It's funny, isn't it, how a man who is devoted to Christ can write something about the Kingdom without specifically mentioning it? C. S. Lewis did that in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Aspects of Biblical truth abound in his works. Christ was all to him. That is, the things of God. How could it be otherwise--he was a Christian, wasn't he? One will express that which consumes his life. I suppose that is one of the best ways to judge oneself--what really consumes you. Does not a man act and speak in accordance to what is in his heart, the abundance thereof?
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Matthew 12:34 . . . for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Matthew 12:34 . . . for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
What fills one's heart is what he will live for and speak of.
That is what got my attention this evening (9/2/2009). I watched again the second of the Chronicles of Narnia movies--the modern one. As the four children were to return to their world in the end, and as the ending song started, proclaiming that they--Lucy and Edmund--would be back when they--the Narnians, I suppose--call them, "no need to say goodbye", I thought how different it is, or at least should be, with us and the Kingdom of Heaven, or God, if you wish. In the story they always left the "other world" kingdom of Narnia, only for someone who had been there before to return. If you know the series you know that the people who return become progressively different, and in some cases the main character doesn't return at all but dwells near to the land he eventually enters, such as in The Horse and His Boy, if I remember right--and I think I do. Nevertheless, it is the idea of entering and leaving and returning that I wish to discuss.
When we enter the Kingdom of Heaven we need never leave and return in intervals. We do not actually ever leave, if we truly have entered God's domain, but we may do so in heart, or attention. I speak of one's conscientiousness or desire to be there. It seems there are times when we want to be closely related to His kingdom and at other times we don't. It is not a matter of reality but of view and desire. In reality we are always in His Kingdom after we once enter, just as we are always in the Spirit once in-dwelt by Him, though we may not act like we are.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The obvious thought here is that we are to live what we are. And if we are in His Kingdom we ought to act like it. But I think when we are down or spiritually weak we tend to not realize who we are and where we reside in Him. We are in His Kingdom and we will never be out of it. We are kings and priests before our God even when we don't feel like it, or even don't want to be so at any particular time. That's good. Were it not so we would ever be trying to find our way back. As it is we at times do think we have left and must find our way back, only to find in the end we never left. We only got lost in the woods of our own land. Sure, we may have to find our way back to the castle, or should I say throne room, but never back to the Kingdom. We may have to find our way back to the presence of the King, but we were all the time His co-regent. "Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen in Narnia." A truth well worth realizing.
It is, for the true believer in Christ, a calming reality that we will never be out of His sight or rule or care; we will never be out of His Kingdom. There truly is "no need to say goodbye."
That is what got my attention this evening (9/2/2009). I watched again the second of the Chronicles of Narnia movies--the modern one. As the four children were to return to their world in the end, and as the ending song started, proclaiming that they--Lucy and Edmund--would be back when they--the Narnians, I suppose--call them, "no need to say goodbye", I thought how different it is, or at least should be, with us and the Kingdom of Heaven, or God, if you wish. In the story they always left the "other world" kingdom of Narnia, only for someone who had been there before to return. If you know the series you know that the people who return become progressively different, and in some cases the main character doesn't return at all but dwells near to the land he eventually enters, such as in The Horse and His Boy, if I remember right--and I think I do. Nevertheless, it is the idea of entering and leaving and returning that I wish to discuss.
When we enter the Kingdom of Heaven we need never leave and return in intervals. We do not actually ever leave, if we truly have entered God's domain, but we may do so in heart, or attention. I speak of one's conscientiousness or desire to be there. It seems there are times when we want to be closely related to His kingdom and at other times we don't. It is not a matter of reality but of view and desire. In reality we are always in His Kingdom after we once enter, just as we are always in the Spirit once in-dwelt by Him, though we may not act like we are.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The obvious thought here is that we are to live what we are. And if we are in His Kingdom we ought to act like it. But I think when we are down or spiritually weak we tend to not realize who we are and where we reside in Him. We are in His Kingdom and we will never be out of it. We are kings and priests before our God even when we don't feel like it, or even don't want to be so at any particular time. That's good. Were it not so we would ever be trying to find our way back. As it is we at times do think we have left and must find our way back, only to find in the end we never left. We only got lost in the woods of our own land. Sure, we may have to find our way back to the castle, or should I say throne room, but never back to the Kingdom. We may have to find our way back to the presence of the King, but we were all the time His co-regent. "Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen in Narnia." A truth well worth realizing.
It is, for the true believer in Christ, a calming reality that we will never be out of His sight or rule or care; we will never be out of His Kingdom. There truly is "no need to say goodbye."
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