“From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing,
and forceful men lay hold of it.”
(Jesus) Matthew 11:12
I learned a long time ago that if I am not aggressively righteous, I become passively wicked. We can be “Christians” and still never taste life in the kingdom.
Yes, He has taken our sins and given us His righteousness. Yes, “He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14). But it’s that last part I’m talking about – the “being made holy.”
If I intend to taste the holiness of God and live in the perfecting of who I am, If I am to come into the fullness of my destiny to become like Jesus, producing the fruit of the Spirit expressed in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22), then I must continually press into Him or the world will begin to press into me and His nature in me will become dimmer and dimmer.
If I am not a worshiping man, then anxiety, fear and depression push into me.
If I am not a man of prayer, I begin to be king of my own life.
If I am not listening carefully for the voice and promptings of the Holy Spirit, my own voice and the voice of the enemy will control me.
If the Word of God is not my daily diet, I cannot know the nature of God and will begin to shape Him in my own image.
Demon forces are waiting to invade an empty house (See Matt. 12:43-45). I must stay full of Yeshua Himself and His Spirit.
Only forceful Godly-aggressive men and women “lay hold of the kingdom!” I want to “take hold of that for which Messiah Yeshua took hold of me” (Phil. 3:12).
I guarantee it is a life that is never boring!
Blessings,
Don Finto