Word for the day Christian Education Forum

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 Reformation based on the values of the kingdom of God 

Bible portion:1 John 2: 13-17

Vs 17: The world and its desires pass away ,but whoever does the will of God lives forever

Devotion

The heart of the Christian faith is the Kingdom of God, a realm not of this world but within us.
 Luke 17: 20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” some other versions say in the midst of you. 
Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God in different contexts and described using metaphors. The  important elements of a kingdom are the King and subjects. 
Everyone who accepted the invitation of Jesus or whoever accepted Jesus as their King belongs to this kingdom, the Kingdom of God. God has sent Jesus for this purpose Luke 4:43
 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” In the The Kingdom of God there is healing, peace , deliverance and the lost ones find a home and a Father. 
It's a calling on every Christian that we may  extend  this kingdom to others which Jesus had demonstrated while he was on this earth. 
Unless a person experiences the Kingdom of God within themselves they won’t be able to impact others.
In the given context of today’s meditation, one of the aspects of life that hinder us from experiencing the Kingdom of God is loving this world and the things of this world unproportionally. There is nothing wrong in enjoying earthly blessings because we believe every perfect and Good gift comes from God. ( James 1:17).Earthly blessings become a hindrance for Kingdom experience when we fail to know how to prioritize. James 1:14-15  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. When we are diverted from our focus , we self exit from the Kingdom of God .Our father’s Kingdom is a disappointment to the earthly kingdom because where the master wash the feet of the servants , the last will be honored , the rich will be poor and those who were mourning will laugh. Though the laws  and values of the heavenly Kingdom are not weighed equally with the earthly kingdom, at the end its rewarding.
To align ourselves with the kingdom values we have to  re-examine ourselves and reinstate ourselves within the heavenly kingdom by asking forgiveness.
PRAYER
 Dear Lord, Help me to experience the Kingdom of God in its fullness within me so that I can be an instrument in your hand to spread it to others. 
Thought for the Day 
 
If you do not choose the kingdom of God, it does not matter what you choose instead.
Gordon B. Hinckley
 
 Sherly Varghese,Epiphany MTC, New York

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