Life When the Two Kingdoms Collide

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“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Earthly Kingdom

The next trip you make to the grocery store notice the bread aisle. There is multi-grain, wheat, honey wheat(my favorite), oat, potato, white, and various others. It comes in sliced loaves, hot dog buns and hamburger buns in various sizes and kinds. Flat breads, whole breads, dinner rolls, all these adorn the shelves. I’ll admit the fear during this time keeps the array less than normal, but still plenty to choose from.

In the world’s kingdom, made up of flesh and blood, we need bread. In scripture bread is bread or can imply food of any kind. Bread possibly derives its origin from the Greek word, ar, meaning the earth. It is of the earth, earthy. We hold a physical bond with bread as we are born of the earth, born earthy.

• “The first man is of the earth, earthy…As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy…we have born the image of the earthy.” From 1Cor. 15:47-49.

The man of the earthly kingdom seeks 3 things to fill his appetite.

• “…the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”

Seeking to fill our lives with the desire for more of what this world offers leaves us empty. Satisfaction, contentment, and peace remain an elusive dream another grasp away.

“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver:

nor he that loveth abundance with increase:

this is also vanity.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them;

and what good is there to the owners thereof,

saving the beholding of them with their eyes?”

Ecclesiastes 5:10,11.

God’s Kingdom

Nothing fills a room quite like the aroma of fresh baked bread. Lather it with butter and the sweet taste of honey and it beckons you to enjoy the mixture of flavors delighting the taste buds. It may not do much for the waist line but it certainly warms the body and mind.

In God’s kingdom the invitation calls us to enjoy bread found exclusively in the heavenly kingdom. When Satan invited Jesus to use His power for His personal need, He responded in this way.
“It is written,

• MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE,
• BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.” Matthew 4:4.

First note the kingdom of God is not ruled by Satan’s directives. Jesus obeyed only the “word that proceeded out of the mouth of God.” We find in verse 11, after completing the 3 temptations or testings, Satan left Him for a time and God sent angels to minister to Him. Jesus’ faith endured the trials through knowledge of the word of God.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him…

How sweet are thy words unto my taste!

Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”

Psalm 34:8;119:103.

The heavenly Father asks us to endure the trials, not for our failure, but to show us His provision and strengthen the faith He has already given us…to take us from faith to faith as we taste sweet victory over the flesh. He provides all we need, both physical and spiritual. He equips us to live in the earthly kingdom by giving us the promises of the heavenly kingdom.

“Therefore I say unto you,

Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;

nor yet for your body what ye shall put on.

Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment…

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 6:25,33.

Jesus, the living Word of God, invites you to come eat of the living bread of heaven.

“This is the bread which cometh down from heaven,

that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven:

if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever;

and the bread that I will give is my flesh,

which I will give for the life of the world.”

John 6:50,51.

He gave the earthy, His body, to the cross that we could take on His heavenly.

“the second man is the Lord from heaven…

and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly…

we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Now this I say, brethren,

that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;

neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”

 1Corinthians 15:47-50.

Two tables sit before you. One serves the Bread of life, the other the bread of death.

• Of which are you eating?