The Bible is filled with countless accounts and stories that point to one common denominator. Namely the subject of the Kingdom of God. Yes, the Kingdom of God is the overall theme of all the scriptures.
Therefore, if we are to get a clear picture of the main purpose Christ was sent into the world, then learning about the things concerning the Kingdom of God is of the utmost importance.
The Kingdom of God is the “Big Story” of the Bible.
You may ask why is this knowledge of the kingdom of God so important?
To answer this question let’s look at with whom and what Christ spent the majority of His time and energy accomplishing.
As most know Luke is the writer of both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts.
Both contain important information that helps us paint a picture of how we are to live with a Kingdom Attitude or outlook in life.
So then the knowledge of the kingdom of God gained in both of these books is relevant to begin our quest in discovering what the scriptures teach about the Good News of the kingdom of God.
To begin with Christ during the forty days after His resurrection from the dead up until He ascended into heaven made it His priority to teach His disciples the things concerning the Kingdom of God.
Acts 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Could you image what it must have been like to have been with Him for those forty days?
Acts 2:42:
Acts 2:42 King James Version (KJV)
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Those who received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost continued with the Apostles who began teaching what Christ taught them about the things concerning the kingdom of God.
This is the Apostles Doctrine!
Acts 2:42-47 is where God set up His New Covenant Kingdom Economy.
Acts 2:42-47 King James Version (KJV)
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The accurate knowledge of the Kingdom of God is essential if those of us who claim to be followers of Christ are to live our lives as true and faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, unless we clearly see the Kingdom of God, we will never realize its importance when it comes to living our daily lives by faith.
Knowing the things concerning the Kingdom of God provides the follower of Jesus Christ with hope and perseverance.
Jesus said, “ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!” So then if we are to be made free in order to fully receive the promises of the Kingdom of God it is imperative that we know the truth about what Christ lived and taught for this glorious kingdom is where we will live in eternity.
Learning the truth about the future kingdom provides a purity of purpose and strengthens our daily walk with Jesus Christ.
Applied knowledge of the Kingdom equates to Wisdom and Wisdom is power to not only overcome ignorance, but it is also the power of truth imparted to us in order to overcome the temptations of this “Present Evil Age” in which we now live.
A major portion in the future Kingdom of God is the notion of a future city of God namely Jerusalem. This is the city whose builder and maker was God and is the place that Father Abraham and many other Old Testament saints searched for as they sojourned in pursuit of their Promised land.
This New Jerusalem or Eternal City is the final focal point where all the Old New and Testament believers will abide forever.
Hebrews 11:8-11 (KJV)
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
The first mention of this city appears in Genesis 14:18 where Melchizedek, King and Priest of Salem brought forth Bread and Wine. Bread and wine signifying the New Covenant.
This is obviously a type or shadow of the future Kingship and Priesthood of Jesus Christ. He will rule from the city of New Jerusalem over the Global Government or Kingdom of God. He will rule by way of the New Covenant with its better promises than that of Abraham.
This is a good example of how all things in scripture ultimately refer to the Kingdom of God. Here we see for the first time in Genesis a reference to Melchizedek King and Priest of the most High God.
Not much is revealed about Melchizedek as he is only briefly mentioned in three books in the scripture:
Genesis 14:18
Psalm 110:4
Hebrews 5:6, 5:10, 6:20, 7:1, 7:10, 7:11,7:15. 7:17, 7:21
This city of Salem mentioned in Genesis is also the city described in the book of The Revelation as the New Jerusalem which the book of Hebrews states “whose builder and maker is God.”
Yes, it is true that the New Jerusalem and The Kingdom of God will not be established upon earth until some future unknown date. However, the blessings of this Kingdom can reach back into this “Present Evil Age” and bless those who are seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Could it be that what Christ was referring to in John 10:10 as the “more than abundant life” is speaking of what life will be like when the Kingdom of God is established on earth in the Age to come?
Truly this “Kingdom Life” Christ came to preach to all who will repent of their rebellion against the Father is available for those individuals to learn how to live according the Laws of the Kingdom. Surely this must be part of the more than abundant life He spoke of in John 10:10.
This is the hope of an eternal life without sin, death, disease, pain, or tears. This knowledge of the Kingdom of God offers hope to the hopeless!
If this Kingdom Life is truly available, then the opposite must also be true.
Again, by keeping in mind the overall Big Story of the Kingdom, we may understand the warning given by Christ of the Thief coming to steal, kill and destroy as it applies to the Kingdom of God in a specific and damaging way.
