The Messiah, The Ekklesia And The Kingdom Of God COVER
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THE MESSIAH

THE EKKLESIA

AND THE

KINGDOM OF GOD

(A Series Of Related Essays)



By Paul D. Rapoza




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Table Of Contents

TITLE PAGE


FILE INFORMATION


INTRODUCTION


ESSAY 1
The Kingdom And The King...

ESSAY 2
The Cornerstone...

ESSAY 3
The Kingdom Of God

ESSAY 4
The Kingdom - It's Nature And Location

ESSAY 5
The Kingdom And The Ekklesia

ESSAY 6
The Kingdom Citizen's Warfare

ESSAY 7
"Church" Vs "Ekklesia" - Does It Matter?

ESSAY 8
Grace Vs The Kingdom - Separate Gospels?

ESSAY 9
Did Paul Preach The Gospel Of The Kingdom?

ESSAY 10
Understanding Denominationalism Vs The Ekklesia Of Christ

ESSAY 11
One Mind, One Accord

ESSAY 12
Church: Upside Down Or Right Side Up?

ESSAY 13
The Phenomenal Growth In The First Century

ESSAY 14
The Word Of God

ESSAY 15
What Is The Way Forward?

KINGDOM SCRIPTURES
Kingdom Of God/Heaven References In The New Testament




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Introduction

"When anyone hears the word of the KINGDOM, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart..." (Matthew 13:19)

It is most notable that, seeing that there are 110 scriptures in the New Testament that reference the Kingdom, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven, (synonymous) that so very little is said concerning the subject in modern "Christianity." For the most part, it is notably absent. That is troubling to say the least considering that it is part and parcel of the teachings of Jesus and spoken of in the teachings of the apostles including Paul. The other missing element of modern teaching is the toning down of the of the fact that Jesus is the King (The Messiah). Not surprisingly, the concept of "Ekklesia" vs our centuries old format called the "church" rarely gets approached by most. It is a great joy to me to have witnessed the rising up of ever growing awareness dawning in the hearts and minds of believers in the last few years concerning these things. It is the rising "Son" heralding the return of Jesus to the earth to rule.

I compiled and edited the parts of this "book" from material I wrote that was, for the most part originally, relatively short posts on Facebook. Because they were all to a degree independent posts, they may not fit together as seamlessly as I would like but they are all integral to the subject at hand. I became so aware that those posts, at the time, would be far more complete if they were all in one place in some reasonable order. Perhaps at some time others will continue to clarify the expression of these thoughts. This "ebook" is fairly short and not intended to be an extensive study of the subject. If anything let it be an introduction to the reader to spur them on to seeking a better understanding of these things.

The struggle I have have at times is that I really don't feel "qualified" to do the work. I don't really consider myself as a "Somebody" and, in the natural somewhat inept at writing. As a result of that, I have to lean very heavily upon the Lord's grace and mercy to write anything at all. In the truest sense of the words, "without Christ, I am NOTHING."

My first introduction to the expression "the Kingdom of God" came back in 1976 while I was out in a garden during a break at work. I was empty, lonely and lost.

I knew from an encounter with God a year before (1975) that I was a condemned sinner while submerged in my car that was completely under water and wedged against the sides of a ditch with no way of escape. I tried everything to escape to no avail and finally succumbed and passed out. Suddenly, I was in the presence of God and my short life was passing by me in minute detail and with every passing detail, I knew that I was condemned. Once I fully realized that, I was suddenly, in the mercy of God, translated from the inside of the car to the outside and up to the surface.

I wasn't raised with any knowledge of scripture so I really didn't know anything about Jesus and what he had accomplished on the cross. During my break alone out in that garden that night, Jesus manifested his presence. It was like diving into a pool of crystal clear water - refreshing beyond comprehension. After a minute of my standing there in awe, he spoke these words to me deep into my heart, "Come into my Kingdom!" I was so awestruck that all I could say was, "YES!" Then as though to demonstrated that Kingdom he healed a very painful back injury that I had from that accident the year before. Some few weeks later, in a very small prayer group by the college, I was baptized in the Spirit. That may sound unusual to some but there was a move of God in our town and many such miracles and testimonies.

I often wondered about what he said because I didn't hear anyone ever talk about it among all the believers I met after that for years to come. 45 years later, I am delighted to hear of more and more people becoming aware of the understanding that we are called by Jesus the Messiah into his Kingdom. There is a rising tide of revelation as the Holy Spirit opens up the scriptures to reveal each new facet of that Kingdom as the original intent of God is restored to His Ekklesia.

We are getting closer and closer to the day the Lord Jesus returns to rule the Kingdom of God on the earth. He is preparing our understanding for that day...

It is my hope and prayer that in the reading of this that some will become more familiar with the concepts laid out in this work and be able to move forward in the Lord to greater understanding of the Lord's plan and purpose for man once plucked out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light.

There are a few things that I would like to establish for the reader so they have better understanding of what they will read:

1) The words "Christ" (Greek/Latin transliteration) and "Messiah" (rooted in Hebrew) by definition have the same meaning - "anointed one." In the Hebrew context, "Messiah" means far more because it is a title or description that applies to only one single person in all history - the one promised (prophesied), throughout the OT scriptures that would come and be anointed as the King of a Kingdom that has no end. Unfortunately, over the years, the title of "Christ" has been worn down almost to be used like the "last name" of Jesus. When most people use it, they rarely consider it's true ramifications. It is ok to use either word but very important to understand that it refers to that KING. Jesus is not a "religious leader" or even just a "savior." He is the soon coming KING.

2) For the first three centuries before the influence of Roman Emperor Constantine, the assemblies of the Lord were know by the Greek word (or it's derivatives) "Ekklesia." ("the called out assembly") No one belonged to the Ekklesia that wasn't born of the Spirit. Constantine influenced the assembly at Rome by making huge buildings available and encouraging all the Romans to attend regardless of their relationship with God. By the time that King James of England arrived centuries later, he influenced the translators of the "King James Version" of the Bible and insisted that they translate the Greek Ekklesia to the English word "Church" which is related more to the building than "assembly" or ""congregation."

3) For some of you, the language and concepts in this work may seem strange but that is largely due to the watering down of the Gospel message over the years which we all have been affected by to some degree or another. Some of us only know Christ as savior from sin. Others perhaps relate to eternal life because of that. But few of us ever consider what the "purposes of God in all that are." We don't consider the why, the what and the where of what God is doing in His greater plans in Christ for those that believe in him. For 3 centuries the focus of the Ekklesia was on Jesus as Messiah (the King) and the Kingdom of God.

God bless your understanding as you engage in reading this book...




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ESSAY 1: The Kingdom And The King...

[I don't know who wrote this originally but found it in my notes on the Kingdom of God]

John the Baptist preached
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
is near

Jesus preached
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
is upon you

Jesus defined the nature of
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
"My kingdom is not of this world..."

The apostles preached
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
as a reality on earth

The Kingdom had come because
THE MESSIAH HAD COME
THE LONG AWAITED KING

The entire message of the Gospel is that of the good news that the Kingdom of God had come to power on earth. That the Messiah had come and was ruling and reigning in the hearts of men who were called out of this world's kingdoms and it's systems of power and called to enter into relationship with the Kingdom and it's King.

Everything for 3 centuries among the believers centered around the Kingdom of God and Jesus as the fulfillment of the Messiah's coming which had been prophesied.

One King
One Kingdom
Ruling the earth by the powers of heaven.

Not a political system
Not a religion
But the power of God unto salvation of mankind.

Ruling in the hearts of mankind.
Ruling with a standard...
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
has come upon you.

Where did we go wrong?
Some joined themselves to a political system and a religion was born that replaced the Kingdom of God and it's Messiah. A religion that hated the Kingdom of God and it's Messiah. A religion ruled over by men.

