Jesus didn’t intend for those breakthroughs
to stop at the end of His earthly ministry,
either. He commissioned His disciples to
continue His ministry. He told us to go about
healing the sick and bringing other heavenly
breakthroughs, saying, “The kingdom of
God has come close to you” (Luke 10:9, The
Amplified Bible).

Jesus commanded us to:

Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel [the good news that the
kingdom of God is here] to every
creature. He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned. And
these signs [or heavenly breakthroughs]
shall follow them that believe; In
my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues;
they shall take up serpents; and if
they drink any deadly thing, it shall
not hurt them; they shall lay hands
on the sick, and they shall recover
(Mark 16:15-18).

It’s the responsibility of the Church to
manifest the kingdom of God in this natural
realm. It’s our job to exercise the dominion of
that kingdom, and demonstrate it so others
can experience its reality and become citizens
of God’s kingdom themselves!

Until now, the Church hasn’t been getting
that job done nearly as well as it should. Why
is that? Primarily, it’s because most believers
have become so busy with the natural affairs
of life, they haven’t had time to learn much
about how to operate in the kingdom of God.
They’re so busy seeking the things of this
world—food, clothes, houses, cars, money to
pay their bills—they don’t even give much
thought to the things of God’s kingdom.

Actually, that’s not very smart. Why should
we invest ourselves so much in this natural
world? Its systems are limited. When we face
impossible situations, this natural world has no
answer for us. It can’t help us with an incurable
disease or an insoluble financial crisis.

Gloria Copeland

Where do you live?

I realize that’s a simple question, but I want
you to stop and think about your answer for a
moment. Your immediate response might be
to name a country or a city. You probably think
of the spot on this earth where you wake up
each morning and go to bed each night—the
place where you keep your natural belongings.

But if you’re a believer, you need to think
more deeply than that.

You need to become aware of the fact that
although you are in this world, you do not
belong to this natural world’s order. You are a
citizen of heaven. You are, even here and now,
privileged to live in that kingdom.

That statement would startle many Christians.
Religion has taught them that they won’t
reach God’s kingdom until they die and go to
heaven. But the Bible says we’ve already made
the transfer. It says, “[The Father] has delivered
and drawn us to Himself out of the control and
the dominion of darkness and has transferred
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”
(Colossians 1:13, The Amplified Bible).

Because God dwells in us and among us,
His kingdom is present with us right now.
Jesus said it this way: “The kingdom of God
does not come with signs to be observed or
with visible display. Nor will people say, Look!
Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold,
the kingdom of God is within you [in your
hearts] and among you [surrounding you]”
(Luke 17:20-21, The Amplified Bible).

Certainly we will go on to the place
called heaven when our bodies die or when
Jesus catches us away. And that’s great,
because heaven is a wonderful place! It’s the
headquarters of this great kingdom. But,
thank God, since we’re already citizens of
the kingdom now, we can enjoy many of the
benefits of heaven right here on earth.

Gloria Copeland