The Now and Not Yet

The Kingdom of God is at hand, but it is still yet to be realized. This Kingdom Theology of the now and not yet means that there are aspects of God on earth but are also aspects yet to come to fruition. This is a little bit of a middle ground for a lot of people, where charismatics might claim that healings are a matter of faith in the now kingdom and evangelicals might claim that healings are yet to come if at all.

But where the Kingdom Theology comes into play is that God moves. Ultimately his kingdom trumps ours, but sometimes there is a little bit of a waiting period. The now and not yet proclaims that God heals; that is the main gist of it. God responds to prayer. We don't say words to make us feel good, but in reality, we pray to get in touch with God and to see how he will respond.

God doesn't always respond the way that we want, because God is sovereign but he also is not immune to our prayers. He wants to interact with his children, but sometimes timing is the main issue. God in his omniscience and omnipotence knows what's best for his kids. Sometimes a parent will let their kid ride a bike without training wheels, knowing very well that the kid might get hurt. So the parent allows the kid to mess up because it is in this messing up that they learn the most. 

Sometimes our prayers are like that. Sometimes we have to go through the motions, and God doesn't "respond." But really, he is responding. He is answering prayers, 24/7, and he has our best interest in mind. So when we pray, the most simplistic way to pray is just as Jesus taught us, and we have to pray with fervency that God will answer.

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive them that trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

It's just a matter of time.

So keep praying.

Keep working.

Keep laboring in God's Kingdom.