Ten Elements Of Your Kingdom Come

Thank you very much. Greg Hildgen, beautiful rendition. Not easy to do without any musical accompaniment. So, I always say the voice is the greatest musical instrument God ever created. Brethren, it's wonderful to announce that fall holidays have arrived with today the first of those fall holidays, the Feast of Trumpets, being celebrated today. We know Trumpets points to that coming kingdom of God, and we should never take it for granted. We need that spiritual vision of understanding, and we know it can be lost. Just about 25 years ago, roughly, we had this doctrine of the feast days being challenged, and basically, by 1995, it was all over as far as the church that we knew, basically saying these feasts no longer have application in our lives. And that spiritual vision that we received about what this feast means, as I mentioned, can be lost. A person can lose sight of it. We've seen that happening to people. In 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul prophesied this would happen in 2 Timothy chapter 4 in verse 1. It says, The word fables here comes from the Greek word mythos, where we get our word myth. And according to the complete word study dictionary, this word fable or myth is something fabricated by the mind in contrast to reality, something that is man-made. It says, a fable full of falsehoods and pretenses. And people, because they want to be more like the world around them, they want to be able to do things on Friday nights and Saturdays, and it's convenient for them to just have other days of the week, which they can go to church, and they don't have to sacrifice their Friday nights and Saturdays to worshiping God and resting on that day. So one of the biggest myths is keeping Sunday, which we have heard in sermons before, how the Sabbath was spiritualized away and Sunday came to replace it. That's a man-made myth. We don't find the Bible honoring Sunday as a day to worship. Also, Christmas, that it's not too far off in the future. Halloween, another man-made festival.

The Trinity is a man-made doctrine. We don't find in the Bible where it talks about the Trinity. And 1 John 5, 7 isn't really part of the Bible as such. That was added some 500 years later by Catholic scribes. And that's a fact that no scholar really worth his salt will question it. Even in your margin, it says it is something that was added later on in most Bibles. The immortality of the soul is another myth that was man-made, that was introduced through Plato, Greek philosophy, and how that was added. And it substituted for the mortality of the soul and the need for a resurrection from the dead. So these are all man-made myths. And of course, we have substitutes like for the Feast of Trumpets. Halloween is coming up in the future. It's called All Saints Day, and that's what people keep. That's what the church, the Roman church, keeps. And so they have their own feast days, but they're not biblical in stature and worth. In 2 Timothy 4, verse 4, I'd like to read from the Amplified version. It says, and will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions. Yes, ideas that man have added and read into the Scriptures. They're not there, as Enrique Vidal mentioned in his sermonette. The Bible in Basic English says, and shutting their ears to what is true will be turned away to belief in foolish stories. These are not something you can validate and prove from your Bible. They're foolish.

You've got a fat old man who's supposed to live in the Arctic, and he's got some reindeers, and he can fly through the air and go through skinny little chimneys. And people still teach that to their children. Those are, as it says here, foolish stories. We shouldn't tell lies no matter what they want to represent. Also, the Jubilee Bible says, and thus they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall return unto fables. People will go back many times to what they had learned in Protestant churches or Catholic churches or whatever. They go back to their former way of thinking. It reminds me of what can happen to anybody if they become neglectful, if they take things for granted. The importance of being here. This is the way you worship God on the Feast of Trumpets. To be tuned in. Listen to the holy convocation that is going on.

And like I said, it reminds me back in the 80s. We didn't have CD players. We didn't have all the fancy hard disks. We had cassette tapes that would be sent out. And in the Spanish area, we would record the sermons on these cassette tapes. We'd have this whole pile of them that would be reproduced. And because they were expensive, we'd ask the brethren to send them back to us. And then we'd take something a little larger than this, which was called a cassette tape eraser. And you put it on the cassette tape and it would rub out. It actually created an electric current and it demagnetized the tapes so that afterwards they were fresh, virgin, pure, didn't have any recording because all that had been recorded had been erased. They had been demagnetized. Well, brethren, we can have God's truth be, in that sense, erased as well. And there are three of these tape erasers that are in certain hands that you have to be careful of. The first enemy that we have is ourselves, our human nature. It would love to demagnetize the spiritual eyes of understanding. It would love for us to just go back to worldly and physical things. So we can. Maybe we get offended. Maybe we leave the church over different things. But you know what? Then you get your mind demagnetized and you lose the understanding of what the Feast of Trumpets is about, what all of these feasts represent. The second adversary that we have is the world out there. They want to take that demagnetizer and also erase. So you can go back into your old former ways. They would love for that to happen, for you to run as you previously did. There's a scripture I remember when I came into the church. That always would bring to remembrance.

