lord and the Father is your King.
Let me remind you again, the Trinity; do not always think of separating them to understand. They are one. You just need to know that our prayer object is the Father, praying in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit helps us pray; that is enough. When you say, "Your kingdom come," it is the kingdom of God. Do not think of it as the Father’s kingdom, Jesus’ kingdom, or the Holy Spirit’s kingdom. Do not understand it this way; it complicates things! Keep it simple: the kingdom of God.
Our God can be understood as Jesus is our God, the Holy Spirit is our God, and the Father is our God; they all are. But when we pray, the object is the Father, acknowledging Him as my Lord and my King. It is a willingness to let Him guide our path ahead. Every time you say, "Your kingdom come," you think of yourself as His people, and He will surely guide you and protect you.
Just like now, when some bad things happen in the country, there will be professionals to protect us. This is because we are in this country, and the king of this country will protect us and take care of us, Amen. When we are weak and in need, they will extend a helping hand to support us. Hallelujah.
A person without a country is miserable. During World War II, the Jews had no country and were bullied everywhere, with no place to reason. We are different; we are people with a country. In the spiritual realm, you must know that you belong to the heavenly kingdom. The king of the heavenly kingdom will supply, protect, and care for you every day. When problems arise, you should tell Him. People in the world cannot directly speak to the king when they have problems. But you are different; through prayer, you speak directly to our heavenly King, who loves you very much and is willing to fulfill your prayers and give you the best. Hallelujah!
The second point we share is: Has the kingdom of God come?
Many people like to debate the Lord's Prayer, saying that under the New Testament, we cannot pray "Your kingdom come" because we are under the grace of the New Testament... I want to ask everyone, do you think the kingdom of God has come? With this question, let’s look at a few passages of scripture. When John the Baptist preached, the content was as follows:
Matthew 3:1-3:
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
When John the Baptist came to preach, the kingdom of God had not yet come; it had not yet descended. That is why he said the kingdom of heaven is near; you should repent. Thank and praise the Lord! This sentence in the original text is very interesting; it is reversed: you should repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. The literal translation of the original text is that you should renew your minds, for only in this way can you see that the kingdom of heaven is near. If a person's heart does not change, even if the kingdom of heaven comes, they will not see it, Amen. Jesus, the King of the kingdom, came to the world, but if a person's thoughts and minds do not change, they will see Him as an ordinary person and will not see that the kingdom has already come.
Jesus brought the kingdom of heaven, the will of the kingdom, and the authority of the kingdom down. When you see Jesus, you know that this is the King of the kingdom of heaven. Wherever Jesus is, that is where the kingdom of heaven is, right? Where God is, that is where the kingdom of heaven is; this is the spiritual explanation! When John the Baptist said this, it was because he was to prepare the way for Jesus. He was the forerunner, so he said, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him," preparing the way for Jesus and preparing our hearts for repentance.
Next, let’s look at Mark 1:14-15:
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
His preaching content is very similar to that of John the Baptist, but it is slightly different. He said, "The time has come." What time has come? It is the time when you can meet God and experience God through the Old Testament sacrifices and pray to God; that time has come. After Jesus came, you no longer need to pray to God through sacrifices; you can tell Jesus directly. That time has come; the era has changed, Amen.
So if you were living in the time of Jesus, hypothetically, it would almost not exist. At that time, you had to go back to the temple with your offerings to pray to God through the priest, entering the Holy of Holies once a year to tell God your wishes! It was too troublesome! Now the time has come; you can directly tell Jesus your needs, which is equivalent to telling our Heavenly Father. The kingdom of God is near, referring to this, Hallelujah.
But not everyone at that time accepted Jesus. Only those who received Jesus into their hearts and acknowledged Jesus as Lord could have the kingdom of God enter their hearts. When Jesus said this, no one fully believed that He was the Son of God, so He said the kingdom of God is near; you should repent and believe the good news. The good news in Mark 1 begins by saying that the Son of God is the beginning of the good news! When you see Jesus Christ, He is the good news, representing the kingdom of God! Hallelujah.
