"The Heart is the Domain of the Kingdom of God"

... UNLESS

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.   

The scribes and Pharisees played the part of external righteousness.  Their appearance and behavior was aimed to please others and themselves so that they would gain approval, respect and control.

But Jesus is saying that our righteousness must exceed or go beyond appearances.

Jesus is saying that the reality of the kingdom must be present in the internal space of our hearts.

What is happening on the inside of you?  Have you taken inventory of your heart lately?  Are you at rest or restless?  What are we thinking about?  How are you thinking of others?  

All of these questions can give us insight into the domain of our hearts.  A domain is an area of territory owned or controlled by a ruler or government. 

"The heart is the domain of the kingdom of God." Rande Greene 

In order to determine who has dominion over our hearts we must look at our internal sanctuary to see who and what we are allowing lordship over the territory of our hearts.

Is it grief, pessimism, materialism, status, respect, a specific relationship, approval, anger or control?  

On teaching about kingdom righteousness, my pastor declared, that Kingdom righteousness says, 

"Deal with what is on the INSIDE first.  Take what is inside of you to the  King."  

In order for us to live a kingdom reality in our lives, we must give way to the Righteous King, entering into the temple of our hearts and upturning anything that is not of Him.  

Jesus entered the temple in Mark 11:15 and was furious with the people in the marketplace that were giving His people what they "needed" to satisfy the requirement of the law without having an intimate connection with the Father.  He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.  

When we carry things into the temple of our hearts that do not belong in the kingdom,  we are setting up things in place of a relationship with the KING.  

In Deuteronomy 4:33-39, we see a God that longs for us to communicate with him.  

Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard , and still live?  Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?  To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him.  Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you...

God is so kind to speak to us and seeks to get our attention by allowing us to go through difficulties so that we clear our interior castle from the idols of our heart that seek to set up a nation where only God's kingdom should have dominion.  

And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, 

by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath;  there is no other.  

In order for us to inherit the kingdom of heaven, we must allow only one King dominion in our hearts and that is the God of heaven!  

Father, we thank you that you speak to us through your word and that you desire to bring us into  your kingdom.  We ask Lord that you would drive out the other 'nations' of our heart that want to set up tables where we exchange a real heart connection with you for the facade of right living.  

Come into our hearts today King Jesus, we give you full access to locate and upturn tables in our heart where we are trying to work out a deal instead of giving you dominion over our minds.  

Psalm 24:7-10

Lift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, mighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O gates!

And lift them up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is the King of glory?

The LORD of hosts, 

he is the King of glory!