Walking in the Kingdom by Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Luke 17:20-21 (NKJV) 
²⁰  Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
²¹  nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

The Kingdom, so often referred to in the teachings of Jesus, is neither the future Millennial Kingdom nor eternity.  It is the ruling presence of God within the heart of every believer.  While the Holy Spirit indwells each believer, we walk in the Kingdom to the extent that we follow the rule of the Holy Spirit Who is our Guide, our Teacher and our Comforter.

While many deny the free will of believers, that free will was established in the beginning.  The Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah admonishing believers in his day, and in our own, to return to those paths the Lord had established.

Jeremiah 6:16a (NKJV): “¹⁶Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.”

Where do we find those ancient paths?  In the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 2:8-9 (NKJV):  “⁸ The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. ⁹ And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

“Knowledge of good and evil” can be translated as “determination or declaration of good and evil.” Eating of that tree is a metaphor for mankind, with our limited knowledge, determining what is good and what is evil.  It is an “if it feels good, do it” philosophy.  It places man above God and eventually sees man as god. It is the foundation of all paganism and worldly philosophies such as humanism and existentialism.

Culturally, the two trees in the Garden are manifested in the Biblical path and the worldly path.The Biblical path is one of blessing and hope. It is the Kingdom of God. The worldly mindset is one of cursing and despair. One wit described worldly philosophy as “life is one damned thing after another, and then you die.”  

That “doomsday” mindset is seen in many Christians.  One day I visited with another pastor who said, “If the Lord doesn’t return soon, it will be too late.” TOO LATE FOR WHAT?

Walking in the Kingdom requires that we believe in the promises of God, rest in His assurances and occupy until He comes.  We are comforted when we know our God is an overcomer.  John 16:33 (NKJV)“³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Martha thought the Lord was too late when He approached the grave of Lazarus, but He was right on time. 

We can either walk in the kingdom by resting in the promises of God or fret ourselves with despair.  Those are the choices represented by the two trees in Eden  Remember Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV): ^“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Paul eloquently outlined the “old paths”, the Kingdom, when he wrote to the church at Thessalonica: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (NKJV) “⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰  and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; ¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” 

In the Kingdom, “He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.” (Charles A. Miles)