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Luke 17:20-21:

“Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” NIV

When I first came across this passage in Luke forty years ago, I was astounded. I had recently come through a season of darkness and confusion, and was just beginning to see the full wonder and glory of Jesus Christ, and the abundant life that He came to give us all. This was a complete change of perspective for me. Before I had thought that every time the Bible was talking about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven, it was referring to the place Christians go after they die.

While I still understood and do understand that Christians pass from this life and into the immediate presence of our glorious Lord, then I learned something about our present experience of His presence. Finding the words of Jesus telling that the Kingdom of God is within us only confirmed what I was already experiencing! I had discovered genuine righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost! (Romans 14:17).

Today these scriptures are commonly quoted and even taken for granted. Sometimes I think they are taken too much for granted.

Have you ever seriously considered the context of Luke 17:20-21? The people who asked Jesus about the Kingdom and the ones he answered were the infamous Pharisees. While not all Pharisees were bad guys, the picture we get from the New Testament was that many of them who came in contact with Jesus were against Him. I can understand that the Kingdom of God is in those of us who have been born again according to John 3:3-5. But how could He say that the Kingdom of God was inside of those nasty Pharisees?

In fact, some Bible students and a few translators believe what He actually said was that the Kingdom of God was “among them.” They believe that the Kingdom of God was present among them in the Person of Jesus, which is true, but let us consider another possibility. Could He really have meant that every human being has a place within them where God could actually set up His throne?

Since Jesus came two thousand years ago, preaching, teaching, healing the sick, raising the dead, dying on a cross, returning to life and ascending to the right hand of the throne of God, the world has never been the same. The greatest change took place in the hearts and lives of people from all backgrounds and stations in life. He did not ignore their sinfulness, but He also saw something else in them. He saw that place in each one of us that is reserved for God alone, that only He could fill.

Those who followed Him were instructed to pray for the whole world, that the same Kingdom reign of Christ from heaven would fill others as well, that His will would also be done on earth in them. This is where it must begin, within you and me. The same goes for everyone else. Sometimes it is hard to look at another person and see that one as a potential Kingdom citizen. But Jesus did this very thing. He insisted that nothing was too hard for God.

When I look as the state of my country and society, it gets harder all the time to see the Kingdom of God advancing forward, but that is the challenge given unto us. Many of us are regularly challenged to believe and expect a better life for ourselves, our families, and our churches. Today I would challenge us all to believe God for His will to be continually done in this whole earth, as it is in heaven! That means that as we pray the Lord’s prayer, He will open tens of thousands of hearts around this world to His Kingly reign of light and love. He reigns as King in our hearts and desires to do so in all hearts everywhere. Will we join Him in His vision for His Creation? Will we enlist in His glorious army of light, clothed with the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the belt of Truth, the spread of the Gospel of peace, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God?

Maybe it isn’t all about me after all. Yes, the Kingdom of God is within me, but it is also in others. Jesus wants to call that marvelous lifestyle forth from all people everywhere. Some may be satisfied to get their personal mansion in heaven, but there are others who possess a holy dissatisfaction with the state of God’s universe. They are seeing how He must continue to reign, until all His enemies are put under His feat, even death! Our prayers, intercessions and testimonies play a great part in this transformation of hearts, even to end the source of death, that carnal mind that resists Life Himself!

The King of the Kingdom came two thousand years ago. He announced that it had come and inaugurated it. It has been advancing ever since. It is active in many of us today, and many are already living under His Lordship. It will continue through cultural storms and political upheavals. It will prevail through economic downturns, riots, revolutions, and dictatorships. But perhaps even in our lifetime we will fully see “the knowledge of the glory of the Lord cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea!” (Habakkuk 2:14).

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Sometimes when people are trying to get others to believe them, they will resort to saying things like “it’s the God’s honest truth! Or “if God should strike me dead!” Growing up, we often heard this one, “honest to God!” Hopefully we all know that God certainly knows if we are witnessing to the truth or a lie.

In my lifetime I have witnessed many lives changed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit at work in the hearts of men, women and children. A real born-again experience is usually characterized by a liberating sensation. An individual suddenly realizes that God Himself has forgiven their sins and that they are truly and fully guilt free before Him!