In 2 Peter, let me see here. I'm trying to remember where it was. Let me look at it real quickly. It talks about how we used to go into our former ways.

Let me see here. We used to... anybody remember it? What? 116?

In 1 Peter? Okay, yeah.

I'm sorry.

1 Peter... 2 Peter 1, 16? Yeah, this is one part, but it's the one where it talks about carousing and how we lived in that way before.

Yeah, that's one too, but I can't find that one right now.

Yeah, oh, it's one where it talks about knowing we had followed our old ways and how we lived in that way.

220? No, no, that's not the right one.

Okay, let's skip it. I'll find it some other moment, but basically it talks about how we... those that are around us are surprised because they see us no longer following those old ways of life. And that's the second eraser that we have. And the third one is Satan the devil, and he would love to just erase that spiritual knowledge and how we can go back into the world then. So the point is that we should never just think this is attending some religious meeting, and it's just like the rest of the world. No, this is where your spiritual eyes of understanding are here because you have the vision of that coming of Christ and with those trumpets sounding. We have to be prepared. We have to stay alert. And so the Feast of Trumpets is something that God wants us to remember when we pray, thy kingdom come. They are intimately related, one to another. Thy kingdom come, the Feast of Trumpets representing that coming kingdom.

In that category, the second one, after addressing God, where it says your kingdom come, it focuses on us praying about the coming of the kingdom, which is represented by this Feast of Trumpets. And David compares his prayers to incense. You need to have it broken up into small pieces, for instance, to have fragrance. He says in Psalms 141 verse 2, Let my prayer come before you as incense, the gift of my hands as the evening offering.

And so as we pray, we got these categories. And when we pray about God's kingdom coming, at least in my case, I've broken it down into 10 parts. And I go over those very often. They're very encouraging for me. They remind me of the Feast of Trumpets and what it represents, the coming of Christ. So I'd like to share with you the 10 parts of thy kingdom come. The 10 different parts that are broken up into these 10 pieces. Now, a diamond has normally 58 faces or facets, which means the different faces. And so prayer should have many facets to them too. You should always focus on the different angles. And here are 10 angles that I try to remember, because to me, it's so encouraging, and I hope it will be for you too.

So I'd like to go into those 10 aspects of thy kingdom come. The first one is that that kingdom is our principal goal. It is the first goal that we want to be able to enter the kingdom. That's why in Matthew 6, verse 33, Jesus Christ said the following thing. Matthew 6, verse 33, it says, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. So it is our primary goal. It's not the only one, but it should be the principal goal in our life to make it into the kingdom when Jesus Christ returns, to be part of that first resurrection.

The second part is that it is our blessed hope. So it is the goal, and it is also our blessed hope. It's what we hope for with such fervor and intensity. Notice in Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2.

And verse 11, it says, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So again, it's related to the Feast of Trumpets, the meaning of it, and it is our blessed hope. So to me, that's first of all, to make it into the kingdom. Be faithful to the end. Don't let anyone take that crown from you. And the second is, that's my hope. That's what I hope for. That's what I desire more than anything else. And so it is that blessed hope.

The third part, it infuses us with faith. Yes, if you have that entrance into the kingdom of God, that you want to be there when Christ comes and be part of that thousand-year reign on earth and be able to learn from Jesus Christ and educate the nations and learn the way of righteousness. And there won't be that Satan to bother us anymore. And we're going to have a beautiful earth that we're going to be able to decorate and make it all happy for people. So it is a blessed hope. Thirdly, then, it fills us with faith. Faith is walking the path that God has shown us. It's the daily walk. You walk by faith, not by sight. This isn't something that the kingdom is here. You've got to trust God. He says it's going to come, and you should prepare for it. And so we do what's right. We walk every day by faith. We don't let the world fill us with wrong thoughts, with wrong practices or habits. And so your faith is strengthened if you look to that coming kingdom. Fourthly, it gives meaning to life. It gives meaning to life.

