Grace for Your Day January 25

The kingdom of God has been described as “God’s rule over the universe.” It refers to the fact that God rules over everything that exists. He is King and He is Lord and, therefore, He reigns over it all because there is nothing that does not fall under His domain. However, He does not reign over all things in the same way. He manifests His rule in different ways throughout history.

For example, in his book Understanding End Times Prophecy, Paul Benware says that there are six different manifestations of God’s rule in the Bible.

1. The Universal Kingdom where God rules over the universe.
2. The Spiritual Kingdom where God rules over the souls of those who are saved.
3. The Theocratic Kingdom where God rules over the nation of Israel.
4. The Mystery Kingdom where God rules over the church.
5. The Millennial Kingdom where God or the Messiah rules over the earth for 1,000 years.
6. The Eternal Kingdom where God rules over the New Heavens and the New Earth in the future.

I mention this because no series on the Christian’s role in the government would be complete without a discussion of this topic. No study of the subject of the church and the state would be complete without a look at the kingdom of God because so much confusion surrounds it. So many people are puzzled over the way that God rules over the universe.

For example, some people think that we are living in the age of the theocracy right now. They believe that we are living at a time when the church should take over the state. Others think that we are living in the millennial kingdom or that we need to be preparing the way for the millennial kingdom. They believe that we need to make things better in this world in order to allow Jesus to return. Others think that there is no kingdom to come at all or they forget about it altogether. They go on as if this world is all there is which is a depressing thought. It leads to a dismal outlook on life.

So we need to address all of that this week at Grace Fellowship Church. We need to remember that God still reigns over all. Even though this world is getting worse, that is okay because God has not given up His kingdom. First Chronicles 29:11 says:

Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. 

This is something we need to remember now more than ever. Please join us this Sunday morning as we do that. The sermon will be recorded on Saturday night and posted on our You Tube Channel the next day. May the Lord bless you and keep you until then. – Jeremy Cagle