How to REALLY CHANGE TODAY (Part 4)

"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Mark, interpreter of Peter, one of the original followers of Jesus, the Son of God.


Let's break down what Jesus said, piece by piece.  Because in his words lie the means to you really changing today, whoever you are, wherever you are.


THE TIME HAS COME.
To the original hearers, this meant the waiting was over.  The prophecies or expectations they had for a change in their lives were presently being realized.  Again, the waiting for a permanent change was over for them.  Now to them, the change was a change of a very real life situation:  Roman Oppression.  They wanted their King to overthrow the emperor of Rome.  They wanted their status to change from oppressed slaves to the free people of God.  The name of that change for them, the people of God, receiving the promised God King, was indeed the Kingdom of God, the state of God's rule on earth, and the exaltation of God's people as fellow rulers of earth. 


THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME NEAR.
Again, Jesus proclaimed a present tense reality, and He could do so for this reason:  The definition or essence of a kingdom is the presence of the king.  The king is the kingdom, because the kingdom is simply the extension of the kings dominion or rule.  Because the God King had come, the kingdom of God had come with him. 


According to Jesus, The God King, The kingdom of God was no longer a past tense prophecy awaiting fulfillment, because "the time has come."  How did they know?  Because the King had come.

According to Jesus, The God King, The kingdom of God was no longer a far away hope, because "The Kingdom of God has come near."  How did they know? Because the King was near.


Jesus was the real change they wanted in their day.
Jesus is the real change you want today.


There was a time when He was not there, when He was far from them.  The change they wanted and were waiting for was over.  The change from the past in which He was absent and far from them, to the here and now, in which to He is present and near to them. 


If you can accept this, then you are beginning to see how you are going to permanently change today.

If you can accept that Jesus is the change you are seeking, or more specifically, your relationship with Him and to Him, then you can accept the permanent change of all changes, the all encompassing change that will change everything in your life and about your life.
(click HERE for part 5)