Excerpts from the Message
THE LINK BETWEEN YOUR DREAMS AND KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT – Wednesday 30th July 2014
Kingdom advancement is one of the greatest priorities in the heart of God. The kingdom was the theme of Jesus’ message on the earth. He said “seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33). The kingdom is God’s priority.
But what is the kingdom?
The kingdom of God is not just heaven. The kingdom of God is where His will is prevailing. When Britain colonized Nigeria, the kingdom of Britain was extended to Nigeria. It was the will of the queen of England that prevailed in Nigeria. Nigeria was therefore an extension of the British kingdom simply because the influence and the will of the British prevailed there. In the same way, the kingdom of God is not just where God dwells (i.e. heaven), but wherever things are done His way, wherever His influence is.
After the fall of man, because man was no longer one in spirit with God, man could no longer do things God’s way on the earth, the will of the devil began prevailing, and things went out of hand. But Jesus came to proclaim the kingdom, and through Him God started advancing His kingdom (His will and influence) on the earth. God's priority is that His will be done. If His will is not prevailing in a place, then He is not king in that place.
Obadiah 1:17 - 21, Heb 12:22
In Heb 12:22 we see that the prophecy in Oba 1:17 is fulfilled. Mount Zion refers to the city of God, one of the names by which Jerusalem was known. It is a place of fulfilment, a glorious place, the place where God dwells. Just like the tabernacle of Moses was a shadow of real tabernacle in heaven, so is the mount Zion in Israel a shadow of the real mount Zion, and it is this heavenly mount Zion Christ has brought us to.
To the people of the Old Testament, it was a prophecy, but for us in Christ, it is a reality. In Christ we have deliverance, holiness, and we (the house of Jacob – the people of God) are possessing our possession.
What is this possession? (Psa. 2:8, Obadiah 1:18 - 21)
The possession does not refer to cars, houses, and other material things. From Obadiah 1:18, we see that the house of Jacob (the people of God) shall consume the house of Esau (the people of the world) as fire consumes stubble. That is the people of God will become so influential, so that they will completely influence the people of the world until no trace of them is remaining, the same way fire consumes stubble. Our possession therefore, is the area over which we have influence.
Just as Nigeria was Britain’s possession because their will and influence was over Nigeria so much that they influenced Nigeria’s dressing, education, language, etc, so also God wants to possess the people of the world by exerting His will and influence over them through us. This is what kingdom advancement is all about.
God wants us to pursue influence, to seek first the kingdom, and every other thing will be added. Our priority should be to rise to a place of influence, and from there influence the lives of people positively, advancing the kingdom with our lives.
In Isaiah 2:1-3, we see that the mountain of the lord’s house (the people of God) shall be elevated to position of influence so much that all nations (ethnos - a people of same culture, language, dressing, etc.) shall be influenced by them. The different areas of culture or influence can be broken down into seven (7) mountains (spheres of influence in society), they are Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts & Entertainment, and Business, and God wants to place His people at the very top of each of these mountains. God wants to make us the head in our field, so that we begin to influence others in that field, and God's WILL will prevail and His kingdom will come into that field.
We as God’s people are all climbing mountings (rising in our various fields), and the reason God is raising us up is so that His kingdom will come into our fields when we begin doing things His way, and people are joining us to do things His way.
Rev 5:10, matt 5:13;14, Deut 28:12,13
God is committed to our Greatness, so that we can advance His kingdom. Until we get to the place where people of the world admire and come to learn from us, we have not arrived at destiny. And when we arrive, it is not to make our head swell; it is to advance the kingdom of God. This is the link between our dreams and kingdom advancement.
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