Keeping a Kingdom Outlook in a Sin-Wrecked World

Episode 63

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Welcome to The Kingdom Hero Show, where CHRIST is KING and the TRUTH matters! Our mission: To advance the Kingdom of God through study of the Word and making real-world application of Godly character and Kingdom-mindedness.

How do we maintain a Kingdom Outlook when the world around us seems to be in constant turmoil? Evil forces run rampant in our society, they poison the minds of our youth, and sinfulness is widely accepted as excusable or even normal behavior. Is it still possible to look at these things and keep a hopeful mindset for the future as followers of Christ? Of course it is, and today we’ll talk about the keys to keeping a Kingdom Outlook in a sin-wrecked world.

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Gonna be kind of a super short episode today, as I’m in the process of preparing to relocate from Georgia back to my home state of Tennessee. It’s a really big move, and there’s plenty keeping me busy lately. But I just have some basic truth I want to share with you regarding our efforts to stay Kingdom minded.

In recent episodes, I have spoken at length about many of the awful things we’ve seen happening in our society and in our world. Lately, it seems that things are continuing to get worse in many respects. From the brainwashing of our kids in public schools and colleges, to the acceptance of terrible acts like abortion, sexual anarchy, the increase of gender confusion, transgenderism paving the way to transhumanism, corruption in the highest levels of government, the ongoing fear campaign of covid, multiple attacks on freedom, the rise of tyranny, wars and rumors of wars – and on and on it goes.

With all the darkness around us, it becomes all the more necessary for us to remember our duty as Christians to be sources of light to others. There are people who are genuinely terrified because of the things they perceive to be catastrophic and earth-shattering events. They see the newscasts, they hear scary things happening, and they become so afraid of living their own lives that they lose hope for tomorrow.

This is where we are supposed to bring them hope and encouragement, adding salt and light to their existence. We have to exude Kingdom confidence and joy in the midst of despair, maintaining a hopeful attitude and genuine positivity about the future. Sure, that sounds great. But how can we achieve this Kingdom Outlook and then share it with others? In order to be equipped for the task at hand, we have to be in tune with the Father’s will and the moving of the Holy Spirit. So there are certain crucial keys we need to grasp…

1. We have to be in prayer on a daily basis.

This should be a no-brainer for us as Christians, but we often need to be reminded how important regular communication with our Creator is. Talk to Him about what’s going on in the world and ask for His help in conveying truth and hope to those around you. Pray specifically for certain issues, like people who are depressed or those who are being needlessly terrorized by the reports of gloom and doom. Ask of Him whatever is on your heart, and then wait patiently in silence for Him to respond. He may drop a simple idea into your mind or even give you a download of heavenly knowledge. Just be sincere in seeking after His will and don’t give up on it. Again, do it persistently and consistently every day.

2. We must consult with the Word of God daily.

Another thing that should be automatic but too often isn’t, we absolutely need a regular consumption of scriptures. The more you pour the Bible into your being, the more fruit it can bring forth. You might ask, “How can I know the right way to apply biblical truth to the events unfolding around me?” And that’s a truly fantastic question! The great news is the answer isn’t really that complicated. You don’t have to try so hard to make scriptures fit a current situation. When combined with daily prayer, regular intake of the Bible takes on a life of its own. That’s when the Holy Spirit illuminates great truths and reveals their application for you. This happens because you were earnestly seeking.

3. We should be excited to share the “Good News.”

Let’s be honest. If our relationship with Jesus is just a casual one, then it’s probably lacking excitement. This is why we must make sure to do the aforementioned daily stuff. And when we do, our relationship with Him can truly flourish. That leads to a deeper understanding of God’s goodness. And from that comes the excitement of knowing His love and grace. This sense of enthusiasm should be apparent to others when we are sharing with them the awesome news that this Kingdom is for everybody!

Let’s look at an example of a current event that could be cause for worry and concern, and then look at how a passage of scripture can offer us hope and encouragement in the midst of trouble. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an obvious and present concern for many of us. It’s causing death and anguish for those in Ukraine and is likely a source of worry and anxiety for many of those in Russia, as well. We look at this situation, along with other ways certain decisions by our government has recently made the US appear weak, and it can lead us to consider the possibilities becoming more likely that we could be involved in a similar conflict before long.

While it’s easy to get caught up in worrisome thoughts about these awful things happening right now, as Christians we must remember the promises of God and be prepared to comfort others with that knowledge. So let’s consider something that Job said during his horrible and painful trials. In Job 12, verses 23-25, he says this about God…

23 He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

What this passage tells us is that – for one thing – nation rising against nation is something that’s been going on for a very long time. And it also tells us that, ultimately, God sees it all and has the power to influence nations’ leaders in a way that will bring aggressors to ruin. What we need to do is have faith, pray, and trust in God to work everything out according to His will and purpose.

Our job is to be standard bearers, demonstrating the confidence and faith in our Lord that then shines for all to see. If we are praying daily, and consuming the Word of God every day, then opportunities to minister to others will present themselves. When that happens, we should excitedly and enthusiastically share our faith with them. Encourage and bring comfort to them with the knowledge that God loves them and wants to share the wonders of His Kingdom with them.

The Bible is a great source of reassurance when you realize that it has foretold many of the events we see happening and still offers hope for those who believe in Christ. We don’t have to worry about what tomorrow will bring when we are continually in contact with the One who holds tomorrow. God is never caught off guard or by surprise. He exists outside of time, seeing every event from beginning to end. Once you grasp that concept, you lose all worry and doubt about the future. He’s got this all well in hand.

Coming to an understanding of these things is just part of being Kingdom Minded. You can’t help but have a positive outlook when you know that God is in control. While He may allow certain things to happen that may seem bad at the time, He still knows what He’s doing. No one is better at weaving every event, every war, every tragedy, every big and small thing into a perfect plan for the ultimate good. Divine orchestration is an amazing thing to behold, and God’s purposes always see fruition.

So again… PRAY DAILY, READ THE BIBLE DAILY, and GET EXCITED ABOUT SHARING JESUS! The insanity happening in our world doesn’t define us, but the closeness of our relationship to God does. That insanity going on that makes people anxious and fearful, THAT gives us great opportunity to be sources of hope and encouragement to them. And we have to be ready to minister to them as salt and light. Are you prepared? We have the tools. We have the instruction manual. This is what God made us for. I’m just sayin’.

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