BY REV. DORAL PULLEY, Today’s Church Tampa Bay
The Kingdom of God is where God rules and reigns. It is not a physical place or location, but it is a system, form of government, a lifestyle. The Kingdom of God is a way of being, seeing, thinking, speaking, and behaving in which God is the center. The Kingdom of God is wherever God’s perfect will is being done. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).”
When God’s will in heaven (Kingdom of Heaven) is being done on the earth (in our lives), it is a manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to the earth as our Wayshower to reveal the Father to us and show us what heaven was like so that we realize who we are as offspring of God and live according to Kingdom principles (Matthew 11:27).
In preparation for his departure from this earth, Jesus established Peter, one of his core disciples, to be his successor. Jesus gave Peter the Keys to the Kingdom and determined that he was going to lead the church in his absence. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:19).”
Although there may be more, COTEK acknowledges 12 Keys to the Kingdom. The number, twelve, is the number of divine governments. There were tribes of Israel, twelve disciples and twelve foundations of heaven. Kingdom Keys are ways of understanding that unlock the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Kingdom Keys are a theological approach to controversial issues that distinguish the Kingdom from the world and the church.
The 12 Keys to the Kingdom are based on Jesus’ Parables about the Kingdom and his general teachings. Each key gives polar opposites and shows how to bring balance in our lives. These things that Jesus talked about seemed contradictory. They are not. They are extremes on a continuum. The Kingdom Key to Life is to find your balance.
Rev. Doral Pulley is the senior pastor of Today’s Church Tampa Bay, 940 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg (Staybridge Suites) and 5107 North Central Ave., Tampa.