The Great Whore committed fornication with the kings of this world.
Daughters were born
Christianity has been a religion ever since.
Every wind of doctrine flows through it's veins endlessly.
Endlessly dividing of what was never intended to be.

We look down on the tower of Babel and yet cannot read the writing on our own walls.

We are in a hopeless spiral captured by the forces of a religious spirit mimicking God Himself. Standing in the Temple as God. As long as religion rules, man remains as his own god.

BUT

God will have his way. He has waited until the end of the age to show His glory. There is a Kingdom and a Messiah who rules in the hearts of men.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS COME UPON YOU
BOW BEFORE IT'S KING
JESUS IS MESSIAH. HE IS THE KING!
GLORY TO GOD!

Let the war begin between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men.
Then shall the King come back to earth and rightfully rule the earth.

Are we looking for His return? Really? May God reveal what is in our hearts...

Have mercy on us Lord!...




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ESSAY 2: The Cornerstone...

"Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord." - Ephesians 2:20-21

I have been involved in construction for over 30 years. For those not familiar with it's terms let me explain something to you. In the old days, (ie the time that Jesus walked the earth) every building had a "cornerstone." A cornerstone was the stone laid that determined the location of the entire building in relationship to the land it was built on.

My first job as an apprentice carpenter that I was sent out on was to correct a problem on a house. The problem was that somehow the house had been built straddling the property line of the property next door. Half the house was on someone else's property. Our job was to jack the whole house up and build a rail system under it and all the way over to where the house was supposed to be located at in the first place. When the rail system was built, we lowered the house onto it and using other equipment, very carefully dragged it into it's proper place.

The problem wasn't that the house wasn't well built but that the builder had not located the corner stake (ie cornerstone) in the right place so the builders built the house based on the mis-location of the cornerstone.

We can have the best foundation and build the best building but if we have not located the cornerstone we may very well have built everything we have built on someone else's property.

That is exactly the situation in modern "Christianity." Even more so we have managed to eliminate the purpose of the Cornerstone entirely and taken on a mode of building wherever we "think" it should be located.

We were wrong...

What was it about Christ that he functioned as the CORNERSTONE of all that would be built of the Kingdom of God on earth? What was that actual cornerstone and how was it expressed onto the earth?

From the very beginning...

In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. The same was in the beginning with God. John - 1:1-2

The WORD became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

to the time that he ascended...

"All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

He spoke and fulfilled His WORD. Then he instructed his disciples to go and TEACH ALL THAT HE TAUGHT AND COMMANDED - to clearly point to the CORNERSTONE upon which all else would be built.

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. They continued steadfastly in the APOSTLES’ TEACHING and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. Acts 2:41-42

THE APOSTLES TAUGHT THE WORDS, DEEDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CHRIST (his death, burial and resurrection) along with clarifications brought to them though the Holy Spirit. They proclaimed and taught on the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus, the doors of which opened when he in obedience to the Father suffered and died for the sins of the world.

For centuries now another Gospel has been taught that all but eliminates what Christ said and only focuses on what was accomplished on the cross in the way of forgiveness of sin. Most converts today get little to none of the teachings and commands of Christ. Jesus did not just come to pay for the sins of the world. He established the terms and conditions of the New Covenant that would take effect upon his death. In effect, for the most part we are preaching the Gospel of the Non-Kingdom of God. Disciples no longer have to take a good hard look at the cost of becoming a disciple of Christ or what is expected of them in the way of dedication. To sum it up, the expectancies of modern discipleship are, "say a little prayer, be born again, wait to go to heaven and in between be sure to pay your tithes." That hardly sounds remotely like what Jesus taught and commanded and the apostles taught does it?

Now I can more than imagine that there will be some that will quickly go to their denominational doctrines and say that what Jesus spoke was to the Jews only. For those I have only one thing to say to you. Go back up to the top of the page and read the scripture from the book of Ephesians (Gentiles) and then tell me that the Kingdom of God is split into two people groups. In addition note that Paul the apostle to the Gentiles said very clearly, "In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female...."




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ESSAY 3: The Kingdom Of God

I'm going to approach something that I have never heard taught that is actually taught by John in his epistles but hidden under centuries of tradition adopted by the Roman Church and later her daughters. It is right in plain site but obscured, not by scripture, but by the "doctrines of the Church." As you will see, this was an attempt by the very spirit of antichrist that John speaks of.

1 John 4:2-3 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit who denies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes.

Now the way it is translated above is similar to virtually all translations and although it is in plain sight but using the Latin word "Christ" provides a smokescreen in what became it's present usage to hide it's intended meaning. The word "Christ" is the Latin translation of Messiah and it has virtually replaced almost every single mention of Messiah in most bibles. Let me have the liberty to present a "paraphrased version" of the expression "every spirit that confesses (or denies) that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is (or not) of God."

Every spirit who confesses that Jesus [of Nazareth] [is THE promised anointed one - THE one anointed to be THE KING OF ISRAEL that is to rule the nations - THE MESSIAH] Christ is come in the flesh [has been born as a man of a virgin as foretold in the scriptures ] is of God.

To shorten that a bit (but try to remember the full import of all of it):

Jesus is the only ONE anointed by God to be the KING who rules the nations from Israel. The Jews were waiting for the prophesied Messiah for centuries. He was not just another "anointed one" or another king of Israel. He is THE ANOINTED ONE - THE KING. He was not just born. He was BORN OF A VIRGIN as prophesied as "The Son of God." Jesus fulfilled around 400 prophesies from the Old Testament. What do you think the odds are that anyone who was not truly the Messiah fulfilling all 400 of them???

The thing that Rome wanted to hide was the implied word "THE." "THE" eliminates all other kings before and after his life on earth. An "antichrist" is one who takes the place of "Christ" to come against or challenge him. Can you say, "antiMessiah"??? Because that is probably would be more helpful.

Unfortunately, the word "Christ" over centuries has become just one step above being seen as his last name. That disarms the person using or reading it from seeing something that was very offensive to the Roman Emperors and later the kings of many nations. Romanism successfully managed to steer the emphasis away from the ROYALTY of Jesus making him a savior from sin but not the ruler of the earth. King James and others influenced the translations to steer people away from recognizing Jesus as KING of the KINGDOM OF GOD. That is why King James influenced the replacement of "Ekklesia" (which has distinct political overtones historically) with "Church" which has distinct overtones of being connected to a building rather than a KINGDOM.

The other thing that disarms the full weight of the KINGSHIP of Jesus is the well fabricated misnomer that Jesus came to establish a religion. HE DID NOT! He came to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth - first by way of the Ekklesia (a secular word that was used at the time with political overtones) and upon his return, the KINGDOM rule of the earth. A KINGDOM ruled from Heaven has no other authority above it including all the systems of this world presently ruled by Satan. He knows that once Jesus steps foot to this earth his days of mayhem on the earth are over. A religion can be lumped into all other religions but a KINGDOM either is or it is not. There is nothing in between. It was Satan using Rome that established "Christianity" as a "religion." A religion can be ruled by men. Men can be ruled by the kings of the earth. The kings of the earth are ruled in this dispensation by Satan.

So who is (an) antiChrist but one who DENIES that the true Messiah has come (has been born of a virgin as a man -THE Son of God- destined to rule), established his Ekklesia to declare the Good News of the KINGDOM and demonstrate that coming KINGDOM in power and lifestyle in each city and will return to rule the nations from Israel ending the occupation of the earth by Satan.




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ESSAY 4: The Kingdom - It's Nature And Location

THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM

The Kingdom of God in Christ is NOT OF THIS WORLD (system). The root of the power and authority of Christ is not found in the systems of this world but rather it is a manifestation of Heaven on earth. It is a spiritual Kingdom not an earthly Kingdom. Yes, Jesus will return to rule the earth at his 2nd coming but the nature of his rule will be spiritual. As such the Kingdom of God in Christ is already active upon the earth. That rule is found in the depth of the hearts of those who have been spiritually transformed from citizens of darkness to citizens of the Light (Christ).

