7 6 03

12:45p

Well Father, here I am. Teach me. You know what I need to hear. You know what I need to learn. Please, teach me. My preference would be gentle instruction� but you know what I need. I place this Study in Your hands. Teach me.

Mark 9:1 And He said to them, �I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.�

So, what does this mean? It sounds a whole lot like Jesus was telling the people of His era that there were some people who wouldn�t die before they saw the kingdom of God come to the earth in God�s power. Does that mean that they would stay alive for more than two thousand years? I don�t think so. I think it meant that some of the people who were standing there with Jesus would be instantly changed to spirit beings and as such not die.

I�ve usually read that verse to mean that either the people wouldn�t die, or the kingdom would come to the earth quickly. However, I think that instead of changing something within the physical realm � making someone live for more than two thousand years, or altering the time of the kingdom�s coming � the change is in a spiritual realm � changing from the physical to the spiritual.

There�s a possibility that the kingdom itself is the thing that�s different. In my previous perception, I�ve always thought the �kingdom� meant Jesus� return to the earth � His return as the champion, the warrior. However, I�m thinking that perhaps �kingdom� didn�t necessarily mean the rule of Jesus as the physical king. Maybe it means the church?

I mean� when Jesus walked the earth, there was no �Christianity�. When He was living in Jerusalem, He was walking in an Old Testament world. Perhaps the �kingdom� He was referring to was less a rulership in the governmental sense and more a rulership in a spiritual sense.

Man, how do I say that� make the words come, Father. Make the words flow

Is it possible that the Kingdom of God which would come with power was Christianity?

Could Jesus have been talking about a spiritual change in the people who worshiped Him? When He walked the earth, there was no concept of being led by the Holy Spirit. There was no concept of salvation coming from belief in God rather than being good little boys and girls.

Though I�ve always applied that verse to the eventual return of Jesus when He would set things to rights, an event which has yet to occur, but I�m thinking that it�s more individualized. Because, when I accept Jesus as my personal savior, there is a change in me� I become different. When I relinquish my desires and thoughts and feelings to Him, I am not the same person� I am changed. And, I feel the glory of the Kingdom of God living within me.

Is it possible that that is what Jesus was talking about; that the �kingdom of God come with power� was the new experience of Jesus living within the person?

Something to think about.

The lyrics to Matt Redman�s song, �Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble� fit here pretty perfectly.

Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?

Did you feel the mountains tremble?
Did you hear the oceans roar?
When the people rose to sing of
Jesus Christ the risen one

Did you feel the people tremble?
Did you hear the singers roar?
When the lost began to sing of
Jesus Christ the risen one

And we can see that God you're moving
A mighty river through the nations
And young and old will turn to Jesus
Fling wide your heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord

Open up the doors and let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring your hope
Songs that bring your peace
Dancers who dance upon injustice

Did you feel the darkness tremble?
When all the saints join in one song
And all the streams flow as one river
To wash away our brokenness

And here we see that God you're moving
A time of Jubilee is coming
When young and old return to Jesus
Fling wide your heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord

God is so amazing. I am swept away in the glory of He who loves me even though I�m a shit. Despite, or maybe because of, yesterday�s tantrum� He still loves me. He�s the Father I never knew I had.