...and we're back

...a brief hiatus due to the power cord for this netbook being stolen along with my 40" flat screen TV on Thanksgiving. ...I decided to take the opportunity to give up TV for a while.         


I was thinking about Luke 12:32 today, "your Father took delight in giving you the kingdom." Now that I read the direct greek translation I automatically have a theory about it.  You could make a case that when Lucifer got uppity and rebelled, what he really wanted was to take God's kingdom for himself.  


Well, Jesus said to his disciples, "your Father took delight in giving YOU the kingdom" like... INSTEAD of Lucifer.  Cool, huh?  Yeah, I like makin stuff up like that, just so I can say... MIND... BLOWN!  Well kids, stay tuned, cause today's blog will light it up- don't read ahead though, 'cause I really thought this all out.


About giving us the kingdom, I believe we'll be set into places of authority to administer God's kingdom one day- in an official way,  and I think God will do that while Satan is watching. As we're being preciously beloved by God, and He's freely and happily giving us His kingdom, Satan will watch and be galled as he spends forever in Hell, away from God- LOL... ROFLYSST (rolling on the floor laughing, yet somehow still typing).  Hehe!


OK, sorry, but I'm getting the picture that God has no qualms about doing this in direct response to Lucifer's prideful aspirations, and his challenges to God in who He is. I'm thinking it could be that God answered Lucifer that very first day, and He took delight in giving His kingdom to men. PSYCH! 


As if God said, "I'm not owned by anything. Even my kingdom is mine to hold or to give away. When Lucifer wanted to take it, that was sin. And He challenged Me in all the aspects of my nature.  Well in this one aspect, its my pleasure to give my kingdom away.  But not to Lucifer- I have something else for him.  I'll make a new creature.  I'll make him in my image- male and female. And they'll be sons and daughters to Me even as Jesus is the Son.  I'll give them my Spirit, and with pleasure, I'll give them My kingdom.  In fact I'm going to do that right now." And then He did it. He created mankind- to be sons and daughters, and to be the recipients of His Love, His Spirit, and His kingdom. He made us for that- to be His people, and He to be our God.

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...the game is changed

So, I've come full circle on this subject.  Why did Jesus die for me? Its not only Him dying for me, its Him being Love and dying to redeem us, and on top of that, giving us His Spirit, and on top of that, giving us His kingdom!  It's His response to Lucifer's challenges to the nature of God. Is God indeed loving? Oh, you have no idea!  In response, He displays the greatest love- setting His love on man; man who had fallen into Satan's lies and even joined his ranks. Yet God, in His love, unafraid, reached out to rescue man from Satan's deceptions.  With ultimate sacrifice, He took men back from Satan and showed what the Love of God is!  And, if you're able to believe it, He continously offers you more love than you can take, today, right now, where you are, all day long. For you, and everyone you ever loved.    

And beyond that, He predestined us to be conformed to the image of Jesus, that He would be the first born among many brethren. What?! Yes, there it is, man was created to become as Jesus is and to be set as heirs of His kingdom.  This work has already been done since the beginning.  We are heirs, and have inherited the administration of the whole kingdom of God. This is in fact what we were made for!  To receive the great outpouring of God's love and so, prove His loving nature forever, and to receive God's kingdom because He took delight in giving it to us.

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...Brace yourself

So, what does it mean to be given His kingdom?  THAT is the great part of our lives here on earth. To have the joy of bringing the kingdom of Heaven to earth. That's for us to enjoy.  I started doing this recently- walking into the mall or post office, and seeing someone with a cane or in a wheelchair, and ask to pray for their healing right there. I can easily say that I've never prayed for more strangers in my whole life as I have in the last month. I expect to start seeing people getting healed right there in public.  Bringin' the Kingdom.


And here's another thing.  I also started to pay (not pray) for people's groceries in front of me at the checkout line, or for their donuts at the Krispy Kreme drive up window... in Jesus' name (11 PM "Hot Donuts NOW!"  Yeah!). I'm praying for my city, Raleigh, to be changed.  


That's where I'm starting when it comes to bringing the kingdom.

It totally matters that Jesus said "Your Father took delight in giving you the kingdom." I want to see what it looks like for God's will to be done at Walmart as it is in heaven.  And I want to know how much He loves us.  I want to see it all- His abounding love, and His kingdom come.

I've been totally inspired by Catherine, Dustin and Stef, who prayed for so many people at the mall the other night, I lost track. ..yeah we're doin that stuff.

Then there's THIS little gem! She's doing the last two minutes of Kim Walker's song. I LOVE IT!

-Romans 8:29 - "...those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren"