Life in God's Kingdom - Introduction
by Colleen Donahue
INTRODUCTION
It's easy as we look at the overwhelming problems of mankind to become pessimistic and cynical. There is hope for us only as we reconnect with our Creator and understand HIS purpose for our lives.God's original plan for life on planet earth was a kingdom, and this concept has been lost to us in a shroud of religion. In the western world, kingdom as a concept doesn't exist anymore. To escape the social chaos, man has created elaborate religions and they have become the most powerful force on earth.
Every one of us is religious --- including the atheist, socialist, humanist and agnostic. All adhere to a belief system even if that belief is that there is no creator. Almost all our problems can be traced back to some religious foundation -- which is ironic since religion is supposed to be the solution to mankind's problems. Religion results from an inherent hunger in man's spirit that he seeks to satisfy. There is a vacuum in man's spirit which he seeks to fill because something has been lost and we all feel it. This drives man to pursue answers in realms beyond his own.
Dr. Myles Monroe states it well. "I am convinced that every person on earth ultimately is looking for two things in life: power and purpose. All of us look for meaning for our existence and the power to control our lives and our circumstances; power to determine the future and predict the unknown; power over death and life ....... Our pursuit of purpose and power is the primary source and motivation for the development of religion." (From Kingdom Principles p. 13).All religions attempt to answer the questions of power and meaning. They all claim to have the truth as they compare and compete. But religion has proved to be the great divider of mankind. So if religion of any kind isn't the answer to our problems, then our search must turn to what is and for this we must start at the beginning.