It is not either uncommon for individuals to go through a range of emotions and doubts soon afterwards. They have an enemy at work behind the scenes, tempting them, working to discourage and confuse them. It is at this point that a solid foundation and caring leadership can make a huge difference. I happened to have been blessed with that kind of support as a young Christian, but in my Pentecostal background, I have found that all are not so fortunate.

Conversion can be a powerful emotional experience. But our emotions can easily be swayed. Often when that initial emotional high diminishes, we begin to wonder. Have I drifted away from the love of God! Have I lost something? Have I sinned? If a sin is committed, we are not sure of what to do about it. Should we respond to the next alter call? Should we offer some sort of penance? Or do we need a new spiritual experience, a new revelation?

Once I was discussing with a young Christian the fact that the Christian life is about a relationship with God. He tried to explain to me that he understood human relationships, because we physically see, hear and touch one another. Since God is a Spirit, we cannot see Him with our physical eyes, hear Him with our physical ears, or touch Him physically.

In fact, for many the first time they sense the real presence of God is at their initial conversion to faith in Christ. Often they sense His presence for days or weeks afterwards, but their necessary involvement with this life soon distracts them. It’s kind of like a young couple on their honeymoon. When they finally have to settle into life with jobs and housekeeping, a greater effort is required to keep the romantic aspect of the relationship alive.

The new Christian then learns the regular activities of the Christian life: prayer, Bible reading, church meetings, giving to the work of the Gospel etc. These activities can and should help us continue to be conscious of His Presence, but not always. What can easily happen is that we relate more to the activities themselves than in their purpose, to remind us of our relationship with our Savior and Lord.

Is it possible that we can become more focused on how to get to heaven, and what requirements must be met, than just the simple fact that we have been reconciled to God through Christ? Now that we are in Christ, how can our relationship with Him grow? How can we come to more fully know and love Him? What is it that truly pleases Him?

In recent years there is much discussion on whether or not Christians should confess their sins before God. The passage in 1 John 1:7-10 is seen as a threat to the security of the believers salvation. Nowhere does John say that a believer loses his salvation when he sins, and must confess sins to regain that salvation. Because of this wrong assumption, the passage must be twisted to mean something else.

It seems so counter to grace, unmerited favor, that some insist that these verses must be intended for unbelievers or Gnostics, those of a counterfeit faith. We are to confess only our righteousness, not our sins, they say. First of all it is His righteousness not ours that is at work in us. We are the children of God, no longer of the darkness. We all know, however, that believers can and do sin.

1 John 1:8-2:1:
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

John is writing to the believers that their joy might be full! (1 John 1:4). He knows that they are still God’s children even after they sin. They do not lose their salvation, but they will lose their joy and victory. You can say anything you want about grace and unmerited favor, I contend that God expects honesty from His children.

When my son was little, I questioned him about something he should not have done. When he denied it, I had to teach him that the act was not as bad as the lie. Mistakes happen, but we all should be learning to avoid them in time. I wanted his joy to be full. I wanted trust in our relationship. I wanted him to grow in grace to a successful adult and fruitful child of God.

Do you think our Heavenly Father cares any less for our progress in Him? He knows we need to be open and honest before Him. He already knows the situation, and He has graciously supplied the remedy. This remedy was discovered by King David of old time, a great believer who commited great sins. He humbled himself before his God, Who restored unto him the joy of his salvation! (Psalm 51). Are we looking for the restoration of David’s tabernacle? Maybe we first need the restoration of David-like humility and honesty before God!

He understood the need for “truth in the inward parts.” Unlike many religious people in the past and present, he knew that no ritual or outward good deed could take the place of an honest and humble heart.

Ps 51:17:
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart , O God, you will not despise.

Isaiah 57:15:
For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

These conditions transcend the law and the Old Covenant. They are keys to the very heart of God!

