What is a Kingdom?

'If you are divided against a kingdom, you and the 'kingdom' will not stand."

This is the very reason I want to live in a Kingdom (Also NATION) with the approval of God! How can that be possible you might ask, while we live here on this earth with all of its division. Well, there is a portion of a scripture I will tell you about that completely hit me one day while reading the BIBLE.

First I gotta tell ya that several years back, probably in the 90's, I remember singing along to one of my praise and worship Cd’s. I use to play this particular CD a lot in my car and this is what I would sing:

“Righteousness, Peace, Joy in the Holy Ghost, Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost, that’s the Kingdom of God.” “Don't you want to be a part of the Kingdom? Don't you want to be a part of the Kingdom? Don't you want to be a part of the Kingdom, come on everybody!”

Of course the song had more verses, but what struck me that particular day while I was reading the Bible in the book of Matthew, is that Jesus is CLEARLY describing how we could live undivided, so take heed. If we could possibly hear what he is trying to say in this passage, we would see that our Kingdom, His Kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. But it seems more contrary at times, even in my personal life, though I strive for more unity than division.

When I was married the first time in 1985 I had entered into a new 'kingdom' of my life which was marriage. We lived in harmony most of the time and we both loved the Lord and even went to church in Tulsa, almost faithfully. At least faithfully on Sunday mornings.

We both worked, too much, and we became more and more dependent on our jobs than each other, or the love we had for the Lord or the love we once cherished in each other.

As several years went by, my 'kingdom' began to vanish of the things it was built on. Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. I slowly watched my 'castle/kingdom' fade away. We divided from each other after four and a half years of marriage we become even more distant with a separation. That separation lasted about eight weeks.

During the time of that split, my husband called me from Kansas city and he told me that when he was sitting out on his fathers deck listening to secular music, a song came on the radio and the words to the song were this:

         “So raise your hands to heaven and pray that we'll be back together someday, 

tonight I need your sweet caress hold me in the darkness- tonight you calm my restlessness, you relieve my sadness.” 

He said when he listened to the words he could see me when I worshiped and he could see me when I prayed and he could also see me forgiving him, again. 

Ultimately he came home but tragically we parted ways permanently five years later.

Our kingdom was merely always divided. When you begin to leave Jesus who is the King of all, out of your life, you will fall. And you will not just fall with a skinned knee, you will fall in utter desolation.

My marriage ended in divorce and I was single for ten years, but the God I love and serve is a restorer to those who love him and call on him. Yes, it took ten years to get re-married, but like Jesus said; “A house divided against itself will not stand!”

I have told my husband whom the Lord gave to me after that tragic divorce and being single for 10 years, that our kingdom must never be divided. Oh, I can tell you, it's been a real struggle at times to remain in the footsteps of righteousness, within this marriage, but I know from experience that keeping the Holy Spirit actively alive, is the only thing that will keep your kingdom together.

Even the devil doesn't know how to keep himself together as he battles against himself! When we participate in the same 'weakness/strength' of the devil we will FALL! Jesus explains it in the very NEXT verse  in Matthew, that if the devil tries to drive out the demons with his own power, such as pride, greed, lust, wrath, gluttony envy or sloth then he is dis-unified! So, how then will a kingdom last or stand?

I could see this in chapter 12, how Jesus described (Amplified version) those who were against or rather divided in ANY Kingdom will be brought down to desolation (gloom) and laid to waste, and then Jesus goes on to say; that NO CITY or HOUSE divided against itself will last or continue to stand.

IF WE REMAIN IN UNITY BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD WE WILL STAND—BUT IF YOU ARE NOT WITH GOD, THEN UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE AGAINST HIM.

My daddy used to have a bumper sticker on his truck that said; “Grove Oklahoma belongs to Jesus, Get saved or get out of town!”

I used to be a little embarrassed at times with my daddy's crass and nonchalant way he had about him. But where he lived and what he did was wholeheartedly urging people to wake up to what God himself is trying to tell us. We got use to him being bold.

WAKE -UP and stop dividing yourself against the kingdom of God. Daddy said many things that reckoned something inside of me, because he was 'stubborn' about his love for Jesus. 

I was so nervous when my daddy was asked to the the service of my High School's Baccalaureate ceremony, the year I graduated. I don't really remember him embarrassing me with his strong southern twang accent he never lost after moving to Oklahoma, I always thought it was charming. 

I actually remember thinking how delighted I was that he told a funny story about a rooster, that made everyone think and laugh. (I wish I had his notes from that day, it would mean so much to me!) He got an applause, but he was never again asked to deliver the message at any other Grove Baccalaureate ceremonies again. I am certain he must have shared the salvation message, something I was very use to. Regardless, I smiled, I do remember that. (32 years ago)

When I read the words of my Jesus, I can hear the same determination of my daddy desiring nothing but best for his daughter. That is the same thing our God wants from us. 

What daddy meant was the very same thing that Jesus meant. GET WITH THE UNITY OF YOUR GOD OR GET OUT OF TOWN. 

You see, if we do not get into unity with Jesus and His words to us, as a city, as a nation, as a church as a family as a marriage etc. etc.....we will FALL. Yes, we have a gracious God and Yes, he has shown us much mercy, but if we do not heed to the voice of our Savior then he is describing to us in his words like he was speaking to the disciples and the Pharisee's in that chapter, that desolation will happen. (Matthew 12) Look around.

It was people that delivered our Messiah into the hands of the enemy to be hung on the cross. The same 'people' delivers His precious Holy Spirit to the hands of the enemy when we are in discord and leave him out of our lives.

YET, Jesus forgives them all! But unfortunately anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit, woe to him. (12:32) See, Jesus gave himself freely to this World by God, but when God took him into eternity and now he sits at the right hand of the father making intercession for you and me, he is interceding because the Holy Spirit, who is Jesus' Spirit, Gods Spirit, is here for us and his intercession and his presence is so that we will take notice of how powerful He can be in our lives. We must let him.

See, Righteousness, Peace and Joy are in the Holy Spirit and when that is quenched or stifled or put away from unity—it leaves us desolate! It leave us for ruin. We cannot function without the help of the Holy Spirit. We cannot live in unity without his power working in our lives. We cannot be of any good to Jesus if we are not walking in the way he has taught us through the Word to do. 

He wants us to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work. That is why he lived, died and rose again, so that we would always be able to know him by the power of the Holy Spirit who is always willing and waiting to be there working in and through us.

GOD is for us, who then can be against us?.....Us!

Let's get into UNITY. Home-Church-City-Family-Job- and-NATION!

We do not want to be laid to waste.

side note: I was reading from my mother's amplified Bible, when I found this verse I have written about in this blog . She had given me this Bible shortly after my daddy died— in the front of the Bible she wrote; “The Great Revival with Rodney Howard Brown" was taking place and she thought it was important to jot that down right under her name.

My parents were both touched in a mighty way at that Revival and many people ridiculed Rodney Howard Brown because of all the laughter that took place in his meetings. 

The enemy DOES NOT WANT RIGHTEOUSNESS PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST, BECAUSE THAT KINGDOM BELONGS TO GOD.

Right under my mothers notation about the revival, she wrote: I Corinthians 1:18 and 2:14-16 Basically it says; “Most men do not receive God and they see the Word as folly and they see it as very absurd, but unfortunately, they are perishing and need Jesus.

But to me and to you, it is giving us POWER to walk in the KINGDOM OF GOD!