By Gloria Copeland
Where do you live?
I realize that’s a simple question, but I want you to stop and think about your answer for a moment. Your immediate response might be to name a country or a city. You probably think of the spot on this earth where you wake up each morning and go to bed each night—the place where you keep your natural belongings. But if you’re a believer, you need to think more deeply than that.
You need to become aware of the fact that although you are in this world, you do not belong to this natural world’s order. You are a citizen of heaven. You are, even here and now, privileged to live in that kingdom.
That statement would startle many Christians. Religion has taught them that they won’t reach God’s kingdom until they die and go to heaven. But the Bible says we’ve already made the transfer. It says, “[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the controand the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col 1:13, Amplified Bible).
Because God dwells in us and among us, His kingdom is present with us right now. Jesus said it this way: “The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display. Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]” (Luke 17:20-21, The Amplified Bible).
Certainly we will go on to the place called heaven when our bodies die or when Jesus catches us away. And that’s great, because heaven is a wonderful place! It’s the headquarters of this great kingdom. But, thank God, since we’re already citizens of the kingdom now, we can enjoy many of the benefits of heaven right here on earth. We can live our lives in love, peace, joy, prosperity, health and victory. We can also bring those kingdom blessings to others who are still under the dominion of darkness.
“If Christians can do that,” you may ask, “why don’t they?” Mostly it’s because they haven’t been very aware of the kingdom of God. They have been so absorbed in the kingdom of this world—the world that they can see and touch—they haven’t given much thought to God’s kingdom. They’re so caught up in the busyness of this natural world and its demands, so familiar with its way of operating, that they’re practically strangers to the operations of the kingdom of God.
But we can change that, in the Name of Jesus! We can obey the instruction of the Apostle Paul who wrote: “Aim at and seek the treasures that are above, where Christ [the Anointed One] is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2, Amplified Bible). By studying and meditating on what the Word has to say about the kingdom of God, we can become more and more kingdom-of-God minded.
There is so much information in the Word about the kingdom of God, I could talk about it for hours—and I have. So all I can do in this book is get you started. I challenge you to take up this study on your own from here. Get out your concordance and look up all the references to the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. I believe the New Testament uses them interchangeably. Let the reality of that kingdom get down in your heart so that you are aware of it every day.
A Superior Kingdom
The first important truth the Word reveals about the kingdom of God is that it is sovereign, or superior, to all other kingdoms. It is chief, the greatest, the most supreme in power, rank and authority.
Actually, the very word kingdom comes from the joining of two other words: king and dominion. A kingdom is the place where the king has dominion. Therefore, the kingdom of God is where God has dominion. Since God owns everything in heaven and in earth, He could take dominion everywhere. But He has chosen to exercise that dominion through man. He gave Adam authority over the earth in the Garden of Eden. That’s why Jesus had to come into the earth and become flesh. To exercise God’s dominion over Satan in the earth, He had to do it as a man.
The second important truth the Word reveals about the kingdom of God is the one we’ve already mentioned. The kingdom of God is present here and now. It occupies the same space this natural world occupies. You may not be able to see it, but it is here and very real, nevertheless. I think one of the best illustrations of that fact is found in 2 Kings 6, where the prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a great army sent to take them captive:
Elisha’s servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? [Elisha] answered, Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them. Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (v. 15-17, Amp Bible).
Those angelic horses and chariots were there to protect Elisha and his servant the whole time—even though most of that time they were not visible to the natural eye. The angels occupied the same space the enemy army occupied. Since the angels were from a superior kingdom, Elisha wasn’t afraid. He knew God’s kingdom would prevail.
If you’ll just grasp that one fact, it will enable you to walk in great joy and peace in the midst of this messed-up world. If you’ll just realize the kingdom of God has dominion and control over the natural realm, then you won’t be afraid. You can rejoice knowing that because you belong to God’s kingdom, you can take dominion over every natural circumstance the devil tries to use against you. Glory to God! Isn’t that thrilling?
A Ministry of Heavenly Breakthroughs
Of course, Jesus is the One who made that possible for us. He opened the way. He established God’s kingdom among us and showed us how to bring it into manifestation in this natural world.
“But Gloria,” you may say, “I thought Jesus said His kingdom wasn’t of this world.” He did, but that doesn’t mean His kingdom didn’t operate in this world. What it means is that its power didn’t originate here. The Amplified Bible says it this way, “My kingdom is not from here (this world); [it has no such origin or source]” (John 18:36).
Jesus’ whole ministry was one of preaching and demonstrating the kingdom of God. As Mark 1:14-15 says, His ministry began when He “came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Jesus was saying, “You don’t have to wait anymore. The dominion of God, His kingdom, is here right now! You can come in. God’s power is here to break into this natural world to heal, deliver and set you free! So change your mind. Quit thinking like you used to think. Believe this good news!”
Luke 4 spells that message out even more clearly. It tells how Jesus stood in the synagogue and preached from Isaiah 61, saying:
The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]… Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing. (Luke 4:18-19, 21, Amp Bible).
Jesus said, “I am anointed.” What is the anointing? It’s the manifestation of God’s presence that brings deliverance. The anointing is the kingdom of God bursting in upon this natural realm and bringing God’s free favors profusely. Profusely means lavishly, liberally, extravagantly, over and abounding. Hallelujah!
Jesus didn’t just preach about this divine kingdom. He demonstrated it. He operated in the dominion of God by taking authority over the evil spirits that had people bound, by laying hands on the sick and driving the sickness out of their bodies. Read through the Gospels and see for yourself. Time after time, Jesus exercised the dominion of the kingdom of God.
At Peter’s house, Jesus found Peter’s mother-in-law sick, laid His hands on her and healed her. The leper came to Him for healing and Jesus said, “Be thou clean,” and immediately the leprosy was cleansed. Jairus’ daughter died, and Jesus raised her from the dead. He cast the demons out of the madman of Gadara. When there wasn’t enough food to feed the thousands who were listening to Him preach in a remote place, He multiplied a few loaves and fishes into more than enough food to feed the whole crowd!
Do you know what those instances were? They were times when the kingdom of God broke through into this natural realm by the anointing that was on Jesus. They were heavenly breakthroughs!