Are You Taking the Kingdom by Force?

Beloved, are you taking the Kingdom of God by force? Are you doing the work it takes to really grow in the Lord, and to experience all He has for you today?

Are you doing the work?

Here’s what I mean by “doing the work”:

As you walk through life, you have to put in effort to invest in every aspect of your life experience–but especially (first and foremost) in your relationship with God. You have to put in the work it takes to press into the Lord and receive your healing, your revelation, and your anointing. Yes; even though healing comes by the blood of Jesus, you still have to do the work it takes to carry anointing and keep your healing.

This means that, if you’re going to live a live filled with power and victory, you can’t walk through life saying, “I’m hurting, and I’m going to stay that way.”

No; you have to take the proactive step to listen to the Word, hear the Word, study the Word, and receive all that the Word promises. You have to decide on purpose that you are going to receive healing from Jesus. You have to decide that you’re going to walk in the power and might of His Holy Spirit, and that you will do what it takes to get there–even though growing in the Lord is a journey.

That decision to do what it takes matters. That decision is huge.

The decision to pursue ALL that God has for you is important because Matthew 11:12 says:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12 NKJV).

Of course, this Scripture is not referring to physical violence (like hurting someone). But it IS referring to ardent, focused, passionate pursuit of Jesus with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

As Jesus Himself said in Matthew 22:

“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV).

Beloved, if you want to walk in the fullness of everything that God has for you, you will have to be a Kingdom investor who invests in yourself.

Of course, we must always serve others too. And we must always keep Jesus first and foremost.

But, the real, authentic Christian life (the life of truly pursuing Christ) is a life of sacrifice. It is a life where we wake up every morning and we ourselves are the living sacrifice unto God:

• lifting our heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit to the Lord;
• putting in the effort to pursue Him more, know Him more, and love Him more;
• seeking Him FIRST every day, before you do other daily activities; and
• training ourselves (developing the self-discipline) to do this day in and day out, without fail.

Friend, are you doing the work it takes to seek the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?

Do you care enough about your own progress in the Lord?

Do you care enough about your own healing—both receiving it, maintaining it, and growing in wholeness, health, and joy from day to day?

Have you made the decision that you’re going to be proactive in seeking God, day in and day out?

Have you decided that you’re going to listen to the Word, hear the Word, obey the Word, receive the Word, and give your all for Jesus—both today and every day?

The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Dear one, I fear we have gotten complacent in the Body of Christ today. So many people claim to love Jesus, and may even show up at church; but they do not seek God from Monday through Saturday:

• Not reading their Bibles;
• Not spending purposeful time alone with God;
• Not spending time in prayer, beyond a bedtime prayer or a morning prayer.

But those people are not growing in the Lord–not really; not like they should. They are not experiencing God’s power or victory or abundance, and it’s all because God is not first in their lives.

O my friend, you have to put in the work it takes to seek God. You have to take the Kingdom by force.

And “the Kingdom” means that your life looks on earth just the same way that things look in Heaven. The Kingdom is demonstrated by the level of righteousness, peace, joy, and power in the Holy Ghost displayed in YOUR life.

But you have to want this enough to do the work—to passionately pursue God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Beloved, if you are not taking the Kingdom by force—if you are not yet passionately pursuing God with all of your might—then I urge you today. I beg you in the name of Jesus:

Seek God. Seek Him with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 says this:

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV).

God is not hard to find. He is JESUS, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As it says in John 14:6:

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'” (John 14:6 NKJV).

And if you seek Him with all your heart, He will be found by you; for He loves you and is waiting for you to draw near to Him, and to take His Kingdom by force for yourself–and for your own life.

Will you choose to seek God and take His Kingdom by force? Is Holy Spirit speaking to you about this right now? Is he convicting you, awakening in you a desire to seek Him with all your heart right now? If so, leave a comment below!