Rev. J.

Patrick Bowman
P.O. Box 1386
The Dalles, OR 97058
revjpbowman@gmail.com
541-980-8310
North American Rights
© Rev. J. Patrick Bowman, 2009
Pages: 16
Word Count: 3563
We Live in “That Day”
By
Rev. J. Patrick Bowman
The importance of seeing the Kingdom, receiving the Kingdom, and acting on behal
f of the Kingdom of God, in these days especially, can not be stressed enough. J
ohn Calvin (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564), the father of Reformed theology, says, “For
though we very truly hear that the kingdom of God will be filled with splendor,
joy, happiness and glory, yet when these things are spoken of, they remain utte
rly remote from our perception, and as it were, wrapped in obscurities, until th
at day.” My question is, until what day? Yes, I believe in a future kingdom when C
hrist returns in glory, but what about now? We live in "that day."
I believe the Kingdom of God is here and now.
I believe the Kingdom of God is stretched out all around us.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with eyes to see it.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with hearts to receive it.
And I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with hands to make it happen.
I believe the Kingdom of God is here and now.
Here and now speak of intimacy and immediacy. There and then speak of a place an
d time far removed from our current experience. People don’t care about our there
and thens. We reach people with our here and nows, our intimacy and immediacy, o
ur compassion and response to the broken places currently affecting their lives.
Can we stand to sit with them in their darkness, that we might lead them to fre
edom by the light that shines within us? We might get a little dirty, smell a li
ttle funny, and, yes, act a little crazy from our contact with them. We might fe
el a little uncomfortable and wonder where we signed up for this Gospel experien
ce! Our pride might ask us, “What if somebody sees me with so and so? They have a
history, you know!” “Certainly God would want me to keep away from their kind. Do yo
u know how many times they’ve fornicated, how many times they’ve fornicated with tho
se related, how many times they’ve been married, divorced, drunk, high, in jail, i
n prison, in the mental institution?”
In Matthew 5, Jesus sits down in the midst of a large crowd on a mountain and ga
thers in close the ones He had thus far chosen as His disciples and future apost
les (Matthew is not chosen until chapter 9, verse 9 and the twelve are disclosed
in chapter 10), and begins to teach them in verses 3-10:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are
those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they wil
l inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemaker
s, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecute
d for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
A change of direction in the upcoming verses leads me to believe Jesus had two t
eachings for His leadership that day; a general teaching on the “blessed are”s and a
specific teaching of an intimate, immediate nature. I believe as Jesus taught H
is disciples on the mount, He looked out over the crowd, acknowledging the poten
tial for blessedness in all humanity, but got very here and now when, in verse 1
1, He looked them directly in the eyes and said,
11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of
evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward
is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were be
fore you. 13“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how ca
n its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown ou
t and trampled under foot. 14“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hi
ll cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket
, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same w
ay, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father in heaven.”
I believe the Kingdom of God is here and now, and I believe Jesus got intimate a
nd immediate with His disciples that day to show them, and us, that for the here
and now brokenness in another’s life to be cared for and healed, it would require
an intimate, immediate approach on their part. We might have to sit with people
in their darkness long enough for them to taste our salt and see our light. Aft
er all, Jesus was willing to do so, as referenced in Matthew 9:9-26:
“9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth
; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat a
t dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting wit
h him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his discipl
es, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard
this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are
sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have c
ome to call not the righteous but sinners.” 10And as he sat at dinner in the house
, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his discipl
es. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teac
her eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard this, he said, “Those
who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn
what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the r
ighteous but sinners.”
14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fas
t often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “The wedding gue
sts cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will
come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No
one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away fr
om the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old wines
kins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are des
troyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue c
ame in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay
your hand on her, and she will live.” 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with hi
s disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for
twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she
said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” 22Jesus turned, a
nd seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And ins
tantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw th
e flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, “Go away; for the gir
l is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had bee
n put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And t
he report of this spread throughout that district.”
Jesus spent a here and now night of ministry amongst the lost, the confused, the
believers, and the humble. I believe the Kingdom of God is stretched out all ar
ound us. The Kingdom of God is a place that inhabits us rather than us inhabitin
g it. It is stretched out all around us. We are the salt. The question is, have
we lost our flavor? We are the light of the world, but how are we shining in it
s darkness?
I believe the Kingdom of God is here and now.
I believe the Kingdom of God is stretched out all around us.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with eyes to see it.
I believe that to see the kingdom, we must seek the Kingdom. We seek that which
is of supreme choice or pursuit in our lives. Remember that first car, job, love
, or house and the pursuit we put into having it? Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:24
-34 to seek the Kingdom first and things would be added to us, but what things?
24“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the
other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
wealth.
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what y
ou will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than foo
d, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither
sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Ar
e you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single
hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you
, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God
so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown i
nto the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do
not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32F
or it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly
Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. To
day’s trouble is enough for today.”
We must seek the Kingdom to see the Kingdom and the only way to seek is to take
our eyes off of what we would so boldly pursue in this world and put that same e
nergy into seeking what is eternal. You can not find the Kingdom in the same pla
ce as “all these things”. But when we adjust our sight, Jesus has promised us all th
ese things, as well. What is your heart seeking, the Kingdom or everything else?

