EVERYDAY WITH
THE HOLY SPIRIT (Vol.2)
The Kingdom Perspective
and Orientation of the Gospel
By
Matthew Arin Adams
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COPYRIGHT
Copyright © Brother M. A. Adams - Reviewed 2018
Bible quotations are taken from the New King James Version, except otherwise indicated.
Brother Matthew Arin Adams (New Orientation Productions)
Opposite Jevico Filling Station, Bauchi Ring Road, Jos, Nigeria.
Email: revivingnigeria@gmail.com,
Blog: neworientation1.blogspot.com
+ 234 8037035048, +234 8089138491
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DEDICATION
Everyday with the Holy Spirit – Volume II is dedicated to God the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.To Him alone be glory, honor and adoration, now and forever. Amen!
And to all believers who zealously seek first the Kingdom of God by the enabling power of His Spirit.
CONTENTS
2: The Emergence of the Kingdom
4: The Kingdom in the Book of Psalms
5: The Kingdom in the Book of Isaiah
6: The Kingdom in the Book of Daniel
8: Regain And Maintain Authority
9: The Church’s Restored Kingdom Vision
11: The Church’s Divine Priority
12: The Holy Spirit: The Kingdom Master-minder
13: The Kingdom Covenant Established
14: God’s Kingdom Quality and Integrity
18: Nations Subject to God’s Kingdom
19: The collapse of Ungodly Dominance
28: Visions and Dreams of the Kingdom
30: The Holy Spirit’s Enthroning Power
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
God deserves the best; the glorious and the most fantabulous submission in worship and praise. He merits our solemn offer of committed sacrifice of thanksgiving and prayer with diligent fervency; but in spirit and in truth. Someone must feel it, that we are very much around and alive! Without Him there is nothing that can become anything at all. For this reason His name must be fully exalted for what He is doing in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Next to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the following are acknowledged: Pa Arum ( of glorious memory ) and Ango Do (Pindo); my beloved parents whose faithfulness to the service of God was not only exemplary, but made an indelible mark to keep us in god’s everlasting covenant. Praise God for being a wonderful gift to use.
This work would be fractional without the support of Rifkatu my beloved wife; our children Particial Ziyok and Mercy Reuben with their families; Joel Abok, Steve Itse, Dina and Lois; each of them with God’s given and permitted talents made me strong enough to keep up the late night hours and frequent absence and run offs to be in the prayer closet and work; their tolerance and patience granted access to the success of this publication.
My blood brother and sisters notable are Rhoda Y. Ajang, Peter, Daniel, Elizabeth Yohanna, Rifkatu, Jonathan and (late Lydia0: must be appreciated for their wonderful love, prayer and unflinching hand of fellowship and support in various dimensions. You are beyond biological relatives; faith in God through Christ Jesus had become binding, befriending and dominant gene.
All my associates in Ministry; all of you in the fivefold ministry of God’s Spirit; you will never miss out in His daily provision and supply. All of you too numerous to mention, who had identified with us in one way or the other should always expect the superabundant grace and overflow of God’s spiritual and kingdom riches of His inheritance both in the here-now and there-after, in Jesus name, Amen.
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PREFACE
You might have read “Everyday with the Holy Spirit: Vol. I, by the same author, you will notice that, it was a complication of Bible verses on the Holy Spirit with a few added comments. It was intended to “… spur believers to an increased understanding of the Holy Spirit, and to rise to the expected highest level of the Christ-Centered life and ministry through His operations… “ (Back cover page)
However , this volume is still a further spotlight on the HOLY SPIRIT and His mighty acts in the life and ministry of every believer. We shall be greatly encouraged to deliberately allow Him to direct and guide us into all truth, and teach all things, so that the perfect will of God must be fully accomplished in our lives and ministries. Enough of the theories; intangible and empty Christianity we carry around every day in our lives and ministry. Let our own ‘Let there be…’ be a reality; a manifestation of truth, tangible and visible recognized in our moment by moment Christianity.
It is my prayer that this work will not just be another devotional book. Let it be divine invention of the recent times which will affect your circumstance positively; a Christian handbook which may serve as the moment by moment source of power to build or raise up the disciple in you; and to serve as the recruiting manual for an end time kingdom citizen who will fiercely torment and terrorize the kingdom of darkness and forcefully establish and expand the kingdom of heaven in the lives and ministries of millions upon the face of planet earth! Amen!
To be precise, the aim of this publication is to present the reality of God’s kingdom in our time and to this generation; and represent the actualization of the works or diverse activities of the Holy Spirit in the kingdom dispensation. If the Lord meant to adequately equip the church with the power of the Holy Ghost then this kingdom dispensation should have been a very practical power experience in our ministries. The kingdoms of this world would have given up their fruitless struggles long ago. The kingdoms of the world seem to be relevant today because of the invalidity of the church. The kingdoms of the world will continue to cause distress and affliction to God’s creation until the Christians acknowledge their role in God’s arrangement to reign with Him by His Spirit’s authority.
Boiling Point Gospel Centre, Jos, Nigeria.
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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
The book can be used like a daily guide, but it is not another devotional book. It is meant to stir up or motivate believers to seek the Holy Spirit’s baptism and continued infilling for the purpose of effective impact in ministry. We must not forget that we will give account of the services we are rendering while here on earth someday. We can never achieve our desired goals in this regard without God’s Spirit in our lives.
Therefore, reading this book alongside the Bible will help to promote this spiritual exercise on a daily basis. It is broken into 31 short chapters. Each chapter can be taken in a day. But should not be the rule for using the book. In fact, in all cases, the reader should prayerfully depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit for its daily or periodic reading. Most of time Christians find it difficult to use their Bibles; “Everyday with the Holy Spirit” and similar publications will prayerfully assist in choosing the topic for the moment or day.
We are confident that reading this book constantly will change, transform or modify your perspective of the reason for the Holy Spirit in the church and in one’s personal life. He was given to us freely for the purpose of preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom by example. Let us daily ensure the representation of the practical example of the lifestyle of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
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INTRODUCTION
There is nothing so devastating as obtaining something of great value and suddenly lose it. It is nothing but shattered dreams. It reminds me of the state of the earth before creation in Genesis one. It was like something lost, dry and empty, and overwhelmed with darkness; a situation so hopeless and beyond repair or redemption! But at the intervention of God, by the overshadowing power of the HOLY SPIRIT, there was a new beginning, the Genesis!
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the SPIRIT of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:1,2).
Yes, the earth was formless; emptiness and darkness prevailed over the face of the deep or waters. But God Himself cannot be frustrated in His eternal plan and purpose for the entire creation. He is guided by His eternal and changeless decrees; His word does not return to Him void, His covenant can never be altered. So the all-knowing One put His creative power to work;
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.” (Gen 1:2,3)
It was after the overshadowing operation of the HOLY SPIRIT that the Word was pronounced by God; and the light showed up.
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:5)
And when darkness was no more, creation took place uninterrupted. God made eternal provision for us never to linger in wasteful arena of confusion and darkness. The HOLY SPIRIT’S function and operation had never ceased. He was hovering over the face of the deep. In His continued process, he is still brooding over the deep devastation of our losses, feelings of emptiness, despair and hopelessness, and the thick darkness that had kept us relegated to the darkest background as if it would remain so forever!
And since He will never fail in His divine role, we must allow the God-kind of faith to bring forth the desired utterance from our lips to declare; ‘Let there be…’(Gen. 1;3,6,9,11,14,24,26). So that by such speech we can rule in His stead here on earth. In other words, the special presence of the SPIRIT of God upon us and over the face of every circumstance of our existence, our speech of faith must bring about our God’s will heart’s desire to reality.
Boiling Point Gospel Centre
“As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil…that the nations may tremble at thy presence” (Is. 64:2)KJV
Let us mention a few words about this ministry. It is not for the purpose of pride, but by His special grace, we represent a Ministry for the defense and propagation of the Church unusual, uncommon, unpopular, typically and totally subject to the firm control of the Holy Spirit, and simply Christ-like; a ministry that strives to keep in conformity with the lifestyle of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We are keenly watching for the fulfillment of the divine prediction of Christ,
“…to present to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle … holy without blemish.” (Eph. 5:27)
And to crown it all, our expectation is that we should be instrumental to this Biblical injunction:
“And this GOSPEL of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then the end will come.” (Luke 25:14)
It is at this crucial instance that the Lord laid on me the burden to be a part of what He is doing in this end time as it had been His eternal plan throughout ages. It is a divine responsibility and demand placed on the church to return to God’s original calling when He first saved us; it requires strict observance to biblical and kingdom principles in our overall affairs of this life as believers.
There is no excuse whatsoever for the body of Christ to operate and function in the state of confusion, disarray shame and decay, just like the experience is obtainable today in many quarters! We all know that the situation is glaring and calls for urgent and special spiritual review and attention!
Praise God, He has put people in strategic places world over. He is making stewards of peculiar commitment and diligence who would never compromise their stand in respect with the message of truth in spite of the general and popular views of falsehood and worldliness which seem to have taken the centre stage of the present day “Christianity” or world view in the church. We are in one accord with these servants of God who have refused to how to the god of the world system; “friendliness with the world and enmity with God!” (James 4:4)
The line is drawn, and there is no going back. We must begin right away to
“…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things shall be added to us. (Mt. 6:33)
The Backslidden Origin of the Church
Can we just take a deep breath and ask ourselves this hard cracked reality question; ’What Really Happened!? It all started when the Word of God, the Truth was substituted with the doctrines of men.
“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God with your traditions?” (Mt. 15:3)
Our Lord Jesus confronted this ugly trend during His earthly ministry, when the Scribes and Pharisees questioned the way He went about the Ministry without observing “the tradition of the elders.” (Mark 7:7). You can see it started long ago.
As long as people are not prepared to observe the commandments of God fulfilled in the Ministry of Christ Jesus, attention will be directed to the tradition of men (ancestors); denominations, ministries, tribes, secular knowledge and a long list of influences and orientations. As a result, lips service will only be paid to God’s word, and the Truth vanishes away! Consequently, a high prize of rebellion and disobedience with God; and making Him our enemy will be paid.
The lifestyle the Lord Jesus handed over to believers is clearly narrated in scriptures. The early church exemplified it and extended it to us! We can also recall the example of many in the history of the church, who followed Christ and there were some of our parents and grandparents whose Christian testimonies were unquestionable and completely blameless. It is never impossible for us to be truly Christ-like.
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Gen. 1:26).
Let us rediscover the original purpose of God’s mission for humanity. When He eternally conceived the idea of man, God intended that man should be like Him. That is why man was made in the image and after the likeness of God. And because God is sovereign over all, He gave man the mandate to rule over His entire creation by blessing them (male and female) and placed them over a domain; it was divine kingdom responsibility bestowed on humankind upon the face of the earth. (Gen.1:26-28).
This rare privilege was lost when man decided to disregard the instruction of God and to do his own thing by listening to another voice; an evil and destructive deception. But God would never allow His Word to return to Him void; His Word must always come to pass (Mt. 5:18). God is Himself the Word from eternity (Jn 1:1). So God in His faithfulness and eternal love gave us His Son to save us and restore His original plan of accomplishing His Mission on earth.
Today’s church must never lose sight of God’s Kingdom as a vision which must be pursued until we have it as a mission accomplished in our various callings and assignments while on earth. We have been saved and reconciled with God our Father; but we must also rigorously pursue, by the power of the Holy Spirit the reality of the Gospel of His Kingdom. It is high time we stopped all child’s play ministries and turn to Divine originality and royalties with all the seriousness and violence it deserves. (Matthew 11:12)
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CHAPTER 1
The Original Kingdom Plan
Our focus must remain firmly on Christ Jesus; He is our only example. That is why we are supposed to be like Him, Christ is our restoration into the Image and Likeness of God which was lost by Adam and Eve.
When the power of God was seen in the ministry of the apostles, the rulers and elders of the people of Israel could not help but admit that although they were “unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
It is very certain that one of the greatest demand upon the church today is to seek to return to the old time apostolic Christianity. Remember the believers were first called Christians in Antioch because of their Christ-like lifestyle. The apostolic ministry then was full of God’s Kingdom authority; the demonstration of God’s power. (1 Cor 2:4).
The Role if the Holy Spirit in the Kingdom Dispensation
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Theologically, so many views had been advanced which have created a lot of controversies rather than proffering solution to the understanding the Divine Personality. However, for the purpose of this study, we would rather stay close to the Bible than any source for clarity.
It is recommended that the reader should read my book, Everyday with the Holy Spirit, (Vol. 1.); a compilation of Bible verses on the Holy Spirit. It is intended to widen one’s scope about Him and to spur us to love Him so that we can allow Him take the lead in every aspect of our lives to attain the expected Christ-like living, because this is only possible by the help of the Holy Spirit. But still in a wider and yet strategic dimension, we will see Him playing a wonderful role in fashioning greater details of the Gospel of the Kingdom in our various ministries and callings as narrated and demonstrated by our Lord Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament.
What the Kingdom of God is all about (Romans 14:17) The message of the Kingdom should never be proclaimed for personal gain. Ezekiel 34 describes the unfaithful shepherds as leaders whose concern is to feed themselves but not the sheep. God warned the shepherds of His forth coming judgment. (Read the entire chapter of Ezekiel 34). Paul further explains;
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 14:17)
Also read; Rom. 15:13; 1 Cor.8:8. We do not intend to engage in the controversy of ministerial behaviors which contradict the true message of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Our desire is to help the body of Christ in rediscovering this all important subject for dispensing a powerful and timely mission of God to this confused and misled generation. We will try to be as simple and Biblical as possible.
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CHAPTER 2
The Emergence of the Kingdom
There is no contention about the possibility of Christ’s coming to set up a Kingdom on earth. The following verses are not parabolic terminologies, but simple and direct to the point. The forerunner of the Master, John the Baptist had this to say at the time of his manifestation to Israel, “…Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2) KJV
The Master Jesus Himself confirmed this at the inception of His ministry, by declaring, “Repent ye for the kingdom is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) KJV
And when He sent His disciples to go and preach, He told them what to say, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand: (Matthew 10:7; Luke 9:2) KJV
In Luke 10:9, He told them what to do and say, “And heal the sick…and say unto them, ‘The kingdom of God is come nigh you” KJV. And they should make the same declaration to those who rejected their message (Luke 10:11).
There is something quite strange about the attitude of our Lord concerning the imprisonment of His forerunner John the Baptist in Mark 1:14,15; instead of Him to go and see John in His prison custody, Jesus went to Galilee,
“…preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Jesus considered His assignment to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to be the most crucial than attending to what some will consider as of great concern today. Setting our priorities right is actually doing the will of God, it is an expression of faith which pleases God than doing that which will only attract the commendation of men.
Another lesson about the ministry of our Lord here is that of remaining resolutely focused in our calling. Because the Gospel of the Kingdom formed the integral aspect of His assignment, He chose to let go a lot of things that were of ordinary importance.
Why the repeated mention of the Kingdom by our Lord Jesus? The emphasis cannot just be ordinary or accidental. Let us now consider where it is coming from and how relevant it is for this study.
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CHAPTER 3
The Kingdom Prophesies
We must always bear in mind that Jesus did not come to do away with the teachings of the Prophets and the Law; He actually came to fulfill them. And He said,
“For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18) KJV
Let us take a look at the kingdom references in the Old Testament;
It is necessary to take not of what happened in Genesis 1:26-28 again. When God made man,
“… in His own image and after His likeness…” He said, “…let them have dominion…And He blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…”
There is no doubt that God’s image and likeness in man and the injunction He gave them to replenish, subdue the earth and to exercise dominion over it suggest that man should rule and reign alongside with Him over His entire creation! (Gen. 5:1; 9:2, 6; Ps. 8:6; Ec. 7:29 etc).
The kingdom prophecy by Isaiah 9:6-7
“Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder… Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (also read Isaiah 16:5).
The above prophesy clearly points to the Messiah. What should becloud our faith and vision to accept that the day He was born was the actual day His government started? We must therefore acknowledge this reality; and be very conscious and confident of it, rediscover it and seek to practice it in all aspects of our existence now and into the everlasting kingdom.
It was also spoken of David in the same vein as follows:
“When thy days be fulfilled,… I will set up thy seed after thee… and I will establish his kingdom… and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12, 13, 16). KJV
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CHAPTER 4
The Kingdom in the Book of Psalms
The Messianic prophecy in Psalm 2 sounds a dreadful caution to those who think they can be crafty and rebellious against God’s rule. We are also reminded of what the Lord told Saul who was on his way to fight the church (Kingdom Community) in Damascus according to Acts 9:5. KJV
“…And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutes: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”
In defense of the apostles who were about to be killed, a reputable member of the Pharisees’ council, and a doctor of the law, warned the council against what they were about to do. He affirmed that only the works of men that will always come to nothing. But the things of God can never be subverted by any form of opposition.
“But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight God.” (Acts 5:39; Is. 8:10) KJV
It is impossible to overthrow God’s government. The testimonies of the early church were living proofs. The present day church must learn this Kingdom lessons and urgently return to it.
Psalm 18 verse 5-6 confirmed the reference in Genesis 1:26-28. The Psalmist caught a clear gleam of God’s purpose about mankind; and certainly, it must be you and I; how He regards man, far above all His creation, even compared with angelic beings!
“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crown him with glory and honour… made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet…” KJV
Remember the story of Jacob in Genesis 32: 24 -30, where he wrestled with a man (God’s messenger), and the man spoke to Jacob thus:
“…for as a prince has thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (v. 28)
With these realities, we can not dispute the originality of divine kingship bestowed on us humans.
Another interesting kingdom reference is found in Psalm 118:22-2.
