Most of us have been in a huge mall that we are unfamiliar with and have looked at a site map to see where we were in relation to a store or restaurant we were wanting to find. That little red dot with the balloon over it saying, “You are here,” became your reference point. Your next step, your plan for navigating the mall, the time you allotted to finding your favorite store, or whether you even had time to attempt to visit that store all depended on your reference point. Your reference point determines your belief about where you are, where you are going, and if your goal is even possible.  Your next steps were organized around that perspective.

But what if the reference point was inaccurate or out of date or what if you read the map incorrectly? What if some joker had changed the reference point on the map so that you were not at all where you thought you were? When your reference point is wrong, life become a mess and you keep ending up in unintended and undesirable places.

Jesus taught us that the kingdom of God is a reference point for the Christian life. It is a reference point for living and it makes all the difference. A clear example of that difference in found in a familiar story in John 6. Jesus was teaching along the shores of the Sea of Galilee where huge crowds were following him. In this account, Jesus asked Philip where they might buy bread to feed the crowds because they had not eaten all day. Philip immediately began a strategic analysis. First of all, there were about 5000 men plus women and children in the crowd. That translated to least twenty or twenty five thousand people in the crowd. Secondly, they were isolated and miles from any place that sold bread and it was highly improbable that anyone would have that much on hand even if a place were available. The final straw was cost. Philip quickly estimated that it would cost eight months wages to buy enough bread to feed the crowd anyway. If we assume that a month’s wages was equivalent to $4000 today, then we are talking about $32,000 to feed that mob one meal. The little band of disciples had nothing like that in their budget. Philip then deduced that the number might be reduced if there was already food in the crowd so a quick inventory was taken. The only inventory they could find was five small barley loaves and a couple of sardines. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these people were not going to be fed. Perhaps, they should simply be sent away to find food for themselves.

The reference point for the apostles was the natural realm in which food and money are finite and numbers determine “real world” outcomes. However, Jesus lived from a different reference point. The apostles saw themselves rooted firmly in the natural realm while Jesus saw himself firmly rooted in heaven. There are no resource problems in heaven – no food shortages, no lack of money. Jesus simply determined by faith to draw on the resources of his Father’s kingdom. He blessed the barley loaves and sardines and then began to break them into pieces and place them in baskets to be distributed.  When the entire crowd had their fill, the apostles took up twelve baskets still full of food. Each apostle had his own basket to consider.

Our tendency is to assign the miracle to Jesus as something only he could do. That would miss the point. The point is that we ourselves are currently children of the King, citizens of heaven, and representatives of Christ on the earth. By faith, we have as much access to the resources of heaven as Jesus did. He came to show us what was possible in the kingdom of God for every believer not what was impossible.

If our reference point for living is the natural realm, then we will always be faced with impossible circumstances – not enough money, not enough time, incurable diseases, the fear of terrorism, etc. If our reference point is the kingdom of heaven, then there is a solution to every one of those needs. We may not know what the solution is or how it will come, but by faith we can know there is a solution available.

We should be clear that heaven does not promise that we will never find ourselves in a storm. In fact, Jesus said that is this world we will have troubles. He himself seemed to move form one “storm” to another. But as we find ourselves in a storm, we can know that heaven has a solution. That reference point allowed Jesus to sleep in a boat that was being tossed around in a violent squall while the apostles were gripped with fear and the anticipation of doom. Our anxiety levels in life are directly proportional to our reference point for living. If our reference point is our own resources or our own abilities, then we have every right to be filled with anxiety. If, however, our reference point is the resources and capacities of our Father in heaven and his willingness to share those with us, then why should we worry at all?

Think about it. What is your reference point for living? What are God’s promises concerning his care, protection, and provision for your life in this world? By faith, we have free access to heaven’s resources. If our faith is small, we can ask for more. God is pleased to give.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots surrounded the city. ‘O my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ’O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:15-17

Few of us are ever aware of the provision and power that God offers us when we face impossible moments in our lives. I admit that I am one who often misses it as well.  I love the story of Elisha when he was surrounded by the army of Aram in the small town of Dothan. The king of Aram was at war with Israel. Each time he set an ambush for Israeli troops, Elisha would receive a word of knowledge from the Lord, warn the leaders of Israel, and the King of Aram’s plans would fail miserably. His initial thought was that a spy was leaking his battle plans to Israel but one of his officers convinced him that the Elisha was the one informing on the King when he said, “None of us my lord the king, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom” (2 Kings 6:12).

The King immediately ordered a nationwide manhunt for the prophet who was to be found and captured. Word got back to the king that Elisha had been seen in Dothan in northern Samaria and so he commanded his army to surround the settlement. The verses above record Elisha’s servant’s response when he peered out from Dothan early in the morning. What he saw was an impossible situation for himself and his master. An army surrounded the small town. He probably assumed that the army of Aram was there to kill Elisha and most likely his servant as well. He saw no solutions and felt totally overwhelmed by his circumstances and the power of the enemy.

