There is a juxtaposition between the anxiety of this pandemic we are living through and the joyfulness of the celebration of the Resurrection. Yet, we cannot neglect to celebrate all the same. There are no packed churches with high masses or early morning sunrise services. Choirs have taken a break from the Hallelujah Chorus and liturgical dancers are now resting as we all withdraw from the routine festivities. We are beginning to recognize that His Resurrection seemed to have been the icing on the cake, but not the cake itself!

Now that we are forced to strip away the trappings of the celebration of His Resurrection, we can now begin to see the real reason for celebrating (John 3:16). But how do we begin to apply what we now know to our new life? We begin by getting to the core of the Resurrection. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made a way for each and every one of us to have everlasting life, if we believe.

Here's an observation I made based on my experience. I observe that when times are great and everything is working fine for us, we talk about Jesus. We talk about how He blessed us, how He is so faithful, how He is our Lord and Savior, how He brought us out. But do we really talk about Him? Do we truly feel it in our spirit, and understand the depths of what we are proclaiming about Him?

What about in this time of crisis? Even if we believe that everything is working fine for us this morning… He woke us up, we participated in a live stream service from the comfort of our homes. Yet we know that behind all this, there is the stark reality that fear, suffering, and death is all around us. Are we still proclaiming His goodness the way we did before?

the case with us. We depend on God! In Matthew 7:7, Jesus tells us to “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you." WHOM are we asking? WHAT are we searching for? WHERE, whose door are we knocking on? IT HAD BETTER BE GOD’S DOOR! So, what is our need? What are we asking for? Look around us right here and now, and we will see why we need prayer! We have a sick world! Our lands need healing, our people need healing, our ways need healing, our souls need healing! It’s not even about the plan for our lives. You see, without our life, there is no plan. YET without God, we have no life! In this global situation in which we find ourselves, we know Someone who can answer our prayer — so let’s take our most pressing request to Him, to God, in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. LET’S PRAY!

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well (3 John 2). God wants us to prosper in every area of our lives – in our mind, body, and soul! But, how can we go out to minister on behalf of His Kingdom if we are no good for Kingdom work physically or mentally? The harsh reality is that there must be a balance between our spiritual condition and our natural condition. Let us join Dr. Willie M. Singleton, Ph.D., RDN, as we focus on keeping the temple through nutrition… as our soul prospers.

In the final episode of our Kingdom series, we reflect on how we fit into God's picture as Kingdom people. We conclude this series with reflections on who we really are, and where we are in terms of our status in the Kingdom. In other words, how do we get from our sinful state to be a full-fledged Kingdom citizen in the service of the King, Jesus? It’s about our maturity for Kingdom service. This is a Kingdom with power! We touched on this power in our first broadcast, however, and we revisit to investigate what kind of power is this, as we reflect on our role as Kingdom people.

In part 5 of our Kingdom series, we will look at who we are as Kingdom people. We will confirm through the scriptures that we are children of God, chosen, rich in faith, and heirs who have been given a promise because we love Him. As Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is inside us. So, it is up to us to change our attitude from the inside, being mindful to walk circumspectly. We are reminded that God has rescued us, redeemed us and forgiven our sins. We will also be reminded that we are ambassadors for Christ. Consequently, we must go out boldly to declare that Christ is King! He has already paid the price for us. We, as Kingdom people, have come out of darkness into His marvelous light, and so we must walk in the light of His Kingdom. Amen.

In this episode, we look at the types of kingdom communications in which we should be engaged. In addition to worship, we will note that we must remain in a state of prayer, supplication and thanksgiving to God our Father, and Jesus Christ. On the other hand, we will also recognize through the scriptures, that our communication must also be with others both in and outside the Kingdom, in witnessing, teaching, and preaching. This is not a laid-back Kingdom. So, let us be about our business for the King. I pray that we care enough about the Kingdom to continue to communicate both vertically and horizontally as we receive our direction from the King, and spread the word far and wide so that others may be drawn to it. In Jesus' name, amen.

In part 3 of our Kingdom series, we will look at some of the elements that constitute Kingdom principles as described in the Word of God. We will note principles such as practicing and teaching obedience to the commands of God to fulfill His will, walking the path of righteousness with honor and respect for everyone, and maintaining our Kingdom focus on the King. We will also recognize that our Kingdom principles must include humility, with the recognition that the path will not always be easy. There will be persecutions and afflictions, which we are to endure as our faith continues to grow abundantly. Despite being offended, we are reminded that we must abound in forgiveness, not just once, and not just toward our friends, but toward everyone all the time.

In part 2 of our series, we will turn our attention to the King, Jesus Christ, the Anointed one of God. We will learn through the scriptures that He is eternal, immortal and invisible. This King is the King of kings! There is not one other king who can say the same. So, why should we not worship Him? Why should we not treat Him with the respect, dignity and honor due to Him, His name, His position and His place in our lives? Even before His birth, His kingship was declared and made known far and wide. Even the wise men of the east came to worship the King. Jesus Christ, our Messiah, our Anointed One, is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Whether we accept it now or later, we will all accept it, and serve and obey Him.

The purpose of this Kingdom series is to facilitate the continuing process of understanding who we are in the Kingdom of God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through searching the scriptures, practical application, and insight. Kingdom is designed for those of us who are serious about our faith and are seeking a foundation such that there will be no wavering as we steadfastly seek the interests of the Kingdom of God as we grow in Christ Jesus. We will consider where we, as Kingdom people, currently stand and where we are expected to be in order to become successful in the ministry to which the LORD has called us. For each of us, it is a personal journey with guidance and support from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and other disciples through the Holy Spirit.