‘And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violence takes it by force’
Matthew 11:12
We tend to water down spirituality until it becomes religion. We want to play it safe until our faith becomes lukewarm and we settle for the mundane.
The verse in Matthew 11:12, which states that ‘the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violence takes it by force’ is a verse that always stirs up my imagination. What does this verse mean? Who are the violent ones? How does the Kingdom suffer? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
When I did BSSM in 2016-2017, a very dear friend of mine printed out a gorgeous illustration of a warrior bride. She added the Matthew 11:12 verse underneath it, and wrote the following:
‘Keep asking, keep seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness first and all these shall be added to you. Be relentless. Be His warrior!’
I have kept that letter with me, and I look at it often. I think about it, I ponder over it, and I am expectant to receive a fresh revelation from the Lord about all this.
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‘My faith is not just an abiding faith; it is active. It is aggressive by nature. It has focus and purpose.
Faith grabs hold of the reality of the Kingdom and forcefully and violently brings it into a collision with the natural one. An inferior kingdom cannot stand.’
– Bill Johnson
(When Heaven Invades Earth)
