How To Bring the Kingdom Into Your Affairs
Hi Friends,
It just might be, as Lowell Fillmore says in this six minute message, that the kingdom of heaven is here, it is meant for us to enjoy now, it is available by concerted effort and faithful practice, and it will be easier to bring the kingdom of heaven into the earth now, at the present time, if a number of faithful Christians join together in a united effort.
Read on to see how you can apply this in your life over the next 30 days and as a community on April 20, 2023.
Lowell proposes a name for those who join together in this effort: The Heaven Is Here Club. I propose that within Unity circles better name would be The Fillmore Fellowship, a name the Fillmores would avoid as being too “personality driven.” Regardless of what we may call our gathering, what Lowell is proposing is a center of practice calling forth the kingdom of heaven into expression in all affairs of our life.
I hope you will read his message, or listen to the audio, and, as he says, “try faithfully for one day to bring the kingdom into your affairs.” He feels certain that we will want to continue the experiment indefinitely. He says if we keep it up for a month we will see how it will transform our affairs.
“Trying faithfully for one day to bring the kingdom into your affairs” is also our intention for Koinonia Spring 2023, A Day Of Peaceful Living through singing, reflective prayer, inspiration and community discussion. Besides our month of practice that Lowell is calling us to, Koinonia is an opportunity to gather for one day to sing, pray, reflect and discuss kingdom living.
Koinonia is the Greek word for a special type of community—“intimate spiritual communion and participative sharing in a common religious commitment and spiritual community”, according to Webster. Koinonia is inspired by the Fillmores and Unity movement they established and by Glenn Clark and the CFO/JFO movement of camps he established, but Koinonia invites all who desire a more peaceful world to join us on April 20, approximately one month from now.
Many blessings,
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Listen/Download Audio of Mark’s message
Listen/Download Audio of Heaven Is Here
FOR many years good Christians have been praying for the kingdom to come into the earth, but they have always thought of it as coming at an undetermined future date. I believe it is time to do something more definite concerning the coming of the kingdom. I believe Jesus Christ meant for man to enjoy it now, for He often said that it was at hand. By concerted effort and faithful practice I feel sure that a group of faithful Christians can bring the kingdom of heaven into the earth now, at the present time.
The kingdom of heaven does not come by observation, but it must be incorporated into our life by actual practice and work. It will be the purpose of our club to begin this work at once. Its members will be those who agree to cooperate in meeting each little daily problem in a simple but effective way, which I will now try to point out.
While I believe it is possible for one person to find the kingdom alone, I am sure that it will be easier for each one if a number of persons will join together in a united effort. There will be no membership record kept of the Heaven Is Here Club. Each one desiring to join will simply make a covenant with the Father. Membership dues will consist of the effort the member puts into work to be done.
The first thing for a member to realize is that heaven is not a place far distant but that it is a harmonious state of mind that each member must endeavor to establish in himself. The kingdom of heaven is man’s true estate. God made man perfect in the beginning. This perfect man lives in the kingdom of heaven now. When you realize your unity with God and that you, the real you, are a son of God you will begin to see that the kingdom of heaven is truly at hand.
Heaven is here waiting to be called into expression in our life. We must begin by calling it into expression in every little experience. We can practice bringing heaven into the earth every minute of the day. We can practice upon the conditions that come into our life.
As Adam named the animals, we can name these conditions, giving them heavenly names. The events of life are passing by us endlessly, and we are naming some of them bad and some good. It seems strange that all men do not agree, but some call certain things good that others call bad. This shows that the good and bad qualities exist in the minds of individuals and not in the things themselves. Here is an example:
Fifty years ago short skirts were said to be bad by most persons in this country, but today they are called good by the majority. This change of name from bad to good is entirely in the mind of the people. Shakespeare expresses it in these words: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
Let each member of our club realize that what he thinks about a thing or an experience is more important than the thing or experience itself. Suppose you dread to meet someone with whom you have an appointment and you anticipate an unpleasant interview. Here is an opportunity to practice the presence of the kingdom of heaven. Say silently: “There are no unpleasant experiences in heaven, which is now here; therefore I go fearlessly to meet my good.” This thought will take you to the appointment with your mind free from fear and bitterness. You will have a light heart and will very likely wear a smile on your face which will send a signal to the other person that the interview is to be a pleasant one.
Remember that because the interview is to be held in the kingdom only pleasant things will be discussed. As you see goodness and light like a cloud all about you both, you will realize that the kingdom of heaven is dominating that conversation whether the other person realizes it or not, and you will both enjoy and receive benefits from the meeting. Do not allow yourself to think for a minute that anything but good can come from it.
If a member of your family seems not to be co-operating with the others stop accenting thoughts of criticism concerning him and think heavenly thoughts instead of dark thoughts about him. It is so easy when you are in the earthly state of mind to whine and feel sorry for yourself.
But this is not the way things are done in the kingdom of heaven. Remember that you are in the kingdom and be cheerful. Say to yourself: “Order is heavens first law. In the kingdom of heaven all is divine order. Everybody is loving and kind.” Do not admit to yourself that there is any other possibility. Stick to this thought. Put your will in the background and allow the will of God to be done in this matter and believe in the presence of the kingdom so completely that its beauty will envelop the household, causing all of its members to co-operate perfectly.
If someone has been untrue to you do not mourn about it but remember that there is no mourning in the kingdom of heaven, for heaven is founded upon joy. Forgive the person who seems to be untrue to you and think of him as a perfect child of God. Do not condemn him but in your thoughts set him free to express his true nature in the kingdom. Know that all is well in the kingdom of heaven, where you both now reside. Be willing to admit that your ideas as well as his may need adjusting to conform to the standard of the kingdom.
It may be possible that you too need to ask forgiveness. Assume the heavenly attitude until you feel perfectly harmonious and happy. Having forgiven the “untrue” person, you will be able to understand that nothing unpleasant can happen in the kingdom.
If you have a decision to make that has been troubling you, place the matter in God’s hands and realize that His wisdom is guiding you. Remember that God’s wisdom is greater than man’s knowledge and that He is showing you just what to do. There is no use to worry about anything that you have placed in His hands. Retain this attitude until you feel happy in the faith that all is well. Do not doubt God’s wisdom; do not fear the outcome. Carry the kingdom of heaven with you into your decision. Remember that no unfair man-made law can withstand the goodness of the kingdom.
In dealing with your other experiences remember that you are still in the kingdom and that you have taken all your affairs there with you. Surround yourself with a spiritual radiance, which will assure you that the kingdom of heaven is indeed now in your earth.
When you remember that there are many other members of the club working with you for the kingdom you will not fail them. If you should be unable to bring one of your problems into the kingdom, do not worry but pull yourself together and try again, resolving to do better next time. And when you go to bed at night after a day of living in the kingdom, do not forget that you are still in heaven and that you will go into dreamland with a consciousness that you are going to spend the night in the kingdom, and I promise you that you will have a delightful and restful sleep.
The foregoing are but a few suggestions as to how you can practice bringing the kingdom of heaven into a few of your experiences. The same general plan can be adjusted to fit every kind of experience. Try faithfully for one day to bring the kingdom into your affairs, and I feel certain that you will want to continue the experiment indefinitely. Keep it up for a month and see how it will transform your affairs.
Remember that the kingdom of heaven is within you. Claim it. Live it. Enjoy it every day and every minute of every day.