What we discover through the story is that the Lord had already responded to the need of Elisha and his servant with the power of heaven which was already poised to do battle on behalf of the man of God. The servant was terrified because he had no faith or experience to see what God had already made available in this impossible moment. Apparently, God left the fate of those soldiers in the hands of his prophet who could have called on the angelic army to destroy his enemies. Instead, he asked the Lord to strike the army blind for a season while he led them to Samaria where they were eventually released. After a demonstration of God’s power on behalf of his people, the text says, “So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory” (2 Kings 6:23).

Here is the lesson. If God is for us, who can stand against us? God is never taken by surprise. When the King of Aram ordered the capture of Elisha, God had already provided for Elisha’s victory. The servant was overcome by fear. Given the chance he would have stolen away in night and hidden in the hills. Elisha, having faith in both the power and the character of God, stood without fear and saw the provision of God that others could not.

We will all face our impossible moments when no strength or resource of our own will provide the victory we need. Failing marriages, children bent on self-destruction, financial crisis, stage-four cancer, or the overwhelming loss of a loved one. We all come to moments when we feel as if we are surrounded by an overpowering force that we cannot stand against. In the moment, pray Elijah’s prayer for yourself, “O Lord, open my eyes that I might see! Lord, show me by faith and by your Spirit, the power and provision that you have already made available to me for this impossible moment. For with you nothing is impossible.”

In this upcoming year, many of us will face circumstances that, from the natural perspective, seem impossible. Our first inclination will be to feel the same panic that Elisha’s servant felt. Even if we remember this story, our first inclination may also be to think that God would send angels to rescue a great prophet but we are not great prophets.   In that moment, remember that you are a son or daughter of the King. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You live under a better covenant than Elisha and you have the Spirit of God living within you. Remember that “all angels are ministering spirits sent forth to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb.1:14) and you are an heir of salvation. More than that, God has said he will never leave you nor forsake you.

No matter the circumstance take heart because in the kingdom of God, those who are with us are always more than those who are with them. Graham Cooke often says that every crisis carries an opportunity to discover more of the goodness of God that is always there for us. No problem comes our way that does not already have a solution in heaven. Because our Heavenly Father is good, he is always willing to provide the answer. When the circumstance arises, don’t be afraid but ask the Lord to give you eyes of faith to see the provision that is already at hand. Blessings and faith in the year to come.

One of the most mesmerizing passages in the Bible is found in Isaiah 6. There the prophet declares, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.”

Apparently, Isaiah was given an open vision into heaven where he saw the glory of the Lord in the heavenly temple. Isaiah’s initial response was one of terror as he measured his weakness, frailty, and even sinfulness against the holiness of God. In the moment of the vision he cried out, “Woe to me. I am ruined. For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” The expectation in the Old Testament was that a man would die if he ever looked on the face of God as God had warned Moses on Mt. Sinai. However, Moses was in the very presence of God while Isaiah was seeing him through a vision. And yet, the effect of feeling defiled and filthy in the presence of “the Lord of All” was still devastating.

The good news was that an angel took a burning coal from the altar (probably the altar of incense that stood just outside the Holy of Holies in the temple) with a pair of tongs and touched the prophet’s mouth with it, declaring him forgiven and his sin atoned for. At that point, Isaiah was ready to stand before God and receive his commission to go preach to the rebellious nation of Israel. It’s interesting that Isaiah measured his sin and the sin of the nation, by the words that he and the nation had spoken. The burning coal was placed on his lips as if to purify his speech. One again we are reminded that words matter.

I wish that Isaiah had been more artistically minded and had given us a more detailed description of what he saw…colors, light, radiance, lines, proportions, music in the background, etc. But what he does reveal is a God so big that even the hem or the train of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim, a special class of angel, surrounded the throne declaring the holiness of God. “Holy, Holy, Holy” was the chorus. Perhaps, the triple holy was for emphasis like exclamation points. Or, perhaps, it was in recognition of the Father, Son, and Spirit. When the seraphim spoke the doorposts of the eternal temple shook and the palace was filled with smoke. If the servants are that powerful, how much greater is the master? If the servants are that impressive, how much more impressive is the one they serve? Whatever details Isaiah left out, he was overwhelmed by the vision. The greatness, the power, the glory, the holiness, and the majesty of God made Isaiah want to melt.

But why the vision? There seem to be two possible reasons for the vision and the timing of the vision and both are probably true. First of all, the reign of King Uzziah was either about to end or has just come to an end after 52 years on the throne in Jerusalem. The transition of power in those days could often be bloody and violent. In the history of Israel, civil wars had broken out over who would replace a king who has just died. Assassinations were not unheard of to remove new kings before they could consolidate their power. In those days, many more kings turned out to be evil than good and the judgment of God was always standing in the shadows just off stage. In fact, although Uzziah had been a faithful king until his latter years, the people as a whole were both idolatrous and rebellious. The future had to be uncertain – even to the prophet.

