"It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven…blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." (Matthew 13:11,16).  In November of 2003, I had an amazing encounter with the Kingdom of God at a Joel's Army youth conference in Albany, Oregon.  During one of the morning sessions, we had a powerful time of worship, and towards the end of the service during ministry time, I was so overwhelmed by the presence of God, that I became 'drunk in the Spirit', a deep experience with the 'new wine' of the Holy Spirit.  During this time, I fell down under the power of God, and saw a vision of the angel of the Lord coming towards me, and placing his hands on my ears and my eyes.  Not understanding the experience at first, I heard the Holy Spirit say, "Matthew Thirteen."  I turned to that Scripture and the Lord spoke to me through these two verses:  "It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven…blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." (Matthew 13:11,16).  I felt like the Lord was telling me that He was going to give me wisdom and revelation about the kingdom of God, and for the past seven months, I have been studying this topic in the Word of God.  Today, I feel like the Lord has released me to do some teaching on this central theme in the Scriptures.

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD? 
There's so much more to being a part of the kingdom of God than just going to church.  You can go to church your whole life and still not enter God's kingdom.  What then is the Kingdom?  A kingdom is defined as: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule; the territory subject to the rule of a king.  In other words, the kingdom of God is the king's domain--wherever Jesus is ruling and reigning as king in the hearts of His people.  In the Bible, wherever the Kingdom of God was manifested, there were angels, visions, dreams, and the presence, power and glory of God.  But how do we enter this kingdom where the supernatural becomes natural? 

THE KEYS TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD:
1. REPENTANCE AND FAITH. 
"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:14-15).  The Lord Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus said, "It's time!  God's kingdom is about to burst forth on the scene!  Do you want to get in on it?  Then repent, and believe in the Gospel!"  To repent means to turn from your sins and to turn to God.  To believe in the Gospel means to trust in the good news about the Saviour Jesus, that God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die on the Cross as the substitute for our sins, and to receive Him by relying on Him wholly as the King and Redeemer of your life both now and forever.

2. BE BORN AGAIN. 
"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-5).  Becoming a Christian is not just joining a church or making a decision to try to become a better person.  There is a very real supernatural experience that takes place when in your life!  The Bible says when you become a Christian, you are born again, adopted into God's family, and the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you!  "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:13-14).

If you don't know Jesus today as your Lord and Saviour, you can enter the Kingdom of God right now by being born again.  If you are willing to repent--to turn from your sins and turn to God--and believe the Gospel, you will be translated into the Kingdom of God!  "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9).  Call on His name today!