Looking Forward

I look forward to a lot of things. Seeing my kids grow up, graduate, get married, having grandkids... short and long-term stuff. I look forward to getting out of debt. I look forward to the growth of the church God has made me a steward and shepherd of. I look forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face.

I find it interesting Jesus' reply to the Pharisee's inquiry about the Kingdom of God (Luke 17:20-21). They looked forward to it. But Jesus proceeds to blow up their ideas (again) of what it would be like. "You can't find it or make it come because of your careful observation. It's not a matter of the observable. It is within you."

It is reality. It is physical reality. The body is the temple of God now. It is spiritual reality. The Holy Spirit makes it so. It is, I feel, both outward and inward manifestation among people, something mysterious inside with observable results outside. But it isn't about a location.

In their own midst, the Kingdom of God was a reality in Jesus, but they couldn't even see it. How would they be able to find it when Jesus wasn't physically there with them? The fact that they couldn't see it right in front of them would make it impossible to detect God's kingdom when it was less obvious. And today, if God isn't in the everyday stuff of life, we won't be expecting it when it physically comes again.

I need Jesus in me. I need Him in the daily realities of life. I need to be in His Kingdom even if I'm living in another. The destroyed life of yesterday needs to stay destroyed. I need to live as a God's-Kingdom-Citizen today so I will expect His Kingdom to be here soon and not get dragged into the lethargy of this kingdom.

Walk away from the dead me. Embrace the living me, and speak of Jesus and do life with Jesus today.