Our series during Ordinary time will explore the revelation of God’s Kingdom through his Son. We will look specifically how the incarnation—the ministry, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ—reveals the long-promised Kingdom of God breaking into human history demonstrating God’s love, destroying the powers that ravaged creation, and displaying the Messiah’s promise (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).
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YOUR KINGDOM COME
Pastoral Resources | 2025-26 Themes At-A-Glance
The Messiah on the Cross: The Kingdom’s Triumph Over Satan and Sin, Mark 15:21-40; Colossians 2:13-15
On Calvary’s Cross, that which looked like defeat was nothing other than the victorious engagement of the King against the powers of Satan and the guilt of sin. Christ’s death effected the King’s complete answer to the sin question through the ages. His shed blood erased the charge against us and shattered the dominion and domination of the Enemy. Now, through the death of the King on His Cross, the Church can live and operate as victorious agents of the Kingdom’s inbreaking, not simply hoping for victory but as those who are experiencing it, declaring His victory already won, living free from condemnation, unafraid of the powers and their effects, and living boldly to proclaim the victory and strength of the once crucified King who now reigns at God’s right hand.
Our Focus Today
Jesus’ Defeat of the Devil: The Disarming of the Powers, Colossians 2:15
On His Cross, Christ Jesus the Messiah stripped Satan and the hostile rulers of their powers and weapons and now leads them in open, public defeat, as was done after a Roman army defeated an opposing force, so that now we as God’s people can wage Kingdom warfare as those whose ultimate enemy has already been conquered.
Invocation
Triumphant Lord, upon Your Cross You stripped the rulers and powers of their ultimate power to destroy us and led them captive in Your decisive victory. We come to worship You as the Conqueror who turned apparent defeat into open triumph! Free us today from fear of an enemy whom You have already vanquished. Clothe us now with confidence and faith in Your finished victory, and send us into the battle as those who serve a King Who reigns! Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Friday: Acts 8.1b-9.43
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Friday: Psalm 9, 39, 69, 99, 129 and Proverbs 9
Jesus’ Defeat of the Devil: The Disarming of the Powers, Colossians 2:15
On His Cross, Christ Jesus the Messiah stripped Satan and the hostile rulers of their powers and weapons and now leads them in open, public defeat, as was done after a Roman army defeated an opposing force, so that now we as God’s people can wage Kingdom warfare as those whose ultimate enemy has already been conquered.
Reflection
It is difficult to understand the weight of Christ’s victory over Satan, hell, death, sin, and the grave through His Cross. That entire shameful occasion was not a setback or defeat of God’s purpose and plan, but a shining triumph of God’s plan to redeem His creation through His Son. It was there at the Cross that Jesus stripped the powers of their tyranny and weapons and paraded them in open defeat, like a conquering general leading captives home. Therefore, let us never pretend that we must fight toward victory, but, instead, let us always fight from Christ’s securing of our victory through His shed blood. We can now resist the enemy as those confronting a foe whom God has already conquered, confident and unafraid in the finished triumph of our King, Jesus of Nazareth.
Engaging God’s Word Today
Where are you still thinking, speaking, and conducting yourself as though the enemy still holds power over you, i.e., where and in what situations now are you still gripped by fear, accusation, or defeat? How should we be thinking, behaving, and living now, since Christ has already disarmed and paraded the devil in open triumph through His Cross?
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Thank You, dear Lord Jesus, for the victory You won for us over the devil and his minions. You have saved and delivered us by Your grace, not our effort and spirituality. Let me go now to wage Kingdom warfare from a victory already won. The powers that once terrified us have been disarmed, exposed, and led captive by You, our King. Teach me how to resist the enemy, never in dread anymore but in confidence, for You sealed his defeat at the Cross. And may You, the triumphant Christ, who paraded every foe in open shame, keep me fearless today, and to the end. Amen.
Scripture Memory for this season
Rev. 21:1-5, Creation’s Groaning: The Kingdom’s Cosmic Scope
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.
Books We Are Reading this Church Year, and When
• The Most Amazing Story Ever Told, Dr. Don Davis (during season of Advent)
• Get Your Pretense On, Dr. Don Davis (during season of Christmas)
• Destined for the Throne, Paul Billheimer (during season of Epiphany)
• The Presence of the Future, George Eldon Ladd (during seasons of Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Ascension)
• Who Gets to Narrate the World?, Robert E. Webber (during seasons of the Coming of the Holy Spirit, and Headship)
• Kingdom, Church and World: Biblical Themes for Today, Howard Snyder (during season of Harvest)
• The Gospel of the Kingdom, George Eldon Ladd (during the seasons of Hope and Remembering the Saints, Exalting the King)
Book Reading Reflection: The Gospel of the Kingdom
Fundamentally, as we have seen, the Kingdom of God is God’s sovereign reign; but God’s reign expresses itself in different stages through redemptive history. Therefore, men may enter into the realm of God’s reign in its several stages of manifestation and experience the blessings of His reign in differing degrees. God’s Kingdom is the realm of the Age to Come, popularly called heaven; then we shall realize the blessings of His Kingdom (reign) in the perfection of their fulness. But the Kingdom is here now. There is a realm of spiritual blessing into which we may enter today and enjoy in part but in reality the blessings of God’s Kingdom (reign).
We pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The confidence that this prayer is to be answered when God brings human history to the divinely ordained consummation enables the Christian to retain his balance and sanity of mind in this mad world in which we live. Our hearts go out to those who have no such hope. Thank God, His Kingdom is coming, and it will fill all the earth.
But when we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” we also ask that God’s will be done here and now, today. This is the primary concern of these expositions, that the reader might meet the Kingdom of God, or rather, that the Kingdom of God might meet him. We should also pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” in my church as it is in heaven. The life and fellowship of a Christian church ought to be a fellowship of people among whom God’s will is done—a bit of heaven on earth. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” in my life, as it is in heaven. This is included in our prayer for the coming of the Kingdom. This is part of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
~ Ladd, George Eldon. The Gospel of the Kingdom. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI: 2000. Electronic Edition (copyright © 1959, The Paternoster Press), Location 223-226.
On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
The Ascension and the Day of Pentecost: The Kingdom’s Cosmic Authority, Acts 1:6-11; 2:32-36, Eph. 1:20-23
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