When Jesus walked the earth, many Jews expected him to deliver them from the oppressive rule of the Romans but that is not why he was made manifest on the earth. That is why many later rejected him. The king, Jesus the Messiah rules from within and when he has conquered (brought into submission) what is within then his authority and power are extended to the earth through us as "his Body." In this dispensation of time between his 1st coming as a sacrifice for sin and his 2nd coming to rule the whole earth, he is in the process of establishing his embassy or "Ekklesia" to represent his interests on the earth. Unlike other embassies, his Ekklesia is not centered in a building but rather in the midst of believers in Christ around the world. Where those believers live or function in each city in the unity of faith in his promises is as such a local extension of that ambassadorial purpose of Christ's Ekklesia.

Sadly, most of us to one degree or another tend to be no different than those Jews at the time that Jesus walked the earth. We want earthly changes but do not understand the heavenly principles that have been established in Christ needed to affect those changes to life here on earth. There is a progression that must be submitted to which starts first with changes in the heart, then the outer life and then and only then manifest upon the earth. That is all seen in the life of Jesus. He came first to deal with sin in man through his death on the cross and then and only then was raised from the dead. He then ascended into heaven and will return someday to rule the earth. That is the progression of sorts that each person that comes to Christ must undergo. Even this earth and the systems of this world will have to undergo a similar progression of death, then resurrection in order to ascend into God's perfect will for man upon the earth.

The servant is no greater than his master. The same attributes of the Kingdom of God in Christ apply to his Ekklesia and those in each city that have been added to it. The Ekklesia in each city is a spiritual concept not a physical one based upon physical principles. It is the present "Kingdom of God in Christ" in that locality, assembled not by earthly means or earthly dependencies but by a heavenly call from above. They live a shared life together and that life is Christ. Each member has been called out of the systems of this world to live by and demonstrate the power of the age to come when Christ will rule the earth.

But what happened to what was once birthed in purity? The concept of Ekklesia as an embassy of the Kingdom of God for the most part became disfigured. Men forgot the very nature of the Kingdom and it's Ekklesia and began to build their own "Temples" and their own doctrines that focused more on their own self importance rather than on Christ. Christ became a figurehead. The Ekklesia became what we call "church." An empty shell spiritually but prominent to the flesh of men. The building gained greater honor than the Builder Himself. It has become an idol that in many respects is worshiped more than God Himself.

Now that is troubling when one sees the reality of it but it is even more troubling to see the potential to take the concept of the "Kingdom of God" as well and allow that same evil that transformed the Ekklesia into what is now known as the "Church" to create an earthly physical representation of it - minus of course the KING. The Kingdom Of God without Christ as it's king. Yes men given the chance will grasp at that opportunity to gain preeminence for themselves in a pseudo kingdom no differently than what has happened to the concept of Ekklesia. The only way they can do that is to create a counterfeit movement that seeks to establish the "Kingdom of God" on the earth physically without the most necessary ingredient... The return of the King.

A Kingdom of God without Christ ruling it is a kingdom of the flesh, a kingdom of men, one of the systems of this world, ruled by the rudimentary elements of this world system. Something to be avoided not admired.

THE LOCATION OF THE KINGDOM

Where is the Kingdom of God centered in. Every kingdom had a capital doesn't it? Let's take a second look at John 18:36 and then let's see some disclosure as to the "WHERE" of it all...

John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

There are a couple things that would make this clearer. Jesus, in the above verse, was answering Pilate who had asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" In part Jesus answered,

"but now My kingdom is not from here."

There are a few things in the Greek that I noticed, that make the statement clearer and gives it perspective. Literally translated the same portion of scripture reads:

"but now [at this time] my kingdom is not from here[neither here or there]."

ie At this present time prior to the return of Christ the Kingdom of God has no set earthly location. (Not even Jerusalem!). Note also that the statement was time specific and how long that time lasts is expressed in Luke 17:20-23:

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; 21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”

22 He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away [with] or follow after them,...

The Kingdom of God is NOT locationally dependent until Christ returns to rule the earth from Jerusalem. I might also add that neither are "revivals" which are a manifestation of the Kingdom of God on the earth among believers. God manifests His Kingdom wherever hearts are open and able to receive of His Spirit. It has nothing to do with a particular church, church organization or even a particular city or country. It does have everything to do with believers being open to the true Lordship of Christ among themselves.

The location of the Kingdom of God is within hearts that are open to His rule.




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ESSAY 5: The Kingdom And The Ekklesia

If we don't get this right, nothing that we do as "church" will conform to the Kingdom of God. The Ekklesia is the "embassy" of the Kingdom of God to the world in each city - the representation of God's Kingdom upon the earth. Like any embassy, it's assigned members are not citizens of the country they are assigned to and do no get mixed up in the affairs of that country (the world system). Our sole purpose is to represent and to demonstrate God's will and to make known his ways. We have a King, we are beholding to none other than HIM. We have no other loyalties.

On the other hand, church organizations are beholding to the government they are registered in for their very existence. In effect they are not nor can they ever be the Ekklesia. They are the religious arm of the governments of the world system and they are not going to bite the hand that feeds them by speaking the truth and identifying with the Kingdom of God. The early church knew it's place in this world and that is why they suffered so much. Their loyalty was sworn not to the king of the country that they were in but rather the Messiah who will one day rule the whole earth. Kings do not like that lack of loyalty and if they detect it they will try to crush it.

Constantine's "solution" was to incorporate the "Church" into the government and patterns of Rome. For centuries, this hybrid "Church" had great political power and the kings and emperors had great power over it. That is why that "hybrid" "Church" is called the Great Whore. She committed fornication with the kings of the earth. Her daughters, those of the "Reformation" failed to sever that "governmental connection and dependency" and soon followed the pattern of their mother. The result was that the very nature and spirit of what was called "the Church" was transformed from God's original intent and all kinds of perverted understandings and practices entered under the guise of "Christianity." That is not always so easily recognized today even though the pattern continues. Any Whore can produce beautiful daughters when those daughters are young but when those daughters get older and become entrenched in the sins of their mother, the resemblance becomes unmistakable.

God's call today is to restore the simple and pure Ekklesia where there will be no mistaking who is actually being represented and what the King of the Kingdom of God has ordered from the very beginning. In order for that to happen and while it happens there will be an ever increasing gap between those that hold to their own positions and power and identity and those that have died to their own agendas to pick up their cross and follow Jesus as LORD and KING of HIS KINGDOM.

From the very beginning Jesus taught his disciples to pray, MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME AND YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. At such a thing, the powers of this world system (including the powers of the religious world system) will rise up and call us anything but blessed. Jesus said, "If they hated me they will hate you also. The servant is not greater than his master." That is going to be a very hard pill to swallow in the coming days as the gulf between the called out assembly and the religious and political systems ever widens... That is the price we must take into account. That is the cross we must bear. The closer Jesus comes to returning and the closer he comes to being preeminent and in charge of his Ekklesia, the greater the resistance from the principalities and powers that control this world system. There is no other way forward... The scriptures must be fulfilled...




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ESSAY 6: The Kingdom Citizen's Warfare

I would be negligent if I did not include this section in what is being presented here. Let me say something very clear.

"THE KINGDOM" IS NOT a rebellion against earthly human authority or human beings in general.

Ephesians 6:12 "We fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places."

Jesus said two things among many that are very pertinent to understand or we will fall into the trap of those in Israel at the time of Jesus walking the earth thinking that the KINGDOM in this dispensation is intended to overthrow governmental authority or even religious authority no matter how much in rebellion they may be in themselves.

John 18:36 "My kingdom is NOT of this world. If it were, my disciples would rise up to defend me."

Matthew 26:52 "He who lives by the [earthly] sword will die by the sword."

