IMBIBING KINGDOM PRINCIPLES

The Kingdom of God is enforced by several Principles and Standards which lead to the benefits of Kingdom Living only when carefully considered and lived out. A Principle could be defined as "a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour." One Primary Responsibility of every king is to safeguard and cater for the wellbeing of his subjects or citizens (1 Kgs. 12:7). The extent to which any citizen would be taken care of is determined by his desire and ability to practice the Principles of the Kingdom. However, this demands the putting in of effort in order to seek and secure the benefits on offer.

There are Five Major Principles which serve as a Catalyst of those Standards the Lord God Almighty has put in place for all True Christian believers to live out an Abundant and Kingdom-centric life here upon the Earth:

(1.) THE PRINCIPLE OF FORGIVENESS: This Principle is anchored upon one Key Premise: "If you extend Mercy to others, you WILL receive Mercy from where it counts: Your Heavenly Father Himself." It's as simple as that. Whatever you sow, including Mercy, is what you must reap (Matt. 18:21-35). The Lord Jesus is abundantly clear in the Scripture listed above: If you do not forgive others from your heart (the same way you have been forgiven), you will NEVER receive Forgiveness yourself. This Principle is best applied to our lives anytime we get offended (Lk. 7:47). Remembering that we ourselves have been forgiven much makes us remember to forgive others, liberating them from the offences they've caused us. Never forget that the Kingdom Life is powered by Kingdom Principles.

(2.) THE PRINCIPLE OF GENEROSITY: This Principle is extremely straightforward and simple because it triggers off the law of cause and effect (Lk. 6:38). If we can reach that point where we become Living channels of God's Blessings, we would experience blessings like never before. If we could only permit His resources, such as money and time, to flow freely through our hands, we would surely reap a great Harvest of Blessings in our lives.

(3.) THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITH: Everything on Earth has been established, created, authored, and perfected through the Lord Jesus Christ right from the Beginning of Time (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:1-3). We must learn to trust God by trusting His Word and Promises.

(4.) THE PRINCIPLE OF PATIENCE: This Particular Principle was established and displayed at the very Beginning of Time via the Agency of God's Own Creative Process and is a Major Attribute of God Himself (Gal. 5:22). He meticulously crafted and skillfully put everything in its place in the proper sequence, causing Light to shine out of darkness (Gen. 1:2b). Throughout the entire Biblical and Historical Account of the Nation of Israel, God models and teaches Patience, demonstrating that "Good planning and hard work lead to Prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty" (Prov. 21:5).

(5.) THE PRINCIPLE OF PRAISE: This Principle keeps us focused on the fact that God inhabits the Praises of His people (Ps. 22:3). His Promise to never abandon us is fulfilled in the middle of our Praise and Thanksgiving to Him. It was Prophetic Praise that caused the walls of Jericho to fall flat (Josh. 6:20). Even the Apostle Paul and Silas triggered off a severe earthquake that shattered their shackles and opened the jailhouse doors as a result of their Prayer and Praise (Acts 16:25). Praising God causes our chains to be destroyed and guarantees that those of us who are bound are delivered. These aforementioned Kingdom Principles have their Foundation in Matthew 6:33, which says, "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." It is only when we begin to practice these Principles that we can truly know and begin to fully understand the Abundant Life made available to us in Christ Jesus.