Introduction Understanding Kingdom Leadership means we must first and foremost look at what a kingdom is, how it operates and our responsibility towards the Kingdom of God.

In a kingdom the rules are made by the king who owns the kingdom. The people have no voice in making the rules they must live by. The king makes the laws and there is no means for the people to change those rules.

A kingdom is governed by a King who owns everything in that kingdom. His word is law and can only be changed by him. All who live in that kingdom are subject to his rule. They must obey those rules or suffer the consequences for disobedience.

There have been, and still are, many kingdoms throughout history. In fact there are many different kingdoms mentioned in the Bible.

Some of these kingdoms have been ruled by "good" kings but many others have had terrible tyrants as kings.

A drastic change in our thinking is necessary for those of us who have been raised in a democracy. We have no real understanding of the huge difference between the government of a democracy and a kingdom.

We have been taught that in our democracy, the people rule through an elected leader, a president or prime minister. All too often however, a small minority of the people govern through their money which "buys influence" to convince the elected leader to establish rules in their favor. Even so, it is through the ballot box that our government is placed into power. We do have a voice in who it is that makes our laws. And we have the ability to have those laws changed through our elected representatives.

In a kingdom, the ruler is a king who was not elected but born into the position. A king owns all that is in his kingdom including the people. A president or prime minister owns very little in the country he supervises.

The Kingdom of God

The word Kingdom, in the Kingdom of God or Heaven, means government; it is the need to be organized for purpose and direction. This is paramount, especially for an individual to function positively with God’s intention in mind. This means we are to yield to the exercise and implementation of our God's "Lordship,” that He is our King, hence the name, “Kingdom of God.” He is sovereign; He is the absolute monarch of the universe. His rule is absolute. Thus, it is our responsibility to obey God absolutely. God created the earth and all that is within it including man. He also created the sun, moon and stars. Genesis 1:1 through 2:14 ; He then created man and gave him dominion over the earth and all that is on it. "And God said; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26-28)

This establishes the fact that God owns the earth so it is His kingdom. God's kingdom is both physical and spiritual. His spiritual kingdom is recognized by very few Christians. Even fewer are aware of His physical kingdom on earth.

Because so many Christians know so little about God's kingdom they do not believe that His kingdom actually exists on earth now. Their unbelief however, doesn't change the fact that His kingdom really does exist here on earth. While they don't believe His kingdom exists now many do believe it will when Jesus returns to rule the world.

The kingdom of God exists in two realms; the physical and the spiritual. The physical is what we see, hear, and feel. It is those things we can reach out and touch. The spiritual consists of those things which are unseen and cannot be touched by our physical senses.

Most of us are able to easily believe those things we actually can see and touch. Believing those things which are unseen is more difficult. Few Christians have been taught about the spiritual realm except as the "bye-and-bye, pie in the sky" rapture concept. Most preaching today is about how to live now in the physical and is based upon the use of our five senses. Today's sermons teach mostly how to survive using our natural abilities. Seldom do they contain information about tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit described in the Scriptures as being available for our use. Very little teaching is being given about how to live in the spirit. In fact, there is very little discussion in the church today about spiritual things. And even less teaching about the fact spiritual kingdoms even exist.

Spiritual Kingdoms

There are two spiritual kingdoms. They are the kingdom of light, God's kingdom; and the kingdom of darkness, Satan's domain. No other spiritual kingdoms exist. You are a citizen of one or the other regardless of where you physically reside.

According to the Bible, we are born into the kingdom of darkness. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are translated into the kingdom of light. It is God that calls us into His kingdom. Colossians 1:13 states: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" This is repeated in a slightly different way in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." It was Jesus who said that "man must be born again" to enter God's kingdom. Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

These two spiritual kingdoms are engaged in a constant war for control. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

While most people have not been trained to see the spiritual warfare that is taking place, its effects are very visible in the physical realm. Proverbs 16:7 states: "When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." This is a clear indication of the fact that the spiritual does have an effect on the physical.

It is amazing so few Christians have been taught that God's kingdom exists on earth today. There are many verses in the Bible that indicate God intended from the very beginning that we who have accepted His Son as our savior would be in His Kingdom. Mankind has always wanted to have a man as their king rather than God. This started with the Israelites who demanded to have a man as their king like the nations around them. God finally relented and let them have Saul as their king. But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." (1 Samuel 8:19-21)

God has declared we are not only His subjects but also His ambassadors while we are still on earth. "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:20 & 21). We are to obey His wishes and commands. Our only purpose is to extend His rule and authority here on earth. He has called us to be His ambassadors here while we are still on earth.

An ambassador is defined by Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, College Edition as "the highest-ranking representative appointed by one country or government to represent it in another."

Combining this definition with verses 20 & 21 of 2 Corinthians 5, quoted above, tells us that we have been appointed by God to be His highest ranking representatives to represent His government here on earth. Even though most don't recognize it, earth is part of God's Kingdom. The main reason people don't understand earth to be God's kingdom is His government has not yet been well established here. As His Ambassadors or highest-ranking representatives we are to establish His government in His Kingdom here on earth. God intended that His Kingdom would be established on earth as it is in heaven. If God had intended "democracy on earth as it is in heaven" He would have stated it that way in Matthew 6:10. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

An ambassador is the property of the one who appointed them to that position. As such, they are to be totally supported meaning that all their needs are taken care of by the one they are an ambassador for. It also means we are to do and say only that which our King has said and does. We are to speak and act only to extend His government here on planet earth now.

Our understanding fully our role in establishing His government is vital to seeing His Kingdom on earth. We have been given an extremely important duty in bringing God's kingdom to earth. We are the ones He has chosen to use to accomplish that. God gave Adam dominion over the earth and all that it contains when He placed him in the Garden of Eden. We, who have been saved, still have that authority because it was restored to us by the blood of Jesus. That restoration transferred our citizenship from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Heaven. We live on earth but are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of heaven.

What is our privilege and responsibility as an ambassador of the Kingdom of heaven? This is spelled out for us in the 20th verse of chapter 5 of 2nd Corinthians. "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20) That duty is more clearly defined for us in the Message Bible translation which states it this way: "We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you."

We are to know His will and speak it into existence here on earth by speaking His Word. He made us in His image therefore we are like Him. God spoke and it became. He created everything by merely speaking it into existence. As His ambassadors, we also have the ability to speak His Word and bring it into existence here on earth. Doing so will bring the Kingdom of God down to earth.