Kathy — If we have a subconscious someday in our thinking that makes the Kingdom ONLY reachable SOMEDAY “in the sweet bye and bye”, everything is distorted, our hope, our faith, our Life, our purpose and our heritage. That “thinking” blatantly contradicts the presence and purpose of JESUS Christ in His ministry on the earth. He demonstrated the Kingdom by healing and delivering people and telling them, “The Kingdom has come upon you.” He told them to repent, for the Kingdom is at hand, meaning that we must think differently so we can realize the power and will of God are within reach, now.
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Thankful Memories that Heal
A while back I walked into the kitchen and I said to Kathy, “That smells like Thanksgiving!”. As I walked in, I experienced a wide range of sensory connections with Thanksgiving. The smell of spices and basting meat and the odors of baking coming out of the oven filled my senses. But I also began to hear things. As memories of Thanksgivings-come-and-gone stirred in my mind, I could hear the sounds of those gatherings, those loved ones, those children, those songs, that worship—in my memory. Kathy couldn’t hear any of it but I could hear many things all at once. I had to just stand there for a minute or two, not focusing on anything in the room but looking with my memory into those sights and sounds that had been cherished and stored away in valuable files of my heart. Then, even as I write now, hot tears filled my eyes and my heart raced up at the peace and joy and delight all those sounds and people in my memory brought to me. I didn’t even realize that I had tucked those precious memories away so many years ago. But the loving atmosphere, the loving people, the lovely ambiance and delicious foods all impacted my senses then for a delightful, sensory and welcome release now. No camera could have accomplished what those pleasant experiences wrought, for they were drawn up out of the well of cherished ones and cherished things in my heart. And for a brief time they were all there, all real and all so lovely once again. I am so thankful for a rich heritage, deeply meaningful relationships and for cherished memories that still impact me today. May this Thanksgiving bring to you sights and sounds and smells that pleasantly soothe you and heal you, and may they all bring you to a fresh place of rest in our Lord. (Prov.10:7a, Amp) ”The memory of the righteous [person] is a blessing,”.
Protected
Melissa — “You crown the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow.” (Ps. 65:11 AMP) “Crown” here is the Hebrew word “atar”. It means to encircle for protection. So, we really are tiptoeing into something big this year and we are protected as we approach our reveal. And let’s just top it off, “Your paths overflow” says this year is marked with abundance. The biggest fight we have at this point is truly believing our God is as good as He really is!
Understanding “Kingdom Come”
Kathy — I have prayed or read or quoted or sang the phrase, Thy Kingdom come, for years without really being aware of the magnitude of what I was saying. In my early understanding, Thy Kingdom come was a reference to heaven and eternity only. So it was like a salutation, a verbal salute, before beginning the actual prayer of Thy will be done on earth as in heaven. I’m fairly sure a good percentage of the Church prays the Lord’s Prayer with a similar paradigm which boils down to this: may heaven be ours someday and meanwhile, Thy will be done in things concerning the earth. However, there is a different understanding of the Kingdom of God in the light of Psa 145:13: “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your rule endures throughout all generations.” Rather than a place and a future existence, the Kingdom is the rule of God, His power, His authority and His government and order in effect already, in fact, for all generations.
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