I believe the Kingdom of God is here and now.

I believe the Kingdom of God is stretched out all around us.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with eyes to see it.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with hearts to receive it.
In John’s Gospel, chapter 8, verses 28-59, we see that not all who believe have he
arts to receive with the conditions that Jesus puts on it:
“28So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize tha
t I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Fath
er instructed me. 29And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone
, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30As he was saying these things, many
believed in him.
31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word
, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will
make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never b
een slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” 34Jesus an
swered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a plac
e there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37I kn
ow that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill
me, because there is no place in you for my word.
38I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do w
hat you have heard from the Father.” 39They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jes
us said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham di
d, 40but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I
heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41You are indeed doing what your f
ather does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one father
, God himself.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, f
or I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.
43Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word.
44You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires.
He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because t
here is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, fo
r he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I tell the truth, you do no
t believe me.
46Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe m
e? 47Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them
is that you are not from God.” 48The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying
that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I do not have a demo
n; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50Yet I do not seek my own glory;
there is one who seeks it and he is the judge.
51Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” 52The Jews
said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prop
hets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ 53Are you greater
than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to
be?” 54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father wh
o glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ 55though you do not know him. B
ut I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you
. But I do know him and I keep his word. 56Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that h
e would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57Then the Jews said to him, “You are n
ot yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Very trul
y, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59So they picked up stones to throw at h
im, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”
Those who believed could not receive and lost out on the promise.
We see in this next account, in John 6, verses 49-69 that receiving was a proble
m even among those Jesus considered His disciples. When sharing that He was “the l
iving bread,” some turned away, unable to accept His teaching:
“49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the br
ead that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am t
he living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live
for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his
flesh to eat?’ 53So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Those wh
o eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on
the last day; 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56Those w
ho eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the liv
ing Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will li
ve because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that
which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will li
ve for ever.’ 59He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Cap
ernaum. 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is diffi
cult; who can accept it?’ 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complai
ning about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see
the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives
life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and l
ife. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the f
irst who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betr
ay him. 65And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted by the Father.’
66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about wi
th him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ 68Simon Peter an
swered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We hav
e come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God..”
Peter spoke for the twelve, the ones who knew Him the best, with a declaration o
f receiving.
I believe the Kingdom of God is here and now.
I believe the Kingdom of God is stretched out all around us.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with eyes to see it.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with hearts to receive it.
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with hands to make it happen.
Once you have eyes to see the Kingdom, and a heart that has received the Kingdom
, complete with its requirements of citizenship, you are compelled by the Spirit
to act on behalf of the Kingdom. The apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 2:9-10, makes a
distinction between non-believers and the believers He is writing to; those who
have seen and received, in saying,
“9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, i
n order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkn
ess into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s
people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. The ap
ostle Paul, in Ephesians 3:7-11, reiterates a call to action: 7Of this gospel I
have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by t
he working of his power. 8Although I am the very least of all the saints, this g
race was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches o
f Christ, 9and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for a
ges in God who created all things; 10so that through the church the wisdom of Go
d in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in t
he heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he ha
s carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord…”
I believe the Kingdom of God is for those with hands to make it happen.
Are we proclaiming, here and now, the mighty acts of Him who has called us out o
f darkness into His marvelous light? Are we making known to the rulers and autho
rities in the heavens, here and now, the manifold wisdom of God? In other words,
are we acting like those who have seen and received? If not, we had better ask
ourselves what have we seen, and what have we received.