MCB CAMP LEJEUNE -- An internal support system gives strength to everything… wooden framing of houses, bones inside your body or steel beams for an elevator shaft. The quality of the structure and its proper use determines if it will work.
God has a structure to the kingdom way he does things for his children. (I.) God the Father has massive store houses with a variety of gifts in them. (Mal 3:10-12, Duet. 32:34, Rev. 21:21) God has more set aside for you than you could use in 999 lifetimes. Jesus Christ, the son of God purchased (II.) the distribution rights for all the Earth. The price was his life… his suffering… his humiliation… his torture… his blood… and it killed him. This is recorded in the four Gospels. This was the payment for the distribution rights. The receipt or proof of purchase was his coming back to life after being dead for three days. This receipt is called the resurrection. The Gospels tell that story also.
The Father owns the goods and the Son has proof of purchase and distribution rights which make up parts 1 and 2 of God’s Operational Kingdom Structure. The Holy Spirit manages the third part. It is his job to (III.) allocate all the gifts anyway he wants to. (“severally as he wills” I Cor. 12:11) He looks at everything that can be considered about your needs and the Fathers’ story of your life he’s already written. (Ps. 139:16) Then the Holy Spirit gets your package of gifts ready. (I Cor. 12&14) Then he waits on you to ask for it so he has permission to give it to you. Once you ask, you get them. (Mt. 6:33)
The sincere Christian, who with intentional persistence and sacrifice pursues an intimate relationship with Jesus will walk in love, teach, use their faith and exhibit a lifestyle clothed in God’s glory. (II Cor. 3:18) This group of people all over the Earth makes up the entire church. It is our job to (IV.) administrate the legal rules of God’s Kingdom Operations. These rules are written primarily in story form or relational letters. This eternally binding document of Kingdom Operations for us to learn and enforce is called the Bible. We read it and the Holy Spirit teaches us. He is our teacher or life coach, spiritual warrior training leader, supervisor and test-giver. We are required to show him we’ve learned this life-giving, fool-proof document called the Bible. Jesus is the church’s commander-in-chief and we obey him in order to see Kingdom Operations followed through so the massive gifts in Heaven make it to Earth. That’s why Jesus told us to declare, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven,” (Mt. 6:10) and then commands us to, “Occupy ‘til I come!”(Mt. 19:13).
This process is both sensible and exciting. It’s time for Christians to enter the Kingdom of God and busy themselves in Kingdom Operations… Hoorah!
The Chaplain’s Corner covers everything faith related. Facts not attributed are purely the opinion of the writer.