THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY - Pt1

Part One: The Two Kingdoms

Thine Is the Kingdom

In the sixth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gave his disciples a pattern for prayer — one of the most profound and enduring models of communion with God ever recorded. While much attention is rightly given to its opening petitions, it is the closing declaration that forms the bedrock of this message. Jesus says:

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

Matthew 6:9-13

These are not merely the words of a formal liturgy. They are a declaration of divine ownership — a bold, joyful affirmation that the kingdom belongs to God, that the power belongs to him, and that the glory is his alone. Jesus used this prayer format to teach his disciples how to pray. He did not say, "Pray this prayer." He said, "After this manner therefore pray" — meaning: pray with this format; pray this way. And at its conclusion stands this towering affirmation of God's sovereignty: thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

It is from this single declaration that an extraordinary unfolding of truth begins. What is the kingdom? To whom does it belong? And what does it mean for us, who live in the world today, that God's kingdom is advancing in the earth?

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God

One of the first distinctions to be made when studying the kingdom is the difference between two expressions that appear throughout the New Testament: the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. These terms are often used interchangeably, yet a careful study of the Scriptures reveals a meaningful difference between them.

Matthew's Gospel uses the phrase "the kingdom of heaven" more than any other writer. This expression is primarily connected to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and his Messianic reign. It carries a largely future dimension — the kingdom that is coming, that is not yet fully established in the earth. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, more frequently employ the phrase "the kingdom of God" — a kingdom attributed to God the Father, one that has always existed across past, present and future alike.

In the simplest terms: the kingdom of God is God's spiritual and moral kingdom — the sovereign rule of God over the hearts and spirits of men. The kingdom of heaven is God's political structure, headed by Jesus Christ, designed to bring that moral and spiritual kingdom to full expression in the world.

An illustration helps. In many nations, a political party governs a country on behalf of the people. The party works to establish the policies and purposes of the government. In the same way, the kingdom of heaven — led by Jesus Christ — is presently working to establish the kingdom of God in the earth. The kingdom of heaven's sole purpose is to bring God's moral and spiritual kingdom to bear in the hearts of men everywhere.

When Matthew says Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and when Mark says he came announcing that the kingdom of God is at hand, they are describing the same mission from two complementary angles. The kingdom of heaven came to establish the kingdom of God. And the appointed head of that heavenly structure is none other than Jesus Christ himself. The Apostle Paul writes:

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

1 Corinthians 15:24

The day is coming when Jesus himself will deliver the kingdom to God the Father — not because he loses it, but because he will have completed the full purpose for which it was given to him. And the prophet Daniel saw this event in vision:

"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."

Daniel 7:27

Jesus will govern this world. The Bible declares it without ambiguity. His political structure — the kingdom of heaven — will finally take over, he will reign and rule, and then he will deliver all things back to God the Father. And in the glorious plan of God, we — his people — are caught up in the middle of this great unfolding.

The Wheat and the Tares: Who Is in the Kingdom?

Jesus illustrated this truth in the parable of the wheat and tares, recorded in Matthew 13. He said:

"The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also."

Matthew 13:24-26

When the servants asked whether to pull up the tares, the master answered: "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn" (Matthew 13:29-30).

Jesus himself interpreted this parable privately for his disciples. He explained that the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the tares are the children of the wicked one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And at the end of the age:

"The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Matthew 13:41-43

In the kingdom of heaven — the organisational and missionary structure through which the church works to advance God's rule — tares can infiltrate. A person may occupy a position in the church's structure without being truly born again, without truly belonging to the kingdom of God. This is why some leaders backslide, some cell members fall away, some who seemed close to God depart entirely. It is not a failure of God's plan; it is the reality of a political structure that is not yet fully established.

But understand this with absolute certainty: the kingdom of God cannot be entered by the unconverted. Jesus himself made it plain — "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). To enter the kingdom of God is to be born of the Spirit. It is a spiritual reality into which only the regenerate may come. You may join the organisational structure of the kingdom of heaven and not be in the kingdom of God. But you cannot be in the kingdom of God without being born again.

