Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is surging in multiple locations in China, for which many people are under some form of lockdown. Under the raging epidemic, a great number of people are going through a very difficult situation. People all over the world are pondering a common question: will the world be better? Nevertheless, the people of God should cry out, "God, may your kingdom come."
A few days ago, Pastor F (pseudonym), based in East China, shared about the kingdom of God to inspire people who had been suffering from the epidemic and various other tribulations.
Pastor F started, "In such complex emotions and inexplicable tensions that we can't describe in words, all kinds of human wisdom, abilities, and experiences... can't give a definite answer before such a huge uncertainty at the moment. Faced with the current situation, we will know deeply that there is nothing we can do. As the people of God, how should we view our relationship with the times we live in? When we feel our own smallness, thinking that we can’t do anything or change anything, God says No. He tells us - you were born for this age."
Living in such a magnificent era, secular people in the world would think about one question: "will the world still be all right?" But the people of God have a different cry, which is "thy kingdom come."
She continued, "Everyone is feeling powerless and experiencing all kinds of disappointment, but our call is different from this world, which is 'God, may your kingdom come'. Yet, when will His kingdom come? And how? In other words, as God’s people, what can we do? This is what we need to seek together.”
"The kingdom of God is constantly mentioned throughout the Bible, in which we see the original form of the kingdom of God in the Garden of Eden, also the failure of Adam, the covenant between God and Abraham that laid the groundwork for the restoration of the divine kingdom. We see that Israel headed by David became the first prototype of His kingdom. We also see the glorious divine kingdom in Daniel's visions... But who has preached about the kingdom of God the most? It was Jesus himself. During the three years that Jesus lived on earth, his main message was never about the church or Christianity but was mainly about the kingdom of God. It’s said that He mentioned the kingdom of God over 120 times. In fact, the birth of Jesus was the beginning of the restoration of the kingdom of God on earth.”
The pastor claimed that the purpose of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection is to restore the divine kingdom on this earth. As Jesus told us that the kingdom of God is within you, the message about the kingdom of God would reach us from our eyes and ears into our minds, be deeply recognized by us, then enter our hearts, initiate the power to transform, change our lives, and finally bring out the power to transform the world.
Regarding how the kingdom of God in our hearts could be built, Pastor F explained it from the following three aspects.
First, the kingdom of God within us is a matter of righteousness. In fact, a large part of the hardship and disappointment we experience in this generation is because we have seen much injustice, but we are unable to change it. While the kingdom of God is precisely about righteousness which can only come from and relate to Jesus Christ, so we have no righteousness outside of it. Our righteousness only arises from faith in God. So, if we think we can build up His kingdom within us by doing better and becoming righteous ourselves, that is totally wrong.
As Edward Mote said in the book Solid Rock: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand."
Second, the kingdom of God within us is about peace. When we search the Bible, we will see that God's blessings are often associated with peace. Nowadays, all the enemies do on earth is steal our inner peace.
Third, the kingdom of God within us is also about joy in the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was born, whether John the Baptist, the angels, or the three magi from the East, they all welcomed the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and the restoration of the kingdom of God with great pleasure and joy. Likewise, when the kingdom of God is taking shape in us, there will be great joy flowing in us. Such joy is not given to us by the outside world but is a quality of the divine kingdom itself, which is supernatural and does not depend on any external circumstances.
Pastor F concluded, "It's a bit difficult to talk about joy with you at a time like today. It's hard to say it, especially to those who are facing the epidemic and other difficult situations. But I still have to say that we must rejoice. We shall overcome all difficulties because of the joy that comes from the kingdom of God and takes root in us."