The president or leader of a country, when visiting other places, represents that country; so when the Son of God, Jesus, came to the world, He represented the kingdom of God. Therefore, speaking to Jesus is the same as speaking to our Heavenly Father, Amen. This is what Jesus was telling us when He preached that the kingdom of God is near. What about the twelve disciples? When Jesus sent the disciples out to preach the gospel, He also spoke in this way.
Let’s look at Matthew 10:5-7:
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Do not go on the road to Gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan city. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'
It is necessary to explain to everyone that when Jesus came to the world, His ministry primarily targeted the Jews. It is not that Jesus does not love the Gentiles; He does things in order. We should also do things in order; do not think of doing things wherever you want; it may not be effective. Jesus' target audience was primarily the Jews, to let these people repent and believe in Him, and then through these people, spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.
When Jesus sent the twelve disciples out, He clearly stated the scope of the ministry, which was within the realm of the Jews. Moreover, He made the content of the gospel very clear: the kingdom of heaven is near. Why is it said that the kingdom of heaven is near and not that the kingdom of heaven has come? The kingdom of heaven is near because, at that moment, Jesus had not yet entered the hearts of these people, so it could only be said to be near. Only when these people come to Jesus and accept Jesus as the Son of God and Savior can the kingdom of heaven come into their hearts.
When we preach the gospel to others, we let them accept Jesus, acknowledge Jesus as their Lord, and recognize that Jesus has shed His blood on the cross for their sins, paying the price. At that moment, the kingdom of heaven enters their hearts, or we can say that the kingdom of God is already present in their hearts; they are people of the kingdom of heaven! Amen! If they have not accepted Him, they will always be near the kingdom of heaven; even if they hear it, it is still near; even if they enter the church, it is still near. Only when they receive Jesus into their hearts can it be considered that the kingdom of God is in their hearts, and they can be considered people of the kingdom of heaven! Hallelujah! I hope everyone can distinguish this!
The kingdom of God does not belong to this world. I have already told you at the beginning that the kingdom of God refers to the realm ruled by God; it refers to a realm, not like a city. It does not refer to this; now we are talking about the spiritual world. Are you willing to let God take the lead in your life, in your home, and in your heart? Therefore, the kingdom of God is not a tangible city; it is not a real earthly kingdom; there is a distinction.
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, John 18:33-37:
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 34 "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" 35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place." 37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
This passage is very important. Pilate was a Gentile, and Jesus was a Jew. Speaking spiritual matters to spiritual people can be understood; if you speak spiritual matters to worldly people, they cannot understand at all. At that moment, Pilate did not understand what Jesus was saying. Pilate thought that Jesus came to be a king to take their position, so the Jews could not let it go, saying, "We have only one king, Caesar," and wanted to crucify Jesus, who was called the king of the Jews.
The Jews switched concepts and took the opportunity to kill Jesus, while Pilate had heard about Jesus and knew that Jesus only did good deeds. Therefore, he was puzzled and asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Because Jesus, this king, is different from the kings of the world. The kings of the world rule the people with power, but Jesus claims to be a king, and these people do not want Him. This king does not seem to want to send out His own troops to deal with these people.
So Pilate could not turn around in his mind and asked, "What is going on? Are you really the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Is this your own question, or are you doubting what others have said?" Pilate actually did not want to know whether it was someone else's opinion or his own; that was not important. So Pilate said, "I am not a Jew. It was your people and the chief priests who handed you over to me. I just want to know what you have done that made the people not want you as their king."
Pilate always thought that Jesus came to be a king in the world, including the disciples at that time, who thought that Jesus should be like David and rebuild an earthly kingdom. But in reality, it is not like that. I want to tell dear family members, always remember that the kingdom of God does not belong to this world and will not compete for power and profit with worldly people. If the church competes for power and profit like the world, you do not understand the kingdom of God, or you can say that the kingdom of God does not take the lead in your heart. Do you understand what I am trying to express? Our hearts should let Jesus take the lead, which means the kingdom of God is in your heart!
When you let Jesus take the lead, you will not argue with worldly people about who is superior or inferior, nor will you compete for power with worldly people. You will even help them, serve them, and submit to them. This is the teaching Jesus gives us; you should submit to the governing authorities because our kingdom is not in this world. Hallelujah.