The Only Way: Christ Alone

There are many today who claim to believe in Jesus while simultaneously affirming that other paths lead to God. But the word of God will not permit such a contradiction. To hold that view is not to believe in Jesus — it is simply to use his name while denying his express teaching. The book of Acts declares without qualification:

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Acts 4:12

Jesus himself said, with absolute clarity:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:6

He did not say he is a way. He said he is the way. The definitive article admits no rival. A man who says Jesus is one of many ways to God does not, in truth, believe in Jesus, because Jesus himself taught the very opposite. What sets him apart from every religious figure in the history of the world is not merely the beauty of his teachings or the nobility of his life — it is his resurrection. He was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). No other religion on earth has a living founder. When they died, they were finished. Jesus died — and he was raised from the dead. And he is alive forevermore.

Christianity is not a religion among religions. It is the declaration of a living King. Say this with conviction: I belong to the kingdom of God. I function in the kingdom of heaven to establish the kingdom of God in the hearts of men.

Citizens of Heaven

When a person is born again, something remarkable and irreversible takes place. They are not merely joining a religious movement or subscribing to a set of beliefs. They are becoming citizens of a real, living, eternal kingdom. The Apostle Paul writes:

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Philippians 3:20

The word "conversation" in this verse means citizenship or commonwealth. You are already a citizen of heaven — not you will be, but you are. This is your present reality. And the writer of Hebrews confirms it in glorious language:

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven."

Hebrews 12:22-23

Notice: "ye are come." Not "ye shall come." When you were born again, you arrived. Your name was registered. You are a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem — enrolled in the general assembly of the firstborn. There is a real register in heaven — not merely the Book of Life, but the register of citizens who will be called and accounted for at the judgement seat of Christ. You are registered. Glory to God!

This truth should transform how you see yourself. You are not simply a person trying to get through life. You are a heaven-born citizen operating in the world as an ambassador of an eternal kingdom. Every resource you steward, every opportunity you take or leave, every decision you make — all of it carries kingdom weight.

The Kingdom Is Righteousness, Peace and Joy

What characterises this kingdom? What does it look like in the lives of those who belong to it? The Apostle Paul gives a precise and deeply practical answer:

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

Romans 14:17

The kingdom of God is not constituted by outward observances, material things, or religious performances. It is a spiritual and moral reality. God's kingdom controls the moral and spiritual life of its members. When you belong to the kingdom of God, your life comes under the governance of three defining realities.

First, righteousness — not merely moral correctness, but right standing with God, the very righteousness of God imputed to you through Jesus Christ. Second, peace — that wholeness and reconciliation with God and man that passes all understanding, the shalom of God that rules a kingdom heart. And third, joy in the Holy Ghost — not a happiness that depends on circumstances, but the deep, settled, unshakeable gladness that flows from the indwelling Spirit of God.

This is the kingdom life. This is what it means to live as a citizen of heaven in the earth. The world around you may be in turmoil, but you carry within you the kingdom of God — righteousness, peace and joy.

Your Role at the Judgement Seat of Christ

One day — and it is coming with certainty — every one of us will stand at the judgement seat of Christ. This is not the great white throne of final judgement for the wicked. This is the accounting of the saints, the solemn moment at which every born-again believer will give a personal account of the life they lived and the deeds they performed in service of God's kingdom. The Apostle Paul writes:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:10

On that day, God's purpose for each life will be revealed. What you were called to do will be shown. What you actually did will be shown. What your motives were will be made manifest before all the saints. And as the account unfolds — every obedience honoured and every act of disobedience assessed — the reward will be adjusted accordingly. Some who had a calling that should have earned ten cities may find themselves receiving far fewer. Some who were given great financial ability may find it was spent on themselves while souls were perishing.

The good news is this: for those who lived in faithful service of the kingdom, their reward is rich and certain. For every hour invested in the gospel, for every copy of the word distributed, for every soul won, for every sacrifice made so that the work of God could go forward — God records it all. He will not forget. And on that day, "then shall every man have praise of God" (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Understand the passion of God for his kingdom. Whatever abilities, resources, positions or blessings he has given you — the question that is on his mind is: how did it benefit the kingdom of God? Not your business alone, not your family alone, not your career alone — but how was it connected to the kingdom? When you take care of your family, you are a witness of the kingdom. When you conduct your business with integrity, you bear testimony to the kingdom. Every dimension of your life carries kingdom significance.

Make up your mind. Be decisive. Become passionate about Jesus and his kingdom. Understand your personal responsibility. We belong in his kingdom — and the only way to truly belong there is to be born again. And when you are born again, God knows you. You are registered. You are a citizen. Now live like it.

— To be continued in Part Two: The Coming Kingdom —