LUKE 17:20-37
May God give us the grace to have the kingdom of God within us and to preserve it with by meditating daily on the word of God.
May God give us the grace to have the kingdom of God within us and to preserve it with by meditating daily on the word of God.
I THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU Jesus had to correct the Pharisees saying, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Sometimes I have had the belief that the kingdom of God is where God is and that I have no idea what it looks like until Jesus comes and takes me there. I did not think that it was already in my heart the moment I believed in Christ. Those who inherit the kingdom of God don’t do so by careful observation. It is not confined to one place such that people will have to come and say that it is here or there because the kingdom of God is within you. You will know for it is not hidden from you and it is declared publicly. Read v22
Jesus also took time to explain to his disciples about the things that will happen when God’s kingdom comes. They will long to see those moments when they had Jesus with them performing miracles and teaching the word in power because of the tribulation that will take place. The disciples will face persecutions and they will be scattered. Different people will rise up to claim that they are the Christ or say that the kingdom of God is here or there. These things must happen and they must not be afraid or run helter-skelter. We have seen the rise of such men in our days and it only reminds us that the kingdom of God is near. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. This will not take place until the Son of Man has suffered many things and be rejected by his generation. This has taken place already and what we now expect is the coming of Christ.
II THE END OF THE AGE 26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be agreed by all that these activities will not stop. We will not fast or remain celibate for the rest of our lives in order to receive the kingdom of God. The problem was that they cared about nothing else but the things of the flesh and paid no attention to the spiritual state of their souls. You need not be afraid if you are planning to have a house-church (wedding) before the end of the year because the church is praying for you. That should not be the only remarkable event in our lives because even those who do not believe in God get married. What makes us a peculiar people is that we do the will of God. We make time out for bible studies, prayer and serving others. Some people may not feel comfortable because they want to know when they will begin to enjoy comfortable and luxurious lives. There is no denying that we should enjoy these things but not at the expense of giving up the kingdom of God. When we give up the pursuit of God’s kingdom it will not be long before we find ourselves in beer parlours on Friday evenings, golf clubs on Sundays, holiday in Burj Al Arab and no time for any spiritual activity that will remind us about the kingdom of God. 28 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. Jude 1:23
30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. Judgment will eventually come just like in the days of Noah and Lot. We should not be caught by surprise when the Son of Man comes. When Christ comes all that mattered will matter no more. The football match will not matter anymore neither will the business meeting. Some years back some prophets of doom postulated that the world was about to end, this threw some people into panic and they began to do unimaginable things. People really did not want to part with this world. They got so attached that they wanted to buy or sell their properties while some where running without direction. Though this was false alarm, people never seem to be ready for the Lord’s coming. We seem to be too busy with many things that we find it difficult to give up some things for the sake of the kingdom of God. We are not supposed to be scared that the Lord of heaven and earth has come to take his own. Instead we should rejoice that God has heard our prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” 33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. People try to keep their lives in the security of their wealth or properties and would never be willing to lose their time or wealth for the sake of others. I am glad however, that many of us are losing our lives for the sake of preaching the gospel to others thereby preserving their lives. I pray that I will lose my life daily. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." 37 "Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." 1Thes 4:15-18
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. Judgment will eventually come just like in the days of Noah and Lot. We should not be caught by surprise when the Son of Man comes. When Christ comes all that mattered will matter no more. The football match will not matter anymore neither will the business meeting. Some years back some prophets of doom postulated that the world was about to end, this threw some people into panic and they began to do unimaginable things. People really did not want to part with this world. They got so attached that they wanted to buy or sell their properties while some where running without direction. Though this was false alarm, people never seem to be ready for the Lord’s coming. We seem to be too busy with many things that we find it difficult to give up some things for the sake of the kingdom of God. We are not supposed to be scared that the Lord of heaven and earth has come to take his own. Instead we should rejoice that God has heard our prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” 33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. People try to keep their lives in the security of their wealth or properties and would never be willing to lose their time or wealth for the sake of others. I am glad however, that many of us are losing our lives for the sake of preaching the gospel to others thereby preserving their lives. I pray that I will lose my life daily. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." 37 "Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." 1Thes 4:15-18
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
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