A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS

The Kingdom of God and The Kingdom of the World are the two realms of consideration. God is the ruler of His Kingdom. The Evil One is the temporary ruler of The Kingdom of the World (1 John 5:19) with Money being a Chief godly Lieutenant.

Every human born cannot escape being a participant in this world. However, citizenship reflects the decision of which kingdom and ruler one desires to live in and under respectively. From birth, humans see the world as The Great Provider or Grim Reaper of life's opportunities and choices. Some may say, "What a great, big, wonderful world! What a great religion - Christianity! Why shouldn't I be able to 'have my cake and eat it too' - live as the world and as a Christian?"

However, the catch or question becomes - which Kingdom or sphere of influence do you choose as your life? Misery awaits the individual who has a leg in the Kingdom of this world and a leg in the Kingdom of God.

• "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." - Matthew 6:24

The power of assimilation is extremely strong within the Kingdom of this World. If we listen to God's counsel through John, we would understand that our devotion or what we cherish is spelled "love" in the following verse.

• "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lusts of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." - 1 John 2:15-17

I know this much, I have been guilty of every area mentioned in 1 John 2:15-17. This is just the Event Horizon of the Black Hole called the Kingdom of this World. In Other Words...These are but a few, major entrapments that draw humanity into its seemingly inescapable darkness. 

However, as mentioned earlier there is another Kingdom. In fact, the better kingdom, The Kingdom of God populates it's streets by giving the citizens of the world - The Key to the Kingdom - repentance and salvation through Christ Jesus. Repentance being a total change of mind and Salvation coming as a result of confession that Christ Jesus is your personal Savior. 

So, there are two incorrect decisions and one correct choice. Choose wisely. 

1. You can decide to live in the Kingdom of this World under it's ruler where it and it's desires will pass away.
2. You can straddle your stance between the two Kingdoms and be torn asunder.
3. You can choose citizenship in the Kingdom of God by accepting Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and live forever.

My declaration as a citizen of the Kingdom of God is - I am a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17)! I know "the world and its desires will pass away", so I will display "the love of the Father in me" and seek "His will acted out in my life" so that "I will live forever" (adaptation of 1 John 2:15). 

The Bible calls Christians "strangers and aliens to this world" (1 Peter 2:11) and even this world may call me that, but that is fine by me - I am looking forward to the manifestation of The Kingdom of God - a "city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:10)