"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'" (Matthew 3:1, 2)
I have said and written this many times before, but I must repeat it. The first public words of John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ were, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This is not to minimize His purpose to, "upon this rock I will build My Church," or, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." But we are not commanded to, "Repent," just to improve our life, nor are we told, "You must be born again," just to go our own way with our blessings and build our own kingdoms. The new birth and water baptism enables us to see and enter the Kingdom, to become citizens of that Kingdom and members of the Church, the Body of Christ.
I have confessed that I did not speak of the Kingdom of Heaven/God much when I was a young minister because of its highjacking by the Jehovah Witnesses. That was dumb, I admit it. My Dad, however, was a Kingdom man. I remember seeing one of His calling cards as a young boy. It had the verse, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness...." What a great mentor and example. Later, I was to get connected with men who were early leaders of the renewal, but later shunned because of their emphasis on the, "Kingdom of God," or as one described it, "The Government of God."
Talk of the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven is not popular among most people because it speaks of government, laws, organization, requirements. Most people want a religion of John Lennon's "Imagine," a life without any heaven or hell. But though a whole generation was duped by this own eastern religion views , the truth remains for all generations until Jesus' Second Appearing, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." No one can frustrate the Kingdom, replace the Kingdom, or destroy the Kingdom, because, "Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom," (literally, "a Kingdom of all ages") and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." Daniel told an ancient king, "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and that kingdom shall not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever."
I have said and written this many times before, but I must repeat it. The first public words of John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ were, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This is not to minimize His purpose to, "upon this rock I will build My Church," or, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." But we are not commanded to, "Repent," just to improve our life, nor are we told, "You must be born again," just to go our own way with our blessings and build our own kingdoms. The new birth and water baptism enables us to see and enter the Kingdom, to become citizens of that Kingdom and members of the Church, the Body of Christ.
I have confessed that I did not speak of the Kingdom of Heaven/God much when I was a young minister because of its highjacking by the Jehovah Witnesses. That was dumb, I admit it. My Dad, however, was a Kingdom man. I remember seeing one of His calling cards as a young boy. It had the verse, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness...." What a great mentor and example. Later, I was to get connected with men who were early leaders of the renewal, but later shunned because of their emphasis on the, "Kingdom of God," or as one described it, "The Government of God."
Talk of the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven is not popular among most people because it speaks of government, laws, organization, requirements. Most people want a religion of John Lennon's "Imagine," a life without any heaven or hell. But though a whole generation was duped by this own eastern religion views , the truth remains for all generations until Jesus' Second Appearing, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." No one can frustrate the Kingdom, replace the Kingdom, or destroy the Kingdom, because, "Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom," (literally, "a Kingdom of all ages") and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." Daniel told an ancient king, "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and that kingdom shall not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever."
Father, in Jesus' Name, give me a greater understanding of Your Kingdom, which I pray, "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done in earth as it is in Heaven." Amen.
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Unreached People Group: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
