Operate in Kingdom Authority by Accessing Heaven’s Unlimited Resources

And when he [Jesus] was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20-21 KJV).

I have found that the Bible explains everything better than I can explain it.

Here is a good place to pull out a few lines to explain how the culture of Kingdom citizenship is completely different from any other culture:

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21 NKJV).

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8 NKJV).

When they talk about the Kingdom, people don’t say, “There it is, over there!” They can’t say that because, like any citizenship, it is invisible, although it makes a noticeable difference in its citizens. It is incorporated inside of its citizens.

What are some ways you can recognize that someone is a Kingdom citizen?

Transformed

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2 NLT).

People can detect a certain essence of its presence, but it is almost like noticing the way the wind shakes a leaf. To a new citizen of the Kingdom, they may say, “Hey, what’s different about you? You don’t go with us to the club anymore until the wee hours. You carry yourself differently. You even drive differently. What happened to you?”

This Kingdom causes you to rearrange the furniture inside you, and you don’t want to put it back the way it used to be. You become almost like a country within a country—a dual citizen, for a fact.

Every time I go to Los Angeles, I always ask my host to please take me to Chinatown because I like Chinese food. We enter Chinatown through an amazing gate with a dragon on it. Once through the gate, it is as though you are in China. The signs are in Chinese. The people are Chinese. The conversation is conducted in Chinese. You would never go there for pizza, and you would not ask for directions to the nearest McDonald’s. When you go to Chinatown, you know what to expect, and you don’t expect it to be the same as the rest of the American city outside the gate.

Similarly, as a citizen of the Kingdom you should be distinctive. You begin to forget how to speak the same language as the country you used to be part of. That is why your old friends know they can’t use dirty words around you anymore, or gossip, or persuade you to tell a lie. Something has changed, and it’s your citizenship. After a while, the people around you will learn what to expect.

Have people noticed that you been transformed from a worldly citizen to a Kingdom citizen?

I Am a Kingdom Citizen

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14 NIV).

Citizenship is not easily observable. It can be hard to detect. Sometimes people can’t tell until you open your mouth. Then it may be obvious—either your speech is laudable or despicable.

When we are away from home for a long time, living in another country, we pick up the local culture. When we return home, people can figure out that we have been someplace else. We have picked up new vocabulary, and our daily routines have changed.

The same thing happens when you join the Army or any of the armed services. As long as you are part of the armed forces, you are a member of the military, you are no longer a civilian. You must follow a stringent set of rules, even down to what kind of belt and shoes you wear. If your commanding officer says “Jump!” you jump. People who return to civilian life after a long stretch in the military sometimes have an adjustment problem. Outside, everything is different. Inside, they still feel like they are living within the gates of the military complex.

When we become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we have some learning—and un-learning—to do. We have been away from Home so long we think we are earthlings and we have picked up an earthly culture. That is why Kingdom citizens need to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”—to fully immerse ourselves into Kingdom culture.

Jump heart and head first into Kingdom culture so your speech and lifestyle reveal you’re a heavenling.