For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

During the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth as a man,the Bible records that He constantly taught and healed all who came to listen to Him. The focal point of His teachings was the gospel (good news) of the kingdom of God. He must have repeatedly taught about the kingdom of God which I think in a way ended up exasperating the Pharisees. This must have led them, among other things, to ask Him about the physical manifestation of God’s kingdom on earth.

The Pharisees sought and were on the lookout for a physical kingdom ruled by God but Jesus told them that the kingdom of God does not come with observation. One could not say it was either here or there; rather, it was within them. (And He is still saying the same thing to us—His children—today). That must have sounded awkward to the Pharisees or any right-thinking person because a kingdom refers to a domain, country, territory or state ruled by a monarch but God’s kingdom is unlike the kingdoms of the world.

The kingdom of God, simply put, means the reign or rule of God within and amidst us. It is when we allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to govern and be in control of our lives. It is whom or what we yield (submit) ourselves to that has the rule over us, be it the flesh or the Spirit of God. For instance, a person who ‘loves the bottles’ (an alcoholic) does not have control over him or herself. Rather, the alcohol does and such a person would most likely keep disgracing him or herself under its influence. However, when we surrender completely to the Holy Spirit, loving even the unlovable and living right according to God’s word become effortless because we are enabled by the workings of the Holy Spirit in us.

As children of God, I admonish us to strive towards yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit. The more we yield ourselves, the more the life and nature of God flow out of us to those around us, touching and drawing them to Christ.Our focus should not be on the tangible aspects or needs of life such as food, material acquisition etc., though they are very important and God our father knows that we need them; it should rather be on seeking God’s kingdom. When we seek His rule in our lives and in our midst, according to Matthew 6:33, He will give us everything we need.

Remember the whole of creation is waiting for our manifestation (revealing) as the sons of God.When you see a prince or princess, it is impossible not to notice the sign of royalty; and we are royalties—kings and prieststo our God. People are waiting to see if what we profess to be is true or not, and a sure way to convince them is bydemonstrating it with our very lives. God will help us to truly represent Him to our world in Jesus name.

Welcome to our month of showing forth kingdom manifestations.