People who thought they were captains of their own destiny, and who lived their lives all to themselves - - in times of revival - - shudder at the thought that the living God of the Universe knows their every thought, word, deed, attitude, etc.

The theme or message of the kingdom of God was constantly on Jesus’s lips and out of the 55 times the word “kingdom” shows up for instance in the book of Matthew alone, only 4 of those times referred to the future or its culmination in heaven. Jesus’s instruction was heavily focused on the now, because it is your now that determines your future in Jesus’s kingdom!

I have absolutely nothing of any kingdom value to give you unless it first comes to me from the Head. If you or I as a way of life cling to and hold fast to the Head, then His life can flow through us to our fellow members, at which point the body of Christ is built up and held together/unified.

We have an amazing owner! He literally owns everything in the Universe. He distributes everything in the Universe. He is totally hands on. Never selfish, greedy, stingy, distracted, arrogant, unjust, negligent, or partial. Why wouldn’t we want to work for Him? Why wouldn’t we want to entrust everything to Him, and seek to steward His stuff well?

If we members of the body, rely on our own understanding and resources at our jobs or in school, or while at home being homemakers and caregivers; if we are not learning to abide in Him, rely on Him, hearing and responding to His voice and direction in our normal daily lives, then when we gather what He has ordained for our gatherings will be stifled and short circuited and mostly missed.

Friends, if a man or woman says they asked Christ into their lives in their childhood, but managed their money and possessions as if He were not Lord and Master, and as if they were not provided by Him for His glory and purposes, their salvation is much in question. If their “repentance” did not touch their pocketbook, their repentance is suspect.

God is the ultimate judge, but He always prefers mercy. And one of His merciful ways re: gov’t leaders is He often sends a Joseph, or Esther or Daniel or Ebed-melech to help them turn from wickedness to righteousness.

We believers in general give way too little attention to our own need for growth, cleansing and transformation. And one of the big reasons we don’t is because we focus so much on others’ sins. The more we allow ourselves to give attention to the sins of others, the less we will feel the need to focus on our own sin

Please know that that “day that the Son of Man is revealed” is an appointed and fixed day wherein everyone will have either the joy or horror of facing the King of Kings and giving an account of their response to Him throughout their earthly lives.

Part of the “striving” to enter the narrow door is finding out everything Jesus ever taught about evil doing (and thinking), knowing that our society has greatly ignored or at least minimized what He has taught on this subject. Unless your parents and university professors and any other authorities in your life have given their lives to enter this narrow door, do not listen to them when it comes to who the real evil doers in society are.