The Struggle of Two Kingdoms

In Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught us to pray "Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven." Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." There is a struggle of two kingdoms, and it seems that so few recognize it. I want to share with you some things the Lord is showing me.

In Matthew 6:34 Jesus says ""No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." In Romans 8:5 - 6 Paul writes "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Mammon is defined as riches, avarice, and worldly gain personified as a false god in the New Testament.

There is a true war between the two. Once you begin to delve into mammon, identify as fleshly desire for wealth, power, greed, and anything opposite of the true nature of God, you can see the two kingdoms at war throughout the Bible. Cain and Able, Esau and Jacob, Jesus and the religious leaders, and much much more!

As I contemplate this, I remember my past experiences with multi-level marketing, presented to me by Christians using the motivation of obtaining wealth for the Kingdom of God. But the currency of the Kingdom is not earthly wealth, but faith. I am not saying that God wants us to be poor, nor rich, but I am saying that point is moot. A person can be rich by the world's standard, but does that mean he is blessed by God's standards? If a person is poor, does that mean that he is neglected by God and faithless by God's standards?

Motivation. What motivates me? Is it a desire to be rich or wealthy by the world's standards, no matter the reason? Or is it to fulfill the desires of Jesus? What are His desires? The phrase "on earth as it is in Heaven" rings in my ears. I have been re-reading His words over and over again. Mammon, fleshly desires, Romans 8:7-8 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Could it be that the Great Commission of Jesus to " Go into all the world and make disciples ..." should mean to be disciples of His message of the Kingdom of God, to chose His Kingdom over mammon, and teach them what it means to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness", rather than just merely praying a sinner's prayer that isn't even mentioned in the Bible?

I encourage you to read Romans chapter 8, and consider verse 19: "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God." Look at creation and its actions, earthquakes and tsunami's and odd behavior. All creation is moaning, groaning, eagerly awaiting for us to reveal the nature of God in us!

Would you pray with me for God to open our blinded eyes, to see the rule of mammon in us, and once we see it, get rid of it? Its not easy, and it hurts, but it is the desire of Christ that we are not ruled by the Kingdom of this world.

"Heavenly Father, Abba, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, IN ME as it is in heaven!"