- Translated by Shuya Wang
现在，新冠病毒疫情正在国内多个地方爆发，许多人们处于被封控的处境当中，疫情肆虐之下，很多人正在经历非常艰难的状况。世界上的人们在思考着一个共同的问题：这个世界会好吗？而属神的人们则在呼求：神啊，愿你的国降临。
日前，华东某地一名牧者F姊妹分享了关于神的国度的信息，鼓舞遭遇疫情和其他各样患难的人们。
F姊妹说：“在这样一个我们无法用言语形容的复杂的情绪和莫名的张力之中，人的各样的智慧、能力、经验……都无法在当下的这样的一个巨大的不确定面前给我们确定的答案。面对现实的处境，我们会深深地知道：我们做不了什么。作为属神的百姓，我们应当看待我们和我们所处的世代的关系呢？当我们感受到自己的渺小，觉得自己没有什么可做的，改变不了任何事情的时候，神却说不。神告诉我们——你们就是为这个时代而生的。”
处在一个波澜壮阔的大时代当中，世界上的人就会思考一个问题：这个世界还会好吗？可是神的百姓却有一个不一样的呼求，神的百姓在呼求的是“愿你的国降临”。
“所有人都处于无力和各样的失望当中，但是我们发出的呼求和这个世界是不一样的，我们的呼求是，神啊，愿你的国降临。那么神的国何时降临？神的国怎样才能降临？或者说，我们作为神的百姓，我们能够做什么呢？这是需要我们一同寻求的。”F姊妹说。
“整本圣经不断地提到神的国。于是，我们就看见，在伊甸园里最初的神国的样式；我们也看到亚当的失落；我们看到神与亚伯拉罕缔约，为神国度的恢复奠定了基础；我们看到以色列国在大卫的统治下，成为神国度初熟的果子；也看到但以理的异象当中那个辉煌的神的国度的预表……但是传讲神的国最多的人是谁？是耶稣自己。耶稣在地上的三年的时间里面，他最主要的信息从来不是关于教会，也不是关于基督教，耶稣的信息主要就是关于神的国。他提到神国的次数，据说多达120次。事实上，耶稣的降生。就是神国在地上的恢复的开始。”F姊妹如此分享。
耶稣受死、埋葬和复活的目的就是要在这个地上恢复神的国度。耶稣告诉我们：神的国就在你们心里。当天国的信息，从我们的眼、耳，进入到头脑里面，被我们深深地认同，然后再进入心，带出转化的力量，改变我们的生命，就带出了转化世界的权能。
关于我们心里的神的国要怎样被建造，F姊妹分享了以下三个方面的内容。
首先，我们里面的神的国在乎公义。我们在这个世代上感受到的艰难和失望，其实有很大一部分是因为看见了很多不公义的事情，可是又无力改变。而神的国，恰恰就是在乎公义。神的公义只能来自于耶稣基督，也只与他有关，我们在它以外没有任何公义。我们的公义单单是从对着神的信心而来。所以，如果我们以为可以通过我们做得更好，来变得公义来建造我们里面的神的国的话，那是完全错误的。
正如爱德华.莫特在《坚固磐石》中所说：“我的希望不在任何别的，唯有耶稣的宝血和公义；单单披戴他的公义，毫无瑕疵，立在宝座之畔。在坚固磐石耶稣之上，我站立；别的地面都是流沙。”
其次，我们里面的神的国在乎和平（平安）。我们看见神国度的一个重要的标志，就是平安。当我们查考圣经的时候，我们就会看见，神对人的祝福往往是和平安联系在一起的。如今，仇敌在地上所做的一切，就是要偷走我们里面的平安。
第三，我们里面的神的国还在乎圣灵中的喜乐。耶稣出生的时候，无论是施洗约翰，还是天使，亦或者东方来的三个博士，他们都是以极大的喜乐和欢欣来迎接主耶稣基督的降生和神的国度的恢复的。同样的，当神的国度在我们里面渐渐成型的时候，我们的里面也必流淌着极大的喜乐。这样的喜乐不是外面的世界给我们的，而是神的国本身的特质，是超自然的，不取决于任何外在的环境。
F姊妹说：“在今天这样的时候跟大家说喜乐实在是有点勉为其难，很难开这个口，特别是向着那些正在面对着疫情和其他各样艰难的处境的人们，但是还是要说，我们要喜乐。我们也要因着那在我们里面的从神的国度而来的喜乐，得以胜过一切的艰难。”
华东某牧者分享：基督徒需要聚焦天国的信息汲取盼望与力量
Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is surging in multiple locations in China, for which many people are under some form of lockdown. Under the raging epidemic, a great number of people are going through a very difficult situation. People all over the world are pondering a common question: will the world be better? Nevertheless, the people of God should cry out, "God, may your kingdom come."