The knowledge of God’s Kingdom is precisely what the enemy so desperately desires people to be completely ignorant of.
When Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness, one of the things offered was all the kingdoms of this world.
So, when we ask, “Destroy what?” we find our answer is “Destroy the knowledge of the Kingdom of God.”
How is this satanic destruction of the Kingdom of God accomplished?
By stealing and killing the knowledge of God’s Kingdom from the minds of the people of God Satan renders them powerless. This may be accomplished in various ways but mainly it is carried out through devious deception.
Ultimately Lucifer’s original rebellious plan was to overthrow the Kingdom of God which was in full operation on earth after the creation and before the Fall of Adam and Eve in Paradise.
How did Satan accomplish this? By lying and stealing and by asking the question. “Hath God really said?” Satan uses deception to cause doubt in the mind of an individual.
First this enemy of God distracted Eve away from the fruit of the Tree of Life to the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Then Eve was deceived by Satan to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. She offered the fruit to Adam and he did eat also. Because of this rebellion against what God had originally told Adam they were sentenced to continue living outside of paradise where Sin infected God’s Creation. This sin remains in effect even today during this “Present Evil Age.”
As a result of this rebellion against God the world has been separated from the full blessings of the Kingdom of God. That is until the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth Who as the promised Messiah was sent by the Father to preach the message of the good news of the availability of the Kingdom of God.
Luke 4:43 KJV
And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore I am sent.
As we learn this thief is primarily out to destroy the knowledge of the Kingdom of God, then we must focus on precisely what is needed to strengthen or minds against his deception.
The remedy of deception is truth!
Therefore, our thoughts must be filled with the truth of the things concerning the Kingdom of God Christ taught His disciples.
Christ entered our world to put an end to this rebellion Satan directed against the true God. Preaching of the good news of the Kingdom of God is the only viable alternative against Satan’s deceptive counterfeit dominion over mankind.
In my recent path of learning about the Kingdom of God I have come to realize the promised more than abundant life comes into ultimate fruition when the Kingdom of God is finally established on this earth. In the coming “Perfect Age” this promise includes the city of God known as New Jerusalem.
However, during this “Present Evil Age” the future blessings of the Kingdom of God has the power to transcend time and space and provide the promised blessings to all who will simply learn how to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we will pursue this simple directive, Christ promised that all things would be given or supplied to us by the heavenly Father for He knows what our needs are.
Christ came to re-establish the Kingdom of God on this earth and He taught His followers by example how to live the Kingdom Life and share this life with others by the preaching of the Good News or Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
In Matthew Chapter five, six, and seven Jesus Christ as “King” reveals His manifesto to His disciples as He begins to introduce to them the knowledge concerning the Kingdom of God.
A definition of manifesto is a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization. This is exactly what Christ did during the sermon on the Mount.
By studying the Life of Christ as recorded in the gospels we learn many things, and the bases of all we learn stems from two important truths:
1. The first truth is that the life of Jesus Christ in all that He said and did was a living example of what The Father would say and do if He were a man.
Truly He is Emmanuel or God with us.
2. The second truth is: Jesus Christ of Nazareth exemplified how a child of God should act towards The Father and towards others.
Christ alone was sent and enabled by the Father to accomplish both tasks.
Christ is the living example of the great commandment. The first of which is to love God with all your soul, mind, heart, and strength.
And the second is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
In Kingdom Living we learn how everything in the scriptures point to Christ and He alone is the King!
Jesus the Messiah is Lord and The Father has placed Him in charge over the building of New Jerusalem, the “City of God” where He will reign over the earth as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
This is just a small glimpse into the magnificent plan that the Creator God put into operation long before the world began.
The good news is that we have been included in His plan as we are to go into the entire world and preach the good news of the kingdom of God.
So, then what is the good news of the Kingdom of God? What is the message of the kingdom of God we have been directed to preach to every creature?
The Good News is that Christ was sent by the Father to make available everlasting life to all who will believe in His name.
This ongoing life will not be lived in a world that is obviously decaying.
In the coming Kingdom of God there will be no sickness, disease or poverty.
All the citizens of the kingdom will live in peace and prosperity without any racism, sexism or any other isms.
There will no longer be any man-made religion.
This incorruptible Kingdom will be free of all the evil of this present world.
When God’s Kingdom is established in the earth then the following words pf the Lord’s Prayer will come to pass.
“Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”
Come quickly Lord Jesus!
kingdomlink.wordpress.com
Some Thoughts About The Kingdom of God
The Bible is filled with countless accounts and stories that point to one common denominator. Namely the subject of the Kingdom of God. Yes, the Kingdom of God is the overall theme of all the scriptures.
Therefore, if we are to get a clear picture of the main purpose Christ was sent into the world, then learning about the things concerning the Kingdom of God is of the utmost importance.
The Kingdom of God is the “Big Story” of the Bible.
You may ask why is this knowledge of the kingdom of God so important?
To answer this question let’s look at with whom and what Christ spent the majority of His time and energy accomplishing.
As most know Luke is the writer of both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts.
Both contain important information that helps us paint a picture of how we are to live with a Kingdom Attitude or outlook in life.
So then the knowledge of the kingdom of God gained in both of these books is relevant to begin our quest in discovering what the scriptures teach about the Good News of the kingdom of God.
To begin with Christ during the forty days after His resurrection from the dead up until He ascended into heaven made it His priority to teach His disciples the things concerning the Kingdom of God.
Acts 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Could you image what it must have been like to have been with Him for those forty days?
Acts 2:42:
Acts 2:42 King James Version (KJV)
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Those who received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost continued with the Apostles who began teaching what Christ taught them about the things concerning the kingdom of God.
This is the Apostles Doctrine!
Acts 2:42-47 is where God set up His New Covenant Kingdom Economy.
Acts 2:42-47 King James Version (KJV)
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The accurate knowledge of the Kingdom of God is essential if those of us who claim to be followers of Christ are to live our lives as true and faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, unless we clearly see the Kingdom of God, we will never realize its importance when it comes to living our daily lives by faith.
Knowing the things concerning the Kingdom of God provides the follower of Jesus Christ with hope and perseverance.
Jesus said, “ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!” So then if we are to be made free in order to fully receive the promises of the Kingdom of God it is imperative that we know the truth about what Christ lived and taught for this glorious kingdom is where we will live in eternity.
Learning the truth about the future kingdom provides a purity of purpose and strengthens our daily walk with Jesus Christ.
Applied knowledge of the Kingdom equates to Wisdom and Wisdom is power to not only overcome ignorance, but it is also the power of truth imparted to us in order to overcome the temptations of this “Present Evil Age” in which we now live.
A major portion in the future Kingdom of God is the notion of a future city of God namely Jerusalem. This is the city whose builder and maker was God and is the place that Father Abraham and many other Old Testament saints searched for as they sojourned in pursuit of their Promised land.
This New Jerusalem or Eternal City is the final focal point where all the Old New and Testament believers will abide forever.
Hebrews 11:8-11 (KJV)
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
The first mention of this city appears in Genesis 14:18 where Melchizedek, King and Priest of Salem brought forth Bread and Wine. Bread and wine signifying the New Covenant.
This is obviously a type or shadow of the future Kingship and Priesthood of Jesus Christ. He will rule from the city of New Jerusalem over the Global Government or Kingdom of God. He will rule by way of the New Covenant with its better promises than that of Abraham.
This is a good example of how all things in scripture ultimately refer to the Kingdom of God. Here we see for the first time in Genesis a reference to Melchizedek King and Priest of the most High God.
Not much is revealed about Melchizedek as he is only briefly mentioned in three books in the scripture:
Genesis 14:18
Psalm 110:4
Hebrews 5:6, 5:10, 6:20, 7:1, 7:10, 7:11,7:15. 7:17, 7:21
This city of Salem mentioned in Genesis is also the city described in the book of The Revelation as the New Jerusalem which the book of Hebrews states “whose builder and maker is God.”
Yes, it is true that the New Jerusalem and The Kingdom of God will not be established upon earth until some future unknown date. However, the blessings of this Kingdom can reach back into this “Present Evil Age” and bless those who are seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Could it be that what Christ was referring to in John 10:10 as the “more than abundant life” is speaking of what life will be like when the Kingdom of God is established on earth in the Age to come?
Truly this “Kingdom Life” Christ came to preach to all who will repent of their rebellion against the Father is available for those individuals to learn how to live according the Laws of the Kingdom. Surely this must be part of the more than abundant life He spoke of in John 10:10.
This is the hope of an eternal life without sin, death, disease, pain, or tears. This knowledge of the Kingdom of God offers hope to the hopeless!
If this Kingdom Life is truly available, then the opposite must also be true.
Again, by keeping in mind the overall Big Story of the Kingdom, we may understand the warning given by Christ of the Thief coming to steal, kill and destroy as it applies to the Kingdom of God in a specific and damaging way.