Many times when you go to college, you might take a philosophy course. Philosophy deals with the question of why is man here? Why? What is truth? What are the meaning of life? And most of those philosophy courses, they're all watered down. You basically end up saying, well, life is what you make it. But that's not true. If you look in the Bible, God has a future kingdom. He is going to straighten things out. We are not going to straighten them out now. And so again, it gives you meaning in life. It explains why we exist. We are developing spiritual character in us by resisting temptation, doing what is right before God, following Jesus Christ's example, and being together as a church, as this body of Christ that has God's Spirit guiding them. In Romans 8, verse 18, tells us here when we go through difficulties and sufferings, there is meaning in life. Romans 8, verse 18, it says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. It says if you look toward that kingdom and being in there, none of the sufferings that a person goes through in this life are worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revelation or the revealing of the sons of God. The word here actually means the resurrection, the glorification of the children of God. The whole universe is there still, waiting for the children of God to be glorified so it can be beautified. It's still a work that needs to be polished, this whole universe that we see around us.

And so it explains why we exist in Romans 8, 28.

It says, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. So God is working things out in our lives. Sometimes there are trials that we don't know why we are going through, but God will show us why He allowed it, what He wanted us to learn from it.

Because it says here that God is working things out for the best.

That takes us to the fifth reason to look forward to that kingdom. It will provide ultimate satisfaction. All of the injustices one day will be straightened. And all things that have gone wrong, one day they will be balanced and justice will be carried out. Notice in Luke chapter 3 verse 5, prophesying about what Christ will eventually set up in His kingdom. In Luke chapter 3 and verse 5, it says, Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low. The crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Yes, everything is going to be straightened out in due time. In Luke chapter 8 and verse 17, Christ also said about this same principle, it says, For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. So that's part of judgment. And of course, sins that have been repented of and have been removed by God, those don't appear anymore. But unrepented sin, those that man has not repented of, that have continued to carry out crimes, all of that will be brought out. People that have been injured, people that have suffered, all of those things, all those wrongs, one day will be dealt with. That's why there will be satisfaction. Nobody's going to get away with anything in that judgment of God. Notice in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5.

It says, Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes. Who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts, then each one's praise will come from God. And so God is going to judge everyone. So we don't have to worry about people that have done things wrong to others. They're all going to face their day of judgment. We have to let that judgment come before them. It also, in the seventh part of this, it stirs us up with perseverance. That is one of the godly virtues, endurance to the end. It gives us... Oh, I'm sorry. Let me go number six first. I just missed it here. Number six, it gives us motivation. Number seven is perseverance. Let me go back to number six. It gives us motivation to wake up with encouragement every day, to live every day, motivated. We've got a goal. We've got a reason to live, a reason to do things before God and please Him. So it gives us motivation. People should never give up on the faith, not give up on God.

He's there with us. He's strengthening us. We need to be motivated in the proper way. Notice in Luke chapter 12 verse 32. Luke chapter 12 verse 32.

Christ said, do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So that motivates us. We don't deserve it, but we will accept humbly that God has chosen us to give us His kingdom. We are nothing, but God has called us to this wonderful future kingdom, to be part of it. In chapter 22 of Luke verse 29, He said to His disciples, not only those there, but in the future, all that would be part of the body of Christ. It says, and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So who were these people that He had assigned them? Simple people, common and run-of-the-mill people. These were fishermen. These were not very extraordinary people, but God is choosing those to give them the future kingdom. It should be very encouraging to all of us and motivate us to go forward. Now the seventh, which I mentioned, it stirs up perseverance in us. That we can't give up. We have to continue to be faithful, to have those spiritual eyes of understanding that, yes, God is calling me to a wonderful calling and opportunity to serve Him under Jesus Christ. What an honor! What a blessing! But we have to believe it. We have to walk by faith, like it says in Romans chapter 8 and verse 35. Romans 8 verse 35.

He says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation? What if we start getting persecuted? Or distress?

Or persecution? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or peril? Or sword? Is that enough to separate us from the faith?

Verse 37, it says, yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. When he talks about neither death nor life, he says, I'm persuaded, look, if I have to die for the faith, I'm going to maintain, be faithful. And if I get out of this with life, I will continue to be faithful. Doesn't matter what that destiny is.

He says, verse 38, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, I mean Satan, whatever Satan wants to do, doesn't matter. God is more powerful, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor death, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So again, that gives us perseverance, endurance under trials and tests.

And that takes us to number eight.

And that, in this part, it pictures God's kingdom of love. God's kingdom is going to be one of love.

And that should encourage us, and that's what the future, do you want to be in that kingdom of love? It means showing love toward others now. But it's going to be a kingdom of love. If we don't know what love is, if we don't manifest love, then we're still not understanding what all of this is about. It's a kingdom of love. God's going to come and love us. We're going to love Him. We're going to love others because God is love, and so is His kingdom. 1 Corinthians 13, verse 4.