A few days ago, Pastor F (pseudonym), based in East China, shared about the kingdom of God to inspire people who had been suffering from the epidemic and various other tribulations.
Pastor F started, "In such complex emotions and inexplicable tensions that we can't describe in words, all kinds of human wisdom, abilities, and experiences... can't give a definite answer before such a huge uncertainty at the moment. Faced with the current situation, we will know deeply that there is nothing we can do. As the people of God, how should we view our relationship with the times we live in? When we feel our own smallness, thinking that we can’t do anything or change anything, God says No. He tells us - you were born for this age."
Living in such a magnificent era, secular people in the world would think about one question: "will the world still be all right?" But the people of God have a different cry, which is "thy kingdom come."
She continued, "Everyone is feeling powerless and experiencing all kinds of disappointment, but our call is different from this world, which is 'God, may your kingdom come'. Yet, when will His kingdom come? And how? In other words, as God’s people, what can we do? This is what we need to seek together.”
"The kingdom of God is constantly mentioned throughout the Bible, in which we see the original form of the kingdom of God in the Garden of Eden, also the failure of Adam, the covenant between God and Abraham that laid the groundwork for the restoration of the divine kingdom. We see that Israel headed by David became the first prototype of His kingdom. We also see the glorious divine kingdom in Daniel's visions... But who has preached about the kingdom of God the most? It was Jesus himself. During the three years that Jesus lived on earth, his main message was never about the church or Christianity but was mainly about the kingdom of God. It’s said that He mentioned the kingdom of God over 120 times. In fact, the birth of Jesus was the beginning of the restoration of the kingdom of God on earth.”
The pastor claimed that the purpose of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection is to restore the divine kingdom on this earth. As Jesus told us that the kingdom of God is within you, the message about the kingdom of God would reach us from our eyes and ears into our minds, be deeply recognized by us, then enter our hearts, initiate the power to transform, change our lives, and finally bring out the power to transform the world.
Regarding how the kingdom of God in our hearts could be built, Pastor F explained it from the following three aspects.
First, the kingdom of God within us is a matter of righteousness. In fact, a large part of the hardship and disappointment we experience in this generation is because we have seen much injustice, but we are unable to change it. While the kingdom of God is precisely about righteousness which can only come from and relate to Jesus Christ, so we have no righteousness outside of it. Our righteousness only arises from faith in God. So, if we think we can build up His kingdom within us by doing better and becoming righteous ourselves, that is totally wrong.
As Edward Mote said in the book Solid Rock: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand."
Second, the kingdom of God within us is about peace. When we search the Bible, we will see that God's blessings are often associated with peace. Nowadays, all the enemies do on earth is steal our inner peace.
Third, the kingdom of God within us is also about joy in the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was born, whether John the Baptist, the angels, or the three magi from the East, they all welcomed the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and the restoration of the kingdom of God with great pleasure and joy. Likewise, when the kingdom of God is taking shape in us, there will be great joy flowing in us. Such joy is not given to us by the outside world but is a quality of the divine kingdom itself, which is supernatural and does not depend on any external circumstances.
Pastor F concluded, "It's a bit difficult to talk about joy with you at a time like today. It's hard to say it, especially to those who are facing the epidemic and other difficult situations. But I still have to say that we must rejoice. We shall overcome all difficulties because of the joy that comes from the kingdom of God and takes root in us."
- Translated by Shuya Wang
Pastor in East China Says Christians Should Pray 'May Your Kingdom Come'
