Luke 18:16-17

Luke 9:23-27 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

Luke 17:20-21 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

Luke 18:16-17 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

The Jewish people expected the establishment of the kingdom of God on Earth. They expected the Messiah to come and to rescue them from their bondage and poverty. For them the kingdom would be established in Israel. Jesus, however, was talking about God's plan to establish the kingdom of God in the spirit. Jesus' ministry was a proclamation of the Father God who rules and reigns everywhere in the spirit, and that no one can enter his domain unless they are born again in the spirit. This reveals why a rich man may find it hard to enter God's kingdom, for rich, successful men tend to find their identity in their ability to accumulate wealth. Because their personhood and reason for living is wrapped up in their riches here on Earth, their ability to lay it down for Christ is especially difficult.

This spirit is not as evident in the poor. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. They more easily can lay their lives down for Jesus. Jesus proclaims, you must enter the kingdom like a helpless little child, one who has no power or authority. You must enter with total trust in God, just as a child has total trust in his/her parent, for parents are like God to the child. Otherwise, faith, trust in God's word and who He is, is the key to the Kingdom of God. Faith in the Son of God, THE WORD, and his works opens the kingdom of God to us.

Those people who were alive when the crucifixion happened saw the kingdom of God ushered into this world. They saw the reality of living in Christ through the Spirit enter into existence for mankind. Now, all who believe in Jesus Christ have the power and authority to be new creatures, those who are capable of talking and walking with God. We who are ALIVE IN CHRIST are able to interact freely with God because of the Spirit who abides within us. Jesus states, the kingdom of God is within you.

Now, how should we live if we are experiencing the kingdom of God? The Bible is clear on that subject. We should not be ashamed of Christ's words because we are followers of his words. We should work for the kingdom daily by proclaiming the gospel and displaying the attributes of the kingdom. Our homes, our workplace, our total environment should evidence the kingdom's atmosphere. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Our lives should imbue God and his kingdom, not the kingdom of this world. We are a "peculiar people," a called out people. Often I hear the words in my spirit, "I have chosen you."

This sometimes confuses me, for I wonder how can God be choosing if the Word says, whosoever will can enter into God's domain of grace. But, I believe the Spirit is saying to me and to ALL OF US, I have chosen you to be able to live in the kingdom of God. I made you in my image from the beginning. I made you to breathe the oxygen of the kingdom. Otherwise, we all have spiritual lungs, but the Bible says they must be activated by faith. So the Spirit says to us, to "WHOSOEVER WILL," activate your lungs today by putting your whole faith and trust in the one who can save you, JESUS CHRIST.