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“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

The mind is an important subject in the New Testament. There are at least 79 references to the mind in our English translations of the Bible. Jesus Himself said that the first and greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Because of the fall of Adam, the human mind has been darkened to fully understanding and knowing God. (Romans 1:21, Ephesians 4:18).Only the Holy Spirit of God can illuminate the darkened heart and mind of a human being. Today we hear a lot about “following our hearts,” but before the intervention of Christ our hearts cannot be fully trusted. The hardened heart is a stronghold that stands between us and God, as well as the darkened mind. The Holy Spirit must first deal with our hearts. It is with the heart that a person believes even before the mind can fully comprehend the Truth of the Gospel. (Romans 10:10).

Paul described the situation in 1 Corinthians 3:13-18 where the writings of Moses were being read by people whose understanding was darkened, as if behind a veil. The only solution was for their hearts to turn toward the Lord. Then the veil over their understanding would be taken away, so they could discover the full glory of the Lord Jesus as revealed in those very Old Testament pages!That was my experience. I was taught about Jesus from childhood, and knew something about the man from Galilee. But after my heart was more fully surrendered unto Him, I could see Him in a new way. Before he appeared as a babe in Bethlehem, He was known by Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Isaiah and a host of others. Many wrote of Him and their glimpses of Him were recorded for future generations. After my mind was opened by His grace I too could read the same scriptures and behold “as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, to be changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of God!”

There were times that the change in me seemed so complete, and other times when old thoughts would return. A spiritual warfare was raging. My heart was permanently and completely in His hands, but my mind could waiver at times. Maybe you have not experienced this. Maybe you have had continuous total and perfect peace since your conversion. We do know that the testimony of the early church was their ultimate victory in Christ, but also that it was not always without a struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil.

That is why Peter continued to “stir up” their “pure minds by way of remembrance,” and Paul urged them to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” (2 Peter 3:1-2, Ephesians 6:10).

“(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ..” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

This in no way resembles a shouting match with the devil. It is a continual dependence upon the power of Christ at work within us. As we submit our way to God, we can resist the devil and he will flee from us! (James 4:7). Through Christ these minds of ours can be delivered from long standing habits and attitudes, with spiritual thoughts, words and actions flowing forth from them instead!

All because of the glorious provision by Christ on the Cross! God intends to sanctify us entirely, spirit, soul and body! (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He created these bodies and brains with our minds, wills, emotions for His glory! The carnal, fleshly, earthly thinking must go, and be replaced by thoughts concerning that which is just, pure, lovely, of good report, and virtuous. (Philippians 4:8). Sin has clouded our ability to understand the truth with clarity. Now by His grace, God wants to increase our capacity to understand Him, His creation, and His plan for all of humanity!

Almighty God has taken the uneducated, the unprofitable, the underprivileged, the young and old, unacknowledged in this world and filled them with His wisdom, knowledge and amazing gifts. These otherwise useless beings have led millions to Christ. They have led great movements in society, in business, and in the arts. They have inspired and organized hospitals, rescued countless orphans, educated and trained those would have had no future otherwise. I have personally known men who never learned to read, and yet knew and understood more of the Bible than some college professors. A lack of formal education is not the handicap we would expect when the Spirit of God ignites the brain cells of His redeemed ones! He is the Master Teacher!

While Peter, James and John were considered unlettered and ignorant men, Paul of Tarsus was otherwise. He considered the pride of his achievements as rubbish, but make no mistake — The King of Kings added His supernatural illumination to Paul’s great intellect to the great benefit of all believers since! Because of his marvelously gifted oral and written teachings, multitudes of losers like you and me have had our minds lifted into dizzying heights of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. His training in rhetorical skills prepared him to effectively stand before kings and other important figures of his day.

In Acts 17:1-3, 17, and 18:4 we see Paul using his God-given reasoning powers to convince both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus was the Messiah who came to fulfill the Scriptures by His death and resurrection. The fruit of his life and ministry is well-known throughout the world!

Romans 12:1-2:
“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The renewing of the Christian’s mind begins with true worship, the offering up of our very lives to God. The renewed mind results in the transformed life, which in turn demonstrates the Kingdom of God in the earth. Those who abide in Jesus and His Word have their very thinking altered and lifted into the heavenly spheres. From this higher vantage point they can see the schemes of Satan, who would weaken the unity of the Body of Christ with deceptive teachings. The humble, worshiping heart and the mind that has been informed by the Scriptures can readily sense his appeal to fleshly pride. Our perfect example was Jesus, who defeated the devil’s temptations and lies by His insightful knowledge of the Scriptures.

