Your Kingdom Come
We Pray: Your Kingdom Come!
In America, we no longer talk kingdom. Kingdom means monarchy. Here we’d rather drink more coffee than tea! We left that behind a long time ago in the Boston Harbor. This may be why Your kingdom come gets little to no air play in the American church! The Bible is replete with kingdom language. The kingdom of God is the most real thing on earth.
The kingdom of God is not only an aspect of heaven. It is the model for earth! On earth as it is in heaven! We’re praying for the marriage of earth to Heaven now and for the forever grand restoration of all things. We’re praying for the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending from heaven to earth. One day Jesus will fully integrate Up and Down.
How? Apparently by means of our prayers and our amen (our agreement and participation) in the work of the kingdom.
The prophets dreamed of God reigning on earth as a loving king. Israel was learning to trust God’s promises. Time and again the prophets spoke of the day of his coming. Every mountain and valley flattened! Nothing to obscure the always coming and glorious kingdom. Vision becomes reality in the prayer Jesus prayed. We pray. The salvation of our God is near (Isaiah 57:7-10). Justice will roll down like water over the earth! We amen! We agree to engage.
When heaven touched earth, Exodus happened! Safe exit! Evil drowned. Shalom restored. Goodness rescued. Slavery abolished. Freedom reigned. Praying and working for this kingdom gives meaning, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. It’s larger than life. It’s whatever God wants to happen and is happening.
Your kingdom come was and is the work of Jesus. It’s an open invitation to all disciples to work with him as he establishes his kingdom! You will be light and salt. A kingdom without swords! Any sword-slashing Peter will be reprimanded. No race, no slave or free, rich or poor. Are you in or out? Are we amening?
There is no church militant, unless it is our militant imitation of Jesus.
Jesus, please demonstrate your kingdom work!
1st demonstration: Release for the people of God. Unleash them to love God and neighbor as self. Welcome each prodigal returning from exile. Inaugurate a new Exodus for the groaning cosmos. Give relief and healing to sin-bound people.
Hate loses. Love wins! Souls are burdened by the easy yoke of love and grace to Christ. They jettison the millstone of legalism and righteous smugness.
Jubilee! All is well. The first are last and the last first.
2nd demonstration: Evil’s long reign and the chain of pain crumbling under the weight of His life, cross and resurrection, presence. Gone forever Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome. Be gone you puny nations. The King of glory laughs! Who is the King of glory? The Lord Almighty.
A kingdom of one faith, one baptism, one Lord over all and in all. In Christ alone there is no Jew or Greek, Barbarian or Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all! (Col 3:11) Racial unity! Weighed on a scale the kingdoms of this world are found wanting, a vapor’s weight (Psalm 62:9). As for me, I’m staying near the kingdom’s cross.
3rd demonstration: The King is coming, always drawing near! I hear the trumpet sounding and soon his face I’ll see. Jesus, God coming to rescue, shepherding and reigning in love over the cosmos and everything in it. He rides a humble donkey into our hearts. Our imitation of him is our amen.
It’s a kingdom win: Jesus 1 the devil 0. Easter happened! The King and his kingdom are at hand.