1 Corinthians 13, verse 4 talks about... this is the love chapter. And it says, And then he says, in verse 13, And now abide faith, hope, love, these three. But the greatest of these is love. So we've talked about what faith is, what hope is. Well, of course, we've got to talk about love in God's kingdom as well. That's the primary element, the primary virtue when Christ comes and brings His kingdom. It's a kingdom of love. And that takes us to...

well, let's say one scripture more. I've still got a little bit of time. 1 Corinthians 16, verse 14. It says, That summarizes it. That's what God's kingdom is going to be all about. Continuing on, the ninth virtue that we should think about with God's coming kingdom, that this Feast of Trumpets represents. It is a kingdom of joy. And it should give us joy in the midst of trials and sorrows. Yes, we're going to have difficulties, but God's kingdom is a kingdom of joy. And so that encourages us. Who doesn't like joy? We read there in today in the Offertory Numbers 10-10. It says these are the feasts of God's joy. That's why the Jewish people call the feasts the feasts of gladness, because they're supposed to have joy as a primary element. And of course, if the feasts are representations and picture the kingdom of God, well, one of the chief virtues is going to be joy in his kingdom as well. Notice in Malachi chapter 4, Malachi chapter 4, verse 2, talking about the coming of Christ.

It says in verse 2, But to you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall arise, because Christ is going to be like a shining sun when he appears. It's going to really be so powerful, the light of him coming. It's going to remind us of the light of the sun.

With healing in his wings, this is symbolic again of the way the mother hen protects the chicks, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. And here many of the translations talk about leaping like these stall-fed calves when they are let out. And they're just leaping and so happy. You see the little calves, and they're all legs, and they're so light, and they just spring all over the place.

Well, he says, that's the way we're going to be jumping up and down and enjoy, looking at each other. We can't believe it. It happened. We're spirit now. Won't that be happy? Well, that's part of that coming kingdom, what we want to experience one day. And lastly, it will bring us a kingdom of peace. Peace is the last element here in Isaiah chapter 9. Isaiah chapter 9 starts in verse 6. It says, For unto us a child is born, talking about Jesus Christ.

Unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, because he is also fatherly toward us. Prince of peace, of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.

So it's going to be a government of peace as well. There won't be wars. There won't be any destruction. Human nature, as we know it, will not appear that way. Let's go to Romans 14 verse 17, which reminds us of what God's kingdom is truly about. Romans chapter 14. Starting in verse 17, it says, For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And so a lot of people are making at that time a big deal out of food sacrifice to idols and just decent food.

It was meat, but people were saying, well, exactly, was this offered before or not? And they were just getting all obsessed over that. And Paul is saying, look, we've got to, yes, eat clean meat, but we can't be finding out if that had been sacrificed to an idol or not. And so he says the emphasis is here. Romans 14 verse 17. It says, For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approves, approved by men.

Therefore, let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. And so he's again talking about food offered to idols and not make such a big deal out of that. And so God has called us to be part of a wonderful kingdom, a kingdom that will never be shaken, will be established forever.

And this day, the Feast of Trumpets reminds us of all the people in the world, how many are meeting as future kings and priests in God's kingdom. Just a handful of people around the earth are being called today. Brethren, we have the honor and privilege of being part of God's people. So Trumpets is a reminder of why we are going to the Feast of Tabernacles in just about 10 days from now and what they mean spiritually.

There's so much to be thankful for. And so when we pray, thy kingdom come, remember these 10 elements that we have this as the primary goal in our lives. It is our hope that we keep that blessed hope ever in mind. It infuses us with faith to walk the walk and to remain daily close to Him. It helps us to have give us meaning in life that we are not lost, we are not depressed, we know why we are here. We're focusing on developing that spiritual character which is pleasing before God. It provides the motivation for us, the satisfaction for us to know that all injustices one day will be dealt with.

What is crooked will be made straight. It provides motivation to get up in the morning and to thank God that we've got a purpose and a goal that keeps us encouraged through trials. It gives us perseverance to go forward, to not give up, to not give in, to remain faithful to God. It gives us that looking forward to the kingdom of love as God gives us love and be able to show love toward others. It's a kingdom of joy, the joy and gladness that we have as we look forward to that coming kingdom and finally that peace, that government of peace that this world needs so much.

So, brethren, when we pray, remember there's a lot more than just saying, Thy kingdom come.