The knowledge of God’s Kingdom is precisely what the enemy so desperately desires people to be completely ignorant of.
When Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness, one of the things offered was all the kingdoms of this world.
So, when we ask, “Destroy what?” we find our answer is “Destroy the knowledge of the Kingdom of God.”
How is this satanic destruction of the Kingdom of God accomplished?
By stealing and killing the knowledge of God’s Kingdom from the minds of the people of God Satan renders them powerless. This may be accomplished in various ways but mainly it is carried out through devious deception.
Ultimately Lucifer’s original rebellious plan was to overthrow the Kingdom of God which was in full operation on earth after the creation and before the Fall of Adam and Eve in Paradise.
How did Satan accomplish this? By lying and stealing and by asking the question. “Hath God really said?” Satan uses deception to cause doubt in the mind of an individual.
First this enemy of God distracted Eve away from the fruit of the Tree of Life to the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Then Eve was deceived by Satan to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. She offered the fruit to Adam and he did eat also. Because of this rebellion against what God had originally told Adam they were sentenced to continue living outside of paradise where Sin infected God’s Creation. This sin remains in effect even today during this “Present Evil Age.”
As a result of this rebellion against God the world has been separated from the full blessings of the Kingdom of God. That is until the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth Who as the promised Messiah was sent by the Father to preach the message of the good news of the availability of the Kingdom of God.
Luke 4:43 KJV
And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore I am sent.
As we learn this thief is primarily out to destroy the knowledge of the Kingdom of God, then we must focus on precisely what is needed to strengthen or minds against his deception.
The remedy of deception is truth!
Therefore, our thoughts must be filled with the truth of the things concerning the Kingdom of God Christ taught His disciples.
Christ entered our world to put an end to this rebellion Satan directed against the true God. Preaching of the good news of the Kingdom of God is the only viable alternative against Satan’s deceptive counterfeit dominion over mankind.
In my recent path of learning about the Kingdom of God I have come to realize the promised more than abundant life comes into ultimate fruition when the Kingdom of God is finally established on this earth. In the coming “Perfect Age” this promise includes the city of God known as New Jerusalem.
However, during this “Present Evil Age” the future blessings of the Kingdom of God has the power to transcend time and space and provide the promised blessings to all who will simply learn how to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we will pursue this simple directive, Christ promised that all things would be given or supplied to us by the heavenly Father for He knows what our needs are.
Christ came to re-establish the Kingdom of God on this earth and He taught His followers by example how to live the Kingdom Life and share this life with others by the preaching of the Good News or Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
In Matthew Chapter five, six, and seven Jesus Christ as “King” reveals His manifesto to His disciples as He begins to introduce to them the knowledge concerning the Kingdom of God.
A definition of manifesto is a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization. This is exactly what Christ did during the sermon on the Mount.
By studying the Life of Christ as recorded in the gospels we learn many things, and the bases of all we learn stems from two important truths:
1. The first truth is that the life of Jesus Christ in all that He said and did was a living example of what The Father would say and do if He were a man.
Truly He is Emmanuel or God with us.
2. The second truth is: Jesus Christ of Nazareth exemplified how a child of God should act towards The Father and towards others.
Christ alone was sent and enabled by the Father to accomplish both tasks.
Christ is the living example of the great commandment. The first of which is to love God with all your soul, mind, heart, and strength.
And the second is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
In Kingdom Living we learn how everything in the scriptures point to Christ and He alone is the King!
Jesus the Messiah is Lord and The Father has placed Him in charge over the building of New Jerusalem, the “City of God” where He will reign over the earth as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
This is just a small glimpse into the magnificent plan that the Creator God put into operation long before the world began.
The good news is that we have been included in His plan as we are to go into the entire world and preach the good news of the kingdom of God.
So, then what is the good news of the Kingdom of God? What is the message of the kingdom of God we have been directed to preach to every creature?
The Good News is that Christ was sent by the Father to make available everlasting life to all who will believe in His name.
This ongoing life will not be lived in a world that is obviously decaying.
In the coming Kingdom of God there will be no sickness, disease or poverty.
All the citizens of the kingdom will live in peace and prosperity without any racism, sexism or any other isms.
There will no longer be any man-made religion.
This incorruptible Kingdom will be free of all the evil of this present world.
When God’s Kingdom is established in the earth then the following words pf the Lord’s Prayer will come to pass.
“Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”
Come quickly Lord Jesus!
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