We are living in a time when rebellion against ALL authority is exploding in the hearts of men. It is a sign of the times. It is the spirit of lawlessness rising up. This generation will not hesitate to pick up the truth of the KINGDOM and jump with it onto the band wagon of rebellion. That is simply not demonstrating Christ but rather flowing in the spirit of antichrist.

After you have read this series, go back to the Gospels and devour the words of Christ. They are literally the manual on how to not fall to rebellion and remain in the Spirit in the coming days ahead of us.

Matthew 5:39 "If a man slaps you on the cheek turn to him the other."

We have to understand that everything in the KINGDOM is patterned after Christ. The way to the defeat of spiritual enemies is NOT by physical resistance but by a demonstration of Christ on the cross. Jesus defeated his enemies when he submitted to the Father in the death of the cross. Nothing could have been more devastating to Satan's kingdom than Christ's complete humiliation of him on the cross. Satan knew that he could NEVER submit to the death and humiliation of the cross. It was a matter of "Let the best man win." Jesus proved he was greater than Satan when he was dying on the cross. It is no different for us in the end times. We are saved by faith. Faith is the substance of things unseen by the naked eye. The hope of things to come. We are not called to question authority on earth because the depth of the problem of man lies in the wielding of authority by Satan upon the lives of men. When we "turn the other cheek" in submission to Christ, demons are howling in pain. They are writhing and agonizing - chaffing against something that they absolutely cannot do... They cannot SUBMIT TO GOD.

So when we think of the KINGDOM we must not think alluring thoughts of fleshly warfare but rather come to understand that true victory over evil is to "overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

Matthew 5:41 "And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two."

What I have seen over the last few years is the rising up of people preaching the KINGDOM and they focus on taking "dominion" over the earth in various ways. It troubles me because they do not understand the workings of the KINGDOM. Even though they spiritualize it, it is still a work of the flesh and utterly powerless in defeating the enemy in any given way. The only thing that defeats the enemy at any juncture is a demonstration of the cross. In order to demonstrate the cross one has to pick it up and carry it and yes sometimes be crucified on it. Submission to the Father on the cross laid before us is the greatest weapon the Ekklesia has to combat evil on the earth. Those trying to sell the idea of earthly dominance prior to the 2nd coming of Christ are doomed to failure. Satan will even help them for a while because he knows that they have come down to his level and can easily at his pleasure flick them away like someone flicking a bug out of their way.

Even the latest political move over the last 4 years on the part of "believers" in the USA demonstrates just how far away we are from participating in the Kingdom of God. We actually are so duped that we think that carnal political power will amount to anything good or expressive of the Kingdom. If anything it was a demonstration of just how easily antichrist can overpower the "Christians". I wonder how many people realize here that they have just spent 4 years helping Satan to extend his influence over this nation. If the Church in America had spent the last 40 years or so that was spent recklessly instead on a political movement, by practicing Kingdom principles and demonstrating the power of the death of the cross who knows how many would have been saved and if not saved would have had their mouths silenced. The spiritual atmosphere would have been radically transformed by our examples. But instead, everything that was built was inherited by the enemies of God. He literally has control of well over half the population and it's leadership and guess what? We gave it to Satan. We gave it to him by failing to recognize that the war for men's souls going on around us can only be won in people's lives by a demonstration of the cross. A demonstration of the KINGDOM.

The other thing that I need to say is that we have it all upside down when it comes to demonstrating power like miracles. Most miracle ministries are not built on Kingdom principles. They are anything but a demonstration of the cross. Everyone now days is searching for resurrection power but not even remotely interested or aware of the power behind it. The integrity that upholds it... upholds the entire universe. That is the power of submission to the cross. The entire universe functions in submission to it's Creator but somehow we think we can bypass all that and have power without submission to the Father.

Where are the examples of Christ's death on the cross? It is in that setting that you will find the KINGDOM of God in action. Submission precedes power but where power stands alone apart from that demonstration of the cross there is every evil work hidden under the guise of religion and religious exercize. Remember that Jesus did not establish a religion. Religion was established by Satan to counteract the growth of the Kingdom of God on earth. The flesh loves religion but it despises the works of the KINGDOM. Do not fall into the trap of confusing the two.




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ESSAY 7: "Church" Vs "Ekklesia" - Does It Matter?

(This section is a literal transcript from a ZOOM conference on the subject, as such it is not as smooth flowing to a degree. I just found myself rising up and speaking these words with no premeditation.)

I think it's a deeper thing. It isn't a matter of this word or that word. It isn't even functionally [about] this word or that word. There are two different kingdoms and they are very, very opposed to each other. They are at war. And so what happened in the earlier centuries..., I hate to say this as people get offended by it, but the Great Whore committed fornication with the kings of the earth and that is how the "Church" came into existence. It was way back in the fourth century. They committed fornication with the kings of the earth so they actually committed adultery against the Kingdom of Heaven and the King.

So the transition from the Ekklesia (which is a political statement in a sense - in a spiritual sense), was changed to "Church" [something physical] which can be controlled by the governments of this world. Every church organization in this world, whether they like it or not owes it's existence to the government they are under. They exist because of the government. The spirit of the world locked onto that concept [and reproduced it.] "We can't fight the Kingdom so we are going to come up with a counterfeit. We are going to come up with an exact looking counterfeit." (Exact according to what people think anyway.)

What we are experiencing right now, there is this... Paul says, we don't fight against flesh and blood but powers and principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places. This "thing" is "protected territories." You touch that "thing" and they are going to nail you. If you have ever experienced that you know that they get very angry when their territory gets threatened. They get upset. They've had that for centuries.

So we have in a sense a political statement where Jesus says "I'm going to make my own government." It's a spiritual government and we shouldn't lose sight of that because otherwise we'll get in the flesh in the other direction where you have a "kingdom" without a King which is worse than what we're looking at. So I think that the Lord wants us to see that it's much deeper than just the name or the word [Ekklesia]. It's the Spirit behind why Christ said "Ekklesia" and [why] the kings of this world changed it to "Church." Something that is "under" principalities and powers of this world system.

So we are coming into a time, especially since eventually the time of the Gentiles will come to a close that there's going to be a time when we are going to have to talk to Jews. If we tell them about what we have as "church" today, well, they will look at you and say, "Ho man! Are you speaking Japanese or something?" It doesn't compute with them. Because Jesus is the Messiah, not somebody called "Christ." - MESSIAH! The prophesied King of whose kingdom of which there will be no end. They are expecting a King and a Kingdom not something the kingdoms of this world have engineered to function under their power called "the Church."

There is something about the very spiritual nature of the two [words]. When Jesus picked out the word [Ekklesia], he really expressed the situation in spirit.

[Ekklesia is a Greek word that means, "the called out or chosen assembly" which was never intended to be a part of the systems of this world. When Jesus said, I will build my Ekklesia, he was referring to the representation of the Kingdom of God on the earth.]

And every king on this earth, spiritually cannot be above the Messiah whether he knows it or not. [The Messiah's rule spells the out end of all the rule of the kingdoms of this world system.] Something about the very spiritual nature of the two. When Jesus picked out the word, he really expressed the situation in spirit.




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ESSAY 8: Grace Vs The Kingdom - Separate Gospels?

Listen well and let no man tempt you with false "grace."

POINT 1: CHOICE

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

POINT 2: CONDITIONAL

vs 18 But ----IF---- you are led by the Spirit, you are not UNDER THE LAW.

POINT 3: RAMIFICATIONS

vs 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will ----NOT---- inherit The KINGDOM OF GOD. vs 24 Those who belong to Christ ----HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH---- with its passions and lusts.

WE NEED TO GET THIS STRAIGHT:

PAUL DID NOT PREACH ANOTHER GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES ANY MORE THAT THE APOSTLES TAUGHT ANOTHER GOSPEL OTHER THAN THE GOSPEL THAT JESUS TAUGHT.

