TODAY’S DEVOTION (TUESDAY 26TH MARCH 2024)
“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. Luke 16:16 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 86TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
It is 86 days already in a journey of 366 days. We give God the glory for all that.
Life is beautiful, yes life is beautiful if Christ is at its center. If other things are at its center, it could be exciting for a moment but will never be beautiful.
The beauty of life is usually the presence of its maker at its center. The Bible says, by Jesus Christ were all things created. If you live a life that neglects Him, you could be celebrated for a while, but will be doomed at the end.
He is the hope of mankind, and the light of the world. Let no one confuse you about that. He is God who came down as man, and lived among men to die on the cross, and save us from the penalty and practice of our sins.
Above all, He established for us a spiritual kingdom and gave us the regeneration of citizenship. Today, as many as have accepted Him as LORD and savior, live in that kingdom. They also have a culture, the culture of pressing into divine things in His kingdom.
Pressing into blessings, God’s grace, power, goodness, mercies, and presence is what makes the kingdom life beautiful. As earlier stated, it is a kingdom culture, that requires spiritual diligence, guided by a Heavenly vision.
Sadly, spiritual laziness is robbing many of this.
Friend, the power and prosperity we will generate, by pressing into the divine things of God’s kingdom, especially through prayer and Spirit guided pursuits, will leave no life the same, no matter the odds that might surround them.
Pressing into the divine things of the Kingdom of God will generate the power you need to break from the yokes of your enemies, eliminate evil works even in the lives of others, and neutralize any worker of iniquity around your life.
It has a way of granting us victory over the three major gates of the enemy; especially during warfare. The gates are the gates of hell, the gates of death, and the gates of grave.
We can see that in the life of Abraham. When he pressed into the divine things of the manifestation of the Kingdom of God in His age and time, He unlocked the power to possess these three gates, not only for Himself, but for his seed also.
EVERY CHILD OF GOD MUST KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL CALLED TO SPEND EACH DAY PRESSING INTO THE DIVINE THINGS OF GOD’S KINGDOM.
By doing so, we can live lives that are full of God’s blessings, unlock upon our lives; things that might even speak beyond our lifetime.
Now, one may be wondering what those divine things are. Yes, someone’s heart could be musing on this question; What are the kingdom things a Christian is called to press into?
The only way we can answer the question, is by looking carefully into our devotional text this morning. A major highlight of it reads;
“…the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.”
The first truth to glean from here is this; if we truly preach the Kingdom of God to the nations, people will press into it.
There will be no empty religion but true relationship between men and Jesus Christ. But now, that is not what most preachers are spreading. Most are preaching self help gospels, humanistic philosophies, churchianity and denominationalism.
Many preach, calling unto people to come join their churches. Most do not preach calling on hearts to embrace the kingdom. The kingdom is not being preached by so many, that is why many are not pressing into it.
The next truth to glean from our highlight is what to press into. That is the truth that answers the question on what to press into. We are to press into the kingdom of God.
Confused? Please do not be. You and I are to live our days pressing into the Kingdom of God. That is the divine call upon our lives.
Now, what is the kingdom of God because many do not know what it is? To start with, the kingdom of God is different from the Kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of Heaven is a place but the kingdom of God is not a place. However, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven until you have seen and entered the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is the influence of God over a place, people, culture, system, and etc. impacting it with His will, His ways, and righteousness. That is what we are to spend each day pressing into.
We are to live our days pressing into a life that is influenced by the will, ways, Spirit, and righteousness of the LORD. That is how we enter the Kingdom. It all begins by seeing it, perceiving it, understanding it, and coming into its glorious light.
SADLY, MANY HAVE SEEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD BUT ARE YET TO ENTER.
That is why most live anti-kingdom lifestyles presented as Christianity. But that will be a lesson for another day! For today, let us look again into what the Kingdom of God is.
The kingdom of God is different from the Kingdom of men. The kingdom of God is even different from the kingdom of men and women of God that many belong to and worship.
While GOD is not against respect and honor for His servants, He is strongly against worship for His servants; particularly those who have used the Church of Jesus Christ to build themselves a kingdom.
What is the Kingdom of God? It is not the Kingdom of men of God. It is not even the Church. The kingdom of God is the governing power of God over a people, influencing them with His word, His will, His plans, His goals, His purposes, or visions for their lives.
When the Bible says the Kingdom of God is preached, the Bible simply means this governing influence of God and His Christ, is proclaimed to men, and those who hear are pressing into it.
Pressing into the Kingdom therefore, is pressing to know, embrace, and walk in God’s word, will, goals, purposes, plans and visions; either for your life or the global Church.
A kingdom lifestyle is therefore a lifestyle that has been shaped by God’s word, will, plans, purposes, goals or visions.
We generate enormous power in the spirit realm when we press into the Kingdom, or the governing influence of Christ. Pressing into His kingdom or governing influence involves pressing into His plans, goals, and prophetic purposes for our lives.
THAT IS THE PRESSING THAT GOD ORDAINED FOR US, HIS CALLED-OUT ONES (THE CHURCH).
That is the pressing that makes us His parliament or cabinet on earth.
Our job is to understand this pressing, and know that it calls for a perfect understanding of His word, will, plans, purposes, goals, and visions, and impact the lost world with them.
I have come to discover that, the most powerless Christians in the Church today are those who are not pressing into the Kingdom.
That is why false prophets exploit them, and derailed pastors, prophets, bishops, apostles, and prophetesses intimidate them when they want to leave their Churches or ministries. They are the ones who are always in need of deliverance and cannot even be delivered.
But the most powerful ones, are those Christians who are walking away from dark religion, false or heretic teachings on altars, and etc., the demon of deliverance, and charismatic witchcraft. They are not just walking away from these things, but are living their days pressing into the Kingdom of God.
This breed cannot be captured by lying prophets or derailed spiritual leaders.
They are not hero worshipers; they do not worship men or women of God. They respect the anointed of the LORD, but worship the anointed One Himself – Jesus Christ.
They go from Church to church sometimes, not because they are looking for miracles, but because they are looking for the miracle worker Himself. The glory of God is their chase. It is what they are looking for, hence not satisfied with the anointing.
They fight to break the status quo to get to something deeper and free from the stain of the flesh. These are the ones God is using today as His parliament on earth.
Today’s devotional is to urge you to become one of this special breed of God; people upon whom the kingdom of God will rest on to do things on earth. Men and women God can count on to turn many to righteousness, seeking and saving that which was lost.
WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS SPECIAL INVITATION? WILL YOU PAY THE PRICE?
The price is worth the prize. The price is self denial! It is pressing into the kingdom and walking away from Churchianity. But the prize or reward for doing that, is power with God and favour among men of truth.
There are no words to describe the power and prosperity you will generate on earth if you decide to become a chaser of God’s glory instead of an empty Church goer!
Your enemies will be the first to testify of how powerless they have become in their attacks against you.
As we bring this to a close, it is important to note that, what you press into in this world, is what determines what presses into you. If you press into earthly things, worry, anxiety, and restlessness, will begin to press into you until they steal your peace, joy, and will to live.
But if you press into the Kingdom, peace, power, and prosperity from God will press into you!
You have to either renew your mind for the Kingdom or make a fresh decision for the kingdom today! Your life will take a glorious turn if you do.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY!
“And you, do not seek [by meditating and reasoning to inquire into] what you are to eat and what you are to drink; nor be of anxious (troubled) mind [unsettled, excited, worried, and in suspense];
For all the pagan world is [greedily] seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.
Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!” Luke 12:29-32 AMPC