The Bible says “From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of heavens suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” Matthew 11:12 RSV

Interestingly, many are baffled by this verse as to what it really means. What does violence have something to do with God’s Kingdom? 
Violence does not sound positive in connection with God’s activities let alone a characteristic of His Kingdom. Violence hurts people, tears communities apart, bring wounds and scars that would heal a lifetime. So what is this particular verse tell about the Kingdom of God.
We might conclude that Jesus talks about the persecution he and John the Baptist had faced. Or the Kingdom of God is using violence to achieve its purpose, which is really hard to fathom. But upon a closer understanding of the text , it has something to do with the nature of the Kingdom, how powerful ( violent ) grace works in our lives  and ministries today. The word “violence” can mean “forceful” in Greek and can mean “explosive” in Hebrew. So nothing negative is really meant here yet on the other hand God’s Kingdom of grace is both a promise and a threat for all mankind. A promise when we allow the rule or reign of God in our lives and ministries and a threat when we go against His will and do our selfish desires. What a reminder for all of us in the ministry. Once again a driving motivation and challenge of A4C ministries is ” The Life of the Minister is the Life of the Ministry.”
We are also reminded that God’s Kingdom is powerful that it will surely bear fruits according to His power and providence. It will surely bring forth when we faithfully serve Him, love His people and share the gospel to the rest of the world. Ministry anchored on the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit will surely make a difference. The power of the gospel changes everything!
The ministry done in God’s way is breaking forth new vistas and horizons. The more we grow in the knowledge of God, the more we bear fruits for His glory. The more we bear fruit, the more we see our dependence on Him, and the more we depend on Him, the more our lives become intentional and deliberate. We implore His grace, we explode in humility, power and grace.
One of the Puritans said” Grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full.” May this be a challenge for all of us this month!