There may have been different facets to that same ONE GOSPEL but there is only ONE GOSPEL. The GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM is ----NOT---- separate from the GOSPEL OF GRACE. The GOSPEL OF GRACE is ----NOT---- separate from the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM.

Paul did not invent GRACE. He was gifted by God to expound upon it more than anyone else wrote. The Grace that is given in Christ was available the minute Jesus died on the cross - NOT when Paul identified and expressed it.

GRACE simply stated is all that proceeds from the death of Christ on the cross.... ALL that proceeds from it is the length and breadth of THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST. It is the mechanism which made possible the extension of THE KINGDOM to earth among men and in men.

We did not pay anything for any of what proceeds from the cross. That is GRACE or "unearned favor." We don't deserve it.

It is by that GRACE that the KINGDOM OF GOD is established in us by the planting of the seed of Christ within us that grows within us into a son of God no differently than a child on earth is conceived of a man's seed, born and grows to manhood upon the earth.

That seed planted in us is HOLY and that will cause a conflict between the seed in us (the Word) by the Spirit and our still presently temporal flesh. There is a constant war within us and without to maintain the dominance of the HOLY seed of Christ in us. (The Kingdom must be maintained).

Whether Jesus, the original apostles or Paul, they all point to this warfare between the selfish desires of the body or flesh we live in (sin) and the HOLY seed of Christ in us. We still have a will and that will must cooperate with the Spirit to feed the seed of Christ in us and if we ignore that then the body starts to gain supremacy in it's desires and smothers the desires of the Spirit within us.

It is another facet of that GRACE that the Spirit within us does battle on our behalf (knowing that we are weak in the flesh or body) working within us to constantly give way to the Spirit rather than the flesh. God does not violate our free will. He uses it to our advantage once we are born of the Spirit. He uses His influence to alter our choices. The people of this world do not have that GRACE working in them.

Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Even though we have this GRACE we have to walk in it even as the Spirit walks in it in us and see things through by faith until the coming of the Lord once again. We not only are required to step into the KINGDOM by faith but to continuously walk in faith in it.

GRACE IS A CONTINUOUS WORK OF THE SPIRIT WITHIN US... NOT a one time "event." GRACE is the doorway to the KINGDOM OF GOD. JESUS the MESSIAH is the ONE anointed to rule...

We cannot separate, CHRIST, THE KINGDOM AND GRACE...




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ESSAY 9: Did Paul Preach The Gospel Of The Kingdom?

There a many today who claim that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was to the Jews ONLY. They will even say that the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were to the Jews only as well and that the Gospel that we follow today was the work of Paul alone. That all sounds convincing as long as we cherry pick scriptures and ignore statements by Paul to the contrary but for now let's just narrow our subject down to the question, "Did Paul preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the Gentiles???"

First let's look at a very important statement by Paul himself in Galatians 3:28-29:

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile], slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [Gentiles] belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Now to our question. I will let Paul's writings answer the question.

SPEAKING TO THE JEWS:

Acts 19:8 He [Paul] entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning the -KINGDOM OF GOD-.

Acts 28:23 When they had appointed him [Paul] a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about the -KINGDOM OF GOD-, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. VERSES: 30,31 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him, 31 preaching the -KINGDOM OF GOD-, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

SPEAKING TO THE JEWS & GENTILES:

Acts 20:21,25 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ... 25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I [Paul] have gone preaching the -KINGDOM OF GOD-, will see my face no more.

SPEAKING TO THE GENTILES:

AT ROME:

Romans 14:17 for the -KINGDOM OF GOD- is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

AT CORINTH:

1 Corinthians 4:19,20 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. 20 For the -KINGDOM OF GOD- is not in word, but in power.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the -KINGDOM OF GOD-? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit the -KINGDOM OF GOD-. 11 Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 15:24 Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the -KINGDOM OF GOD-, even the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit the -KINGDOM OF GOD-; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.

AT EPHESUS:

Ephesians 5:5 Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the -KINGDOM OF GOD- and God.

AT COLOSSAE:

Colossians 1:13,14 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the -KINGDOM- of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 4:11 These are my only fellow workers for the -KINGDOM OF GOD- who are of the circumcision, men who have been a comfort to me.

AT THESSALONICA:

1 Thessalonians 2:12 to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own KINGDOM and glory.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the -KINGDOM OF GOD-, for which you also suffer. TO TIMOTHY:

2 Timothy 4:1 1 I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his KINGDOM:

SO CONSIDER THIS:

Paul, Peter, John, etc preached the same Gospel of the -KINGDOM OF GOD-. Paul expounded on some things bringing greater clarity by the SAME SPIRIT but he did NOT have a Gospel that was to seen as separate from the rest of that written by the other apostles much less the words and commands of Jesus. They all preached the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD... They were "of ONE MIND and ONE ACCORD."

Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, 20 being built on the FOUNDATION of the APOSTLES [all of them] and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE; 21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.




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ESSAY 10: Understanding Denominationalism Vs The Ekklesia Of Christ

Rome was the first official denomination in Church history. If we miss that understanding then we will never truly understand what took place after that or what is about to happen on the earth.

The Church at Rome committed fornication with the kings of the earth (the Emperor of Rome) by taking what was intended to be, for all intents and purposes, an embassy or representation of the Kingdom of God. (Ekklesia) By doing so and identifying with the government of Rome they forfeited the status of an embassy in a sense. What was birthed by that unholy union was a hybrid "Church" that bore the DNA of the government of Rome and what became less and less a representation on earth ruled by Christ via the Holy Spirit.

You will take note that after a time, Rome was eventually called "The Holy Roman Empire" and the hybrid was then called "The Roman Catholic Church." At that point, the transition of the fornication was complete and the hybrid "Church" grew exponentially in a physical sense but lost much of the spiritual nature of the Ekklesia. That hybrid "Church" no longer represented the Kingdom of God or Jesus as the Messiah or coming ruler of the whole earth. A part of that transition was that another "Christ" was formed of that hybrid was separated from the "Christ" that is the Messiah. Belief in Christ as the head of HIS Ekklesia and the coming Kingdom was replaced with "faith in the hybrid Church." The concept of the believers being called to a common priesthood serving together among each other as the "Temple of the Holy Spirit" was replaced by the heathen Roman concept of "God" living in a building with a separate hierarchical priesthood separated from the "laity" or common class. Instead of the live interaction by the Spirit among all that was characteristic of the Ekklesia which was a type of forum, other than the separate class of priests, everyone else was merely an audience. A man became the "head" of the new hybrid "Church" as opposed to Christ being the head of His Body and by the Spirit ruling in the assembly.

When the various reformations took place, they separated from the hybrid but still retained the DNA of the mother "Church" to a degree and they also took on that nature and relationship with the governments of their countries. They committed fornication with their own kings of the earth that ruled them. They were the hybrid's daughters who came out of her womb. Even today, men are following that pattern and partner with the governments of this world in creating an artificial "church corporation" that is wholely dependent upon the government for it's very existence and identity. That identity serves as a mask to hide the true nature of any believers assembled under that identity.

Now that is not to say that were wasn't a remnant of people who remained in godliness and loyalty to the Lord both inside and outside of those temporal organizations. The very definition of "Ekklesia" is "the called out assembly." As long as believers remain spiritually "outside the walls of the city," they remain in Christ and a functional part of the Ekklesia on the earth.

What we are slowly seeing today is the solidifying and separating of the Ekklesia (the believers faithful to Christ and called out from among the nations of this world) from those that are "faithful" to serve the idol of their organizations. The coming and severe persecutions around the world will largely be used by the Lord to accomplish His original purposes in "assembling" His Ekklesia together knit together solely by the Spirit. It will be the last witness of Christ upon the earth before the end of this age and His return. It is the blood of the faithful martyrs through which that faithful witness is presented to the people of this world and to powers and principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places. That cannot come about with a hybrid "Church" that owes it's existence and loyalty to the kings (governments) of the world system that they rule. The Ekklesia that is separate from this world system and ordered from Heaven directly through Christ must rise up to take it's heavenly ordained place in the plan of God to culminate this age and usher in the return and rule of Jesus Christ.