“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”
Jesus personally quoted this passage in Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; and Luke 20:17. Apostle Paul also depicted it in the following reference: Eph; 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:24, 7-8. Peter in his discourse to the Jewish leaders also quoted the same passage in Acts 4:11. The significance being, the Messiah, who was despised, rejected and killed, but had turned out to be truly the King of kings and Lord of lords, and there is nothing anybody can do about it! And this undisputed reality remains; God sent Him so that He would sustain His original royalty bestowed upon His church. Although the world will continue to fight God’s Kingdom arrangement and process, even in our time and age, their rage will end up in futility and frustration. (1 Cor 2:6)
May the true church receive this eternal revelation and obediently engage in the Kingdom restoration, building, and expansion, to the glory of God in the name of Jesus. Amen
One of the Psalms of David that teaches about the Kingdom lifestyle is Psalm 37. Because it is God’s word revealed to David. Jesus applied it in His elaborate discourse popularly known as Sermon on the Mount. David said,
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth… But the meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Ps. 37:8-9,11).
To inherit means to take that which is one’s rightful or legitimate possession. This implies that to inherit the earth by those born of God. (Jn. 1:12-13), means we should take charge of the earth which is our legitimate possession as pronounced by our eternal Father.
One cannot wait to see the body of Christ violently and speedily take its God’s given inheritance; the Kingdom on earth! It can be done only by a radical avoidance of the behavior of the world. (Mt. 6:19-34).
Oh God, have mercy on us and give us the courage to embrace the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom, so that we can speed up the Lord’s return. Amen!
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CHAPTER 5
The Kingdom in the Book of Isaiah
We have treated a few references in the book of Isaiah; notably, chapter 9:6-7. However, the Kingdom prophesies in this book are invariably outstanding and numerous. We will try to unveil just a few of them.
Jesus Christ personally quoted chapter 61:1 when He was speaking to His kinsmen in the synagogue at Nazareth, (Lk. 4:18);
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me: because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound”
Although there is no mention of the term kingdom in this verse, it is a definite expression of the exercise of its power. We must always bear in mind that whenever the Holy Spirit is mentioned, power or authority must surely be on display! God’s Kingdom is all about the manifestation of power by His Spirit. And the Church is supposed to be the agent of demonstration and enforcement of that same authority. It is obvious that this is deficient in many church circles today! “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…” Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18
Are you convinced that the Holy Spirit is upon your life, truly in you? Let us make a brief study of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer according these references:
“…has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek… Do you truly understand what anointing means; are your anointed for the work of God you are doing; what is the impression of the meek (poor people, the needy in all aspect of life) about your ministry? Discuss!
“…to bind the brokenhearted…proclaim liberty to the captives… opening of the prison to them that are bound” What impact are you making in these areas of ministry, healing the sick, and ensuring true freedom to those who are yearning for it or those bound by demonic power? Discuss!
Our salvation may be truly guaranteed, and we are working it out with fear and trembling… but can we be very certain of our role in the expansion of the Gospel of the Kingdom as it was handed over to us by our Lord?
It is our earnest heart cry and prayer that all of us seek to rediscover these Kingdom responsibilities and allow him to carry it out by His Spirit through our lives and ministries.
Let this sick generation be healed; let the lost be found; let the captives, the bound, and imprisoned be set free! The politicians, the human right activists, various NGO’s are doing “their own best,” but the ultimate answer is in the revival of the Gospel of the Kingdom where power beyond the ordinary stands out as the remedy to human chaos! (Isaiah 61:1-3)
Isaiah 61:4-9
One can be overwhelmed by the confirmation of God’s word throughout the whole Bible; that is from one book to the other. We have seen the command of God to man in Genesis 1:28; that man should “… replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion…”
And now in Isaiah 61:4 the prophecy points to the kingdom agents, and this places a demand on them to look at the present state of things upon the face of the earth; the earth, the great wonder of God’s creation, turning into a wasteful desolation. For instance, what we experience on a daily basis from the effect of environmental pollution globally leaves no one in doubt that there is need for a greater power to handle the situation. There is provision for the building, a rising up to the repair of the “…desolation of many generations.” Since the inception of human error; rebellion against God from one generation to the other, all human initiatives had always been culminated into degradation, disasters and desolation.
Every human effort devoid of God, amounts to fruitlessness and barrenness. It is only by the creative performance of the Holy Spirit by over shadowing our deepest life crisis and on the face of the earth, and working the kingdom stewardship in us that will restore, maintain newness and revival upon the earth.
Let God’s people acknowledge their place once more as Kings and Priests of the Lord. (Rev 1:6). This implies, the place of power release and administration; the place of the expression of the God-kind of faith that will reverse and strongly forbid the current trend of incessant transgression and consequent devastation of God’s creation.
Many Christians who are citizens of various nations of the world find it hard to accept that God has called them in their respective locations to bring about the divine desired change. Many are afraid of engaging in declaring the “Kingdom at hand” and doing “the will of God on earth as it is in heaven” They hardly realize that Jesus had sanctioned high treason and severe interference over against the cosmic order since the time He inaugurated His ministry on earth!
We will look at this in our subsequent discussion. Read the whole of Isaiah 61 and take special note of the promises of God for His chosen people. As we look forward to the coming Kingdom, let us never be slothful and negligent of the present Kingdom dispensation.
We must be very prayerful about the task before us. As noted earlier, it is no more church or ministry as usual. It cannot be a perpetual religious formality. Christianity is not a religion. It is Christ-likeness. We have no place to be side by side with any world religion. If we insist to remain followers of Jesus, it means, we are prepared to be distinct and peculiar. (1 Peter 2:9). It is therefore paramount that the whole world must be attracted to God’s Kingdom because of our persistence and focus in His principles.
Isaiah 11 is another profound messianic gospel of the kingdom passage. Let us take a look at a few verses here and consider their relevance to our time. And do not forget that scriptural prophecies are certainly coming to pass; this is no exception and we must all believe it.
“And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reproof after the hearing of his ears” (v. 2-3)
Everywhere you see God working; it is never without the involvement of the Holy Spirit. His participation here has to do with the equipping of the Messiah to proffer leadership qualities which are typically heavenly to us. The wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, and knowledge designated for this kind of leadership responsibility must come from the Spirit of the Lord resting upon the chosen vessel.
And once all these are obtained, to judge and reproof in terms of administration will not adapt to the pattern or the system of this world. We all know that the pattern of the world is concerned about things like a university degree or certificate and years of experience etc. sometimes the wrong people are employed for the job; and this had always been the bane for tragic and turbulent leadership results in the nations of the world! Even if the right people are employed into the fitting offices, and because ungodliness controls the system, adequate and appropriate results are never forthcoming.
The fear of the Lord should never be played down nor resisted in every administration which is Gospel of the Kingdom oriented. When God is not acknowledged to the standard of reverence, leaders become men pleasers, and once the fear of men takes the centre stage in governance, the devil takes over and injustice becomes the order of the day. Still, that is daily routine of the nations of the world today.
To avoid oversight, it is important to state at this juncture that, our study is not meant to challenge the world leaders nor intended to make them improve on what they have been doing. There is no amount of preaching and teaching that will make them change. All instructions and admonitions for them to obey GOD had been completely exhausted; in fact there are no more leftovers. We are only sent to the remnant, the chosen whose destinies had been divinely purposed and directed strategically for the enforcement of the Gospel of the Kingdom.
The next point of interest in Isaiah 11 is in verse 4:
“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”
This reference is not only interesting, but also frightening! And the statement “…and the day of vengeance of our God…” (61:2) is brought to bare. God watches over the affairs of men. Though they think they can occupy His inheritance illegitimately and go scot-free. There is already provision for divine vengeance against wicked rulers. It is only a fool who is in any leadership position who cannot read the hand writing on the wall at this very instance. The cup of God’s wrath is full to the brim! The appointed hour to overthrow the ungodly world leaders and their respective wicked government and traditional stools has come.
All Christians are hereby warned to desist from praying for them, because there is no place any longer for such so-called religio-political deceitful games and collaborations. God does not condone such apostasy. Throughout history, He intervenes appropriately and timely too. Listen to what He told Samuel when he was busy mourning for the one whom the Lord appointed and had rejected:
“…How long wilt though mourn the Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel…?” (1 Sam. 16:1) KJV
The Master alongside with His chosen subjects and stewards; the faithful believers have by divine arrangement resumed their dominion already. We should never doubt the fulfillment of our daily confession and prayer. “… Thy kingdom come…” (Mt. 6:10). We have been faithful to this confession. And it is never out of place to say, ‘Thy kingdom has come!’ All we need to do is accept responsibility with every keenness and seriousness.
We must also be bold and courageous to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, the truth about divine rule, applying the constant use of the sword of the Spirit; the source and means of authority to silence the world-wide spread of falsehood and wickedness that had been standing in the way of Truth! (2 Cor 10:3-6). When righteousness overshadows evil in all ramification, victory over principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world becomes rooted in the society we represent. (Eph 6:10-18). And that defines the kingdom’s consciousness and practice. The hour has come and now is, when:
“…he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breadth of his lips he shall slay the wicked.” (Is. 11:4).
How we earnestly pray that Jehovah will send a great revival that will cleanse the church from doubt, unbelief, fear and rebellion against the fulfillment of His Word for humanity, in the name of Jesus. Amen!
When the reign of righteousness absolutely takes over from the ungodly cosmic order, the divine order from its origin automatically and practically takes its course. Isaiah 11:4-9 explains it all:
“But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth and righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins and faithfulness the girdle of His reins.” (v 4,5)
And also take note of what Apostle Paul said to the Ephesians Church; and certainly applicable and relevant to today’s Church’
“…and having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness…” (Eph. 6:14)
The purpose of putting on the whole armor as urged by Paul, is to enable believers to be able to,
“…stand against the wiles of the devil… for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against power flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:11-12).
There are many laudable activities and programs being undertaken by governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sectors today. Yet much is done with ulterior motives. Conclusively, they turn out to represent the Satan’s world order! To a very large extend, across section of society has fallen victim of the schemes of the kingdom of darkness.
But praise be to God Almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ, the Church is receiving an extraordinary transforming fire, to rule and reign in the dispensation of the Gospel of the Kingdom. God had put this in place from eternity, and its fulfillment has come to stay. Let us therefore join the band wagon of the kingdom administrators, ambassadors, kings and priests unto the Lord!
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CHAPTER 6
The Kingdom in Book of Daniel
The book of book Daniel is profoundly distinct in the expression of God’s rule over the kingdoms of the world. As we consider the role Daniel played as God’s faithful steward in a heathen and foreign land; one cannot question his determination and focus in seeking to do nothing but the will of God. We are left with no other conclusion but affirm his understanding, consciousness, and resolve to practice the Gospel of the Kingdom even it was in that ancient time.
Daniel was aware of the ungodly reign of these heathen kings. He was carried along for as long as three tenors of the Babylonian dynasties. And there is no indication that Daniel complained against any of them. He was rather concerned about doing the will of the Almighty God. Since that was his priority throughout his life in Babylon, God ensured that Daniel was always on top of all the leaders in the land.
Another important aspect of Daniel’s commitment had to do with his submission to the control of God’s Spirit over his life. It was so pronounced that one Babylonian king gave him the name Belteshazzar,
“…according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods…” (Dan. 4:8, 9,18: 5:11,14)
The repeated mention of the spirit of the holy gods signifies the Holy Spirit which the people of false religion knew nothing about they did not know how to describe Him, they simply used their familiar day to day ritual language to describe a Spirit filled person whose lifestyle was practically exemplified before them.
Daniel is an outstanding mentor of the expected and desired Christianity we yearn for in this present day misplaced, misled, fruitless, tasteless and valueless’ church:!
Can you imagine if the present day church would throw away all pride and self gratifying form of godliness, and put on the garments of the God-kind of faithfulness, and truly give His Spirit the right place, the world around us would have no option but to acknowledge God in our lives and ministries. And in addition, the world’s leaders will undoubtedly and if not forcefully invite us to resume responsibility of cleaning up the mess they have worked so hard to create; the waste, desolation, and ruin they have caused by their so-called expertise in governance.
It is important to stress that every believer must be prepared to acknowledge their place as rulers; “And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father …” (Rev. 1:6: 5:10)
What we have here is a reminder to the church that God made us leaders from the beginning of creation. Remember God blessed man, declared man fruitful, commanded man to multiply, and that man should replenish the earth, to subdue it, and to exercise dominion over all He made… Gen 1:27-30
We can never rule out the leadership intuitive drive and ability God originally endowed in man. The only requirement to make it a reality is to allow the Holy Spirit take His appropriate seat in our hearts. It is nothing than being obedient to God and His Word. This was what Daniel did, and he took over leadership when the situation was impossible for the earthly king. In essence, the earthly kings operate as mare figure heads, while the Spirit filled man in the palace actually rules. This also works in a global setting. The world leaders are busy with themselves. But the actual rulers are God’s people who are the enforcement agents of His mission on earth!
Here is a fitting illustration. One of the kings in Daniel’s time had a dream, and forgot the dream, and never had an idea of what the interpretation would be. (Dan 2:1) And in a normal royal setting, the king had to employ the usual services of his wise men (v2)
The king’s wise men admitted their inability to carry out this great national assignment at the detriment of their offices and lives; because the king was furious at them, (Dan 2:11,12). The king’s incompetent wise officials also knew that the assignment before them was not for ordinary or mare men like them, but it required the intervention of God; “…except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (v11).
If only our present day leaders with their so-called wise council counselors, sorcerers and religious prayer groups would admit their inabilities and the incompetence, God would intervene mercifully, and bring solace upon their grieves and take away their woes and torments and bring about dramatic transformations in nations!
God had always made adequate arrangement to make His people relevant in the affairs of men. He made the king had the dream, deliberately withdrew his mind from it. The king was truly troubled; he did not recall the dream, let alone to know its interpretation. Daniel had to be sought for; he was the only hope the king would rely on. Meanwhile, the king had given a shoot at sight order concerning the incompetent wise men in his domain; but Daniel rescued them.
The emphasis in this illustration is that God makes us relevant in the affairs of the kingdoms of the world, if only we can meet the requirements of being kingdom minded and especially being Spirit equipped by remaining obedient to Him and His Word!
The moment Daniel and his companions were involved in the matter, it was actually God at work in men. This is what is expected of us as who live in the world and yet not of the world!
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which troubled him. It deprived him rest of mind and peace; though he was king. This is what God does to people in positions of authority who think they can remain indispensable. No matter how highly placed one can be; there is still the Almighty One above all. And to acknowledge His authority and power over all is the only secret and formula for rest and peace preservation.
BELIEVERS must learn one fundamental reality concerning our faith in GOD. The Word of God is the expression of God Himself. We can find no other source of truth about God which we can confidently rely on than from the Holy Bible. We must therefore consider the scripture as our reliable source from which our faith is derived and built on. It is absolute tragedy for the Christian to seek interpretation of God’s expression outside of God Himself. So, it should not be difficult for the believer to accept the written Word without question.
Jesus said to the devil, “It is written…” making definite reference to the scripture without alterations. Therefore we must be prepared to consider and accept the Bible prophecies exactly the way they were presented to us. As said earlier, all must be fulfilled! And all is coming to pass! (Compare Mt. 1:22; 2:15, 23;4:14, 8:17; Lk. 21:22;24:44; etc)
Now we just have to agree with the interpretation of the king’s dream by Prophet Daniel. It came from the Author. And so the fulfillment (finishing) ought not to be questioned. (Daniel 2:2,27,28).
What is the prophecy? Daniel saw the dream as if he had it himself. (Dan. 2:31-35) And the interpretation followed in verses 36-45. This made the king absolutely astonished; his reaction over the dream and its interpretation expressed his confidence in Daniel and his God! (v 46)
However, we are interested in the kingdom aspect of the prophecy and the emphasis is in verse 44;
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
Is there any query anyone can make about what God actually accomplished concerning this prophetic dream which by the Spirit’s wisdom spelt out by Daniel? Is it difficult for Him to set up a kingdom… and execute the remaining content of the prophecy? It you believed in God and His Word, you should have no problem about this at all.
Asking about the timing? “...in the days of these kings…” Have we ever had kings? In fact these are the days of the fulfillment of all manner of kingships and chieftaincies; where authorities had found various hierarchical orders; ranging from the highest to the lowest and or local levels; some of which can only find definition and purpose leading to the fulfillment of this prophecy.
This is the era of the unruly and misguided leaderships; a dispensation of great names without accomplishments; a time of sweet political promises and yet full of compromises, whose accompanied fulfillments are but deceit and robbery. No wonder Paul saw this long ago and described them as;
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servant of corruption…” (2 Pe. 2:19). Also Mt. 15:14
The millennial historic period is undoubtedly defining God’s role in winding up His plan with special reference to the opportunity given to the human race to seek Him so as to be restored in His image and likeness, particularly when His grace abounds. But for the humble and the meek at heart; the hour to increase our joy in the Lord has come. For it is written:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt. :5:5) Also read, Matthew 11:28-30; 21:5.
We must truly have compassion on those who think that life is still business as usual. They cannot discern the times, seasons and the moments. Jesus who understands the hearts of men that are filled with selfish motives and rebellion narrated thus;
“That seeing they may see, and not perceive: and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them.” (Mk. 4:12) also read; Is. 6:10; 29:10, etc.
Spiritual things and the mysteries of the Gospel of the Kingdom are hidden “…from the wise and prudent…revealed unto babes…” (Lk. 10:21)
After Daniel had finally and successfully executed his God’s given assignment by telling the dream and its interpretation to the king, and probably to the hearing of a curious and dump founded audience,
“Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel… and said, ‘Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings…and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the government over all…”
This explains the king’s submission to a higher authority which Prophet Daniel represented. Daniel was the kingdom of heaven’s ambassador not just on earth, but in an idolatrous and corrupt government! A system where almost all the citizen served no one, but self made gods, man-made intellect, and putting confidence in the false powers of Satan and Demons. This is similar to what is obtainable in our today’s world governments and organizations.