So, here was God still on his throne regardless of who was on the throne in Jerusalem. There was no weakness in heaven, no panic, no uncertainty and no king who would leave a vacant throne some day. Isaiah was reminded in his vision that his God was still ruling in heaven, full of power and majesty. He was still in control and he would still care for his own. In a year of great uncertainty, even the prophet needed the reminder of where the true king and true power resided. In our own year of great uncertainty, we need the same vision. We need to be reminded that our salvation is not in the Republican Party or the Democrat Party but in heaven where there is no corruption, no voter fraud, and no untested candidates.

A second reason for the vision was that Isaiah was about to be given an assignment to go out and preach to a hostile crowd that was not always adverse to killing or jailing prophets who were calling them to repentance. As he received his orders, he also needed to know that an unimaginable power in heaven would be his covering, his protection, and his provision. He needed to know that had qualified him for his mission by taking away his sin. Whatever God will be calling us to in the decade to come, we may also need to know that. To some degree, our faith is only as big as our God, our security is only as big as our God, our boldness is only as big as our God.

Isaiah reminds us that we have an immense God who is not detached from us at all but rather had laid plans for our redemption before the foundation of the world and announced it once again through his prophet Isaiah. In the last few verses of Isaiah 6, God tells the prophet that judgment is coming and that Israel would be cut down like a tree but, in the stump, a holy seed would remain that would someday be the salvation and restoration of Israel. That Holy Seed would be Jesus, the Messiah.

Interestingly, John quotes Isaiah 6:10 in the 12^th chapter of his gospel (Jn.12:48) and tells us that Isaiah was actually seeing Jesus and his glory in this vision. This same Jesus has now regained that glory and intercedes for each of us every day with the Father. This vision simply reminds us as it did Isaiah, that Jesus is big enough, powerful enough, and glorious enough to meet our every need. Even though the world might shake around us he can make us stand. In the face of uncertain politics, crumbling economics, terrorists, the devastating loss of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis, or the rebellion of a child, our God is big enough.

Jesus, the lover of our souls, is big enough and from his throne in heaven reminds us, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you” (Jer.29:11-12).   Isaiah reminds us that when the day is bleak and tomorrow is troubling, do not focus on the problem but the one who overcame death and is big enough to overcome anything that comes our way.

For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Luke 12:30-34

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus has just spoken about the human tendency to worry and fret over what tomorrow may bring. He responded with the truth that if God cares for flowers and birds, how much more will he care for his own children. In the middle of his response, he makes a very significant statement that most of us have not yet fully grasped – Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. What did Jesus mean when he said that God has given us the kingdom?

Before commenting on that, I want to review a prophetic text from the Book of Daniel. Daniel had received a powerful vision and had asked for the interpretation of what he was shown.

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

This prophetic passage foresees Jesus coming in clouds, entering the throne room of the Father, and receiving authority, glory, power, and dominion. In Matthew 28:18, after his resurrection, Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me.” A few years later, Paul declared that Jesus had been given a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” “Phil. 2:9-11).   Daniel’s vision was fulfilled when Christ ascended to the Father after his resurrection and sat down at the right hand of the Father. But there’s more. Going back to Daniel we are told:

“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. “So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ‘The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth.    But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.” Daniel 7:15-18

In the days of Daniel, not only was it prophesied that Jesus would be made King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the courts of heaven, but that the saints (followers of Jesus – you and me) would be given the kingdom as well. That is what Jesus referenced in Luke 12.

To be given the kingdom means that we have been given all the blessings of the kingdom and the resources of that kingdom have been made available to us. That is why Jesus encouraged us not to worry because even when we give everything away, the storehouses of heaven are always full and their contents will be made available to God’s children. The first time Jesus sent out his twelve apostles to preach and heal, he instructed them not to take any money, shoes, luggage, or extra clothes. They needed to learn that the kingdom belonged to them and therefore they could anticipate with confidence that God would always meet their needs in supernatural ways. Jesus fully understood that principle so when he was faced with feeding 5000 men plus women and children with a few fish and a handful of bread, he had no worries. He prayed, thanked the Father for the resources he could draw on and watched the Father multiply the food so that twelve basketfuls were left over. Not just enough, but more than enough.

If you are a follower of Jesus, the kingdom has been given to you. You didn‘t have to nag, plead, or cajole the Father to get your inheritance. Jesus said that the Father was pleased to give the kingdom to you. If he is pleased to give it, then he is pleased for us to use the resources stored there for the purposes of the kingdom. Money is there, clothing is there, salvation is there, food is there, healing is there, peace is there, jobs are there, and even power is there. It all belongs to you because God has given you the kingdom. ;/

When Jesus was about to feed the 5000, Matthew says that he simply looked up to heaven, gave thanks, and broke the loaves. Notice that Jesus did not bow down and beg God for a miracle. Instead he gave thanks for the provision that was already his to use and then as acted on the expectation that his Father was pleased to meet the need. He is our model.

When we pray, we should not pray as if we must beg or talk God into meeting a need, but rather give thanks that the resources of heaven are already ours to use. So…the next time a bank officer asks you to list your assets, simply add The Kingdom of Heaven to your list! Be blessed and know that the Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.