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ESSAY 11: One Mind, One Accord

In the late 1830's during what was known as the "Great Awakening" in the Hawaiian Islands, it was as if the Spirit of God hovered over the islands. Thousands came under conviction of the Holy Spirit when they would hear the message of the Kingdom of God.

The Hawaiians had no written language until the missionaries produced one for them. For centuries, all the communications of the kings and chiefs were passed on verbally from person to person and village to village. Because of the fear of the royalty, there developed among them the engrained ability to pass on the word of the king and his representatives EXACTLY as they had heard it without exception. Misrepresenting what the king or his representatives had said would have led to certain death.

During the "Great Awakening," when the Gospel was preached by the missionaries, they instinctively recognized the authority of God and the missionaries. Because they understood the absolute necessity in maintaining the accuracy of what was spoken, it was not uncommon for the natives who had received the Word to go out to other villages and share what they had heard. That, mixed with the work of the Holy Spirit among them certainly contributed to the momentum of that move of God.

It was inconceivable to change a single word they had heard or to add their own "opinion" to it. Like the word of their king, the word of God was absolute. If they did not understand something they would seek out the missionaries for clarification. Many left their homes and walked as much as 50 miles to be closer to the missionaries for that reason. The village of Hilo which formerly had a population of about 1000 grew to 10,000 and most remained for over 3 years there to be taught by the missionary that lived there. The fear of the king and the reverence for his word was translated to the fear of God and reverence for His word.

Now, today, in many countries, it is not the case at all. Here in the USA we idolize our rights to our opinion far above the words of our King Jesus. Our opinions in effect have become our "god." it is literally "antichrist" which is the worship of man above God. It is a well known and proven fact that if we have 10 people in a room who are separated and someone whispers something in their ear and subsequently each person whispers what they heard to the next person that what the last person heard will not even be close to what was whispered to the first person. That is a manifestation of the "god of opinion." It is a manifestation of the confusion of "tongues" that happened at the tower of Babel. Babel means "confusion."

Sadly what we have today is for the most part not a move of God but a move of the spirit of Babel. It is a move of a spirit which promotes the opinions of man over the Word of God.

The scriptures clearly point to how to recognize a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our midst. From the very beginning it was written for our benefit, "They were of ONE MIND and ONE ACCORD." That is something that is humanly impossible when it comes to the things of God. Our only recourse is to "see" the absence of it and "repent" before God. We cannot repent before God if we are not walking in the fear of God and reverence for His Word.

In reality our problem is rooted in the absence of the fear of God and reverence for His Word. The Word of God is so much more than words in a book. His Word is what holds the universe and everything in it in place. Without His Word, the entire universe would cease to exist. Without His Word we would not be able to breath another breath. If we understood that, we would crave for a healthy fear of (respect for) God and reverence for His Word rather than worshiping the "god" of our opinion above Him.




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ESSAY 12: Church: Upside Down Or Right Side Up?

I think the problem that we have is much deeper and unless that is dealt with then everything we "perceive" as "scriptural" is subject to falling apart in the times that the Holy Spirit (and scripture) has clearly warned are coming upon us.

We see the "church" as a hierarchy which is set up much like the bowling pins in a bowling alley. The clear problem is that most of us see the center pin as a man. The problem with that is that when a proficient bowler sends his bowling ball which is quite heavy down the alleyway towards that hierarchy of standing pins, he (the enemy) knows that all he has to do is hit the standing pin at the front and center and ALL standing pins will scatter.

Is is not true that "strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter???" That is the fallacy of the system we have today. It is dependent upon a man maintaining his center pin location in relationship to the rest of the pins.

That is not the way in Spirit that Christ is building HIS Ekklesia. That is Roman styled hierarchical "Church." When Rome merged with the Roman Church a hybrid was formed and that hybrid being of the DNA of the government and a form or "Christianity" took on the style of Roman government leadership with one man at the top or center of the hierarchy. Now we all know that the Roman government collapsed and is no more yet we fail to understand that their form of government in the hybrid "Church" remains and functions along the same pattern as the Roman government so that hybrid form of "Church" bears the same weaknesses that the government did that caused it to fall.

Taking the analogy of the bowling image. Let's place the pins all in a straight row instead which of course would be much wider. Let's say that each pin helps the pins next to him to mature under the leadership of the whole or Christ directly. If the enemy aims his destructive bowling ball towards any one pin, that will affect that pin and perhaps these directly near that pin but the other pins remain standing. Because the Ekklesia is a spiritual entity orchestrated by God, HE can restructure and fill in the gaps to restore the lineup of the pins (members). In the case of the hierarchy, ALL the bins are scattered all at once so the "bowler" wins the game. In the case of the longer and wider lineup each pin stands by the power of God and is movable according to how the Lord deems fit.

An elder in the faith's job is not to form the believers into a hierarchy with himself as the center pin. His job is like that of a midwife who assists with the birthing process and also like that of a nanny who helps to care for the younger ones. The relationship between the elders and each believer changes as they mature in the faith. As the believers mature in the faith they are also able to help deliver and care for the younger ones because they are getting older and more experienced. That is how the Lord is building HIS Ekklesia as a living organism. It grows just like how a human body grows with each cell reproducing itself.

A very living example is found among the so called house churches in China. As the Ekklesia or living Body of Christ in their locality, they grow exponentially yet their gatherings rarely get much larger than what can squeeze into an average home. Each home gathering is a cell of the Body or Ekklesia and is capable of reproducing itself. In reality, it is Christ reproducing Himself and as such He remains the central focus of all that takes place and all that is understood. Interestingly enough when the government cracks down on them they have a hard time because they may find out where one gathering is but the rest of the gathering or cells of the Body are largely untouched by that disruption. Because the focus is on maturing the believers rather than reproducing positional leaders, the Body is able under the command of the Lord to take care of itself and even reproduce exponentially even in times of severe persecution.

So basically we have two choices going forward in the day we are living in and some if not many will die in. We can either choose to operate like the Roman system and collapse like the Roman Empire all at once or we can allow the Lord to build His Ekklesia in our midst into something that eternally exists. It's an either or choice. We can have one or the other but not both.




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ESSAY 13: The Phenomenal Growth In The First Century

...And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47

Three things to consider about this scripture that are important:

1) Who did the adding?
2) What were they being added to?
3) How were they being added?

To really understand the answer to all three questions we have to go back to the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:15-18

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 I also tell you that you are Peter, [a rock] and on this rock [bedrock] I will build my assembly [Ekklesia], and the gates of Hades [the place of death] will not prevail against it.

Now the answers to the three questions should be almost self explanatory but like Jesus told the Pharisees, "Your vain traditions have made of no effect the commandments of God."

WHO DID THE ADDING?

Perhaps unintentionally religion has convinced us that it is the evangelist that gets people saved. It may appear that way to the unsaved but that couldn't be further from the truth. It is the Lord Himself that does the adding if they are being added to HIS Ekklesia. It is not the "job" of an evangelist to save people. The evangelist (or apostle) is one who is sent by the Lord with a message - the message of His Kingdom. It is the Lord Himself that does the adding...

Within that message is also the message of salvation. Salvation is not, nor can it ever be complete without the message of the King (the Messiah) and the Kingdom.

WHAT WERE THEY BEING ADDED TO?

