The Kingdom of God is both internal and external. The Kingdom of God is in us, like a grain of mustard seed "that a man took, and sowed in his field" (Matthew 13:31). Yet, the Kingdom of God will come in power and great glory and we will see many "come from the east and west, and . . . sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).

The Mount of Transfiguration was an advance coming of the Kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. (Matthew 16:28-17:2)

Here is a picture of the coming of the Kingdom of God into the earth—that for which our whole Christian life is a preparation.

Christ is the Center. The location is the earth. The Old Testament and the New Testament saints are present. That which is physical (the Body of Christ) is transfigured by the Glory of God. Christ's raiment was "white as the light," speaking of God's righteousness that will fill the whole earth in the Day of the Lord.

A few verses later we notice the work of the Kingdom of God being carried forward as the bondages of mankind are released through judgment on the kingdom of Satan.

Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. (Matthew 17:15-18)

The Kingdom of God is the righteousness, peace, and joy that are in Christ. As Christ is formed in us righteousness, peace, and joy are formed in us. We are able to bring release into the earth as we ourselves are released by the authority and power of Christ.

The material creation is waiting anxiously for the revealing of the sons of God—those in whom Christ has been formed and is dwelling (Romans 8:19). When Christ returns we shall return with Him and establish righteousness, peace, and joy throughout the earth in fulfillment of the writings of the Prophets.

How about you? Are you a Kingdom-oriented Christian or a death-oriented Christian? Are your experiences and faith preparing you to escape to a world without problems or are they preparing you to be a solver of the problems of the world through the power and wisdom of Christ?

We are to press into the Kingdom of God now. Now is the time to take the Kingdom. God is cheering us on. The Holy Spirit stands ready to exercise the tremendous power of the Godhead. Christ is the only solution to the bondage and confusion of mankind.

The inheritance of Christ consists of both the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth (Psalms 2:8). If Christ were to inherit the nations by taking them to Heaven the Father would not have added, "the farthest reaches of the earth."

The peoples of the earth belong to Christ and to the coheirs. Is the chief desire of your heart to bring the love and blessing of God to the nations of the earth? (from Kingdom Concepts)