Is it possible to find some Daniels today? Of course, yes! God gives ahead of time, even eternally, to prepare people who will execute His plans; to accomplish His Mission; Mission accomplished! There is a silent move; it is the reality of God’s Government at work by His Spirit.
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes, so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (Jn. 3:8)
Today, there are hundreds of thousands whom God Almighty had set apart, consecrated, sanctified, and ordained not necessarily by ‘Ecclesiastical,’ ‘Evangelical’ or ‘Pentecostal’ etc methods, but strictly by God’s supernatural means; by the Holy Spirit’s power.
Soon there will be the cracking and the rattling sound of the move and manifestation of a united, indivisible, peculiar, holy and glorious Church; the revived, renewed, and transformed order of a typically and truly Christ-like community of disciples. Diligence and violence by the Spirit shall we all become against all principalities and powers which can never withstand us! Just like Daniel and his three companions did, so shall we work together in harmony!
The walls and sign posts of denominations will be torn down. The Sunday-Sunday Segregation Services Saga will pave way to a common course, a fervent heart cry for revival, nothing matters, but having the form of godliness and crying for, obtaining and enforcing the power thereof; ushering the reign of God and of His Christ. Amen! (Rev. 11:15; 17:14).
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CHAPTER 7
The Kingdom Requirements
It is necessary to keep to the requirements and conditions provided for every good thing to happen even in ordinary life. There are never shortcuts to getting to the top and great achievements. Every game has its rules, follow the rules, and you win! If the rules are not obeyed, there will be no success.
To become partakers in the Kingdom of God, even in the sphere of earthly endeavors, Biblical injunctions which form the basis for the kingdom requirements must be strictly observed and followed. Below is the list of appropriate passages:
1) Repentance
John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus announced in Matthew 3:2, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus Christ Himself at the inception of His ministry declared in Matthew 4:17, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is therefore evident that repentance is an unavoidable prerequisite of partaking in the kingdom. It is a call to humanity to return to God, and turn away from sin, and obedience to this instruction qualifies us into the Kingdom’s rights and privileges; that is to inherit the Kingdom of God.
2) Re-birth
Jesus Christ introduced a new spiritual order to Nicodemus a Jewish renown religious personality in John 3: 3, 5; and this was intended to replace the religious order and ordinary lifestyle which is common in people:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
What does this requirement entail? It sounds absurd. That is why Nicodemus admitted his confusion about this new trend of faith, and asked, “How can a man be born when he is old?”
Let us face it, thus us the confusion with so many people today, even inside the house of God. When a person repents, he becomes legitimately enrolled into the family of God, because he believes in Him. (Jn. 3:12). But this is not the natural usual biological birthing again, it is spiritual. There is more to this truth in the following verses:
“…who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn. 3:6, 13)
“…having been born of God, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abide for ever. “(1Pe. 1:2).
“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 Jn. 3:9;5:18).
“…mot by works of righteousness which we have done,, but according to His mercy He saved us, through washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” (Tit. 3:4).
The rebirth experience comes by the Holy Spirit’s confirmation of our salvation and His intervention over our natural life to His baptism, infilling anointing and other gifts diversity activities. And suddenly, one becomes an entirely new person. The change is real. Many of us had experienced it and still function in Him.
The power of God’s Spirit in your life automatically over powers the stronghold of iniquity and ungodliness which had been in control. As soon as this takes place in your life, you begin to enjoy the new creation lifestyle. And believe me, if you keep it going by allowing God to set you apart in prayer, His word, and doing what He has called you to do, you will increase and grow into a full-fledged Kingdom citizen. You will see, and also enter the Kingdom even right here on earth. Obedience to God; abiding in His word allowing Christ to dwell in you by His Spirit it is simply heaven on earth.
3) Preach it
Our Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, started, or actually fulfilled the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. (Mt. 3:17). He handed it over to us through His first disciples.
He told them, “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 10:7)
Jesus continued to enjoin the church through the apostles of old to Preach the same Gospel of the Kingdom comprising:
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts nor bags for your journey… for a worker is worthy of his food…” (Mt. 10:7-10)
Preaching and teaching formed the backbone of the ministry of our Master and Lord Jesus. Yes, this is exactly what He handed over to the Church.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:19-20: Mk. 16:15; Lk. 9:2; 2Tim. 4:2)
The preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom should be given uttermost attention by Christians. It was number one priority to Jesus Christ. Nothing should replace our compassion for the lost souls. Many people in the world have lost sight of the purpose of God for their lives; they have misplaced their priority in life, and even about God’s call; they are busy with their own selfish plans.
If the concept of the Gospel of the Kingdom is restored in many believers, they will have hope of eternal joy which come by ‘seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.’ (Mt 6:33)
To display such seriousness about the Kingdom business, Christ Jesus called His disciples when they were busy with their various money making professions (Mt. 4:18-20; 9: 9). When He heard about the imprisonment of John the Baptist, “He departed to Galilee. And it was at this point He started to “… preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 4:12-17). He told someone to follow him, but the person sought permission to go and organize for his father’s funeral, but Jesus told him, “…Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” (Mt 8:22). He delayed His visit to the sick one with two days, knowing that the sickness was “… not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (Jn 11:4). All these portray the Lord’s emphasis on the Gospel of the Kingdom; God is glorified when we are strictly and genuinely committed to Him and His work.
We must always remember that the Gospel of the Kingdom can never be a reality in our situation and this dispensation without the constant consciousness of the presence of the Lord by His Spirit in our lives. And when we bear that in mind and keep it deep in our spirit beings, we will never lose sight of the Master’s teaching about the Kingdom of heaven on earth.
Let us still take a look at a summary of the injunction in the following sub-headings;
The Kingdom must be preached or propagated - Mt. 3:1-3; 4:17.
Acknowledge the present existence of the Kingdom - Mt. 12:28.
Acknowledge the Kingdom in our midst - Lk. 17:21.
Understand the characteristics and principles of the Kingdom -Rom. 12:17.
The Kingdom marks the beginning of Satan’s end - Jn. 12:1; Jn. 16:11.
The Mysteries of the Kingdom are revealed . Mt. 13:11.
For further study about preaching the gospel of the kingdom, read: (Mk. 1:14; Lk. 4:43; 8:1;9:2; 16:16; Ac. 1:3; 8:12; 20:25; 28:23).
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CHAPTER 8
Regain And Maintain Authority
To obtain a major thrust to regain one’s inheritance; which is God’s Kingdom; it requires an earnest, violent and holy zeal. The effort to maintain and enforce the Kingdom had been resisted vehemently throughout the ages, and the opposition will never stop. However, one must be absolutely determined to give up sin and evil connections to be saved from all spiritual hazards; hence obtaining the strength to be established in the dominion process. There is the confirmation to this in the words of our Lord Jesus.
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.” (Mt. 11:12) “…Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” (Lk. 16:16).
The journey into the Promised Land involves some kind of violence and pressing into it. We will never succeed in obtaining our God’s given lot in this Kingdom with a sluggish and undetermined attitude. Christianity as a religious and church as a religion and church as usual are never the determining factor and standard. The right pattern must be observed and kept; it is not devoid of a persevering and relentless spirit to doing the will of God all the time.
If we are not careful, we will think that our ability to organize good and attractive activities or programs in the church and society is the solution. God’s Kingdom standard and pattern are irrevocable. We must learn humility and submission in obedience to Him in everything we do with the aim of giving honor and glory to His Holy Name; and never to aggravate selfish ambition.
In the bid to run a man made government, the disciples of Jesus (Who were devastated by the rule of the Romans, and desperately seeking for liberty) asked Him the purpose of His kingdom whether it was the restoration of “…the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
The Lord understood the wrong concept and mentality they had of His Kingdom, that is why He had to introduce a new approach of the Kingdom mentality and lifestyle in Acts 1:4-5.
“…He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which… you have heard from Me… but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
At this point Jesus had to make it clear that time for Him to return to the Father had come; He had to give the disciples His last words, hence the strong emphasis on what they must do in order to be fully equipped for the dispensation ahead. It is a Kingdom era, not by the system and pattern of the world, but by God’s power, the Holy Spirit. And that was why He showed them the way out in terms of defining their role in the fulfillment of the plan of God at that point in time. So He drew their attention to the new pattern or the approach of God to obtaining the Kingdom mandate, and He said,
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the world.” (Acts 1:8)
Well, these obedient disciples got the message; and they complied. They never departed from Jerusalem but they waited patiently with all seriousness and commitment for the promise of the Father. They heard the Master very well, He said, the ‘Promise of the Father’ and that Promise was the Holy Spirit’s presence which is accompanied with power! And they heard the Master very well when He said, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…’
By His enabling strength, they withstood all the temptations of running after things that did not matter, but remained faithfully focused, waiting for the fulfillment of the command of the Lord. As you continue to read the account of the apostles in the book of Acts, you will confirm the fulfillment of the promise of the Father to them in Acts 2:1-4. The witness unto Christ started that same hour in Jerusalem. And it was the emergence of the power people who would soon turn their world upside down. That was the overthrow of the ongoing systems both religiously and politically.
Today’s Christianity owes the Master; and this generation an explanation for appearing to be helpless and silent about the application and administration of this same promised power to the world. Reasons for this setback may not be farfetched. Our obedience to the command of the Master had been absolutely disdained and jilted. We hardly have the patience to wait and or tarry expecting the supernatural to happen in our time. We have been swallowed by jet speed mentality, living in a hurried, now-now result mentality without working for them. We have closed our eyes and hearts from the Word of God, especially His Promised Holy Spirit. How can we ever take over, charge and control without complying with divine instruction which should have guided our journey into the Promised Land? It is evident that the Promise extends to the generations yet unborn:
“For the promise is to you and your children, and to all who are a far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:39).
The prophecy in Joel 2:28, was to remain fulfilled throughout ages as long as the Lord’s second coming tarries. The Holy Spirit’s power had been in full operation right from the beginning of creation. His functions and activities were seen throughout human existence. He is actually still very powerfully active today. But we all need to pay much attention to Him; and allow Him to keep on doing His work in our lives. Our desire and commitment to have Him fully involved in our day to day affairs must be spurred by the determination to wait and pray earnestly without ceasing.
Here is an encouragement from a young African pastor, “I have the Holy Spirit power. The decision has been made. I must go till He comes, and work till He stops me.” This is a life time resolution which every serious minded believer should imbibe. When we all assimilate this uncompromising spiritual culture, we can confidently burst out in the fulfillment of the Lord’s Prayer; “Your kingdom, has come, your will is taking place here right now as it is in heaven!” Yes, an answer to a very long time prayer request.
It is very necessary for us to state at this juncture with impregnable emphasis that the hour has come for the believer to place an embargo on every commodity of life and swiftly turn to the culture of waiting and seeking the fulfillment of the Father’s Promise once more. This should remain the only item on believer’s agenda. Neither this nor that should work or matter until the issues of critical concern in our Christian lives are resolved once and for all! This will involve very painful measure in the area of discipline in spiritual exercise. He is always available to extend His hand of mercy and help, if only we can give up all we have been doing wrongly, by erroneous approaches and efforts.
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CHAPTER 9
The Church’s Restored Kingdom Vision
There is a strong urge for us to address the issues surrounding the Christians’ approach and inclinations to world’s political arrangement. It is unapologetic and unequivocal for us to state that believers have dip their fingers into acidified arrangements of world’s politics which had beclouded and burnt out our visionary knowledge and understanding of Divine Kingdom arrangement by the Spirit of the Lord. As seen earlier, the moment there is exchange in rights and values, we automatically loose our savor, and our original beauty begins to diminish. We are meant and made to fit into God’s eternal covenant plan and purpose. As long as we remain opposed to this, we will remain lost in the gross darkness of satanic order.
Our second chance shall no longer be aborted due to incessant indulgence in worldly affairs. The opportunity had already been put in place for us to totally make a complete u-turn and face God’s direction as provided for by the coming of the only begotten Son of God, whose ultimate aim is restoring humanity back to Divine Originality. Get this right. Jesus came to restore the Kingdom covenant God made with humanity throughout ages. Jesus was confident to tell Pilate who enquired of Him whether He was a King:
“You say rightly that I am a King, for this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth…” (Jn. 18:37)
What else can be more pronounced than these penetrating words of the Master; confirming the authenticity and legitimacy of His eternal kingship over all creation.
The wise men from the East enquired, “…Where is He who has come king of the Jews? For we have seen His star from the East and have come to worship Him.” (Mt.2:2)
But He was King of the Jews, one may argue. Although the Jews rejected His kingship, they were right, He simply and divinely came through the Jewish ancestry, but He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; the One who rules over all creation.
The angel’s announcement to Mary about the child she would bare included:
“He will be great… and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign… and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Lk 1:32-33).
John the beloved testified of Him as, “…He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts no one opens.” (Rev. 3:7). Peter quoted David from Psalm 110:1;
“… The LORD said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies Your footstool.” (Act. 2:35-35)
Paul in his own analysis confirmed, “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:25; and Eph. 1:22; Heb. 1:13; 10:13).
There is no doubt that the Lord Jesus the Messiah came to establish a Kingdom, but not according to world’s arrangement. He announced this when He was about to be crucified. He said His Kingdom was not of this world, if it were, He would have engaged the heavenly host to fight on His behalf. He had to accomplish the assignment of dying and to resurrect for the salvation of our souls first, which was His chief assignment.
This is actually the bedrock of the Kingdom arrangement. Once this is perfectly achieved, everything surrounding our human existence would be put in place, especially the fulfillment of God’s Government on earth. God’s strategy in dealing with His own children outsmarts the wicked intentions of the kingdom of darkness. This is what Paul spelt out explicitly in 1 Cor. 2:6-8,
“However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew, for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
God’s plan is a mystery except it is revealed to mankind. Believers however should not be ignorant of His plan because we have the Spirit of wisdom who is able to show us everything about Him.
Therefore the Kingdom plan of God took the world system (which had been predominantly manipulated and controlled by Satan) unawares. For if they were aware of this they would not act foolishly as they did in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and other wicked vices they had been carrying out all this while. No matter how best the system of the world appears to be, its functions will culminate into futile disaster and frustration.
This should explain our concern for the church to acknowledge consecrated responsibility of undertaking the place in God’s Kingdom covenant plan.
We are calling for a hard thing; something very difficult to be accommodated. It is very bitter a pill to swallow, yet the only healing remedy. Let us accept the invitation to participate in propagating and building on the Kingdom Foundation which Christ Jesus laid for the Church over 2000 years ago. We can call it a new ‘political order’ outside of what is obtainable; that is running a government that is based on Christian principles! Can our present mentality permit us to think that we are not running a parallel government which could be considered as gross national misconduct and violation of the constitution, or even treason?
As long as we will not shy away from adopting the lifestyle of our Lord Jesus, this call will never be impossible.
Remember the story of Peter and Jesus; when Jesus was walking on the sea, Peter requested if He would command him to walk to Him on the water, and Jesus permitted him to do so. And Peter made it. But the moment Peter removed his focus from the Lord, he started drowning. But the Lord had mercy and delivered him.
There is no doubt that we have removed our focus from the Lord and His Kingdom lifestyle for such a long time, and we truly need to cry out back to Him now, ‘Oh Lord, help and deliver us!’ This is the hour to start something.
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CHAPTER 10
Exemplified Kingdom
Our Lord Jesus in the tender age of twelve told His parents, who were looking for Him after a customary feast in Jerusalem,
“Why do you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business? (Lk. 2:49)
Jesus was very particularly zealous about His ministry on earth. We can also see this when He frowned at the Jews in the temple, “…Take these things away! Do not make My Father‘s house a house of merchandize” (Jn. 2.16).
There must be a very serious cry of concern when the business of the Father is in jeopardy. When the caretakers of the property decide to engage in another man’s business other than their Master’s; there is a serious problem. In a matter of time, the owner’s business will be crippled, collapsed and finally suffer loss.
This seems to be the situation with God’s Kingdom business in our time. His workers seem to be disloyal and are very busy with another god’s work. They are engaged in petty world trading that will never pay, but result into unprofitable end! The consequences of church’s betrayal to God are inflicting so much pain to the body. And this is calling for a quick solution, the healing of our backsliding!
We must mind our business. Just like the Lord Jesus told His parents: when everyone else may be looking after us for unnecessary selfish reasons, we should be able to say, “Why do you seek me? Did you not know that I should be about my Father’s business?” The worldly concerns and cares of this life could be dragging us into the pursuit of shadows and falsehood, all in the name of trying to be good people; but as long as our efforts are based on human wisdom and selfish motives, such effort will eventually turn futile and vain!
We must therefore learn how to mind our business, our Father’s business. It means, we must always stick to God’s assignment for our lives. We must not be deceived by popular opinion; neither should our attention be in the direction of the majority. We should be zealous of God’s house, minding His own Gospel of the Kingdom work!
We must get serious about praying and studying the word of God, and preaching the good tidings of good things to those in need of it. And we must be focused about it. Let it become our passion and addiction. When that happens, the world will know that there is no better place elsewhere but the house of our God. And our life experiences will remain a living testimony to God’s Glory to the people around us.
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CHAPTER 11
The Church’s Divine Priority
God’s Kingdom priority should remain the central focus and concern of believers moment by moment. Our Lord set an example for us to follow. That is why we are called the followers of Christ; we are Christians. It is expected that we should do exactly what He did. Someone argued, ‘can we be exactly like Jesus?’ Jesus instructed us to follow Him and He will make us fishers of men. (Mk. 1:17). When we obey God fully, we can actually be exactly like Christ. Being Christian; that is Christ-like actually means being exactly like Jesus. There is a very dear prize to pay if we must remain His disciples. The discipleship requirements are tough and stringent; the conditions include:
Self Denial and Cross Bearing
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Mt. 10:38; 16:24; Mk.8:34; etc)
Renouncing or Forsaking Everything
“So likewise, if he does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Mt. 10:37; Lk. 14:26, 33; etc)
Steadfastness or Spiritual Firmness
“… If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” (Jn. 8:31)
Bearing much Fruit
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (Jn 15:8)
Many church people have openly questioned whether Jesus truly meant when He gave all the conditions for discipleship. They are just making excuses. They do not want to mind the Master’s business but theirs.
The world had sought and troubled the church people for decades, but we have not been bold and courageous enough to say, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” When Jesus made this assertion, He was deprived and denied of His parent’s closeness and love. He had always set God’s standards for us to follow. It is only those who keep to these standards that will be found faithful and worthy of Him.
Some of the aspects of serious temptations that have kept believers from keeping to God’s standards and minding His business are in the areas of job seeking or employment, becoming like other people, trying to please people other than God, seeking the pleasures of this life, and a lot more. Having understood this trend in the lives of His followers, Jesus emphatically issued a very strong and strange injunction which sums up what we are talking about,
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and body more than clothing… So why do you worry about clothing? ...Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Mt. 6:25-33)
Every other thing is but thrush and waste because the approach of getting them is wrong, it is worldly. And our Lord is not impressed about it, He does not derive pleasure in it. This is the deviated path the church had taken, and it carried many people far away from going about \the Heavenly Father’s business.
We have joined the world’s pattern of business, politics, education,, religion, ethnicity, leisure, sports, and a lot of the like. If we had minded out business, truly going about our Father’s assignment just like our Master Jesus did and taught us, we would have made giant strides in our earthly sojourn and Kingdom representation.
God can never be defeated by our waywardness and lawlessness. His word will not return to Him void. We have prayed that His kingdom should come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. He has heard our prayer. The Kingdom has come and His will had become our lifestyle on earth as it is in Heaven. Hallelujah!
The Kingdom has come and His will is taking place in our lives and circumstances. We have found our bearing and direction. And we are prepared by His mercy to submit to Him than we have ever done. We can resist Satan with all his crafty plans. By this Divine arrangement, we are now God’s people, and He is our God, according to the New Covenant in Christ Jesus. (Heb 8:8-13)
We have no business accusing the world governments for failing to help us, they are called “…the rulers of the darkness of this world…” (Eph 6:12). If not for Divine intervention through the believers, they were never made to be a blessing to people. We should not be looking for help in the wrong places.
People like Daniel and Joseph in the Bible did not worry about the kind of leadership of their time. They simply minded God’s business, ensuring He is honored in their lives. They were watching over their God’s given dreams and destinies. They never allowed the noise, attacks, intimidations, competitions, falsehood, and rowdiness around them to keep them away from obeying the God of their fathers. We must learn a lesson from them. This is what Jesus meant when He said we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be given to us. Yes, first things first!
Every city, state, nation, and the whole world is in dare need of people who will fashion out a true Christian approach to the things we consider very important to our everyday life. People who will pray and rain would fall or stop for a reason; people who will obey God in the face of lack and intimidation. People who will defend and uphold the faith in spite of various crude, vicious, and immoral ways of the kind of opportunities to make it in life. The church that will mind her business so strictly and resolutely firm, until the world in its present predicament, doom and hopelessness would be left with just one option, running back to us for answers. This is the kind of faith that pleases and honors our God in Christ Jesus. AMEN!
This is the year for the ministers of God in this part of the world to close ranks and identify with one another regardless of denomination and /or doctrine, office, rank or spiritual status, etc. we must partner and collaborate in the areas that bind us and sustain the unity of the Body, the common ground should be one Lord, and one faith.
“…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head Christ… (Eph. 4:13-16).
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CHAPTER 12
The Holy Spirit: The Kingdom Master-minder
We are very interested in trying to find out a lot about the role of the power of God by His Spirit in the Christian ministry. This should form a strong base for the advancement of the Gospel of the Kingdom as a marvelous witness to the world. We must never forget that the Holy Spirit is the only Divine driving force or engine for the Supernatural proclamation and execution of God’s Government on Earth and eternally.
We have earlier noted the important role God’s Spirit played by hovering over the face of the deep; the chaotic situation before God spoke and brought the entire creation into existence. We must always allow Him to remain relevant in our lives and let Him maintain a consistent hovering over every detail of the chaotic and confused states of our concerns. We should not also forget to be outspoken about the light of God in this world as He did at the inception of creation and pronounced by our Lord Jesus concerning us. (Mt. 5:14).
We are attracted to the account of Prophet Daniel once again. We will take a close look at references that talk about the peculiar character he exhibited as a result of the presence of the Spirit of the Lord upon his life.
The power of God can never be made visible until a critical situation ensues. We must not run away from problems; God’s people should never run away from every difficulty, because out of such pressures God makes provision for signs and wonders that must glorify His name. It is apparent that God does not always show up except human initiative and other powers have totally failed!
Daniel was always identified with the last minute’s decision, whether or not to stand for the true God or deny Him. But as we have seen earlier, nothing would make Daniel change his mind concerning his love for the living God, even at gun point; the lion’s den.
Let us take a look at the kind of deception from the people of the world, when king Nebuchadnezzar run into a serious problem concerning his rule. All these while the magicians and the Chaldeans had been deceiving the king. All form of sorcery is not only abominable, but also deceptive and misleading. And now because of Daniel, God wanted to put them in their right place and to prove them wrong. He made it impossible for them to be able to help the king out of his confused state. They quickly admitted their inability to tell the dream and its interpretation. They said,
“There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” (Dan. 2:10-11)
These worldly wise men knew that there was a greater power that is far beyond their magic, divination, sorcery and astrology. They did not know it was the Holy Spirit they were talking about when they said, ‘except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.’ We will discover the truth about this by the way the king himself identified Daniel as one who could interpret dreams after he had lined him up along with the other Babylonian wise men to be condemned to death. However Daniel took a bold step to intervene in the situation. He spoke to Arioch the man who was charged with the execution of the wise men. Daniel was able to meet the king who finally resolved the riddle that could have caused the death of the wise men in Babylon. What was responsible for Daniel’s victory? It was the power of the Spirit of the Lord God. You will see this repeatedly in the following verses:
“But at last Daniel came before me… in him is the Spirit of the Holy God…” (Dan. 4:8)
This was the king himself testifying of Daniel who was anointed with the Holy Spirit.
“…because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream…” (Dan. 4:9).
This signifies the king’s utter confidence in the ability of Daniel to explain hidden or secret issues, because of the certainty of the Holy Spirit’s operation in his life.
“… since the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.” (Dan. 4:18).
The above verses in Daniel chapter four explain the loss of confidence the king had over his wise officers.
In our present day situations, world leaders must learn to put confidence in the truly Spirit led ministers of God or else they will continue to be misled by the false wise men and remain in perpetual trouble and confusion in leadership.
In another episode in Daniel’s time:
“…The queen spoke, saying, ‘O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God…” (Dan. 5:10,11).
It is good to have women in the palaces who will be able to identify God fearing, and Spirit filled people in their domains. This queen saved her king from terrible high blood pressure by introducing Daniel to him; an anointed man of God who was thought of as a slave, but in reality he was a solution to the world’s kingdom arrangements. That is what we are expected to represent; and not to go about lamenting and weeping, complaining and protesting, compromising and begging. Let us resume our rightful places in our various Christian domains and let the worlds’ best be determined by God’s wisdom through us.
“Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel… now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” (Dan. 5:12)
How relevant the church can remain, if only we maintain our place: going about our Father’s business. Who will not prefer an advisor, counselor, judge, professor head teacher, engineer, senator, etc in whom there is an “excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles and explaining enigmas…” than to have subordinates in whom are evil spirit dominating and manipulating their hearts to commit atrocities and abominations in their places of responsibilities and in the land.
There was a terrible omen in the reign of Belshazzar; God’s anger was stirred up, and there was instant judgment written on the wall. This was not for the unbelieving wise men to comprehend. Daniel had to be invited and note what the king said,
“I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me… but they could give the interpretation of the thing.” (Dan. 5:14,15).
One wonders how many ministers can be spoken of in this manner today, except a handful and a very insignificant few! But God has not given up on us yet. He had gone ahead of us to accomplish His eternal mission for humanity in spite of our gross spiritual misconduct. Oh what a merciful Father and King!
However, we should never take His kindness for granted, because it is not going to last too long for us to be called to give account of our stewardship while on earth. We should not continue to allow liars, robbers and thieves to keep on having a field day over our inheritance in spite of their constant or repeated terrible mistakes and woeful failures.
When we mind our business by submitting to God, and allowing His Spirit to take complete and total control of our lives and ministries; and just go ahead to obey Him by doing what He has called us to do and to go to all the places He had sent us; then the world will lack the places to confide on; but to run back to us for answers. This is where the reality show is found; God’s kingdom in practical terms on undisputable display.
“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above all the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over all the realm.” (Dan. 6:3)
The Holy Spirit was that excellent Spirit who made Daniel the most distinguished personality for above his counterparts in government. Similarly, we can find a wonderful testimony about the Messiah in Psalm 45:7.
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
When we rely totally on the power of God by His Spirit, His anointing upon our lives reveals His distinctiveness in our ministries. He manifests the Lord’s righteousness through our lives. He brightly shines the light of truth in us, and the power of darkness and evil looses grip of our existence! This is the only way we can stand out so very different from the rest of the world’s so-called best and cute arrangement.
Each time we minded our Lord’s business, intense contentions are stirred up. Must we bring the expected peace and joy upon the face of earth? Then, we must not forget that it cannot be realized without intense contentions from the opposite cosmic order. Remember, apostles John and Peter healed a cripple, it was a genuine miracle from God; but the good deed became the cause of a heated contention and persecution upon their ministry and lives. (Read Acts chapters 3 and 4).
This was the case with Daniel in Babylon. The Lord elevated him above his fellow governors. Although they might have congratulated him, and sent good will messages to him, but because they were identified with ungodliness, and no matter how long it took, evil did not fail to show its true color.
“So the governors… sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful…” (Dan. 6:4).
This is leadership with distinction! When the wicked try to find occasion to accuse the righteous, they can go to all extend to make a thorough search of one’s public and private lifestyle. But if your commitment to God is genuine, true and outstanding, you would be able to withstand the toughest challenge of the strongest and crafty devil’s incarnate. They could find no charge or fault against Daniel, because he was faithful.
This must also be the case with us today. It must be the story of the Church of our Lord Jesus in Jos city, Nigeria, Africa and the ends of the world, in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen!
We must never forget this; the wicked do not give up easily. If they achieve their goal, they must always remain focused and resolute in the pursuit of their wicked devises. But not known to them, the attack against the innocent and the godly, may persist for a while, but will always and surely backfire. (Dan. 6:24).
Righteous living serves as a formidable armor and defense against wickedness. Therefore the more righteous people we can produce as we go about our Master’s business, the more we force wickedness out of the way and make it submit and remain subject to the authority of God’s people. In our persistence in doing the right thing, we are equally weakening the forces of evil with their negative effect over us.
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CHAPTER 13
The Kingdom Covenant Established
The Son of Jesse in the Bible represents a good illustration and lesson for us to learn concerning righteous and a God fearing lifestyle in leadership. We will notice that it was because of the peculiarity of this character that made God to establish an everlasting covenant with Jesse’s lineage. This is actually the covenant that we refer to as the Gospel of the Kingdom covenant. Let us have a very brief study of David’s life.
Shepherd Boy
David started from the smallest beginning of a shepherd boy to the greatest warrior and king. We must never despise the early years of childhood responsibilities. A greater future begins today. It starts with humility faith in God and boldness to keep believing!
“There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.’ And when David arrived, ‘Arise, anoint him; he is the one,’ was the Lord’s instruction to Samuel. And David was anointed in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” (1 Sam. 16:11-13).
Let us consider what happened on the day of David’s anointing as king as the fulfillment of God’s plan for his life. David had experienced the power of God in his childhood shepherd life before Samuel anointed him. David himself testified of this at the battle field when he went to visit his brothers on the instruction of his father. And since David had seen the mighty hand of God upon his life, he expressed such confidence in God before King Saul,
“Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and kill it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them… The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine…” (1 Sam. 17:34-37).
What could have been responsible for David’s life of victory, even at this tender age? This must have started with his obedience to his father Jesse. David must have accepted his place as the last born, the least among his brothers, the youngest. And he was not ashamed of the meanest of jobs including tendering his father’s flock. No wonder, the Bible says,
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:6,10)
Job 22:29 says, “When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’Then He will save the humble person.” And Proverbs 29:23 states, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.”
David in one of his songs in Psalm 138:6 said, “Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the Lowly but the proud He knows from afar.”
And when Mary the mother of Jesus was praising God for His wonderful favor on her life, she declared,
“He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.” (Lk. 1:52).
Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself had this to say in Matthew 23:12,
“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
It appears that in almost all the world’s cultures, there is no job that portrays the lowest degree of humility than shepherding. Our Lord Jesus chose this to be one of His titles; He said,
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (Jn. 10:11,14)
We have seen this as one of His attributes; we would always suggest the path of lowliness than being haughty. Even when He was expected to ride on a kingly decorated horse during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, He chose the lowliest donkey.
“Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Mt. 21:5)
We can go on endlessly, because the references on humility in the Bible are numerous and inexhaustible. Humility forms the strongest basis for success in ministry. Still, the emphasis of our Lord about it is for deliberate and significant emulation, if we must make the expected impact in our time. He called on us to, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:29).
The Lord truly considered this as a matter of serious commitment such that He set example of doing it and not just saying it;
“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done.” (Jn. 13:15)
When He humbled Himself to wash the feet of His disciples, He was teaching them in practical terms and implying that such service was impossible without lowliness.
Well, we too must consider this as a matter of crucial emergency if our ministries must see the light of the day to make the needed impact in our today’s world and society of so much distortion about truth and values. Let us be humble enough to change our titles, motives, high mindedness, and haughtiness in trying to please men and glorify self than Jehovah God and our Savior Jesus by the total guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let this be applicable as a prayer as we ought to pray so that we can truly praise God, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Young and Talented Musician and Singer
David was a musician and singer in his youth. When the Spirit of the Lord departed from King Saul, David was invited to come and play his instrument skillfully before him in order to rescue Saul from the disturbing ad distressing spirit that came upon him.
“…That David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.” (1 Sam. 16:23).
The music career and ministry of David turned out to be a very wonderful life time testimony which every Christian music minister should emulate. When we resolve to pray as we ought to, so that our complete concern becomes the praise of God, we will not only please Him, but divine prominence will always associate with us.
David sang and praised God with all his heart and might. Our knowledge of God’s goodness and power determines the wholeheartedness of our songs, music, praise and worship to him.
It was with so much gladness, offering of sacrifices, trumpets and dance that David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. (2 Sam. 6:12-19). True worship to the God we love so much, demands all of the things David did in this scripture. The Ark of the Lord represents His presence. The moment we become conscious of God’s indwelling presence, our service to Him becomes distinctively unique and pronounced. We praise God with every confidence, knowing fully well that our lives are connected and secured in Him. We have no reason to be afraid of anything or anyone. No wonder David expressed this confidence himself in Psalms 118:6, “The Lord is on my side I will not fear. What can man do to me? And “So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6).
David’s knowledge of God’s sovereignty was deep enough to make him the great king of Israel to dance before Him as if it was total madness. Actually that was the conclusion of Michal his wife about it. She saw his doing the madness dance, although it was to God, yet she despised him in her heart. Let us take a look at this interesting interaction that took place between these two in 2 Samuel6:20-22.
Michal (David’s wife):“How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself.”
King David: “It was before the Lord who chose me… Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”
There is great power that can perform signs and wonders in a godly musician. Michal rarely knew her husband. She thought he was just a mare human, who had the opportunity to be king over his people. That is the tragic mistake many women make today about their husbands whom God had set apart for His special purposes. Michal’s unruly behavior earned her a token of barrenness until her death.
David was faithful in his service to King Saul. He played deliverance music to the king, and he was set free from the demons that were tormenting him. And Yet Saul wanted to kill David (I Sam. 19:9-10) We are bold to declare that it is impossible to kill a God fearing singer like David. Musicians of David’s caliber are chosen, sanctified and fortified. Yes, David was referred to as man after God’s heart.
We can see additional power manifestations in David’s ability to overcome the enemies of Israel. As testified earlier, he started with killing both lion and bear as a shepherd boy; and chopped off the head of Goliath. He went on and on defeating the Philistines army in several battles. ( 1 Sam. 18:27; 19:8; 23:5).
We must be reminded again that David was victorious in his godly lifestyle because the anointing of the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. ( 1 Sam. 16:13; Ps. 89:20).
Our emphasis is on the Christian’s Spiritual life; a believer whose faith and integrity can never be questioned because of the power of the Holy Spirit that occupied him. We are hereby adjoined to be filled and or baptized with the Spirit of the Lord God. It is a divine injunction that we should never despise nor be negligent about. This is our sure way to unprecedented lifestyle of value, power, and victory worth of God’s eternal glory.
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CHAPTER 14
God’s Kingdom Quality and Integrity
David’s biography is characterized by an intended and purposeful heart of uprightness. In spite of his one or two short comings, God knew David’s heart so well that He referred to Him as a man after His heart. Why did God call David a man after His heart? Having studied the life style of David fully well, one must conclude that a forgiving spirit truly ruled over him in a large extend. This formed in him a strong heart of righteousness. It made him one whose love for his God to rise above all self-aggravated ambitions. Truly, God saw that as the pursuance of His own heart by David. When power was to change hands; the time to bring down Saul, and lift up David, the Bible says;
“But now thy (Saul’s) kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart, the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people…” (1 Sam. 13:14).
Paul quoted this reference in Acts 13:22;
“And when He had removed him (Saul), He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom He gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill my will.”
The reason why God called David ‘a man after mine own heart’ must be stressed because it is what God is seeking in a man. He found it in David. This was what Saul lacked, and because David had it, God gave the leadership to him. Leadership without a forgiving heart is evil and totally ungodly. God sought David and found him to be worthy of Him. Let us take a look at some of the references that point to David’s godly living.
In 1 Samuel 26 David was noted for his soft and forgiving heart. When Saul purposely arranged to kill David, but God delivered him to David; David had the opportunity to destroy Saul, listen to what David said to Abishai,
“…Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless? The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed…” (vv 9,11)
David knew that every chosen of God shall be judged by Him at the appointed time. Although he had the opportunity to kill Saul, he allowed God to take vengeance appropriately;
“David said furthermore, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.” (v 10).
David announced to Saul about the opportunity he had to kill him, but because of the Lord, he refused to do so. And he spoke to Saul with a godly speech;
“May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me from tribulation.” (vv 23, 24).
How many Christians will be very tolerant and forgiving like David? When the opportunity strikes for revenge, will you restrain your temper and control your emotions? These qualities of self control, patience, and cool temper are demands for true Christian values which we must manifest in today’s corrupt and dying generation. These are the values our Lord Jesus taught in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. Great victory sounds at our door steps whenever we are prepared to obey the word of truth and to do the will of God on earth as it is in heaven and to insist to live by it the rest of our lives.
Let us have the comparison between David’s life of obedience to God with Saul’s life of disobedience. This is a sure representation of the two sides of lifestyles we have today. We are bound to be here or there:
David was a man after God’s heart 1 Sam. 13:14; Ac 13:22,
Saul was a man after people’s praise 1 Sam. 18:6-8.
David’s kingship was prophetically eternal and it was fulfilled through Christ Jesus. 2 Sam. 7:29.
Saul’s reign was rejected and short lived 1 Sam. 15:23.
David was a man of humility, he was absolutely kind 2 Sam. 9: 2Chr. 19:2.
Saul was the opposite, very cruel and heartless 1 Sam. 20:30-34; 22:11-19.
David had a forgiving heart 1 Sam. 26
Saul was malicious and unforgiving 1 Sam. 14:44; 18:9
David had a repentant heart 2Sam. 12:13; 24:10.
Saul had a confrontational and lying spirit 1 Sam. 15:10-31.
David was a man of good courage 1 Sam. 17; 1 Chr. 18.
Saul was controlled by timidity or fear 1Sam. 17:11; 18:12.
David was a man of peace, he was at peace with God. Ps. 4:8; 38:11;
Saul operated in divergence from God 1Sam. 16:14.
We must also make the choice of becoming like David who is the replica of Christ Jesus!
To: Table of CONTENTS
CHAPTER 15
The Kingdom Wake-up Call
If we must set the Gospel of Kingdom example right in today’s world, we must be prepared to take a close look at King David’s lifestyle. His life was typically Christ-like; and that is why his reign was given an eternal extension. The world is truly yearning for the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant in today’s Christianity.
We are no doubt in turbulent times. The whole of God’s creation is desperate for calmness and peace. God foreknew it when He appointed the whole of humanity to carry His image and become like Him so that it should not be impossible for us to rule with Him by replenishing and subduing the earth or His entire creation. By the Spirit of the Lord, handling the affairs of the entire universe is never impossible. So there is a very high expectation all over the place for the desirable change. This is not obtainable by political will power, not by manmade intellectualism, not even by diabolic influences. It is only by the Holy Ghost, and in the name of Jesus Christ. Paul, the Great Apostle stated this in Roman 8:
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now.” (vv 19-22)
Jeremiah also saw it thousands of years back, and cried out;
“Many pastors have destroyed My vineyard, they have trodden my portion underfoot they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate; and being desolate, it mourneth unto Me, the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.” (Jer 12;10-13). KJV
There had never been a time when nations and their rulers groan and weep in utter desperation and hopelessness than in our present dispensation. It is an age you would expect knowledge, science, money and intellectual, political and military power would solve all human dilemma. But to everyone’s crashing hope and disappointment, humanity had returned into a total dark age, it can hardly find its way to true Light.
The world’s acclaimed so-called civilization has already taken a monstrous and barbaric dimension. The world leaders lament and mourn in terrible fears of incessant calamities which they themselves were the chief architects, and because they have rejected the King of kings and the Lord of lords, they are busy building empires on the sand; believing in their effort to defend their territorial delimitations.
And also in the midst of all toils and hustles, they are cobwebbed in misery due to serious inability to admit their fears and torments, limitations and woeful failures. Pride and folly had eaten them up. They have sank and drawn in the deep sinking sand. This explains the present unbearable DESOLATION on the face of planet earth today!
There are chorus voices of cries and protests all over the world; all nations without one single exception are disenchanted with all styles and forms of manmade governance and leadership. How can you describe a scenario where people of the same religion disagree and destroy one another not only with diabolic utterances but with sophisticated weapons of warfare?
How can anyone comprehend people who should come together as a community of believers, a people of one faith, raising high walls of separation and tearing each other apart into pieces? If those who are known with the proclamation of truth and righteousness cannot be trusted with godliness, from where will the world find direction and solace?
This is not funny at all; that the church of the Almighty God, anointed, ordained and set apart by the Holy Ghost and prays in the name of Jesus still depend on manmade world government for shelter, security, a good economy and so on and so forth!
We must not be seen alongside the civil right activists, fighting against all the societal vices. Have we lost our platform; the various offices of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to speak as God’s oracles? Can the world truly listen to us and pay attention to our powerless agitations? Church, we must seriously mind our business. Let us come back home. God is waiting for us so that He will perfect His everlasting mission through us. We are urged to consider the words of Jesus in John 18:6.
“…My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, My servant would fight, so that I will not be delivered to the Jews; but not My Kingdom is not from here.”
And Pilate wondered whether He was a king. Jesus said,
“…You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone is of the truth hears My voice.” (v. 37)
Is the Kingdom now? What do you think? No, what do you believe? When is it? Biblically, it is both now and eternal. You must believe it. We know it is absolutely true because the works of Our Lord Jesus displayed all. Why should the believer argue about the authority our Master showed in His earthly ministry? He clearly said,
‘You say rightly that I am King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world…’
What explanation do we need again? As a King, He went about doing good. How? Peter in his discourse in Acts 10:38 clearly stated,
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing those who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
The mark and seal of His kingship is in the manifestation of His miraculous works. There had never been an earthly king who is able to exercise power over the things that cause so much trouble to his people like Jesus did. Earthly governments can train qualify doctors, but the doctors professional expertise without the power of the Holy Ghost can be with limitations.
We have taken note of so much limitations and inadequacies that abound in manmade governments. Much is caused by their disobedience to God; especially their resistance of the Holy Spirit. It is not possible for anybody to carry out God’s assignment successfully without the help of His Spirit. There is great danger in God’s service without His Spirit. Prophet Isaiah in his admonition to the house of Israel lamented:
“But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them.” (6:10)
Our spiritual labor will increase in productivity if we continue to seek God’s equipping by His Spirit. Our failure to submit to Him in various endeavors had always made God to turn against His own people.
So, even the Son of God Himself was no exception when it comes to depending and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, when God was about to start creation, He allowed the Holy Spirit to play His role by brooding over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:3). Therefore, God had to anoint Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power before the exercise of removing Satan’s afflictions from people’s lives became successful in His ministry.
What else would you desire in your leader than protection over sickness, disease, hunger, poverty, insecurity, fear and all diabolic oppressions! What are we looking for in our earthly kings, which God had not made provision for in Christ Jesus? Let us still take another look at the detailed operation and expression of the Gospel of the Kingdom according to our Lord Jesus:
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom…”
And the teaching and preaching of this kingdom gospel includes or involves
“…healing all kinds of sickness and all kind of disease among the people” (Mt. 4;23; 9:5; Mk.1;14, 21,4,39; Lk. 4:15,44)
And in Matthew24:14, our Lord enjoined us;
“And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and the end will come.”
The question that demands an urgent answer by God’s people is, what gospel are we teaching and preaching today? Note, before our Lord made the above statement in Matthew 24:14, in the preceding verses He had revealed the end time events to believers.
And in verse 13 He said,
“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
The Christian’s endurance certainly has all it takes to remain diligent and focused in doing exactly what the Master left behind for us to carry out unfailingly right.
Let us go back to the argument between Pilate and Jesus. Jesus had earlier admitted before Pilate that,
“… My Kingdom is not of the world. If My Kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (Jn. 18:36)
Of course, the ministry of our Lord Jesus was the fullest operation of a kingdom, but not of this world. It was not to be administered in this worldly manner or pattern, if it were to fight evil with evil, the angels and the apostles would have been engaged in a physical battle; and definitely the Lord’s army would have subdued both the Jewish and Roman gang up. Peter in his usual swift reaction displayed the carnal battle skillfulness by chopping an enemy’s ear. But to prove to His enemies that His approach to kingdom administration was totally devoid of violence and bloodshed, Jesus rebuked Peter and ordered him to put his sword into its sheath. What a kingdom of love; restoring the chopped ear of an opponent who had plotted to arrest and destroy Him. May the Lord give us much insight into His Kingdom’s approach and principles; this is the only way we will take away our attention from imitating the world. Our Kingdom is not of this world! The attitude of our Master about worldly leadership was uncompromising; He rejected and run away from earthly leadership appointment.
“…When Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. (Jn. 6:15).
If we must succeed in the propagation of the Gospel of the Kingdom; truly minding our Father’s business, we must be prepared to run away from the world’s trickery and be enticed by its style of kingdom. We should never think that our participation in politics and world governments the way they are used to will make us change anything. We have already been given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom; we are not looking for alternatives or better options elsewhere. Let us simply mind our business; and it will be perfectly well with us. (Mt. 6:33)
Jesus did not meddle into the affairs of the world, even when He had the opportunities to do so. Take note of His reaction when,
“…one from the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me’ But Jesus said to him, ’Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” (Lk. 12:13, 14).
Another example of the Master’s concern about His calling is found in John 8:13-16, when the Jews accused Him of bearing false witness of Himself. And Jesus responded as follows;
“…Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, my judgment is true…”
The Lord insisted on playing the game by strictly observing the rules. The people of the world could not drag Him into taking a different track from the original one revealed to Him by the Father. So Christ knew where He was coming from and where He was going. He was not controlled by the syndrome of trial and error; He was very certain about what He had been sent to achieve. And in this reference He mentioned the issue of judgment. It indicates that He was operating in His office of a King. He distinguished Himself from the worldly leaders whose judgment is based on human wisdom “…According to the flesh.” But by the Spirit of God, Jesus judges no one. Of course, as a King, “…And yet if I judge, My judgment is true…”
Whenever we take a close look at the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ; we will notice His constant reference to the Old Testament. For instance, He would always say, “It is written…” That is why He clearly stated that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but He came to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17-18 says”
“Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away one jot or one title will by no means pass from the law till all be fulfilled.”
The Lord was therefore performing and actualizing the fulfillment of Scripture in His time. That was the purpose of His mission. The book of Daniel must have been one of them. Daniel 2:44 says.
“ And in the days of these kings, The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not left to other people: it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
Another scripture that pointed directly to the Messiah is Daniel 7:14, it says:
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom, the one which shall not be destroyed.”
And verse 27 includes the saints, says:
“Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom in the everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”
Although our vision is heavenly; it is an everlasting dominion, yet we cannot rule out that strong conviction of an earthly domain because it is stated clearly that it shall be in the days of these kings.
“… and the kingdoms shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms…” (Dan. 2:44).
Certainly, this clearly sounds like an earthly operation, because the kingdom shall not be left to other people fits an earthly function; and it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms also must be something of this present age.
You will find similar statements in the following portions of the Sword of the Spirit:
“Ask Me, and I will give You nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession, you shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like potters vessel” (Ps. 2:8, 9; 89:23; Rev. 2:27; 12:5).
“All the end of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.” (Ps. 22:27)
“Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him.” (Ps. 72:11).
All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.” (Ps. 86:9).
We must agree that when we get to heaven, we shall be in Paradise and unbelievers shall spend eternity in hell fire. But what we have in the above verses point to our earthly inheritance and possession. It is sad to hear Christians saying that the earth is not a good place to live in. God made the heavens and the earth. He did not make a mistake, nor was His creative effort an accident. It was a purposeful design and achievement. His word concerning His creation one day shall be fully fulfilled; and this will take place in the reign of His Son and His saints here on earth. As we anticipate the second coming of the Son of God, we are doing His works and His greater works as we undergo our earthly pilgrimage. John the beloved saw this vividly in his Patmos visions and announced it with reference to our Lord in Revelation 2;
“He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels as I also have received from my Father; and I will give him the morning star” (v 27-28).
It is high time the church people be restored to our God’s given earthly inheritance and possession; it has to do with divine ability and power to exhibit the supernatural lifestyle with which we exercise dominion over His creation to replenish and subdue it. God’s own speech or utterance does not return to Him void. The confession Jehovah originally made concerning humanity; although there was diabolic interference to hinder the divine flow of communication with man, yet, God had spoken; He is Himself the Word, and He can never be stopped. The Humanity He originally blessed, will remain blessed. And this divine blessing will culminate in the wonderful kingdom reign of His Son Jesus Christ together with His saints right here on earth. Hallelujah!
To: Table of CONTENTS
CHAPTER 16
The Crave for the Kingdom
The persistent and regular study of the Kingdom principles or seeking to have knowledge of God’s plan for His children so that we can become like Him as a Kingly heritage, increases our sensitivity and motivation to actually act or behave like God Himself. Some people will think this is blasphemy. What was Jesus Christ referring to when He said we should “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you”?
We believe He was calling upon the people He loved so much that He had to sacrifice His life for, to be diligent in trying to find out or discover more about God’s reign in His righteousness. If we commit our all in all to find true knowledge about divine dominion over His creation, we will have everything beautiful that pertains to our entire existence.
We have a duty here; we must ensure that this works; because it is meant to work. If it does not work for you, be rest assured, it has, never failed for those who had remained faithful to this injunction. The secret lies in a tenacious pursuit to discover all about God’s pattern of rule through humanity.
God’s eternal purpose for us is to selflessly share His Godliness with us. God has nothing to hide from us. He became flesh, taking the human form in order to win us; to get us involved or participate in His eternal plan; to carry out His mission effectively.
What this implies is a daily and moment by moment submission in trying to allow His word by the empowering of the Holy Spirit to constantly assimilate our entire existence.
Make it a habit to read at least three of these and similar verses of the Bible daily. At leisure, make reference to them. Make them your hobby. At work, listen to appropriate Kingdom Bible references. In the car, let no music take the place of these Kingdom scriptures. In the kitchen, let the Bible speaks to your hearing. Wherever, whenever, however, and with whomsoever, let the word of God storms your ears, mind, imagination and your whole being by the empowering of the Spirit of the Lord in the name of Jesus, Amen!
Become that faithful servant of God whose “… delight in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates on day and night.” (Ps.1:2).
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observed to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Jos. 1:8).
Also read Ps. 16:11; 119:1, 14, 35, 47, 92, 97.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17)
So much of listening will not deafen you, but rather, faith will be highly motivated and inspired by it. Constant and purposeful listening and or reading the Bible creates more than ordinary faith but the God kind of Faith. This kind of faith works. Its products are real. They are the manifestation of Truth. It starts from nothing to tangibility.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1).
The authenticity of the God kind of Faith in the believer cannot be isolated from the enacting or ordaining power of the Holy Spirit.
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all… to another faith by the same Spirit…” ( 1 Cor. 12:7,9)
Faith which is accompanied by the move of the Spirit creates new things. When you see what is referred to as miracles or signs and wonders, they are the creative activities of the exercise of faith which is executed by the power of God’s Spirit.
Therefore, this fountain of the Gospel of the Kingdom cannot flow without one’s faith plus the Holy Spirits anointing. Christ’s Kingdom authority is exercised by faith which is accompanied by the Holy Spirit.
The Lord’s disciples, having noticed His time of departure to the Father, demanded for another substitute of authority.
“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel”? (Ac. 1:6)
The first disciples were all Jews, so they were interested in the welfare of their fellow Israelites. They thought it was earthly kingdom as usual. They thought their duty was to defend a worldly type of tribalism or ethnicity, nationality or citizenship. They were so frightened that they could not remember what Jesus had taught about the qualification of who becomes an heir of His Kingdom;
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Jn. 1:12,13).
Well, the Master knew where they were heading to: and He quickly brought them to the right path. He told them to leave that aspect of worldly approach of governance to God. He will handle it appropriately. (Ac. 1:7). Meanwhile,
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the world.” (Ac. 1:8)
In other words, the Lord was establishing a very special new orientation to them. This was the approach the new Government will look like. By ordinary means, this was very hard and complicated to handle. “What would be so powerful and strong enough to challenge and overthrow that system or order of the day?” was the disciples’ utter dismay! And certainly some quarters of today’s church see it as impossibility!
Prior to this, the Master had been ‘speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom’ to them. (Ac. 1:3). And one of emphasis is found in verses 4 and 5;
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which… you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not may days from now.”
This was when and where the transfer of power would now begin. And frankly speaking, this is when and where it must also be incepted in every believer’s life.
The church must be prepared to return to this pattern; to truly acknowledge the command of the Master, not to depart from that place He had designated for waiting and fervent prayer, until the Promise of the Father is once more obtained; and the Kingdom rebuilding or restructuring and expansion be fully restored or revived!
To: Table of CONTENTS
CHAPTER 17
The Bible and Dominion
Remember to refer to the following kingdom passages on a daily basis. Let your attitude to them be habitual. This will build the capacity of acknowledging your place in God’s plan as peculiar individual personality and instrument of dominion here on earth and subsequently in the hereafter.
1) The Book of Genesis
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth…Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over…” (1:26-27).
“So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them; ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth…They are given into your hand.” (5:1, 2).
“..and Abimelech said, ‘See my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you… Behold I give your brother a thousand pieces silver…” (20:15,16).
Abraham had lied to Abimelech about his wife to be his sister, because he feared that he could be killed for her sake. But Abraham did not recognize, acknowledge or remember his God’s given dominion covenant;
“ I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (12:2, 3).
“As for me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations… for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.” (17:4-6). Also read; 17:16; 35:11; 26;24:4, 13.
If Abraham had remembered this covenant so well, he would have not been threatened by Abimelech’s earthly rule over the land he was passing through it. If you knew your dominion stand and position, you will never be threatened by the earthly rule or order of the day.
The Abrahamic Covenant cut across the entire Bible, it was renewed over and over in the history of the Jewish people. This was meant to affect the whole humanity. (Lev. 26:12.
2) The Book of Exodus
God Almighty set apart His people in the land of Goshen so that the punishment meant for the Egyptians would not affect them. The purpose of this action was for the enemies of God’s people to acknowledge Him;
“…in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land.” (8:22; 9:29)
We must know that we are saved and called in order to represent God upon the face of the earth; that happens in our daily life, which portrays His power to the people of the world; so that they will know that He is God who is in total control of every aspect and affair of men.
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (19:5, 6).
“Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘all that the Lord had said we will do, and be obedient.” (24:7)
The above references and similar ones in the Bible are not by any means controversial; they form the basis for acknowledging our place in God’s plan for us to reign as His heirs. What God expects from His children is obedience to His voice and to keep His covenant.
Let us respond to this call like the people of old did after Moses had read the Book of the covenant to their hearing:
“All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient,” (24:7).
As long as this attitude to God’s command is maintained, our dominion lifestyle will automatically be carried out unhindered. Even if opposition arises, we shall always overcome. Let us maintain our course of righteousness in the Lord, and it will always be well with us.
3) The Book of Leviticus
The book of Leviticus comprises the discussion on priestly activities, the tabernacle and God’s holiness. These form a vital part of the covenant God expects His chosen people to observe and to obey as the mark of respect for His plan for humanity. And when this is done according to God’s standards, we will be fulfilling His dominion mission earth.
We have to always bear in mind that the kingdom of God shall by any means operate under a curse, corruptness or uncleanness:
“…You shall be holy, for the Lord your God am holy.” (19:2).
“For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves… You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (11:44, 45).
“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. And you shall not defile yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep my statutes to perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” (20:7-8).
“Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.” (21:8).
Well, you may think this is Old Testament stuff, and it does not concern us today. Be reminded that God’s demand for a holy life is an eternal constituted decree. We must seek to remain holy, or we should forget our dominion inheritance in Him.
We must seek to be holy only through the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ. Without the saving grace through Christ Jesus, holiness can never be obtained. So we must remain constant in our relationship with Christ before we are able to reign with Him effectively here on earth and also in eternity.
4) The Book of Numbers
This book should always remind the church of the necessity to remain prepared in order to enter into the Promised Land. The Kingdom of God needs serious renewing orientation and preparation now! God expects His people to have complete faith in Him. Our spiritual accomplishments are subject to our ability by the Holy Spirit to believe God.
“…But without faith, it is impossible for us to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe He is, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6)
Faith is a testing formula for God’s Kingdom operation in the Christians’ journey into eternal life. This is exemplified in the story of Joshua and Caleb, who were sent to spy the land they were to capture.
“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Num. 13:30).
If God’s people failed to believe Him, He rejects every effort they try to put into His service. God hates unbelief. When the Israelites lamented for fear of their enemies, this was their expression of unbelief, God was not pleased with them.
“…Those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD. But Joshua… and Caleb… remained alive…” (14:37-38).
We must remain focused about issues of faith. The Kingdom operations find practical expression in diligence to believe that with God nothing is impossible. It is by faith that our Lord Jesus carried out His ministry of healing the sick, delivering those who were oppressed by Satan, and simply went about doing good works. And all these were handed over to us. How can we rule without power and authority? We are told to resist the one who contends with us by our faith in God. ( 1 Pet. 5:8,9).
5) The Book of Deuteronomy
We will try to maintain the connection of God’s covenant with His people which was renewed from one book to another. We are doing this to emphasize the reality of God’s plan to keep humanity enthroned over His entire creation. Every aspect of history is set according to divine arrangement and it is directed to the fulfillment of the reign of righteousness over and against diabolic opposition and rebellion upon the face of the earth.
And God intended that the man He created in His image and after His likeness was to handle this great responsibility. It is good to know that God will punish disobedience and unbelief if we fail to commit our lives to ensure that His Kingdom comes to pass; and to do His will here on earth as it is in heaven. We will therefore look at the key verse of this book which is a reminder to the church.
“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generation.” (9:7)
God will never fail to be faithful to those who love Him. Our loyalty to Him makes us never to bow to other gods. The believer’s divided loyalty is spiritual prostitution; and God can not share His glory with another god. We must therefore keep on seeking first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness: this is our life time resolution to remain focused to His Kingdom covenant in Christ Jesus.
6) The Book of Joshua
This book of the Bible reflects on the ongoing journey to the Promised Land after the death of Moses. At this point of the Jewish history, God prepares Joshua and the nation by teaching them the importance of courageous and consistent faith. Like Joshua, we, too, need faith to begin and continue living the Christ Jesus’ lifestyle.
“Be strong and of good courage: for unto this people shall thou divide an inheritance of the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou may observe to do according to all the law… Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the LORD thy God is with thee…” (1:6-9) KJV
The operations of God’s administration are based on obedience to His set standards and strategies. Joshua obeyed God’s instruction and won the battle recorded in chapter 6.
“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given unto thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. (v1)
This is the re-echo of Rahab’s statement to the spies in chapter 2;
“…I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.” (v.9)
And this confirmation followed;
“…Truly the Lord has delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.” (v 24)
What will you say about the dramatic event which demonstrated the power of God as the Chief architect of battle conquests in Chapter 8?
“…I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.” (v1)
God really purposed to rule out all human and selfish interest and effort in all life battles. Joshua and his team were defeated at the first instance of the war with Ai. There had to be a very thorough cleansing of the house before they had victory.
God had always done that to all people of faith; believers in Christ Jesus can never be an exception. This is the pattern God had set for us to follow. Victory had always been guaranteed whenever our obedience is perfect. With this kind of approach, nothing should hinder the church from taking over cities and nations. (For further study of victories under Joshua, read chapters 10 and 11). With this attitude of courage, consistency in faith and the fear of God, Joshua captured most of the land.
7) The Book of Judges
Joshua led Israel through an administration of obedience and faith in God. But the succeeding generation failed to obey by destroying the inhabitants of the land; and so God withdrew His promise to help them. Why should God’s faithfulness be committed to a rebellious people?
Whenever people become absolutely stubborn and wayward, it is as a result of bad leadership or even lack of it at all.
“…in those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (17:6; 21:25)
We must consider this as one of the crucial area of serious concern in the church today. How can we learn to rule and exercise dominion when we lack mentors, parents and teachers who live by example? How can a teenager find direction, whose parents are blind and lost? How can a disciple in the ministry practice faith, when his teacher operates in unbelief and fear?
Joshua stands for salvation. But in the supernatural dimension, we have the King of kings, and Lord of lords who had led and He is still leading us into every wonderful and perfect path of victory and glory. We have no excuse whatsoever if we fail in our spiritual consciousness and practice of faith and Kingdom lifestyle because,
We are kings and priest unto God (Rev. 1;6); we are witnesses, leaders and commanders to our people (Is. 55:4); we are as a wonder unto many but God is our strong refuge (Ps. 71:7). We are for signs and wonders in this land from the LORD of hosts (Is. 8:18). We are men wondered at… (Zec. 3:8).
Leaders in the church should live by example. We should be objects of emulation in the areas of boldness, courage and confidence. Our people are counting on our leadership qualities which lift up their faith in God. We must therefore be strong and of very good courage and fearless in ministry.
8) The Book of Ruth
What comes to mind whenever the book of Ruth is mentioned is her persistence for refusing to depart from Naomi her mother in law.
“And Ruth said, ‘Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” 91:16)KJV
All of us are destined to accomplish the mission of God in one way or the other. Ruth did not know what her persistence to follow Naomi would turn to in the future. She simply did what was right in the sight of God; and this turn out to be the fulfillment of God’s covenant for His people. Certainly, God Himself permitted this to happen.
Naomi’s life made the required impact in the life of Ruth. Ruth’s loyalty to the God of Naomi made her the great-grandmother of David through whom the Kingdom covenant was fulfilled in the Messiah (4:13-22).
We should also persist in our life time decision to please God in every aspect of our lives. We may not understand what the outcome of this present decision we are making: but as long as we are doing what is pleasing to God, the future testimony will certainly glorify His name.
9) The Book of Samuel (I & II )
The plans of God for His people can never be thwarted. When everything about the history of His people was at the verge of total collapse; He had gone ahead of them to prepare someone who would be instrumental to restoring them back to Himself.
Samuel’s emergence came near the end of Eli’s life. Although it appears he came as a child of circumstance, but behind that an exigent heart need. His mother Hannah thought God had indeed granted special favor to her to have had a miracle son; but on the other hand, Samuel was to lead Israel back into righteous living. He was trained under the supervision of Eli, and finally fulfilled his calling as a prophet and judge. In the process of fulfilling his duty, he was confronted with a very hard assignment.
This happened in his old age, when he needed to hand over to his own children. But the sons of the man of God were not upright in their dealings with the people ( 1 Sam. 8:3). This had been the case in some instances; the children of the men of God turning out to be wayward. Sometimes we are to be questioned for the ungodly behaviour of our kids, but when they are taught the right virtues and become grown up; they become responsible to make their life’s choices. Some of them decide for the Lord, while others allow the enemy to rule over them to become unruly; you cannot blame the parents for such decisions.
Samuel would not have encouraged his sons to become ungodly. They chose to live their own lives contrary to their father’s. The Bible gave account of the carelessness of Eli the priest concerning his sons: there should be nothing to hide if Samuel had done the same with his sons. So Samuel’s sons should take responsibility for their waywardness.
When Samuel’s sons became incompetent to inherit the spiritual place of their father, the people of Israel engaged Samuel in a very difficult task of getting a king for them. His reaction was typical of the man of God:
“But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us…” (8:6).
When God’s people fail in their rightful responsibilities, they force the people to look for alternative leadership which may turn out to be ungodly.
For the purpose of our study; our attention is drawn to the rule of God being substituted with manmade mandate. Whenever this happens, a major drift sets in and society suffers the consequences of diabolic intrusion leading the people into gross disobedience and rebellion against God. This was the case with the Jews at this point of their history;
“And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should reign over them”
“Nevertheless they refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, ‘No, but we will have a king over us” (8:7,19)
When people make the choice of the kind of leadership they prefer than that of God, it is because something worldly had stolen away their hearts from Him. Both the church and the society are trapped by this cruel diabolic deception. Today, we seem to be saying exactly what these people said to Samuel:
“…That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight out battles.” (8:20)
When people substitute the reign of God with manmade government, they forget their distinctiveness as God’s chosen people as compared with other nations. Their greatness is reduced to mare leanness and emptiness, and they are deprived of their portion and inheritance from God. (See pages 36 – 43) for more on David and Saul).
Jesus warned us not to seek for the necessities of this present life in a worldly manner, but we should do it according to His own pattern and approach. If we maintain His standards, we will not lack anything at all. (Mt. 6:33).
The world’s greatest menace today in this major drift is man’s detachment from his Creator. In every life’s endeavor, man should never change integrity of relating with God. This is the only way we can remain absolutely connected to and dependant to Him.
“And David realized that the Lord had made him king over Israel and had made his kingdom great for the sake of His people Israel.” (2 Sam.5:12).
There is nothing so revealing like someone realizing that the Lord had made us kings over His entire creation; this realization makes it possible for us to see and consider our God’s given domain as greatly important; the popularity and significance of the Kingdom is designed for His people. God does not make anything pronounced except for the purpose of making life pleasing and comfortable for His own people and the entire creation.
The greatest task before the church or Christian community today is this divine discovery. With this discovery, we will never abuse our office or position. We will always want to please the people whom God had sent our way; we will always ensure the peace and comfort of those whom our responsibility it is to care and support them. This must happen in every area of our calling and assignment. If God called us into business, or into the profession of any kind; it is not for us to despise people regardless of our or their disposition. That is what the Gospel of the Kingdom represents in our lives and ministry.
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CHAPTER 18
Nations Subject to God’s Kingdom
The State Of Every Nation In The Sight Of God;
“Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Ps. 127:1)
On March 3, 2010; I received this forwarded cell phone text:
“The new nation called Nigeria should be an Estate of great grand father, Usman Dan Fodio. We ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We used the minorities in the north as willing tools and the south as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to control over their future”
“YE, please consider above quote & ref in the light of recent realities in Nigeria. To me this rude attempt must be crushed with the same vehemence noting that what is (perceived to be) obtained by conquest is seldom relinquished on the altars of compromise and negotiation…”
This was from a deepest concerned heart. This is a very justified and legitimate cause for irritation and vexation of the soul. When genuine worries like this are expressed, it calls for a response that is sourced from the upper chambers of the divine. God must mercifully arise and use us to speak appropriately and strictly according to His will.
Although we are not of the world, yet we have a great deal of responsibility to keep it going according to the Master’s original concept. We have every reason to praise and glorify God for keeping us abreast of His plan and purpose for our nation, Nigeria. His name must be honored for raising His kingdom citizens and ambassadors of heaven in Nigeria who had been preserved specifically for this hour. We are in the band wagon of those who have not only refused to bow to the Ba’als of this country (1 King 19:18), but also remained actively instrumental to what Jehovah God had purposed to accomplish in the land for His good pleasure. The program of God for Nigeria will remain a mystery to the kingdom of darkness, and it shall never be thwarted by whatever means and approach. Our role as believers in the land is to maintain the cause of righteousness and remain faithful to maintain the cause of righteousness and remain faithful to doing His will on earth as it is in heaven; seeking to please Him in the expansion of His kingdom here on earth. And this entails serious earnestness in prayer and observance to obey His word! One is reminded of Isaiah’s prophecy:
“O Lord our God, masters besides You have had dominion over us; but by You we make mention of Your name, They are dead, they will not live; they are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, and made all their memory to Perish.” (26:13, 14).
This is not preconceived travail and intercession because the wicked appear to prevailing over the nation with their evil devises; but God Himself saw ahead of time; the wicked agenda of the agents of Satan all over the face of earth, and so gave Prophet Isaiah the unction to declare their punishment in his time. The word of God had been pronounced, and it is recounted to one hearing and in this present hour, and so it shall be without failure or misfire. It is not necessary to drive home the significance and relevance of the matter as it affects us today; our faith in the word should remain our relying factor!
Let us consider the area where our responsibility lies at the moment. We have no reference point but the same word of truth. Satan had continued to rebel against the Almighty God long-long ago. What we see in Nigeria today is the extension the same. What was the reaction of our God fearing counterparts in the Bible?
QUEEN ESTHER, MORDECAI AND THE ENEMY HARMAN
In days of Queen Esther, Harman plotted against the Jews:
“And the letters were sent by courier into all the king’s province, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month… and to plunder their possessions” (Esther 3:13)
Esther, Mordecai and entire Jewish community in that foreign land resolved to look up to God to whom they laid faithful allegiance:
“Then Esther told them to reply Mordecai: ‘Go, gather all the Jew… and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day…” (4:15,16).
When the people of God took the appropriate action and approach, their enemy was defeated instantly. We are familiar with this story; Mordecai was dignified before the eyes of the enemy Harman whose wicked plotting also ended his life on the gallows.
This was the case of the wicked and selfish leader in the time of Esther. If there is no repentance on the part of the Nigerian wicked leaders; their end shall certainly not be different. But the people of God must always remember to maintain the closet strategy!
ELIJAH AND WICKED KING AHAB
When Ahab took over the seat of government from his father Omri; it is reported that Ahab ‘…did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who where before him.’ (1King 16:30). And because he set his heart to commit wickedness, he married a woman named Jezebel, who was well known for nefariousness! This decision was to enhance collaborative vileness. Consequently, Ahab was said to have done:
“…More to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 King 16:33).
Ahab’s reign was characterized by idolatry and wickedness of the highest order. He laid the foundation of the city of Jericho with Abiram his first born, and set its gates with Segub his youngest son.
These forms of repulsive and heartless leadership had taken place and are still being carried out in the nations of the world; and Nigeria is not left out.
However, because God watches over the affairs of nations and their leaders, He raised a prophet during the reign of Ahab who was equal to the severe, grievous, and life threatening leadership on ground. Elijah, from Gilead, showed up, and said to Ahab;
“As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (1King 17:1).
We are aware of what happened. There was no rain for three and a half years, according to the word of the prophet of God. Let the men of God in this country and elsewhere in the world mind the things of God with all seriousness with the zeal it deserves so that we can be able to direct the affairs of our nations and stop weeping, complaining and bewailing the state and behaviour of the world leaders.
We must stop self-centred spiritual pursuits and simply do the will of God according to His instruction or injunction. It is high time it dawned on us that the keys are in our hands. Let us apply them appropriately.
Elijah’s word again was the intervening remedy. If he had not prayed fervently, there would have been no rain again. When we apply the word of God and pray, we take charge and control our God-given domain. We are hereby reminded to apply same for our land, Nigeria.
What else shall we add to all these? The God of Daniel and his companions in Babylon is the same God we are serving and calling upon today.
He is also the same God Joseph served in Egypt. And David was known as the man after God’s heart. Abraham’s faith was imputed unto him as righteousness. Jacob’s name was change from being an individual being into a nation Israel!
Ruth insisted to believe the same God of Naomi, she became the great grand-mother of David and an ancestor of the linage of the Messiah.
We will help this nation move forward according to the plan of God if only we return to Him for help. We need to serve God in spirit and truth. We must lay aside the wayward attitude of celebrating self and men and humble ourselves to worship God in everything we say and do
The Lord is waiting for us to do the works He did, and the greater works He did while here on earth. And we must all resolve to do it God’s own way to stop delaying the demonstration of the Kingdom of God on earth because we all know that this Gospel of the Kingdom must take place before the second coming of Christ.
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CHAPTER 19
The Collapse of the Ungodly Dominance
There is a proverbial expression that says, ‘the bed owner has arrived, the mat owner should pack and go’
Whenever ruling dynasties thought they would dominate and subjugate the people of God in their territories by manmade and diabolic means, God made a total prostration of their cunning and crafty ingenuity. God is still on His throne in heaven, and the earth is His footstool. (Is. 66:1)
Although we should not worry about the ungodly grand designs of the wicked people in Nigeria; because, if they were to succeed in executing their notorious and disreputable plans; it would never be at this point in time, it would have been long-long ago. We do not intend to refer to similar historical events in Nigeria; however, we are confident to make this assertion; God had always protected the territorial integrity of this nation and the truth as a result of the entrenchment and propagation of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I remember my biological father, Evangelist Ada Rum Bako (of blessed memory and we are recipients of his great courage in God’s service), exclaimed in great astonishment about God’s power, after the sudden demise of one leader in the late 60s who was chronically and craftily addicted to subjugate Nigeria under arbitrary rule of dictators and diabolic agents had suffered unimaginable setback and occlusion.
When a house is built on a solid and unshakable divine innovation no diabolic whirlwind and storm can demolish it. Nigeria must stand and endure as long as the heaven and earth abide and overstay! It is prophetically resolved and squared up!
It remains our total resolve to stand constantly in the gab and to intercede for God’s chosen-generation leaders in Nigeria. These are our sons and daughters who acknowledge their role as God’s servants or stewards in their various strategies positions, and place in our nation. As far as God’s plan is concerned, now is the time for them to remain courageous, strong and focused. They must continue to have faith in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and exercise this Spirit given faith in their routine duties in the nation. Their consistent faithfulness will demonstrate the reality of the Gospel of the kingdom in this country and to the ends of the world.
We Reap what we Sow (Gal. 6:7-10)
It has become a matter of great concern, when many children of God pay little or even no attention to the way they live their spiritual lives. They only live as if they were meant to exist coincidentally or accidentally. They hardly take time to discover their God’s given purpose in life. They have settle for ‘What’s gonna be, gonna be’ mentally. This is what we call a tragic adventure without an achievement; a journey without a destination.
Our God is a strategically purposeful Father. Everything He created was for an intended superior achievement and result. YOU are one of His greatest and glorious achievements which He conceived from eternity. We are the products of the seed of His Image and Likeness even before Adam and Eve. That is why since that eternal beginning till today humans have been reproducing after our kind of Seed, so also other aspects of creation. So the Master of the whole universe had appointed it. It was an unalterable covenant!
“While the earth remains, seed time and harvest… shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22) “Thus says the LORD: If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then…” (Jer. 33:25-26)
You may be surprised to know that whatsoever you do and say is lifetime cultivation; and this must be followed by a definite harvest. And since we have been adjoined to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom: and that implies, we live by example as Kingdom citizens. We must therefore sow the seed of the Kingdom people and so reap the fruits of same.
When God created us, He did not have in mind the products of commoners or the less privileged. He actually announced the emergence of kings and priests unto Himself. Recall the blessing He uttered upon man at creation, He expressly announced, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over…” Does this sound like an address to ordinary beings? When God speaks, He commands, and His speech is performing orders.
If this did not work in our preaching and teaching, we should go back to the drawing board to re-evaluate our understanding of who we are according to God’s original purpose. Does your language sounds original according to God’s originality? Where did you get that extenuation; running away from responsibility that is never impossible for you to execute?
You have been empowered by divine auditory communication. Wake up, arise from slumber and make a consequential impingement to your groaning generation. Sow the seed of faith, keep believing, be courageous, be prayerful, be zealous, and let the expectation remain so high. Let our heavenly Father’s communication control our linguistic mannerism. Oh, let the harvest of obedience interpolate or modify our journey into the fulfillment of our Lord’s glorious plan for ever. Amen!
Below are some of the dreadful outcomes of sowing evil seeds which we must resolutely resist;
“Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow double reap the same” (Job 4:8). “The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward” (Prov. 11:18). “He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, and rod of his anger will fail.” (Prov. 22:8)
“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind…” (Ho. 8:7).
“Sow for yourself righteousness: reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (Ho. 10:12).
There is never a thing so precise, accurate and perfect than what God has spoken. The word of God does not fail to be fulfilled. The spoken word of God was seed sown long ago; He always ensures that arguments are futile; they can not constitute an impediment to the fulfillment of God’s utterance!
It bothers me to see many who think they are wise and crafty in trying to fulfill their selfish desires. Whenever a heart’s desire is to be fulfilled only with an ulterior motive, it is evil seed that is sown. Well, as indicated in the above verses, there will be the appropriate reaping season. The word of God through Apostle Paul to the Galatians 6:7-8 warns us:
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
I find the following translation with much clarity and severity:
“Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow!
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires, will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit, will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:7-8 NLT)
Seed sowing should never be taken for granted. Certainly, the subject matter, though very paramount and crucial to the demand of Christian faith, is passing through a very critical time; its purpose and intention have become the object of spiritual abuse to a very large extend by selfish people. However, its reality of truth cannot be ignored. Many have concluded that it only has to do with money. But there is a lot to this than we can imagine. The above references should give use enough enlightenment to that effect by now.
It can be a very painful experience for a farmer to preserve his good seed in the time of famine. It is difficult to give out something you value so much and when you needed it most. A rewarding and bountiful harvest does not come without a stressfully difficult season of cultivation and patient waiting.
We have over simplified the sowing and reaping responsibility for a long time so much that the consequences of abject poverty seem to be having a field day in the lives of many in the church today. Let us read the Bible further:
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Ps. 126:5,6).
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” (Ecc.11:1).
“He who has pity on the poor lend to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given.” (Pro. 19:17).
“He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Prov. 28:27)
What else shall we say? It is only the doers of the instructions of God that will see and receive the rewards of obedience. Let us round up this section by taking a look at the words of our Lord Jesus Christ about reaping what we sow.
“Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Mt. 9:37,38).
We must understand this statement by His Spirit right away. The truly plentiful harvest is His superabundance which only a few have discovered and are flourishing in the Kingdom expansion because of their obedience about aggressive sowing. We must keep praying for God to raise those who will be bold enough to queue into the harvest increase by sowing aggressively and appropriately for the Kingdom increase in His vineyard and in our lives.
“The kingdom of God is as if a man scatters seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mk. 4:26-29).
The Lord went on with one parable after the other about the Kingdom of God:
Mustard seed; Lk. 13:19; The leaven; v.2; The good seed; Mt. 13:24; Hidden treasure; v44; The dragnet; v. 47; Land owner; Mt. 20:1; A wedding; 22:2; Ten virgins; 25:1
A close study of these and many other verses will encourage you to get serious about sowing and reaping WE REAP WHAT WE SOW!
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CHAPTER 20
The Kingdom Comparisons
Mustard Seed:
“Then He said, ‘What is the Kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested its branches” (Luke 1:18-19)
This same parable is also found in Matthew 13:31. Mark 4:0-32, puts it this way;
“Then He said, ‘To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade”
Why is the Kingdom of God likened or compared to a mustard seed? Since God is Almighty Jehovah, and He is certainly great in power; why should His Kingdom be compared to the smallest seed on earth? Let us not rush in our comments here; we should take a look at other references where the mustard seed is mentioned again. Matthew 17:20 points out,
“…Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you.”
From the above verse, it can be deduced that the Kingdom of God is all about faith. There is so much talk about faith today, but its real application has become a mountainous conundrum that has made the church a laughing stock. Jesus raised this observation to the disciples at the instance of their inability to exercise faith to cast out a demon from a young boy. But how does this connect with the issue of the Kingdom of God? Without faith, we are incapacitated and powerless to function as Kingdom citizens and Ambassadors here on earth.
This faith that is so much spoken of is hardly taken serious; it has been relegated to the very insignificant background, lips service is paid to it, and that is why we have chosen to operate the cosmic lifestyle rather than being Christ-like. Faith is the Holy Spirit’s gift (1 Cor. 12:9). You can now see the connection. One’s faith can be turned from carnal ability to exercise strong will power, into God’s power as supplied by His Spirit.
Therefore, if we are to fully operate in the Kingdom’s principles, we must allow God’s Spirit to supply His gift of faith as an obligation to God’s work. The wonderful thing about this requirement is to obtain the faith in its tiniest fit. But once this mustard seed likened (faith) Kingdom principle is applied to our Christian life, nothing shall be impossible for us. That means we are in charge and in control like our Father in heaven is above all power and authorities. With this attitude and approach, we can confidently declare; “Behold, Your kingdom has come, Oh Lord! And Your will is already taking place here on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen!”
When this is truly realized, the world’s confidence in the church must be restored. They will all gather under the canopy or cover and safety of the Kingdom of God here on earth; there will be earnest readiness for the real heavenly and everlasting Kingdom.
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CHAPTER 21
The Kingdom like Leaven
“And again He said, ‘To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was leavened.” (Lk. 1;20-21).
This is also found in Matthew 13:33. One wonders how the Kingdom can be like leaven. But what is leaven in the first place? It is “A substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid” And verbally, it is to, “cause to puff up with a leaven.” In addition, it is, to bring up; elevate imponderable; lift or raise. It is also to cause an increase out of the least or insignificant. The quantity of yeast required for three measures of flour to bake bread is usually very small. But when it is applied or hid into the flour, at a given moment of time, it increases the size of the loaf; making it more abundant for the user. What then was the point Jesus driving at?
Let us consider other use of application of leaven in the Bible. It is amazing that the Old Testament had a rather negative use of it; for instance in Exodus 12:19 it is stated;
“For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, the same shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel…”
According to the Law of Moses, the Jews were prohibited to eat leaven bread. And Apostle Paul has this to say in another connotation;
“Purge out therefore the old leaven-for Christ our Passover is sacrificed for use: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of, neither with the leaven of feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth;” (1 Cor. 5:6-8).
No wonder Jesus cautioned the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees; which was their fermented and corrupt doctrine. Of a truth, every doctrine devoid of the Holy Spirit’s facilitation is ungodly and sinful. This does not promote but hamper the expansion of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The true church of Jesus Christ must combat with vehemence the leaven of apostasy, falsehood and distortion of the Bible which is being perpetuated on altars and pulpits today.
We must stop all denominational and ministries’ constitutions, rules and regulations that seek to override and reverse all scriptural propriety. Let the leaven of truth, diligent commitment in prayer, righteous living and the knowledge of God’s word occupy our lives for the sake of God’s Kingdom here on earth.
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CHAPTER 22
The Kingdom Good Seed
Our focus in this cogitation is an admonition to the church for a return to the truth which is built on the lifestyle of our Lord Jesus Christ. He issued this lesson purposely for us to emulate and to carry out in our various individual and co-operate ministries. We should always remain mindful of His Spirit guided ministry, and keep abreast to same.
The parable of the good seed sown by a farmer is pointing at the danger that the church will never be rid of iniquity and offences, both in doctrine and behaviors or manners. The important thing that must persist in our commission is to insist on being dissimilar to the world’s order. We must consist of uncompromising qualities and virtues that will stand the refining fire of the times. When the wheat is to be assorted from the chaff, we should be certain of our identities and destinies; and that is eternal life. (Mr. 1:24-30).
The Kingdom Treasure
“Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Mt. 1:44).
This parable refers to people who are occupied and invaded with the wisdom of the Holy Ghost. They are able to distinguish between the real riches from the fake promises which the world seeks to justify their indulgence and gratification. When this man found the mystery involved in this transaction; he kept it to defend it as his life’s treasure; and buys that field where the heavenly treasure is hid. What profound and sagacious discernment!
How many of us in the church today will let go everything they have worked for all their lives and be able to turn to this seeming folly?
Few men understand how great the riches of the Kingdom of heaven are, and that no man can be a partaker of them but he that redeems them with the loss of all his goods. Jesus was not unmindful of the scriptures when He administered this parable. Can you imagine the references below?
“Ho! Everyone who thirst, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat, yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Is. 55:1)
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.” (Is. 55:2)
It will take a spiritual courageous heart to buy this seeming whim and utter guess work!
What else can describe the meaning of this hidden treasure which should fascinate our imagination to invest in the heaven’s venture for our present, future and eternal inheritance? Paul, the great Apostle recounted his ordeal in the ministry as follows:
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Ph. 3:7-8)
Paul actualized his dreams, though with great tribulations, today we are products of his rich attestation and experiences.
“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” (Rev. 3:18).
Believers should avail themselves of these enormous divine resources so that we can inhabit an obstruction free life; now henceforth and even forever.
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CHAPTER 23
The Kingdom Dragnet
Below are the very words of the Lord Jesus; these are truly revealing and self explanatory for our perusal (Mt. 13:47-52).
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they cast down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord!” (Also read Mt. 13:42; Mt. 22:10; Mt. 25:32)
Let us get prepared: the dragnet of the great fisher man is swinging over the affairs of men to detect the worthy and the undesirable; soon the final assortment will commence. Where will you end up? Let us re-echo the question our Lord Jesus asked, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ And also respond with faithfulness like the disciples, ‘Yes, Lord!’
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CHAPTER 24
The Kingdom Landowner
Matthew 20:1-16
This parable should be much familiar to farmers. The landowner hired people to work in his farm. Each laborer was hired at a particular hour of the day. Unknown to all of them was the amount to be paid to each of them at the end of the day’s work.. The workers who started work at the early hours expected a higher pay than those who were employed later in the day. But it was at the discretion of the landowner to pay all according to what he agreed with each one of them. And the agreement was; one denarius each.
What can we deduce from this parable as we continue with our own labor in our Landowner’s Vineyard? It does not matter how long you have been in ministry; you are expected to remain hardworking and faithful. It is the judgment and the discretion of the just King who will reward all labors accordingly.
This explanation settles the discontentment of those who would be disappointed for receiving the same reward with those who they would consider as disadvantage in God’s service. What we see, may actually be different in God’s sight.
The Kingdom business is by God’s designation, discretion and decision. He calls us, sanctifies us, ordains us, consecrates us, and dispatches us into various and fulfilling ministries.
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CHAPTER 25
The Kingdom Wedding
Matthew 22:1-10
1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:
2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,
3 “and send out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding: and they were not willing to come.
4 “Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”
5 “But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.
6 “and the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.
7 “but when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
9 ‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’
10“So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guest.
God’s Kingdom plan is not without incentives. Many believers have a misplaced priority of God’s original purpose for their calling. This attitude is expressed in verse 5 of this discourse.
“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.”
Many of us hardly acknowledge what God had prepared for us, we are never serious and committed to His work. We think missionary activities should be left to those who lack motivation and ambition in other fields of endeavor. The mentality had always been that those who want to suffer should become priests. God’s Kingdom business had been relegated to the background and had suffered neglect and scorn; people are making light of it; going their own ways; one to his own farm; and others to their own businesses and etc. In fact the greatest contempt the Kingdom of God suffers today is its Spiritual abuse; people making merchandize of His work; turning it into the den of robbers! Certainly, all we are doing is on the King’s previewing screen. He is watching!
It is amazing the kind of people God is calling to serve Him today. People you least expect to find them in the ministry, are already making waves. Many of us will be shocked to see the kind of people who will be exalted at the wedding ceremony of the King’s Son. It will still be shocking and starling to many when they will be found to be unfit to participate in the ceremony.
“But When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” ( vv. 11-14)
Many a preachers today have become rather speechless due to their indiscriminate application of God’s word for self indulgence. The consequences or reverberation of this conduct will instantly cast them out of the divine arrangement into the outer darkness of satanic confinement; even here on earth before the final judgment!
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CHAPTER 26
The Kingdom Ten Virgins
Matthew25:1-13
Almost every Christian must know this Kingdom similitude right from childhood. There had been a number of interpretations relating to this parable. However, a revelation is given to us on a particular aspect of it: that is where our comment is derived.
“Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” (vv.4,5)
We are attracted to the wisdom of the virgins; not only for them to have made provision for the oil, but how they took the pains to have the supply to themselves. It must have cost them a fortune. They might have sold all they had to make the oil supply available. They planned never to be disappointed at this ceremony. They regarded it as an event of grand magnitude. That was wisdom!
That is the way we should regard our plans and preparedness about the Kingdom business on a moment by moment basis. In the area of investing our entire life’s resources into the Kingdom business; accentuated grip to it should be resolutely firm, truehearted, unshakeable and unwavering. This is the only way one’s wisdom is exhibited to the constant participation in the wedding of the Bridegroom and be securely guaranteed!
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.” (vv. 13, 14).
There is a good connection to this parable: since the use of oil determined the full participation of the wise virgin in the wedding feast, so should our fervency in ministry and sacrifice should guarantee our participation on the day and hour of the second coming of the Son of God.
