The Tower of Babel is a story of humankind aspiring to attain a glory equal to God’s glory and stature (Genesis chapter 11). The consequences were scattering the people. Babel finds life again today as an elite minority builds wealth, palatial homes, and monuments that immortalize perceived achievements. Haggai 1:2-5 addresses the preoccupation of Israel’s elite with personal gain while neglecting the disparaging conditions of God’s house. These accounts in Genesis and Haggai depict the nature of Throne-Seekers.

Today, there are many beautiful edifices, both large and small; however, God’s Shekinah Glory is no longer housed in brick and mortar. His Spirit now takes residence in His people, those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Ephesians 2:22. He has placed a kingdom within us, not one that attempts to reach the celestial heavens brick by brick but one that already seats us in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Those believers who engage this kingdom within are God-Keepers.

Throne-Seekers: The Kingdom Without

There are still some who seek terrestrial thrones, religious and non-religious seekers. Their goal is to subjugate and demand allegiance in word and deed. Their loyal subjects, ignorant of the endgame, hang on every word spoken as if lobotomized of moral conscience. These throne-seekers have supersized egos and desire to be idolized, not questioned, just praised. They are powerfully connected men and women who work to establish their kingdom, its cabinet of loyalists and its subjects. Influencers and resources are gathered to erect larger “barns” (ref. Luke 12:16-20) rather than to serve the needs of the people or of God. They build silos with their names on them so their glory is not shared with others.

It doesn’t matter that people are facing disasters every day and not just when news of their fate makes national headlines. Disasters of poverty, joblessness, addictions, situational occurrences that threaten life and limb, legalized senicide, etc. have become a part of the fabric that blankets our lives, that those in power just simply cover themselves with the blanket and go to sleep.

Aside from building personal kingdoms inside the four walls of their churches, religious Throne-Seekers attach members to short leashes, fearing abandonment of bodies and resources. Sermons make light reference to Biblical principles while the message is adrift with entertaining tales and repressed, if not void of, current relevant issues.

The Mystery of the Kingdom

Jesus knew the age of Throne-seekers would span across time. Jesus was disappointing to the Jews who were seeking the Messiah to re-establish the Judaic kingdom. However, he was not going to bring about the kingdom that the Jews had long awaited, at least not in the manner they had supposed. Old Testament Israel nor their prophets saw the New Testament Church. It was hidden from them. They saw the Kingdom of God as David’s heir seated on the throne, ruling the known world as the pinnacle of Judaic glory. They did not see the Church as an entity and certainly not a composition of Jews and Gentiles.

The New Testament presents God’s Kingdom on earth not as a physical kingdom but as a spiritual kingdom. Luke 17:20-21 says,

²⁰ …Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed,

²¹ nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you.”

When Jesus preached the Kingdom of Heaven, neither the Jews nor the disciples understood. Jesus taught in code, i.e.,  parables. The mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven was not land under their feet as the Jews anticipated. It was the restoration of the connection that was severed in Genesis in the Garden of Eden. It was the reinstatement of the communion between humankind and their God. The new Eden was not a terrestrial garden; rather, it took on a spiritual form as the Kingdom of Heaven, embodied within humankind. And not only that, the Kingdom was not exclusive to Jews but was extended to all, Jew and Gentile.

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God – the Difference

The use of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven in scripture stems from cultural practice rather than theological distinction. Jewish custom in Jesus’s time involved substituting “heaven” for “God” because the divine name was considered too sacred for common use. Matthew, writing primarily to Jewish audiences, used “kingdom of heaven,” while Mark and Luke, addressing Gentiles, typically used “kingdom of God”. Clarification was necessary as the terms are used interchangeably throughout this post.

God-Keepers: The Kingdom Within

There are at least three indices that are present when the Kingdom of Heaven lives within.

1) Your communication with God and atmospheric sensitivities of God’s presence are heightened.

2) You are obedient to the Word of God, however it is presented; through scripture or spoken word.

3) There is an intentional loss or dying out of self.

I. Heightened Sensitivities

1) Your communication with God and atmospheric sensitivities of God’s presence are heightened.

Communication Increases

Matthew 18:3

³ [Jesus] said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Young children have an untainted perception of self and the world, which makes them moldable. They have natural curiosity, and early on they have no fears. When we approach the Kingdom of Heaven as children, our senses are on high alert with an unquenchable excitement. We are hungry for God and want to know everything. We are full of “whys”, and we aren’t easily discouraged. We want to be present for everything so we don’t miss anything.

Then we mature. The shiny has worn off the penny. We didn’t get God down to a scientific formula. We realize that our emotional senses, once good enough as an initial approach, are no longer precise in connecting with God. They actually never were, but God was gracious and tolerant because of our immaturity. We transition to a new room in the kingdom where we no longer connect to God by what treats or gentle tickles He gives us. We move to the big boy and big girl rooms where we now connect by spirit, ours to His. It is there in the kingdom we establish a spirit-to-Spirit connection with God. The communication shifts from a child apprentice to a mature partnership with God (I Corinthians  13:11-12}. You move from ”I need”, “I want”, “please let me have”, “name it and claim it”, “money cometh”  to “What can I do for you today, Lord?” “Let me not miss the person I’m supposed to bless today.” You now begin to “walk in the spirit” while simultaneously doing all the other tasks you need to do.