These are truly dangerous times for the individual with an undisciplined thought life. The believer who neglects the Scriptures and the wisdom they bring can become an easy target for deception. We are to be like children regarding malice, but adults in our understanding. No longer children, tossed about by every wind of teaching, we are to be mature adults in the truth, growing up together in Christ. (1 Corinthians 14:20, Ephesians 4:14-15).

Our enemy would dumb down the believing population and discourage actions like that of the believers in Berea, who were more noble, in that they received the word preached by Paul with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things Paul preached were true. (Acts 17:11). The lazy Christian perhaps has a false sense of security. God’s love for us never fails, but neither is He to be mocked. Rejecting His will for us to become diligent in His Word will have serious consequences in this life.

On the other hand, great are the rewards of taking up the challenge to allow Christ to increase our capacity to understand not only the Bible but every field of endeavor unto which He would lead us. The sons and daughters of God have advanced and are advancing in the fields of science, higher math, medicine, communications, arts, education, literature and music to His greater glory.

Pure-hearted leaders and teachers in the church do not have to fear Berean-like students of the Scripture whose minds have been stretched and expanded in the wisdom and knowledge of God. They in fact welcome questions and even correction from others who love God. They will not intimidate with their credentials, titles, or “superior” revelations. They are in earnest to see each one fully persuaded in his or her own mind of the truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom, unto a genuine experience of the Life of God.

There is absolutely no conflict between the mind that has surrendered to God’s instruction and the supernatural power with which He fills us. There is no disagreement between the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Some of us are more inclined towards knowledge, while others towards emotional experience. But striving together we can express more totally His Kingdom Life. Each of us should pursue all aspects by which we can give more glory to our Lord!

The Spiritual Mind

The mind after the Spirit is not concerned with strange and weird ideas that breed sensationalism. The mind after the Spirit is Life and Peace! The Holy Spirit is concerned with holiness. He is concerned with our producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. (Gal 5:22-23). He opens our understanding concerning the person of Christ, His transcendent glory, His all-powerful majesty, His marvelous work in our behalf, and His resurrection power that abides in us! (Ephesians 1:16-23). The wonderful and beautiful things that God has prepared for those who love Him are hidden from the sight, the hearing and the heart of unregenerate humans, but are revealed to us by His Holy Spirit! (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Some assume that knowledge concerning the created universe, including science, philosophy and the arts is for the earthly minded. Certainly the earthly minded can only appreciate the material world. But we know that the original creation of God was good, and that He intends to restore that goodness through Christ and His Body. From heaven’s perspective, we can see the Hand of our Creator in everything He made. Both heaven and earth bring praises unto Him! All things were created by Him, for Him, and unto Him! (Romans 11:36, 1 Corinthians 8:6).

The Bible, however clearly reveals that which is carnal or earthly, things like sexual immorality, uncleanness, vile passions, evil desires, greed, malice, slander, lying and abusive speech. But God calls us heavenward toward compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; forbearance, forgiveness, love, peace and unity.(Colossians 3:1-15) Here is true spirituality. Here is the heavenly life.

But does not knowledge cause us to become arrogant and as Paul put it “puffed up?” Yes, there is the danger that head knowledge without love can be a problem. So is it better then to be ignorant? That seems to be the attitude in many today, to glory in their ignorance. Nowhere will you find ignorance to be a prize in the Bible. There is no need to choose knowledge over love, faith over love, power over love, spirituality over intelligence. God is quite capable of bringing forth all of the attributes and abilities of Christ in His people. After all, this was His idea, His plan from the beginning, that we would bear His image, taking dominion over the earth in His stead and for His glory!

If anyone lacks wisdom, he or she should simply ask God for it in the confidence that He will give it. It is His will that we know His will for us and for His creation. (James 1:5-6, Ephesians 5:17). Great and momentous days are yet ahead for the children of God. His plan for us is to come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a complete corporate man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ! (Ephesians 4:13).

For what purpose? Paul unfolded this mystery in Ephesians 3:8-11:

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: