Thrill-Seeking in the Kingdom of God

Thrill seekers are people who are always on the lookout for the next experience that will energize their life with passion, emotion, physical danger, euphoria, joy, elation, or a host of other emotional and physical thrills.  In the Kingdom of God, the thrill​s ​​that God's children experience are not to be like that of the world.  There are three primary "thrills" that every follower of Jesus should be seeking after.  If we are not seeking for, nor experiencing these three thrills, then lesser, worldly thrills will have to try to keep our attention in church.  ​
What is it like to be a thrill-seeker in the Kingdom of God? 

• THE THRILL OF JESUS' MISSION
  ​There is nothing like participating in the mission of Jesus to make Disciples and watching their lives be healed and redeemed, transformed and set free!  Partnering with Jesus in His mission is amazing and should send chills up and down the spine of every believer!
• ​THE THRILL OF HIS MIRACULOUS POWER
  ​When the disciples returned from being sent out by Jesus they reported with excitement that even the demons obeyed them in Jesus' name!  Talk about a thrill!  It is intended by Jesus for His children to be channels of His miraculous power as a normal part of every day life in the Kingdom of God.
• THE THRILL OF HIS MANIFESTATION
  There are gifts of the Holy Spirit that can only come to us in miraculous, supernatural ways.  We are taught to both expect them, and eagerly desire them.  Healing, Prophecy, Tongues, Interpretation, Miracles, Discernment all come from the Holy Spirit.  When human flesh manifests the presence of the Holy Spirit through His gifts in real time, that is thrilling!​

What happens if we are not experiencing these thrills?

• ​For one, the real work of the Kingdom is not happening.  Disciples must be made, His miraculous power must be displayed, and His presence must be manifest for the true Kingdom to be established. 
• ​Second, a culture is established in place of the Kingdom.  The Kingdom can, and should, emerge within a culture, but the Kingdom was not designed by Jesus to be a sub-culture.  Christian movies, concerts, clubs, cruises, novels, and other interests/groups are fine, but they are not the Kingdom of God. Take care that we are not trying to build Jesus' Kingdom through add-ons.  Christian cruises aren't in the Word, but discipling, power and presence are.
• Finally, we will be bored by empty religion.  Jesus is never boring but religion can be.  The manifest power and presence of the Holy Spirit is invigorating, but religious laws can be draining.  Discipling is life-giving, but convert-making is dreadful.
  

​Today, and always, be a true thrill-seeker for the True Kingdom of our Lord Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
AMEN.