The kingdom is here

"The Kingdom is God's serenity enfolding us" -Evelyn Underhill


Open your eyes.
It's here.


You may be wondering what I'm talking about but the answer is right outside your window.


In the beautiful clouds. The growing trees.  The kind souls we interact with without a second thought.  The beautiful friendships we possess and sometimes take for granted.  The stillness of water stretching far beyond the horizon. The sunlight breaking through our windows to open our eyes.


God is all around us.  His beauty is a reminder of the deep love He created us to find.
He invites you to notice Him with each stroke of unnoticed beauty that flashes across our paths with each minute that ticks by.


Lately, God has enstilled a flame inside of me that cannot be contained.  The verses I read from His word put a spark in my heart with each passing day that I get to know Him more.  I find myself living more purposefully, speaking kinder, and with an other worldly sense of hope straight from above.  It has lit my purpose-driven heart to experience a new fire in this life.


My way of sight is being elevated. 
Elevated to a way of seeing where this reality is but a flash in eternity.
Being changed into seeing things for what God does and not this world.
Transformed to a way of trusting Him at His word instead of a fleeting, yet beautiful world.


An agnostic teacher I once had in highschool told us a quote from a philosopher once when we debated the topic of God in philosophy that has always stuck with me.


"What if the line between this universe and the next is only a thin line?  Do angels fly in the air right before our eyes and we never really realize it because we have yet to open our eyes?"


Luke 17:21 says something revolutionary which goes along with this.


"Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, "nor will they say, 'Look here it is!' or 'There!" for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." -Luke 17:20-21


The kingdom is among us.  Whether we believe it or not, the establishment of Heaven is working its way through this broken place we call our temporary home.  Anything deemed beautiful in creation or good in God's eyes is thanks to Him.  The beauty of the sky proclaims his handiwork and sings His praises.  The beauty of a human heart searching Him out and finding.  The beauty in a person dedicated to a life of pursuing His heart through helping desperate children find a home.


 From His heart, all wonderful and beautiful things flow and will forevermore.


Those working to bring God's kingdom here to combat the evil ravaging this world are planting their stakes in the ground.  Driving a nail through the efforts of Satan and working to bring more people to bask in the beauty of a life with Christ.  We are a symbol of Christ's love and His love is pushing us to action on a daily basis.  Action to seek Him, love Him, serve Him and above all, SEE Him.


I once heard a sermon from Darren Whitehead from Willow Creek which was quite a challenge for me at the time.  He drove home the importance of being a "Kingdom Bringer" and challenged those who loved Christ to do something to impact this world; in a small or big way.  This faith, after all, is about a faith in God coupled with glorifying Him and serving the world in His name.


We have a chance in this life to not only live a life believing in God but letting Him lead us.
We have to allow our eyes to be lifted up to Heaven, so we may bring some of that beauty down for others to see.
We have the power to enstill Heavenly beauty into our own life and the lives of others.


The kingdom of God is among us and is waiting for people to notice.
Love beckons for us to lift our eyes to a God constantly whispering His great love each and every day.


Push back the curtain in this life.  You will be bathed in a Heavenly light bright enough to transform your heart and your spirit.