Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Revelation 12-17
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 17:20-21
Jesus: The kingdom of God comes—but not with signs that you can observe. People are not going to say, “Look! Here it is!” They’re not going to say, “Look! It’s over there!” You want to see the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is already here among you.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
I have a passport with the United States of America stamped on the front of it. And embossed on every page is a flag of the country. That’s where I was born and raised. It’s the country where I vote and own property and when I fill out any kind of questionnaire, I declare the United States as the place of my citizenship. I know the words to the country’s national anthem and the pledge of allegiance to the flag that represents our nation. I know the Preamble to the Constitution that sets the foundation for governance of our country that puts the power and authority for its governance in the hands of the people through our individual right to vote. I understand much of the Constitution and the amendments that have been added to it through the years. Although, I admit, I don’t understand some of the current interpretations given by some of the lower and higher courts we have heard lately.
I love the country in which I was born. In fact, in 1976, I took an oath to defend that Constitution against all enemies whether they are external or internal to the nation when I accepted my commission in the United States Army. That oath is still current because that commission never expires for officers whether on active duty, reserve, or retired. Unless the commission is revoked by the President or Congress, the commission and my responsibilities to the nation remain valid. That’s why military officer retirees retain their titles after retirement. Their oath of office never expires, only their tour of duty changes.
I say all of that to point out that I can point to a lot of physical things that describe the place where I live. If you live in some other country and have citizenship in some other country, you can do the same. I take pride in being an American and I hope if you live in another country, you take as much pride in your country as I do in mine. It is important that we support the community in which we live. I’m a firm believer that if you really don’t like what our Constitution says or the way our government is established, then leave. Find another place to live. Don’t change our Constitution. Just find another country whose governance fits your style of government and be happier. Don’t change mine.
See, there are some people who are content to live in dictatorships because they have no responsibility then in determining the success or failure of the nation. The leadership is to blame for its success or failure. Period. There are some who, instead of a republic like ours, want a completely democratic form of government. In a nation of 370 million people, a total democracy just wouldn’t work, quite frankly. Nothing would ever get done if we had to vote on every bill, every budget, every item that came before our congressmen and other elected officials. But in some small nations, tribes, and clans a democracy can work on a small scale.
Why do I talk about all these political constructs? To tell you that none of these mean anything to God. He doesn’t care if we live in a republic, a democracy, a dictatorship, a theocracy, or chaos. He doesn’t care what kind of government surrounds us because all of them here on earth are poor substitutes for the kingdom He first envisioned for us and the one that awaits those who recognize Him as king. His kingdom has no physical boundaries. You won’t find the kingdom of God outlined on any map. You can’t find it listed on any legends or indices. You can’t drive to it or sail to it or fly to it. You can’t put the kingdom of God on your vacation list or find any pamphlets telling you about real estate for sale there.
Jesus warns against anyone trying to tell you where it is. Because if they tell you, they are lying to you. Because no one knows the kingdom’s physical location. It has no physical location because it is everywhere. It is here. It is where God is. And Jesus said where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there with them. So there is the kingdom of God. He also said He lives in us, so there is the kingdom of God. Where is it? Here, in me and in you. It’s all around us, shaping us, convicting and convincing us, guiding us, making us into the people God wants us to become.
The flag of God’s kingdom? There isn’t one except the banner that says Jesus is Lord. The national anthem? Maybe the Hallelujah Chorus. The pledge of allegiance? How about, I surrender all? God’s kingdom is very different than anything on earth because it isn’t physically here on earth. It is where God is, but then He is everywhere. Unbounded by space and time. Now go figure out the dimensions of His kingdom and try to point to its borders. Not possible, is it?
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