The kingdom of God is centered on love. How do we live out the kingdom of God on earth? By receiving God's love, living in the world, and serving others like Jesus, Amen. This is the meaning of Jesus' words. Jesus said, "I am the king; I was born for this and came into the world for this."
The king of the heavenly kingdom does not sit on a throne ruling everything; rather, He serves everyone like a servant. Jesus is the king; how did He treat the twelve disciples? He served them, provided for them, helped them, and washed their feet. If you understand how the kingdom of God operates, those who receive this love will serve others instead of seizing from others, Amen.
I hope brothers and sisters can understand Jesus' heart. God is willing to bless us, giving us authority, power, and gifts, hoping that we use this strength to help those around us. Only in this way can there be true harmony. Believe that through the cross of Jesus, the kingdom of God can take the lead in your heart.
Ephesians 2:11-13:
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands)—12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Previously, we were Gentiles in the flesh, having no relationship with God. At that time, only the circumcised were recognized by God. We had no relationship with Jesus and no relationship with the people of God; we were outside the covenants and had no hope and no God, just like the world. But now it is different. Through the blood of Jesus, believing that Jesus has shed His blood on the cross for your sins, you have been brought near to God. Those who are near to God are the people of the kingdom of God; we are like Jesus and are becoming more and more like this king.
Since God calls us princes, it means you are becoming more like your Father, Amen. Not like your father who gets angry, not like the earthly father! But like Jesus, always bringing benefits to others, always helping others, Amen. Have we lived out this love since we believed in Jesus? This is not to condemn everyone; it is truly that when you receive this love, you will unconsciously live it out. For those around you, your neighbors, your community, they will definitely benefit from you. You help them without seeking returns or pursuing benefits; this is the love of God already lived out through you. Through these things, you can also see that the kingdom of God is in your heart.
When you have problems, weaknesses, or need help, you can pray to our Heavenly Father. Before praying, believe that you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, loved by God, and He will surely listen to your prayers because this relationship has been established. Hallelujah, it is because the kingdom of God is already in your heart.
Ephesians 2:18-19:
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.
This is a real matter in the spiritual realm, brothers and sisters, do not get confused. In the spiritual realm, you are no longer foreigners or strangers; you are fellow citizens with the saints and are members of God's household, just like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Amen. These are matters in the spiritual realm; you are a member of God's household. Our Heavenly Father recognizes you. It is just that now we are temporarily living in the world in the flesh, Amen. We have hope in the world, waiting for the coming of the new heaven and new earth, waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Therefore, you can still pray, "Your kingdom come."
Of course, the kingdom of God is already in your heart. When we say, "Your kingdom come," it can also be interpreted as looking forward to the arrival of the true new heaven and new earth, Amen. This is our wish. In Revelation, John finally says: "Come, Lord!" This refers to his special expectation for the coming of the new heaven and new earth. While we are alive on earth, we look forward to the second coming of Jesus. Our bodies will be transformed.
Philippians 3:18-21:
18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Do you see, brothers and sisters? This is our hope. When a person says, "Your kingdom come," that person has already believed in Jesus and knows that the kingdom of God is already in their heart. They still look forward to their bodies being transformed, longing for the true new heaven and new earth to come. Why? Because we indeed have weaknesses in this world, facing various limitations, and there may still be many enemies attacking us.
For example, the enemies of the cross are those who are self-centered, not loving one another, not laying down their lives for others, but wanting others to lay down their lives for them. Their selfishness leads to their destruction because their god is their stomach, completely for themselves, focusing on earthly matters. There are too many people in the world who will stop at nothing for their own sake, using various means, which contradicts the laws and ways of the kingdom.
We believe in Jesus, and we cannot live by these earthly ways; this will cause us to lose the blessings that the kingdom of heaven wants to give us. God is particularly willing to give us the right to choose whether we are willing to live according to the ways of the kingdom of heaven, Amen. The Bible gives us many principles for living; these are not laws but guiding principles. We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, heavenly citizens, waiting for Jesus Christ.
