BUILDING A KINGDOM AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and
justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD will perform this.

Isaiah 9:7

After spending a week in Nepal, I appreciate the little things so much more. I can drink tap water, enjoy coffee with breakfast, and eat anything I want. The air is clean, and I can sleep in my own bed. I know this sounds trite, and I don’t mean it to be. God uses the mundane things in this world to teach us about the extraordinary world in the next. 

We live in worlds of comfort zones. Home is our familiar world, but it’s temporary. My little abode is in sunny Florida, where we have far too many cats that we fostered and couldn’t part with and a rescued dog. Most of my friends live nearby, and it’s where I work and play and do too much complaining about meaningless things.

Most of Nepali culture was unfamiliar to me. What made it familiar were the relationships with the Christians I met. While there, we praised the same God, sang the same songs, and enjoyed the sweet fellowship of Nepali Christians in their homes and places of worship.

Where will your future home be?

Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you.” In Matthew 16:19, He also said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

God numbers our days, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave this world. What will matter will be what we did for God. Investing time, money, talent, and knowledge into His Kingdom here will pay dividends in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Of course, if you aren’t a Christian, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You’ve chosen not to be part of that world, intentionally or unintentionally. If you don’t want to praise and worship the Savior here, you wouldn’t want to do so there. Heaven would be outside of your comfort zone. That familiarity begins here on earth in our spiritual relationships rooted in Jesus Christ. Those relationships are eternal, and the binding of those relationships here will also be bound in heaven.

Why have you rejected the most crucial relationship on this side of eternity? Jesus Christ died on the cross so you could live with Him forever.

Nothing familiar will exist in hell, either. Hell was made for the devil and his fallen angels—not for humans. Although, perhaps, one thing might be a tad familiar—loneliness. What would it be like always to be alone? I would imagine in hell, you’re alone because God made us to be in relationships with Him and other people. Hell is everything heaven isn’t.

God created humans because He wanted a family on earth, just as He had one in heaven. In the Kingdom of God, our forged relationships will continue into eternity, and whatever those relationships are here will be much more so there.

Despite how hard things can be sometimes, let us not grow weary of doing good. Let’s demonstrate that we are God’s extraordinary workmanship (Galatians 6:9). While worldly pursuits provide for earthly needs, our work for the Kingdom of God is the building block for the Kingdom of Heaven. That Kingdom is without end. It won’t burn up, collect dust, rot, or become outdated. Our good works are reaping an eternal award far more valuable than gold or silver.

Before I went to Nepal, I allowed the evil one to convince me otherwise. Now, I see the Kingdom of God here with more hope and belief in the impossible. Isaiah 64:4 says:

“For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.”

God’s Kingdom is expanding, and the Blessed Hope is nearer today than yesterday. Nothing except our unbelief can prevent God’s power from manifesting in our hearts. Seize the moment and make your earthly home a “taste” of your heavenly home. What more excellent gift can we give our family than a preview of what’s to come?

Despite the uptick in evil these last days, the Kingdom of God is increasing, and inwardly, God is renewing us for His glory.

Again, if you aren’t a Christian, why aren’t you? The Kingdom of God calls our name and woos us as a lover woos his beloved. Can you hear Him whispering in your ear? God loves you. You’re only a heartbeat away from eternity. Today is the day of salvation. Don’t delay.

PRAYER: Help us, Jesus, to remember You in the mundane, the extraordinary, the unpredictable, and the unknown. Help us to stay so close to You that if You call our name, we will hear Your voice. And may it be a precious sound in our ears.