The connection is here;
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. (v. 14)
The parable of talents is the cognitive content of view and deliberation here. We are conversant with the story. (Mt. 25:14-30).
Productivity, in today’s language, is the requirement for a successful job. Where profit is not registered in business; progress or continuity is hampered; and subsequently kills the business. There is no serious investor who will tolerate or accept it that way.
Our Lord counts on our fruitfulness as profit making in the Kingdom business for the church to make the required and appropriate increase in the service of the Master. And failure to accomplish that attracts stringent, severe, and eternal penalty.
“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (vv. 29, 30).
We must not be threatened by these kinds of dreaded and horrific warnings before we get serious about God’s work. We must learn how to appreciate and treasure God’s instruction. The word of God should remain the source of interest, joy and happiness to us all the time. This is the only way we can keep the impulse and preserve the momentum of the Kingdom expression in our life time here on earth.
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CHAPTER 27
The Eternal Kingdom
All this while, we have been treating the topic on the Gospel of God’s Kingdom here on earth. It will require work on another publication in order to address the above topic. However, mention must be made of the Kingdom of God in heaven. Inasmuch as our emphasis had been on how we should adequately address the issue of our full participation in God’s plan here on earth; we must take serious cognizance of our place in the hereafter; the eternal life in heaven.
We can only take a look at the passage in Matthew 25:1 -46 to briefly address this aspect of the Kingdom:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food: I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
The text is self explanatory. Preparatory to our eternal home of abode, we must be sensitive to observe what is required of us in order to get there without any hitch. It is actually the acknowledgment or consciousness and the practice of the Gospel of the Kingdom on earth that will serve as the prerequisite for inheriting the heavenly Kingdom. May the Lord Himself grant to us the grace and wisdom to abide in absolute obedience to His word, so that we will be counted worthy of His eternal Kingdom and its glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen and Amen!
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CHAPTER 28
Visions and Dreams of the Kingdom
The story of Joseph shall serve as our illustrative discourse.
“Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach.’ So she called his name Joseph, and said, ‘The Lord shall add to me another son.” (Gen. 30:22-24).
Each time God remembers someone, not because He does not know the person but He intends to fulfill a special plan in the life of the person for His own glory. Rachel’s womb had remained closed until this time of divine intervention. The comment she made at the time of conception and delivery of the boy Joseph was rather prophetic than a mare expression of joy.
She said, ‘God has taken away my reproach.’ The prophetic utterance of a God fearing mother will always address and determine the future of her children. She did not understand the substantiating harvest and spill over this would have in the destiny of Joseph and the descendants of Jacob; yet she uttered the right words anyway!
Taking away or removing one’s reproach is to set the person on a higher level and to a well defined destiny. This is a process of king-making.
Future greatness is accomplished by plan, sanctified or holy speech. Faithless, unholy, unpardonable and corrupt speech produces virus in a good system.
We must also believe that this wonderful woman did not learn good language in one day; certainly, not on the day of her visitation.
Take a look at her rival’s comment:
“And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun.” (v. 20).
This must have been provocative enough to fill Rachel with so much contempt, bitterness and unkindness. Although she envied her sister Leah, yet, she did not sin about it. (Gen. 30:1). At least, Leah was not scolded by her in anyway.
There is always a long time of preparedness on the part of those who receive favor from God. In the process they are never free from trouble: rivalry and enmity. All these vices and many more of the like seem to live with them all the time until there is a sudden surprise; the divine intervention!
“And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.” (1 Sam. 1:6) Also read Job 24:21.
This was Hannah’s experience. Let us never complain about rivalries and persecutions. The righteous are never exempted and free from the grievous threats of rivals. However, they are the expression and conveying machinery for God’s purpose to those whom He loves so much. So Hannah resorted to look for solution. She went to meet with God; in the house of God.
“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” (vv. 10, 11).
The secret of dealing with and attacking rivalry or violent offences is not by complaining and protesting to the earthly authorities or by becoming embittered against the perpetuators, but by doing what Hannah did in the above text. With a bitter soul, she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish; she vowed to please God with the substance of her answered petition.
We know that this approach is not palatable to a selfish political environment such as ours today. Today we are looking for people’s recognition. We want them to think we can talk; we are fierce in our civil and human right defenses. We prefer to fight with earthly and or physical or carnal weapons than putting our confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit. The more we press on with that approach, the wider the gab of our distance from the perfect will of God, and greater the degree and severity of the aching agonies.
We must not allow the story of Joseph slip off our minds so soon. The mother made a prophetic declaration subsequent to the child’s conception and delivery. She pronounced, “God has taken away my reproach.” This is sure from a heavenly linguist; an expression that is accompanied with definite outcome. “So she call his name Joseph, and said, ‘The Lord shall add to me another son.” Rachel was uttering powerful expression which latter on brought positive and significant fulfillment of God’s covenant for His people Israel. She first sought the will of God, and another addition came.
Let us take a look at what really happened. At seventeen as a shepherd boy, Joseph started his God’s sent assignment. (Gen. 37:2). His brothers hated him because of his sincerity and focus to remain righteous. It was not ordinary that the father loved him more than the other children in that family. It was as a result of the prediction of a visionary mother whose tongue was not wasteful and destructive; she spoke well and advantageously.
She passed on the same spirit which contains anticipatory visions and dreams to her son:
“Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brother; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, ‘please hear this dream which I have dreamed…” (vv. 5,6).
Hatred is the cream of favor to the Lord’s chosen. If everybody loves you; do not be eluded by it, because it means, something may be wrong with you; and the future may as well be circumvented with much uncertainty, darkness, and falsehood. They hated Joseph; yet he was not deterred in sharing and watching over his dreams.
They molested, frustrated, assaulted, tormented and finally sold him into slavery!
“Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. (v. 24).
“Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers listened.” (v. 27)
They literally sold their own blood brother. They betrayed him, the father, themselves and the entire family, and consequently, they impersonated the whole nation. What abomination from the highest bedeviling society; even the senior brother, Rueben, who should have represented the father at this crucial circumstance; only stopped the killing of Joseph. (vv. 21.22). But Joseph was sold out to foreigners. What difference did it make? They lost him. He was nowhere to be found. It was, to them shattered dreams for Joseph. It became as if a mission unaccomplished. But we must not forget the prediction of a God fearing mother which was translated into dreams and visions to her son Joseph. This was the making of a king, a defender of the destiny of His own people; though the calculative procedures were sinful.
This should always be the outcome of our God’s destined dreams and visions; even through it could be a life threatening transition. (Ps. 23:4)
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CHAPTER 29
Joseph’s Dreamt Kingdom
The summary of the life of Joseph
1) A youthful dreamer (Gen. 37:5-9)
At seventeen, Joseph dreamt dreams. Every young person should have some kind of dreams; they are the breeding ground for what we become in the future. It is only the godly that may have rough and pugnacious beginnings in life; but they will always end up at the wellsprings of their destinies.
2) Dreams fulfilled (Gen. 41:38-44)
“And Pharoah said to his servants, “can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?... And Pharoah said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt…Then Pharoah took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck…”
3) Faithfulness in hard times and places (Gen. 39:1-6)
“The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him, then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”
4) Resisted temptation (Gen. 39:7-13)
The believer’s Christ’s lifestyle will always grant him strength and grace to resist and overcome every form of temptation.
5) Unspoiled by sudden prosperity (Gen. 41:14-46)
Many faithful believers have become antagonistic of the truth because of earthly riches. People who should be instrumental and subservient to the Gospel of the Kingdom advancement and reformation must at all times remain dissentious of greed, selfishness and bloodlust for wealth at the detriment of God’s will.
6) Manifested brotherly love (Gen. 43:0; 45:14-15)
“Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.”
“Then he fell on his brother, Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him…”
No matter what the grievous and atrocious treatment of others against us: there should be residual quality of acceptance and tolerance to forgive. This is exemplary leadership Joseph portrayed; and we should take instruction from it.
7) Filial Devotion (Gen. 45:23;47:7)
Every lesson about Joseph’s life is worth emulation by the contemporary leadership. It is exemplary of God’s will which is expected to be done on earth as it is in heaven. He did not look down on his own family. He made all necessary provision for their daily upkeep in spite of their previous affronts and attacks on his life.
8) Dependence upon God (Gen. 41:16;45:8)
We should, like Joseph totally depend on God for wisdom to carry on with His work; every opportunity given to us by Him it is strictly for us to represent His interest and not ours.
9) Returned good for evil (Gen. 50:16-21)
Joseph’s message was not ambiguous to his family members; he acknowledged the hand of God and His intervention over the affairs of his people in the whole drama which characterized the formation of the history of a nation. All we keep emphasizing is; let us become living examples of Joseph’s leadership. If that happened, we will live in a troubled-free environment called the Kingdom of God here on earth.
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CHAPTER 30
The Holy Spirit’s Enthroning Power
According to God’s arrangement, nobody ascends the position of leadership except by the Holy Spirit’s approval. We can see this throughout the Bible whenever divine promotion ensues, the Holy Spirit plays a very prominent role, and the position of the person chosen remains absolutely unquestionable and incontestable.
All leadership positions outside of this arrangement can be self-styled and dubious; it can be subject to disputes and worldly political disenchantments. And the whole world is crumbling because of all these; God is not recognized in world’s politics; His name is always announced hypocritically and in camouflage by most actors.
Without the Holy Spirit, you cannot talk about genuine love; Godly love. Without Him, forget about every form of peace promotional propaganda. How can Christians sit on the same round table with the heathens in the bid to fashion out the means of peaceful coexistence? When shall we truly mind our business seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; doing the will of God here on earth as it is in heaven (Mt. 6:33); going about our Father’s business? (Lk. 2:49).
When we get that accomplished soonest in our nations, we will be fashioning a new political order known as theocracy; God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. It is only the gospel of Jesus that provides true peace.
Let us go into the word of God to ascertain the way the Holy Spirit plays a part in the selection of leaders:
“And Pharoah said to his servants, ”Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Gen. 41:38).
The Holy Spirit set Joseph apart to the position of the second in command in a foreign nation. We should give the Holy Spirit the chance to carry us along to represent God in our various capacities, offices and societies.
“And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; And he laid his hands on him; and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses” (Num. 27:18, 23);
“Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.” (Deut. 34:9)
Joshua was found qualified to be anointed and inaugurated before the people because the Holy Spirit was upon him. Let it be noted that, it was by the command of the Lord, Moses obeyed God, and Joshua became his approved successor.
If we can listen to God, there will not be palaver, tussles and rancor in leadership appointments, especially in the church today.
“Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” (Dan. 5:12)
“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought of setting him over the whole realm.” (Dan. 6:3).
Daniel’s emergence into greatness was as a result of his commitment to rely in God; diligence to doing God’s will was his lifestyle. It was inevitable for the Holy Ghost to take whole of his life, and granted him the leadership prerequisites which he occupied in Babylon.
If our aspiring leaders would do the same; it will set us on the same elevated and preferred positions in life. Because we are created to rule according to God’s standard and pattern.
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CHAPTER 31
Jesus the Ultimate Mentor
Although Jesus is the Son of God; He relied on the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s assignment dedicated to Him. He was committed and wrapped up in obedience until God’s perfect will was victoriously executed in His ministry on earth.
As long as we have resolved to subscribe to Christianity; not as a religion, but as the only way to eternal life; we must give up everything worldly, so that we can submit or concede to His exemplary life of perfect adequacy. That is what qualifies us to be enthroned with Him here on earth, and subsequently in heaven!
“The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” (Is. 11:2).
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.” (Is. 42:1).
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To Preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound…” (Is 61:1)
Isaiah prophesied that the Holy Spirit was to be instrumental to the supernatural performance in the ministry of Jesus. And we are witnesses to these accounts in the Bible. His Fame Spread all over the regions of the world of His day. At a point in His lifetime, the people wanted to compel Him to become their king because they saw the power of God at work in His life. Well, it is possible in our time if we can display such characteristics of the Spirit filled believer; people can be attracted by the operation of the power of God in our ministries; they may be tempted to regard us as kings. We should consider it as divine privilege and not as show biz.
“…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Ac. 10:38).
The intention of God’s empowerment to the church is for doing good works, and healing the oppressed from Satan’s bondage. That is the very nature of God’s dominion in our ministries. It is the Gospel of the Kingdom; and we should be the kings of the good tidings of good things. Amen!
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish religious leaders were grieved because His signs and wonders were responsible for the conversion of their loyalists. Can you imagine, a dead person was brought to life; and someone is offended at it?
“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” (Jn. 11:46,47).
Jesus was gaining popularity at the detriment of their status quo affiliation to their Roman colonialists. The Gospel of the Kingdom by the Holy Ghost power seeks to overthrow or expel the formalities of religious traditions, rules and regulations of the order of the day. Every form of serious and aggressive Christian advancement; the radical zeal and cry for revival in the land becomes a threat to every established system which had turned subservient to the cosmic order.
We must, however remain righteously resolute to be like Jesus without compromise, and what our heavenly Father had purposed for the church shall come to pass, just like it is happening already. Amen.
Words of Wisdom
When the times and seasons are characterized by boisterous, ungovernable and indocile gravitated political trends; this is a sign of transferable switch into divinely transformation uplifting by the Spirit of the Lord.
The architects of diabolism, just like every beginning, do not last for ever. David said, “The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” (Ps. 1:4).
Let persistence increase in faithfulness and God’s fear continue. When your cup of trials is filled to overflowing measure, God will surely drain its contents, behold your new lease of bountiful life will manifest!
God is everywhere. When Daniel was admitted in the lions’ den, He was there. When Shadrach, Meshack and Abed-Nego were thrown into the burning furnace, He surfaced! When Joseph was sold to the slave traders, He accompanied him to Egypt and ensured he was exalted to the highest position which none of the Egyptian wise men was able to attain. When Jeremiah was dumb in a deep well, He made the underground muddy abode a comfortable zone. We can go on and on. You know the Bible is rich with such testimonies. No wonder David knew all about God’s constant presence with him, he confidently declared, “ Whither shall I go from your presence…” (Ps. 139:7,8)
What is your situation like? Can you have faith in God, knowing His intimate presence is constant and unfailing?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
First and foremost, Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith! (Heb. 12:2)
Matthew Arin Adams: an Afizere (Jarawa) of Fobur District descent, born in 1950 in Gwisti, Shere District of Jos East Local Government Area. He attended Shere, Fobur and Jarawa Kogi Primary Schools from 1959 – 1966; and obtained his Grade II Teachers’ Training Certificate in Bauchi from 1967 – 1971. After his teaching career from 1971-1976. He proceeded to the Seminary where he obtained an exceptional Higher Diploma in Theology at TCNN, Bukuru from 1976 – 1980. He studied Missiology at the Master’s level with the prestigious Evangel Theological Seminary (2000/01) His working career includes; Pastoring COCIN Jos Jarawa 1980 -1982; COCIN Headquarters as Assistant General Secretary 1982 – 1985; Co-ordinator, Hausa Literature Committee 1985 -1990; First Executive Chairman of Jos South Local Government Council (present Jos South/East Federal Constitutency). He had traveled almost all over Nigeria, Rome, Israel, Egypt, Niger Republic, Cameroun and Chad Republic visiting and evangelizing. He is married to Rifkatu with six children; namely Patrica I. Ziyok; Mercy R. Sambo, Joel, Steven, Dinah Arinze and Lois Pam. He had been the overseer of an independent evangelistic, prayer and music ministry; now called: Boiling Point Gospecl Centre situated at Opposite Jevicho Filling Station, Bauchi Ring Road, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
Web:www.boilingpointgospelcentre.org;
Blog: neworientation@1blogspot.com;
Email:revivingnigeria@gmail.com;
+234(0)8037035048
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THIS BOOK (back cover)
Is not intended to stir up strive, debate or unhealthy competition. Today, than ever before, the church is in dare need of divine direction and guidance. This is only possible, as it had always been from eternity obtained from the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church’s distance from the source of power, authority and strength over the decades had stirred up great concern and much worry from many well meaning stewards of God’s mysteries. From us the Lord sends this Spiritual signal to set the church on course; to be prepared for the desired emergence; without dispute, as holy and acceptable to Him. To that regard, we have this brief statement to make:
1) The Church Must totally Submit to the Holy Spirit
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” (Acts 7:51) And also (Ex. 32:9; 33:3; Lev. 26:41; Deu.10:16; Isa. 48:4; Jer. 4:4; 6:10; 9:26; Eze. 44:9). We must not insist on our own selfish ways no matter how wonderful and helpful we think they are. The question is, does God approve our plans and service? We can have assurance of divine backing if we strictly receive guidance from His Spirit. All of us must be restored to this Spiritual necessity.
2) The Church Must Strictly insist on Christ’s Authority
“ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Mt. 28:18-19)
The focus of the Church had suddenly shifted to the world’s ability to empower us than the authority of all power that had been given to our Lord for our own good and ministries. It is pathetic that many Christians seem to be more interested in and afraid of the emergence and operations of the wicked, terrorists the anti-Christ and the host of other contrary powers than focusing on the already established Kingdom of God and of His Christ; which we have been given the divine mandate to enforce by the preaching of this good news. (Dan. 7:13-14; Mt. 11-27; Lk. 1:32; 10:22; Joh. 3:35; 5:22; 13:3; 17:2; Acts 2:36; Rom. 14:9; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph 1:10, 21; Phil. 2:2-10; Heb. 1:2; 2:8; 1Pet. 3:22; Rev. 3:22; Rev. 17:14)
3) The Church Must Remain Committed to the Gospel of the Kingdom
“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (Lk. 16:16). And also, Mt. 4:17; 11:12-13). To be persuaded about the Gospel of the Kingdom responsibility, the Church must study the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in the four gospels; and resort to preaching the true gospel and be transformed to the standard of Christ-likeness.
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