The Gospel message is not just that you will be saved from your sins but that you will be translated from the kingdom of the flesh into the Kingdom of God. In the process you will be saved from your sins so that you can inherit the eternal life purchased by Jesus on the cross. Notice that in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus points out that he is building his "Ekklesia." The Ekklesia is the assembly of those who have been called out (saved) of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light. It is the assembly of those who have had their citizenship transferred from the kingdom of darkness and sin to the Kingdom of God in Christ. It is not just about a change in lifestyles. It is a change of loyalties. We are no longer loyal to the desires of our flesh or body. We are loyal to the desires and commands of Jesus as the King, the Messiah.

HOW WERE THEY BEING ADDED?

Matthew 16 clearly points out the method of being added to the Kingdom of God. It may be hidden due to translation and centuries of traditional understandings but it is there and it is very clear.

It is about revelation from above, from the Father. Something that flesh and blood cannot reveal. We may say the words but it is another thing for it to be revealed in us. In order for it to be revealed in us sin has to leave to make room for that revelation. The very essence of that revelation is "Who Jesus is." In the passage, the who of "who Jesus is" is cemented in place with "What he is." We cannot know who he is without understanding what his position is. He is the one anointed as King (the Messiah) to rule the earth in a kingdom that has no end. Because it has no end, there is nothing after it. That can only be set in stone in our hearts by way of revelation from the Father. It cannot be humanly imparted.

In order to be saved and added to the Kingdom of God and the Messiah's Ekklesia or representation on earth, we have to first believe that he IS that Messiah or that King. Secondly we have to believe that there is no possible way for us to enter that kingdom and be saved unless the sin issue in our lives is dealt with. If it is not then we are condemned eternally. We must also believe the revelation that the King (the Messiah) was sacrificed for our sins and rose from the death to impart our forgiveness and our overcoming of all that is sin or contrary to the ways of God.

So when we ask the question how were they added, it is that the revelation of these things in the mercy of God cut through their heart, exposed the sin in their lives and their separation from God and they had grace to repent or conform to what was being revealed to them. They came face to face with the holiness of God.




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ESSAY 14: The Word Of God

There is something that is utterly necessary for the Kingdom of God and it's Ekklesia to function and flourish. That facet is the Word of God in the midst.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

We tend to rush over those words and many others and in doing so we miss the depth of what is being said. It is a dangerous thing to trivialize God's Word or to treat it lightly as that is to deny HIS nature and existence.

I remember quite clearly as a young man that when two much older men were discussing a "contract" where one of them promise to do something and the other promised in return to compensate the other for his labors. They would have no written contract at all. They understood that their giving their word was a binding contract. They had given their word.

When we have a written contract, it is not the paper and printed words on it that can be held to but rather something far deeper. In the old days it was backed up by their honor and integrity. Their entire honor and integrity was bound to the words that they spoke. If one of the men failed to keep his word he was shamed and dishonored.

In the time of Jesus, when a Jewish father had seen that his son was now ready for it, he would take him out in front of the whole village and say, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." What that declaration meant was that the father was guaranteeing before all men that his son's honor and integrity of his word was equal to his own. He was saying that "If you do business with him you are doing business with ME."

When Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9) he was expressing along those lines. He was saying that everything he did and said was an exact representation of the Father's honor and integrity of His Word.

When God gives His Word, his entire honor and integrity is standing behind it.

When John said that the Word was God, he was pointing to the fact that the Father and the Son cannot speak a Word without it being attached to them. No one can separate God from His Word neither can one separate the LIFE of God from His Word. Jesus pointed this out when he said that his words are Life. His Word imparts life. His words are attached to his own (and the Father's) honor and integrity. His very life is bound together inseparably with his Word.

We tend to focus on his "words" rather than on HIS WORD. There is a difference. In the first, the words enter our mind and perhaps we can even memorize them but in the second, the LIFE, honor and integrity of that WORD enters into and merges with our LIFE. We become a vessel of HIS WORD and with that a vessel of HIS LIFE, honor and integrity. It is an exchange of Spirit not just mere mental ascent.

When we view something that Jesus spoke as trivial or something that we can ignore then we are in effect casting off a portion of the honor and integrity of HIS WORD. We are casting away as something unclean, a portion of the very LIFE of God. Our sole purpose on earth as men and women is to be containers of the expressed Word of God, His Life, honor and integrity. If we fail at that one purpose then we have no LIFE at all in us much less to share with others. If we have none of HIS WORD (not the mere letters of the words) in us then we are not truly one of His children.

Now understanding all this, when Jesus promised to be with us to the end of the age yet he bodily left the earth how can we resolve this seeming paradox?

Jesus bodily left this earth but his Word remains in and among us directly connected to his Life, Honor and Integrity. HE is here in our midst as believers if we do not shrink back from becoming vessels of HIS WORD, HIS LIFE, HIS HONOR snd INTEGRITY.

We should be holding tightly to His Word as a bride would hold tightly to her betrothed's promise to return and fulfill his promise (Word) to be joined to her. The sad truth though is that a bride who has no faith in the promise of her betrothed will not be long in being distracted by other lovers.

That is the problem of all that is called Christ in our day. We have the letters of the words but we are not filled containers of His Word pouring out to those hungry and thirsty for the things of God. We give them the letter but we fail to give them the WORD OF GOD because we do not truly believe it our selves.

May the Lord gather to Himself a people worthy of bearing His name... Containers of HIS WORD. Containers of HIS LIFE. Containers of HIS HONOR and INTEGRITY...




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ESSAY 15: What Is The Way Forward?

That is a valid consideration when considering that what God may very well be doing in our midst is stripping down to it's bare essentials what we are accustomed to "knowing as church" but the real question is "What is God saying?"

We are living in a "day of preparation" for a move of God where Jesus takes His rightful place of exclusive preeminence in His Body, the Church (not an organization but the assembly of the saints on earth). We want to know the way forward but God wants us to prepare for the journey by stripping us down to the bare essentials that we will be able to carry with us on this path. He isn't, in many respects, giving us much information on where we are heading much like the children of Israel who were only told that they were heading towards the promised land without a map of where they were physically going.

Surely the Israelites wondered about the same question "What is the way forward" but what God gave them instead of a road map was a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day to guide them in the way to where He was taking them. (being representative of Christ)

We want to know by our natures all the details before we embark on such a journey.

Jesus, when some asked Him where He lived, didn't give the men the address of where He was living. He merely responded to them, "Come and see." That set a right relationship between He and those men in that the only way they would find out where He was living was to "follow Him."

All over the scripture it is plain as day and so simple that a child can apprehend. "Follow Me."

Christ is the road map for us and has always been but we, in our insistence of being in control and our rebellion against that dependency upon the preeminence of Christ have always sought to know more than we needed to know in any particular day so we built roads to where we "thought" Christ should be heading rather than being satisfied with His daily directions and provision via the Holy Spirit.

Christ is our ONLY reality in this journey and there is no doubt that He is stripping down what is known as His Church to it's bare essentials leaving us with only one option. "To let Him lead us."

The reality of the answer to the question is "Today, if you hear my voice, follow Me..."

In many respects we have "been going around this mountain long enough." What is that mountain? The same thing it was to the Israelites that had been going around that mountain in the wilderness for so many years that they just -presumed- that they would do the same thing the next day as well.

It would be fruitless to know the details of the way forward if we have not heard deep in our hearts the reality of the fact that we will be leaving what we are comfortable with behind.

When that reality hits the depth of our hearts, that there will be no turning back without God's displeasure and no other way forward apart from Christ, that reality will drive us into deeper communion with Christ than we have ever been in.

That is the way forward.




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Kingdom Of God/Heaven References In The New Testament

110 scripture passages with 128 word references to the Kingdom Of God/Heaven

"No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life [of this world system], that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:4)

"When anyone hears the word of the KINGDOM, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart..." (Matthew 13:19)

Kingdom References: MATTHEW

Matthew 3:1 In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 "Repent, for the KINGDOM of Heaven is at hand!"

Matthew 4:17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the KINGDOM of Heaven is at hand."

