I believe it is where God's will is done. Jesus prayed and asked that the Father's kingdom comes, and that His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus said that if He casts out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon them (see Luke 11:20).
The kingdom of God, therefore, is where the will of God is carried out here on earth! It involves doing the things that Jesus went about doing... liberating the captives (casting out demons), healing the sick, and raising the dead! Jesus directly connected healing the sick in with the kingdom of God coming
upon the people:The kingdom of God, therefore, is where the will of God is carried out here on earth! It involves doing the things that Jesus went about doing... liberating the captives (casting out demons), healing the sick, and raising the dead! Jesus directly connected healing the sick in with the kingdom of God coming
And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. Luke 10:9
In another passage, Jesus sent forth the disciples to preach the kingdom of God. I believe you could safely replace kingdom with the words, "The will of God here on earth." Yes it is God's will for man to be saved, but the kingdom of God, as we can see in the passage above, is more than just forgiveness of sins, but also physical healing, and also deliverance!
Therefore,I believe that the kingdom of God refers to where the will ofGod is being done on earth as it is in heaven!
And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Luke 9:2
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8
Now this is going to shake up some religious minds, but did you know that the Father loves us, as much as He loved Jesus? While Jesus was praying to the Father, He revealed this life-changing truth. This is something that we need to mediate on, as it will change your whole outlook on life and your relationship with God.
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17:23
Do you know of anybody who loves and cares for you, enough to count the very hairs on your head, and give each one a number? I assure you that your heavenly Father has done just that! Jesus made it clear that our heavenly Father is concerned over even the smallest details in our lives. If it concerns us, it concerns Him: Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7
There are other things in the Word of God that many Christians have no clue even exists! Did you know that God rejoices over His children, sings over them, and even considers them the apple of His eye?
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. Isaiah 62:5
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. Zechariah 2:8
God longs for an intimate relationship with His beloved bride! I have a whole teaching on A Love Relationship With Jesus that I highly recommend reading. God is concerned about our safety. Jesus considered Himself the good shepherd. Nowadays, most of us are not acquainted with the idea of shepherding, but the job of a shepherd is to protect and guide the sheep. Bears, lions, and other predators will come along, and it is up to the shepherd to protect the sheep from their harm. I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. John 10:11-13
Speaking of laying down His life for us, Jesus spoke with the disciples and said that there is no greater way to show your love for somebody, than to give your life for them. He laid down His life for us, and by doing so, proved that He deeply loved and cared for us.
Greater love hath no man than this,that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
This kind of love is in the hearts of the Father and the Holy Spirit as well !If the Son (Jesus), the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all of one mind, then that means that all three of them have the same kind of love for us. This lines up with what Jesus told the Father in John 17, in that He loves us with the same love that He loves His own son! After all, the Holy Spirit is the one who pours out the love of Christ upon our hearts, and the Father is the one who sent His son Jesus to die! You can't say that Jesus is the only member of the Godhead that loves you so dearly. I love how the Bible can be cross references like that. Our heavenly Father takes no pleasure in our failures! Unlike many religious folks believe, God is not rejoicing up in heaven when we mess up, so that he can hold it against us. The heart of our Father is grieved when we wander from His good path for us. When we look through the Bible, we find account after account, where He is pleading with His people to return to Him so that He can cleanse them and make things right again...Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:
Though your sins be as scarlet [or stained with blood... in other words, murder!], they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18
God doesn't want a barrier between Him and His people. That's the reason that He sent His son to die for us, so that we may be reconciled with Him. The Bible refers to this as the ministry of reconciliation:
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.2 Corinthians 5:19
When His children make mistakes, He pities us as a loving Father, and His mercy is abundant towards them, as much as the heavens are above the earth! God's Word also tells us that He is ready to abundantly pardon .He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. Psalms 103:10-13
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7
Did you know that God has chosen to forget our sins, not for our sakes, but for His? It grieves Him so much to see our failures, that He's chosen to forget them so that He can look upon us and not see those mistakes that we've made :
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isaiah 43:25
It sure goes against the belief that God's up stairs with a clipboard, keeping track of our every failure... doesn't it? Then there's the parables that Jesus gave us in Luke 15 to demonstrate the heart of the Father towards those who have made mistakes and walked off the path, but came back to Him in repentance. My favorite is the story of the prodigal son...And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth tome. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let use at , and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Luke 15:11-24
That father didn't just wait until the son walked up to him, that father was filled will overflowing love and compassion for his returning son... he took of running towards him and kissed him! That father was probably thinking about His son the whole time, and when He saw him coming at a distance, that father was filled with joy because of the return of his son! As I mentioned earlier, He thinks about us often, and deeply desires to have relationship and fellowship with Him. God tells us that we are engraved on the palms of His hands:
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:15-16
If you really want to feel the heartbeat of God, and His desire to have the lost return to Him, then grab your Bible and read Jeremiah 3:11-22. My favorite translation for this passage is the NLT. That passage is so powerful, and shows us a picture of God pouring out His heart towards His people, pleading with them to return to Him! Whatever is done to us, God takes it personally! Did you know that whenever somebody blesses or wrongs us, God takes it personally, as if they were doing those very things unto Him? Jesus made this very clear in the following passage:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick ,or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Matthew 25:33-45
Did you know that your heavenly Father considers it a serious offense if somebody causes you to stumble? Talk about a protective and caring Father who is very much involved in protecting His family!
And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Mark 9:42
God's Word tells us that He makes it His personal job to watch over His children who fear Him:
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy. Psalms 33:18
He also sends His angels to protect us. I believe that each of us are assigned at least one angel!
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:10
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. .Psalms 34:7
He even sends us His angels as ministering spirits unto the children of God:
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14
I'm telling you, God not only loves us, but He wants to make sure that we're provided for, looked after, and blessed with everything that we need! And that's not all, as if Jesus didn't pay such a terrible and steep price for our salvation, healing ,forgiveness, and deliverance, He is busy in heaven preparing us a mansion to live in when He returns for us! In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:2-3