Seek First the Kingdom
Greetings and great love to you precious Beloved Family!
Did you see and enjoy the grace, peace, and warmth “in the room” on Sunday?
The overwhelming commentary from many of you and the leadership team was that there was some very tangible and glorious things that were permeating our highly-valued family. It is such a humbling and exciting experience to pastor such an amazing and growing culture of hearts and minds. Even greater, we will get to gather together on into eternity! That is another eternal benefit of our, “King and Kingdom!”
This already has been such a literal release in my spirit to get the opportunity to share on these timeless truths in this new series. There are many, many things that I feel as if I have been “storing up” for decades to loose in such a time as this. I truly anticipate that this will be our greatest time together yet and it seems to just keep getting better every week.
What are you seeking?
This was of high opinion in the message and is still resonating in my heart. This really culminates the most important question you could ever answer as a believer. This answer will entail your passions, desires, purpose, and direction. The way you formulate language, from your heart, to that question should reveal much about who and what you value… and how much value you really offer them.
Jesus said it plainly in this way, in Matthew 6:33:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Our King just revealed a powerful and eternal principle that has great opportunity for all who call on the name of the Lord. The first priority of our passion, zeal, and fervent desires should be after the Kingdom and the right-ness that is only defined by and illustrated by our King. The quality and quantity of life and activity on display in the early ministry of Jesus gives us deep insight and revelation about what this actually is and should look like.
Kingdom (compound word from KING and DOMINION: “King’s Dominion or Reign”) is defined as:
“Sovereignty, royal power” – basileia; from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #G936 (Where the rule of God is recognized, experienced, and extended.)
The King of that Kingdom gave us powerful examples of how to put that statement into legitimate action in our lives and hearts. Firstly, He told us what NOT to seek in the previous verses:
- Shelter, food, and clothing. Or better stated, the natural provisions of this natural life. This is where more than 95% of folks live their entire life… seeking for the things they believe will only come from the labor and toil of their minds and hands.
- “Doubtful mind” is listed in Luke 12:29 and is defined as: (meteōrízō) literally means “suspended in midair,” and is the root of the English term “meteor.” A mind that is suspended in anxious thought or shifting from one “conviction” to another.
In these two places most of humanity can find the object of their livelihoods and thought life encapsulated. What is so radical about what Jesus was directing us NOT to do is nearly the entire consumption of the average person’s life! This seems like a near impossibility until our gracious Master gives us the reasons why in verse 30:
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Jesus leads us into His vast provision by giving us an opportunity for understanding these precious promises in the two areas He annotates in that statement:
- People who have no covenant with God (nations of the world) have no choice but to toil after these things. BUT… We have a covenant with Almighty God who loves us dearly!
- This covenant-keeping God is of intimate awareness of all of the intricate needs of our lives, hearts, and futures. When we have a mind FULL of this, we will find that peace and security flow endlessly towards our moment-by-moment lives.
Beloved! Do you see what I see (not to be Christmas corny…)? The reason we can focus all of our energy and thought life on the Kingdom and His right-ness is because our Good Father has focused all His energy on the needs of our lives, destinies, and eternities! That is shout-worthy I think…
These simply yet infinitely mighty truths have carried me though some of the most overwhelming situations I have ever faced. One of the strongest pillars my heart has been able to lean upon over the decades has been this verse in Luke 12:32:
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
My Father… YOUR Father has GOOD PLEASURE in providing the vastness of His heavenly resources for every and all of our temporal needs. It is so just like our Heavenly father to go way over-the-top and provide in an extravagant way. Another spectacular reason our Father is so easy to love!
You are also very easy to love by Him, the Beloved family and ME!
See you again very soon…
Steve