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the KINGDOM, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the KINGDOM of Heaven.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the KINGDOM of Heaven.

Matthew 5:19,20 Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the KINGDOM of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the KINGDOM of Heaven. 20  For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the KINGDOM of Heaven.

Matthew 6:10 Let your KINGDOM come.

Matthew 6:13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the KINGDOM, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the KINGDOM of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter into the KINGDOM of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 8:11,12 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the KINGDOM of Heaven, 12 but the children of the KINGDOM will be thrown out into the outer darkness.

Matthew 9:35 Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the KINGDOM, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Matthew 10:7 As you go, preach, saying, `The KINGDOM of Heaven is at hand!'

Matthew 11:11,12 Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the KINGDOM of Heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the KINGDOM of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Matthew 12:28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the KINGDOM of God has come upon you.

Matthew 13:11 He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the KINGDOM of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the KINGDOM, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart.

Matthew 13:24 He set another parable before them, saying, "The KINGDOM of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

Matthew 13:31 He set another parable before them, saying, "The KINGDOM of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;

Matthew 13:33 He spoke another parable to them. "The KINGDOM of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened."

Matthew 13:38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the KINGDOM; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his KINGDOM all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity,

Matthew 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the KINGDOM of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Matthew 13:44 "Again, the KINGDOM of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

Matthew 13:45,46 "Again, the KINGDOM of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Matthew 13:47 "Again, the KINGDOM of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind, 48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." 51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"

Matthew 13:52 He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the KINGDOM of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things."

Matthew 16:19 I will give to you the keys of the KINGDOM of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."

Matthew 16:28 Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his KINGDOM.

Matthew 18:1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the KINGDOM of Heaven?"

Matthew 18:3,4 "Truly I tell you," He said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the KINGDOM of Heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the KINGDOM of Heaven.

Matthew 18:23 Therefore the KINGDOM of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants.

Matthew 19:12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the KINGDOM of Heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Allow the little children, and don't forbid them to come to me; for the KINGDOM of Heaven belongs to ones like these."

Matthew 19:23,24 Jesus said to his disciples, "Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the KINGDOM of Heaven with difficulty. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the KINGDOM of God."

Matthew 20:1 "For the KINGDOM of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

Matthew 21:31 Jesus said to them, "Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the KINGDOM of God before you.

Matthew 21:43 "Therefore I tell you, the KINGDOM of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.

Matthew 22:2,3 "The KINGDOM of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

Matthew 23:14 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the KINGDOM of Heaven against men; for you don't enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.

Matthew 24:14 This Good News of the KINGDOM will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 25:1 "Then the KINGDOM of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, `Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Matthew 26:29 But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's KINGDOM.

Kingdom References: MARK

Mark 1:14,15 Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of the KINGDOM of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the KINGDOM of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News."

Mark 4:11 He said to them, "To you is given the mystery of the KINGDOM of God, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

Mark 4:26 He said, "The KINGDOM of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

Mark 4:30 He said, "How will we liken the KINGDOM of God? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?

Mark 9:1 He said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see the KINGDOM of God come with power."

Mark 9:47 If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the KINGDOM of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire,

Mark 10:14,15 But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, "Allow the little children to come to me! Don't forbid them, for the KINGDOM of God belongs to such as these. 15 Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive KINGDOM of God like a little child, he will in no way enter into it."

Mark 10:23-25 Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, "How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into the KINGDOM of God!" 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into the KINGDOM of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the KINGDOM of God."

Mark 12:34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the KINGDOM of God."

Mark 14:25 Most certainly I tell you, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in the KINGDOM of God."

Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for the KINGDOM of God, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body.

Kingdom References: LUKE

Luke 1:31-33 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him `Jesus.' 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his KINGDOM."

Luke 6:20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, "Blessed are you who are poor, the KINGDOM of God is yours.

Luke 7:28 "For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer, yet he who is least in the KINGDOM of God is greater than he."

Luke 8:1 Soon afterwards, he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the KINGDOM of God.

Luke 8:10 He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the KINGDOM of God, but to the rest in parables; that `seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

Luke 9:2 He sent them out to preach the KINGDOM of God and to heal the sick.

Luke 9:11 But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of the KINGDOM of God, and he cured those who needed healing.

Luke 9:27 But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here who will in no way taste of death until they see the KINGDOM of God."

Luke 9:60 But Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the KINGDOM of God."

Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the KINGDOM of God."

Luke 10:9-11 Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, `The KINGDOM of God has come near to you.' 10 But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare, 11 `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'

Luke 11:2 He said to them, "When you pray, say, `Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your KINGDOM come. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Luke 11:20 But if I by God's finger cast out demons, then the KINGDOM of God has come to you.

Luke 12:31,32 But seek the KINGDOM of God, and all these things will be added to you. 32 Don't be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the KINGDOM.

Luke 13:18 He said, "What is the KINGDOM of God like? To what shall I compare it?

Luke 13:20 Again he said, "To what shall I compare the KINGDOM of God?

Luke 13:28,29 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the KINGDOM of God, and yourselves being thrown outside. 29 They will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit down in the KINGDOM of God.

Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of the KINGDOM of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Luke 17:20,21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the KINGDOM of God would come, he answered them, "The KINGDOM of God doesn't come with observation; 21 neither will they say, `Look, here!' or, `Look, there!' for behold, the KINGDOM of God is within you [more accurately "in your midst"]."

Luke 18:16,17 Jesus summoned them, saying, "Allow the little children to come to me, and don't hinder them, for the KINGDOM of God belongs to such as these. 17 Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn't receive the KINGDOM of God like a little child, he will in no way enter into it."

Luke 18:24,25 Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the KINGDOM of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the KINGDOM of God."

Luke 18:29 He said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the KINGDOM of God's sake,

Luke 19:11 As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the KINGDOM of God would be revealed immediately.

Luke 21:31 Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that the KINGDOM of God is near.

Luke 22:16-18 "...for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the KINGDOM of God." 17 He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, "Take this, and share it among yourselves, 18 for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the KINGDOM of God comes."

Luke 22:30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my KINGDOM.

Luke 23:50,51 Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the KINGDOM of God:

Kingdom References: JOHN

John 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, [again, from above] he can't see the KINGDOM of God."

John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the KINGDOM of God.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My KINGDOM is not of this world. If my KINGDOM were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn't be delivered to the Jews. But now my KINGDOM is not from here."

Kingdom References: ACTS

Acts 1:3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about the KINGDOM of God.

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning the KINGDOM of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 19:8 He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning the KINGDOM of God.

Acts 20:21,25 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ... 25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the KINGDOM of God, will see my face no more.

Acts 28:23 When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about the KINGDOM of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.

Acts 28:30,31 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him, 31 preaching the KINGDOM of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

Kingdom References: EPISTLES/REVELATION

Romans 14:17 for the KINGDOM of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 4:19,20 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. 20 For the KINGDOM of God is not in word, but in power.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the KINGDOM of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit the KINGDOM of God. 11 Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 15:24 Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the KINGDOM to God, even the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can't inherit the KINGDOM of God; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.

Galatians 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the KINGDOM of God.

Ephesians 5:5 Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the KINGDOM of Christ and God.

Colossians 1:13,14 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the KINGDOM of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 4:11 These are my only fellow workers for the KINGDOM of God who are of the circumcision, men who have been a comfort to me.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own KINGDOM and glory.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the KINGDOM of God, for which you also suffer.

2 Timothy 4:1 1 I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his KINGDOM:

Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your KINGDOM."

Hebrews 12:28,29 Therefore, receiving a KINGDOM that can't be shaken, let's have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn't God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the KINGDOM which he promised to those who love him?

2 Peter 1:10,11 Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11 For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal KINGDOM of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:6 and he made us to be a KINGDOM, priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 11:15 The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the KINGDOM of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!"

Revelation 12:10,11 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, the power, and the KINGDOM of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 They overcame him because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life, even to death.




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The End