Atmospheric Sensitivity Increases

Access to the Kingdom of Heaven is through your spirit to the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:16 says,

“The [Holy] Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”

Have you ever been in a room and felt an atmospheric change within or outside of yourself and sensed a glorious presence? Or in worship, public or private, have you felt God’s presence envelope your worship? Psalm 22:3 says, “God dwells in the praises of his people.” In other words, when you lose yourself in worship, Holy Spirit makes his presence known in a way only He can. And you know that He is responding, “I am here, I love your praises, and I inhabit your worship.”

The Battle of the Spirits

Ephesians 6 tells us our fight is not with flesh and blood. It’s not the man or the woman; it’s not the hate organizations; it’s not the sexually deviant; it’s not the wealthy foundations and elite social clubs with government agendas that we really fight against. We fight against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness and evil forces that fuel and give life to evil deeds of the aforementioned. What does that mean?

That means behind every evil plan there is an hierarchy of evil powers that govern. As an example, notice how certain regions or cities in the United States and the world are known for certain types of indulgences (sin). Indulgences that are no longer regarded as sin in modern culture. In fact, “sin” has become an outdated word. It is those spirits that proliferate that particular sin in that region. They influence government to pass ordinances and laws that promote and neutralize that sin. It is those spirits we battle in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our weapons against a spirit enemy are spiritual. Consider the weapons we were given in Ephesians 6:12-18:

1. Waist-belted with truth
2. Breastplate of righteousness
3. Sandals adorned with the gospel of peace
4. Shield of faith
5. Helmet of salvation
6. Sword of the Spirit
7. Praying and watching always in the Spirit

These are the weapons of our warfare. These are the weapons given to us by our Chief Commander, and no weapon, unless put to use, is effective.

II. Obedience

2) You are obedient to the Word of God, however it comes.

Very simply stated, Jesus says in John 14:15,

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

God’s commandments are written, spoken, or conveyed by any means He chooses. I’ve learned personally that delayed obedience is disobedience. When a door is open, it is open for a particular point in time in God’s plan. God has worked everything in the cosmos to converge at that moment to present that open door. When it is closed, it doesn’t matter if you go knock on it, even if someone opens it, the opportunity as Godhad prepared it is gone.

Psalm 18 tells us how God responds to those who are righteous and obedient.

Psalm 18 truncated for the sake of brevity.

⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord ..for help. From his temple he heard my voice…

⁷ Then the earth reeled and rocked…the mountains trembled…because he was angry.
⁹ He bowed the heavens and came down…..
¹³ The Lord…thundered…and the Most High uttered his voice.
¹⁴ And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

¹⁶ He reached down from on high; he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters.
¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my [stay].
¹⁹ He brought me out into a large place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.
²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For all his ordinances were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²⁴ Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

Further, Job 22:30 says,

God will deliver those who are guilty; they will escape [condemnation] because of the cleanness of your hands.

This verse implies that because of the righteous life you live, whoever you intercede for, God will extend mercy and not judgment. This is the power of obedience in a God-Seeker.

III. Loss of Self

3) There is an intentional loss of self.

1 John 2:15-16

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world,

¹⁶ for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world.

Finally, when the Kingdom of God is within, you recognize the immeasurable value of what the Kingdom offers. You realize you really have nothing, own nothing, can become nothing that holds a candle to what God has for you, Mark 10:29-30.

Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of the conditions of his time in his speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” on April 3, 1968. He said, “The world was all messed up. The nation was sick, trouble is in the land, confusion all around.” He continues, “But I know when it is dark enough you can see the stars. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place, but I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will, and He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So…I’m not worried about anything, I’m not fearing any man.”

Thirty-two hours later, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lay mortally wounded on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Dr. King was a man who had the Kingdom of God within. He wasn’t so religious that he was no earthly good. He didn’t stay within the comfort of his church when he witnessed the Black world on fire. He took on the nature of Christ, took up the cause of the oppressed, and took to the streets despite the risks to his own well-being. He took up the cross Jesus had for him, Luke 9:23.

It doesn’t take a brave person to die. Many fools have gone to their graves behind foolish choices. It takes a person who understands and is under conviction that he or she has a calling greater than himself or herself to be that witness and testament. He was already equipped with the power to stimulate and lead the civil rights movement as well as the power to die without fear when it was time.

When the kingdom within is engaged, you impact people in life-changing ways. Although it may not be immediately evident, you still get up every morning and do what is right.

When the kingdom within is engaged, the Holy Spirit ignites and sustains the embers of the cause within you.

When the kingdom within is engaged, you confidently walk among the devourers of this world because you know the Lord has given you power to overcome the enemy, knowing that death is not the enemy; fear is.

When the kingdom within is engaged, you overcome evil with good. Worldly goods and accolades are not compelling aspirations.

Conclusion – There is Only One King

Psalm 24:3-10

³ Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?
⁴ Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false and do not swear deceitfully.
⁵ They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from the God of their salvation.
⁶ Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

⁷ Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in!
⁸ Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.
⁹ Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in!
¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah 

Throne-Seekers! Let God be your king and allow Him to change your heart, and you will indeed reign with Him, 2 Timothy 2:12. God-Keepers! Keep the faith, be steadfast, unmovable, ever-abounding in the work of Christ, I Corinthians 15:58.

King of Glory – CeCe Winans