Before Jesus comes, we should live on earth according to the ways of the kingdom of heaven. We should live as Jesus lived; Jesus always thought of others, brought benefits to others, made sacrifices for others, and served others. We should do the same! Some say, "I have no strength!" Do you not know where this strength comes from? This is where prayer comes in! Continuously listening to the truth, continuously hearing the word and reading the Bible, the Holy Spirit will give you strength to do what you cannot do. Hallelujah. Because when you live according to the ways of the kingdom of heaven, even worldly people will envy you because it is the law of victory! Amen.
Jesus did not fail, and when we live according to Jesus' words and truth, we will not fail either. Although we cannot fully live according to the ways of the kingdom of heaven, if you can receive a part of it, you are already very successful on earth! It is indeed impossible for a person to live completely according to the ways of the kingdom of heaven, but living out as much as you can receive is already remarkable.
Regardless of which way, we are all waiting for that moment to come, which is the coming of Christ from heaven. The meaning of this sentence is "Your kingdom come," Amen. Because when Jesus comes a second time, our lowly bodies will be transformed to be like Jesus' glorious body, Amen. Do we still need to pray, "Your kingdom come?" Of course, we can.
Understand it from two aspects: First, in the spiritual realm, the kingdom of God has already come. Through Jesus, we are people of the kingdom of heaven, citizens of the kingdom of heaven; this has already been accomplished.
Second, the new heaven and new earth have not yet come, so we can pray, "Your kingdom come." We need to distinguish between the old and new covenants. The Holy Spirit is already in your heart, and the kingdom of God is already in your heart. We are now looking forward to the arrival of the new heaven and new earth.
This is not contradictory. Many people say that we are under the New Testament and cannot use the Lord's Prayer anymore; using the Lord's Prayer would mean going back under the law... This kind of statement is too extreme. Do not casually deny the power of God's word.
Finally, let’s look at a passage of scripture, Revelation 21:1-2:
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
This is what we hope for, and this has not yet arrived, so we can use "Your kingdom come." We are all in this hope, praying with the Lord's Prayer. We hope that day will come; when Jesus comes, there will be no more suffering in the world; when Jesus comes, He will end all the works of the devil. Many people ask, "Why doesn't Jesus deal with the devil sooner and throw him into the abyss, so he won't harm people anymore? Wouldn't the world be peaceful then?"
The time has not yet come! When God's day comes, when the second coming arrives, and the new heaven and new earth descend, there will be no more work of the devil.
However, we still need to distinguish between the wheat and the tares through the devil. This is not our job; do not casually discern who is saved and who is not, who is wheat and who is tares. Do not do this. While the new heaven and new earth have not yet come, we should live out the appearance of the kingdom of heaven on earth. It is not to wait until that day comes to enjoy blessings; you can use the authority of the kingdom of heaven now. Jesus has already done it; you can also follow Jesus and live.
When the world sees the glory of Jesus in you, they will also benefit, Amen. When praying to the Heavenly Father, you can use "Your kingdom come." That is our hope, and at the same time, we need to remind ourselves to let the kingdom of God take the lead in our hearts. This is something we need to remind ourselves of every day because if we do not remind ourselves, our flesh will take the lead, selfish thoughts will take the lead, and evil thoughts will emerge. Therefore, by continuously renewing and adjusting ourselves through the truth, we can experience God's victory every day.
I hope every brother and sister, as you continuously understand the truth of Jesus Christ, can skillfully use God's words to bring benefits to ourselves and those around us. When they need help, you can pray for them, help them, and serve them like Jesus. Hallelujah. God bless us!
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for giving us this time to share the truth together. Let us communicate with you through prayer and receive your strength. I am a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. When I need you, you will supply me, protect me, and use the truth to help me triumph in difficulties. You are my Father and my Lord. Hallelujah!
I wish for your kingdom to come. I look forward to that day coming soon. Use us, let the kingdom of God take the lead in our hearts, and let us live out the appearance of Jesus on earth. The laws and regulations you give us are for us to be victorious in the world, not only to benefit ourselves but also to bring this gospel to those around us, so they also have hope in the world and know the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, please use us and support those who hear this truth, so they can hold this truth in their hearts and let Jesus take the lead in every aspect of their lives. Help us to know you more and experience you more. Give us a listening heart, so we first learn to listen to the truth and then listen to those around us, bringing them benefits. Hallelujah. All glory be to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!