Devotionals
In a deck of 52 playing cards, the King is the highest of all the face cards. When particular card games are played, the King trumps all other cards used to play certain games. Many earthly countries are ruled by one man who is King in that country. That one man makes all the decrees for his country and the people living there abide by his words. Many earthly Kings rule by force, intimidation, and fear. They place very stiff penalties for breaking any of there written or oral decrees upon the people of their country or nation.
Isaiah 19:4 And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard and cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. (Quick Amplified Bible)
There is however an invisible Kingdom here upon the earth right now that is ruled by a King, but not with any force, fear, or intimidation. His Kingdom is ruled by divine love. The Lord Jesus Christ told Pontius Pilate that His Kingdom was not of this world, because if it were of this world that His followers would fight and not allow Him to be taken into captivity. The Lord Jesus also told Pilate that He came into this world to bear witness to the truth and everyone that is of the truth hears His voice.
John 8:32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. (NKJV)
Christ rules and reigns over an invisible Kingdom. An empire (if you please) that is made up of loyal subjects or followers that obey His every word. He even calls those that He rules over in His Kingdom His friends. We become His friends by a miracle of regeneration (the new birth). We are not only His servants (that we are), but also His friends because we now are able to understand how He desires us to live in our leased tent or house (our body). A resurrection of our souls has taken place and transformed our hearts and minds.
Isaiah 40:10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, and His arm will rule for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. (Quick Amplified Bible)
He rules and reigns over their hearts. Christ brought an invisible Kingdom. He would come to change the hearts of men and woman one by one. The love that He sheds abroad in our hearts is what compels us into obedience to His will found in His word. His commandments are no longer burdensome to us, but they become our delight.
John 10:27-30 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are One. (Quick Amplified Bible)
We all who have had this intimate encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ at the foot of His cross delight ourselves in Him and He and He alone satisfies our every desire. The King of our Hearts changes us so radically and dramatically that we can never be the same. We delight in worship every day and night. We can never look at things in this world the same anymore. The King of our Hearts makes the former things of this world, which use to give us much pleasure, become dimmer and dimmer until one day when we see Him face to face they will be put out completely.
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (KJV)
He does not force His followers into obedience He instead leads us into His will. Christ told us through the prophet Isaiah that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it. Many people believed in the Lord Jesus Christ early on in His earthly ministry when they saw the miracles He performed, but He did not commit Himself to them because He knew what was concealed in the heart of every man.
Well, He knows the human heart and has brought forth Himself His blood as the antidote for the wicked human heart. Christ has come to redeem mankind by dieing on the cross and shedding His blood for the remission of sins. After His ascension, the Holy Spirit was sent to convict this entire world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit comes into the hearts of every person that receives Christ. This is where the problem of every man and every woman resides.
Mark 7:21-23 For from within, [that is] out of the hearts of men, come base and wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, Coveting (a greedy desire to have more wealth), dangerous and destructive wickedness, deceit; unrestrained (indecent) conduct; an evil eye (envy), slander (evil speaking, malicious misrepresentation, abusiveness), pride (the sin of an uplifted heart against God and man), foolishness (folly, lack of sense, recklessness, thoughtlessness). All these evil [purposes and desires] come from within, and they make the man unclean and render him unhallowed. (Quick Amplified Bible)
Christ comes to apply Himself directly where the root or seat of the problem is located and that is every human heart. If you have a sore on your left arm, you don't apply ointment to the right arm and expect it to cure the sore on the left arm. Likewise, Christ does not come to teach us how to behave better. On the contrary, He comes to change our behavior by changing our hearts. He instantly upon entrance into the heart becomes the King of Hearts to every soul that receives Him.
Jeremiah 31:33 “I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” (Quick Amplified Bible)
Christ was asked by some of the people during the time He walked on earth as a man, Where will this Kingdom of yours that you are bringing be located. He answered and said, “You will not be able to say it is over here in this city or on this mountain, but my kingdom will be within you.” That was absolutely mind boggling to those of that day and it still is today that a person can have a Kingdom living inside them. Just chew on those words for a moment, if you truly have had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the Kingdom of Heaven living inside you. How thrilling is that?
It is hard to defeat or destroy a Kingdom that cannot be seen. This Kingdom is indestructible because the King is indestructible. The true followers of Christ who have been made citizens in His kingdom are not in rebellion against their King, on the contrary, they are in love deeply and passionately with their King and see Him as King and brother at the same time. They are not religious people. They are brand new creatures recreated in Christ Jesus.
The King of Hearts has brought forth Himself at the appropriate time to establish a new race of people that are governed by Him and Him only. The deeper our relationship with our King becomes the closer to Him we get and the more the filthy things that make up this world system are destroyed in our hearts. Christ is the true light that lights every man that comes into the world. Have you truly been illuminated? Pray for all those who have not yet been illuminated.
Jeremiah 31:28 And it will be that as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down, and to overthrow, destroy, and afflict [with evil], so will I watch over them to build and to plant [with good], says the Lord. (Quick Amplified Bible)
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author, Silent Assassins of the Soul (not yet published; coming soon)
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